Evening star., 1909-07-09
important Witness in Sutton
Case Lost to Sight.
DISMISSED FROM SERVICE
Family Never Saw Marine Officer
After His Disgrace.
DEAD MAN WAS HIS FRIEND
Was With Him When He Died.
Chauffeur Declares Challenge
Was Made by Adams.

4 new complication has developed in tiIs
case of tho late Lieut.. James y. Sutton.
United States Marine Corps. and ono
which may delay the investigation as 10
his death, just ordered by the Navy De-
partmcnt
One of the principal witnesses in the
case is Lieut.. Edwin p. Rocker. who was
with Lieut.. Sutton when he died. lie has
utterly disappeared
Lieut.. Rocker was convicted by court
martial of the charge Of drunkenness and
dismissed from the Marine Corps in Dc
cember. 1907. Following this. just two
months after Suttons death, Rocker dis
appeared His whereabouts has not been
learned since.
Mrs. Rocker. his mother, who lives at
1+l4 . street, said today that she had no
idea where her son is at present. He left
Annapolis shortly after the conclusion of
the trial, and did not come homo after his
dismissal from the Marine Corps.
Mother Has Not Seen Him Since.
His mother supposes he did not care TO
see the members of his family after his
failure to keep up with the corps. The
family has not heard from him since he
disappeared, and does not know whether
he is dead or alive.
Mrs. Rocker declares that her son and
Sutton were good friends. She does not
know anything about the death of Sutton.
except what she has read in the news
papers.
General court martial order No. Ill.
dated Navy Department. Washington,
d. c., December 9. 1907. shows that Roel
ker was found guilty and dismissed The
order was signed by President Roosevelt
and Secretary Metcalf
49,
rine Corps headquarters 1t is declared
that nothing Is known of Rockers pres
ent whereabouts: that having been dis
missed from the service he has dropped ont
of official sight. What steps will be taken
to secure Rockers attendance as a wit
ness at the coming investigation at An
napoiis July 10 are not known.
Sutton Didn't Want to Fight.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. July a.-William
Owens. a well known young white man
Of this city. 1t has become known, was
the chauffeur who carried Lieut. James
n. Sutton. L. S. NJ. c, and a party OF
other officers from Annapolis to the ma
| rine camp on the night Of October l..
1907, when Sutton met his death.
1t Is understood that he will appear be-
fore the second board Of investigation.
which will meet here July 10. According
to information which Mrs. Sutton, moth
er of the dead officer. claims to have, il
will be shown beyond a doubt that the
report Of the first board Of investigation
that Sutton committed suicide was in
correct.
Sutton Not Challenger.
Owens makes a statement which is al
variance with all previously published
accounts and with other statements at
tributed to him. The most telling fact
brought out by him is that the fight
which ended in Sutton's death was no,
brought o.. by a challenge OF Sutton's,
but by that of another officer, Lieut.. Rob
ert z. Adams.
Owens denies much Of the conversation
preliminary to the encounter which has
been placed III his mouth. and he said he
knew nothing of any call for sentry,
pistol shots or being requested to carry
Il pistol away from the camp, as some &C
counts have stated.
Young Owens says he carried Sutton,
Adams, Rocker and one other officer to
the camp from Carvel Hall that night
On the way, he asserts, little was said
Upon arriving at 4 point near the camp
Adams jumped out and took off his coat,
and as Sutton descended struck at him.
Sutton was then grabbed by the other
officers, and Adams again hit at him, but
neither of the blows appeared tp land.
Then there was a colioquy, In which Sut-'
ton stated he did not want to fight, but
finally said that he would.
Owens Sent Away.
This puts an entirely different light
upon the affair. as all along it has been
claimed that Sutton was the one who
forced the fight Owens says he wished
to stay and see the rest Of the fight, but
was told to go away by the other Off
GERS.
He also says that Sutton paid the whole
fare, but he heard no one tell him that
he must do So Owens then left in his
auto and heard nothing of the shots
which followed in a little while, according
to other testimony.
Owens Is now a driver for the Adams
Express Company In Annapolis. He is a
member OF the Maryland National Guard
and a young man of intelligence and good
reputation