Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-08-19
Lieut. Sutton
Held Responsible
EITHER A SUICIDE OR AccIDEN-
tai DEATH.
NAVAL COURTS VERDICT
No Possible Charge of CriminaIity
Against Other Participants-Laek of
Discipline in the Marine Corps.

Washington, Aug. 1S.-The naval
court of inquiry into the case of Sec
| ond Lieut.. James H. Sutton, U. S. M.
| c., decided that no possible charge of
! criminality lies against any of the par
| ticipants in the fray except Sutton
| himself.
The Verdict.
Lieutenant Sutton is directly and
| solely responsible for his own death,
which was self-inhicted, either inten-
! tionaQy or in an effort to shoot one
of the persons restraining him, and
his death was not caused by any other
| injury whatever"
| This is the verdict of the court which
for some weeks has had under investi-
! cation the cause of the death at An
napolis Naval academy in october,
| 1907 of Sutton. The verdict has been
approved by the judge advocate gen.
| eral of the army and by Beekman
| Winthrop, assistant and acting secre-
tary of the navy.
Other Findings.
The court also finds:
| That Lieutenant Utley failed in his
| duty as senior officer present, under
Article 266, United States Navy Regu-
lations, 1908, in permitting Lieutenant
| OulLOH " away anu arm himself
| instead of calling on those present for
assistance and following Lieutenant
Sutton, preventing his arming himself,
I by force If necessary, and turning him
over TO the custody of the officer of
the day.
That Lieutenant Bevan, officer of the
guard, failed in his duty as officer of
the guard in not disarming Lieutenant
| Sutton by force while in front of his,
! Sutton's tent
That Lieutenant Willing, the officer
of the day. failed in his duty as officer
of the day in not Immediately assisting
by force in helping to disarm Lieuten-
ant Sutton when he arrived on the
scene before the fatal shot was fired.
That the charges of wilful murder
and conspiracy to conceal it, made by
the complainant, Mrs. Sutton, mother
! of Lieutenant Sutton, are purely imag-
mary and unsupported by even a shad-
ow of evidence, truth or reason.
No Further Proceedings.
The court recommends, however,
that in view of the youth and decided
inexperience OF Lieutenants Utley, Will
ling and Bevan at the time, and of the
altogether unusual conditions of ex-
citement, threats and danger during
| the aforementioned fray, no further
proceedings be taken.
Minority Report
The report Is signed by J. Hood
commander United States navy, presi-
dent of tire board, and Henry Leonard
major, United States Marine corps
Judge advocate. Commander Hood also
filed a minority report in Which he says
that he concurs in the majority report
and in addition is of opinion that Lieu
tenants Utley, Adams, Osterman, Will
ling and Bevan showed a deplorable
lack of knowledge of their duties and
obligations as officers holding commits
sions in the marine corps; and the tes-
timony concerning the whole deplorable
affair indicates a state of discipline
then existing in the marine school OF
application discreditable to the service
and argues strongly against the prac-
tice of commissioning and putting into
positions of responsibility young mer
without proper previous training. He
is also of the opinion that Lieutenants
| Willing. Bevan and Utley should have
been brought to trial at the time 70:
neglect of duty and Lieutenants Adams
and Osterman should have received
milder punishments for engaging in g
brawl unbecoming officers and gentle
men, and he concurs in the recon-
mendation that no further proceedings
be taken at this time only because oi
their youth and inexperience at thai
time and because of their being, in {
sense, the victims of a system fol
which they themselves are not respon-
sible.
Discipline Lax.
In approving the findings and recon-.
mendations of the court and the judge
advocate general, Acting Secretary
Winthrop says:
By its concurrence in the opinion o
the court and of that expressed in the
minority report, the department indi-
Gates its thorough disapproval of the
lax state of discipline shown by tht
evidence to have existed at the marine
school of application prior to and at the
time of the death of Lieutenant Sut.
ton.
The results of this laxity have
brought serious discredit not only or
the officers directly responsible for the
efficiency of the institution, but unfor-
tunately on the marine corps as
i whole.
Issues May Be Taken to Congress.
Washington, Aug. 1S-With the pub.
lication today of Acting Secretary o.
the Navy Winthrop's approval of the
findings of the court of inquiry thai
Lieut.. James n. Sutton, Jr., of the
United States marine corps. was di-
rectly and solely responsible for his
own death at Annapolis nearly two
years ago" the famous Sutton case
became a closed incident as far as the
navy department is concerned.
Counsel for the Suttons intimated
| however, after the courts decision
had become definitely known that they
were far from satisfied with the YER
dict and that they probably would take
: the issues to congress with a view O
; having a full hearing of the case by {
committee of that body.
Mrs Sutton declined to discuss th'
} result of the inquiry.