Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-22
SUTTON INQUIRY
MOVES FORWARD
TESTIMONY OF FOUR MEN Is
CONCLUDED
SLIGHT DlscREPANClEs SHOWN
IN SECOND HEARING
Mother of Dead Marine Corps officer
Believes Her Son Was Beaten
to Death and Shot
Afterwards
tRy Associated Press)

session today only four witnesses out
of the fifteen subpoenaed by the gov
ernment had been examined.
In a few minor points Henry e.
Davis chief counsel for the Suttons,
showed discrepancies in Lieut.. Will
ing's testimony at this and the former
inquiry
Willing was the first man to say he
reached the scene of the tragedy in
time to see Adams beating Sutton.
Lieut.. Bevan testified he saw no
blows exchanged.
As Lieut.. Willing. on cross-exami-
nation, described Sutton with Adams
holding him by the back Of the neck
with one hand and punching him with
the other, Mrs. Parker, who sat di-
rectly opposite the witress, smiled In
credulously and turning to Mr.. Van
Dyke, one Of her counsel said:
Imagine a wild man, Is they de-
scribe my brother to have been, stand
ing up vita a revolver in each hand
and taking a punching like that. 1t
is wholly incredible
Talked of Suicide
The Judge advocate asked Willing if
he thought the beating Sutton got
would have killed him, or if the wit
ness had any way of knowing whether
Sutton was dead before the last shot
was fired.
1t is known Mrs sutton has i'm
pressed upon Maj Leonard her belief
that her son was beaten to death ard
afterward shot.
The witness answered these quos-
tions in the negative.
Lieut. Bevan created a stir when he
testified that six weeks prior to the
shooting Sutton had told him life in
the marine corps had no attraction for
him and that some day ne would shoot
himself.
report being current that Lieut..
Sutton carried life insurance to the
amount OF $4,000 which could not be
collected If the decision of the
previous investigating board that he
committed suicide is not upset, Mrs.
Sutton and her daughter today speci-
ffcally denied the lieutenant was so
heavily insured. They said If he car
ried as much as $4,000 insurance the
family knew nothing Of it.
Willing Certain of Suicide
Lieut.. Edward S Willing said he
rushed to the scene from the camp
when he heard the shots
He testified he saw three men sitting
on Sutton, andsns he came up to Sut-
toms head he heard Adams, presum-
ably, who was the only man back of
him, say: Hes shot Rocker" or
Rocker is killed"
At that there was a report and a
flash by Suttons head, and the witness
turned his head just in time to see the
revolver In Sutton's hand.
Are you sure Sutton shot himself?'
asked Major Leonard.
l"There is not the slightest doubt that
he did" replied Willing.
Willing afterward leaned over and
took the revolver out of Sutton's hand,
he said
Had you any way of knowing If
Sutton was dead before the revolver
was fired which you think killed him?'
mo, but I don't think he was"
From this line of questions it was
evident that the judge advocate had in
mind Mrs. Sutton's assertion that she
believed her son was beaten to death
before he was shot.
Cross examination was still in prog
ress when the hearing adjourned.
BeVan Again on Stand
Lieutenant VIM. F. Bevan of the
Marine corps resumed his testimony to-
dav when the court of inquiry con-
tinued the investigation into the death
of Lieut.. James n. Sutton of Port
land, Ore.
Bevan's graphic story yesterday of
the incidents leading to Sutton's 5 death
varied In many essentials from the
testimony of Lieutenant Adams and
Lieutenant Osterman, all of whom We're
present and testified they saw Sut-
ton kill himself. According to Bevan,
there were three men either sitting
when he freed an arm and shol him
self.
Sutton's mother, in view of this part
of Bevan's testimony last night again
expressed her belief that her son was
beaten 10 death in the quarrel with
the officers and the bullet wound in
his head was afterward inflicted.
Major Henry Leonard, conducting
the inquiry for the government, had a
conference last night with Mrs. Sut-
ton and her daughter, Mrs. Hugh
Parker. 1t was said afterWard that
the conference might lead to an un~
expected turn Nothing has been heard
here by the naval authorities of Lieu
tenant Edward p. Rocker, the much
wanted witness, although it was report
ed yesterday he had been found.
Miss Stewart Not Expected
It is not thought likely that Miss
Margaret Stewart of Pittsburg, the
girl who spent the evening with Lieu
tenant Sutton the night before his
death, will be called as a witness.
When Lieutenant BeVan resumed the
witness stand this morning, Major
Leonard asked him if he knew of
threats against the lieutenants or any
officers in camp or attempts on Sut-
toms part to "shoot up the camp.
Mr.. Davis objected to the question
as irrelevant
"If any officers should be charged
with causing Sutton's DEATH" said Ma
ior Leonard, amy testimony which
would tend to show a motive would be
material. If such an officer had to pro-
tect his own life, such testimony would
be very material"
The question was allowed. The wit
ness said he did not recall ever hear
ing Lieutenant Sutton threaten to take
the life of any one in camp. He re-
lated the occasion of Sutton's shoot
ing up" the camp as told previously
by Lieutenants Adams and Osterman.
Was Positive of Suicide
Are you positive that Lieutenant
sutton caused the revolver to be fired
at the time he was shot?' inquired Ma
jOr Leonard.
yes" Lieutenant. Bevan answered.
Arthur e. Birney, Lieutenant Adams
counsel, questioned the witness. The
latter told of a conversation with Sut-
ton about six weeks prior to his death
in which Sutton said the life in the