Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-07-20
TRAGIC STORY
Of SUTTONS
DEATH
INQUIRY SHEDS NEW LIGHT
ON ANNAPOLIS MYSTERY
Participant in Fatal BrawI Gives
Fresh Version of Quarrel
Which Ended Young Officers
Career,
II Morning journal Special Leased wirei

Inv Morning journal Special Leased Wirel
Annapolis, Md July l9.-The court
of inquiry which is investigating the
death of Lieutenant James y. sutton,
T.. :. NJ. c.. Of Portland, ore, opened
at 10 o'clock today. Lieutenant SUIT
IONS death ON October II, 1907, re
suited from a pistol shot wound in the
head. The bullet, afterward found
within the skull. was apparently the
same as used in the regular 8 cali
Der service revolver.
Immediately following the fatality
an investigation was made by the ma
val academy authorities with the re
suit that Lieutenant Sutton was Off
ciallv recorded as having committed
suicide.
since then the mother and sister of
the dead lieutenant have been unre-
hitting in their efforts to ave the
case reopencd. This morning they Were
rewarded when the second inVestiga-
ton began With the opening of the
court Of inquiry.
The court organized in the admin
itsration building Of the naval academy
and thcn adjourned until l p. m.
Lieutenant Adams was the first Wit
ness called.
The judge advocate asked him to tell
Of all his movements from S p. a.,
until . a. m. On the night of October
f2-13, 1907, the night when Lieutenant
sutton was shot.
The witness said he attended !heI
dance at the academy and afterWard
went to Gravel hall with Lieutenantsl
Osterman and Utley. There they met
sutton and started in owens automo-
bile from Gravel hall With sutton to-
the marine camp.
I'VE went over the College creek
bridge" said tn witness, and going
over the bridge, the machine was maxi
ing considerable noise and as we were
out after hours, II o'clock being the
limit, Lieutenant Utley suggested we
stop the machine and walk so as not
to be caught. | reached over and
touched the chauffeur and told him
to stop. sutton called me a d-d
fool and said he WOuld lick he'll out
Of me. | unfastened my collar am
jumped out. Sutton and the othcrst
got out and as we We're preparing 90
fight, the sentry officer stepped in ana
ordered us to stop and said we could
fight it out the next morning. We
started for the barracks and got under
an electric light when sutton and Os-
terman struck each other several times
before they could be separated. From
there we went by the old road to the
barracks to report to the officer of the
day leaving sutton behind. He re-
fused to go with us. ! told Osterman
,.f, a.. 49,, a. ,t.. ff 1 had lnhNKtl asst
/ heard then, that sutton "shot up
the camp two weeks before we would
have gotten a rifle to protect ourscly-
es. on the way over an officer held
us up. 1t proved to be Utley and he
ordered us back to the scene of the
fight to see if we could find amy cloth
cs. | started down the path and had
gone 30 or 40 PAGES when | saw some
thing white. 1t seemed to arise and d
voice said. 'That's hat ID Adams
TIM going to kill YOU He fired. ran
at him. He fired again, We grappl"d
He fired a third time and hit me ON
the finger. As we wheeled around,
saw Rocker in a position to assist me
I threw Sutton around and got on his
back. trying to keep him from shoot
ing At that time some one Jumpod
on SuttOn's left hand, | don't know
who it was. There was a shot and
cried: My God. has he killed Rocker?
As | stood up there was a flash ana
/ looked toward Sutton to see him pro-
strate and evidently dead"
When sutton was on the ground,
said Lieutenant Adams, Il pushed ms
face into the earth with all MY
strength to keep from seeing who IL
was. He struggled for twenty seconds
and then seemed to weaken.
Did Mir. Sutton smell of liquor
asked the judge advocate.
Il was too excited to notice h Il
Did any one try to separate YOU
during the fight" asked Major Leon
ard.
NO. not that | remember, the VII
ness answered.
Did you hit sutton at that time
Yes. / hit him when | first Crap
pied with him.
Lieutenant Adams told of "a previous
quarrel with sutton over the payment
81 $3.50, which he tAdams) owed suit
ton.
Did you pay him that money
asked Major Leonard.
NO. sir. l did not pay him
Questioned by his own counsel. Ar
thur = Birney. Lieutenant Adams
said Lieutenant Utley dismissed tn
chauffeur and paid for the automobile !
the night Of the tragedy. At the for
mer hearing the testimony was that
sutton hired the automobile and paid
f.. it.
Lieutenant Adams gave his testi-
mony frankly but in a voice that trem-
Died at times, with excitement Hel
seemed anxious To go into details and
leii all he knew about the tragedy.
The witness said there We're fosr
shots fired before Sutton fired the
ilnal shot sutton had a service e.