Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-21
THREAT OF SUICIDE MADE
BY MAN WHO WAS SLAIN
Discrepancies in Stories Of Tragedy
Are Brought Out.
ACCOUNTS OF KILLING DIFFER
Adams Not Corroborated in State
ment That Sutton Was Alone on
Ground When His Gun
Went Oh.

Special Dispatch to The Star
ANNAPOLIS, Md. July :l.-T am
absolutely certain that the shot whicI,
ended Lieut.. Sutton's life was nred
from a revolver held In his own hand.
81 know that nobody hut him wa.
fred.
Il cannot say, OF my own persOpal
knowledge, that sutton ever threateaed
to shoot mp the camp. NOR did I ever
hear him threaten the life OF any one.
"On one occasion. probably four er
I'VE months before his death, he told
me, In the coufse OF q long cOnversn-
tion, that life did not attract him and
that he felt that some day be would
kill himself"
These two striking statements were
made this morning by First Lieut.. VIII
liam F. Bevans Of the Marine Corps. who
was officer Of the guard on the night that
Lieut. James NJ Sutton met his death
the night Of October L., 1907.
Bevans Again Under Fire.
Lieut. Bevans. who was on the stand
for short while late yesterday afternoon.
resumed his testimony when the court
met this morning. In many respects be Il
the best witness who has yet appeared.
He was on duty the night Of the tragedy
and knew nothing Of the events that led
up %" the fight that led up to Sutton's
death His part in the affair began short
ly after ! O'Clock that night. when q cor
poral came to his once and informed
him that there was fight going on at
camp.
On the material point at issue-the ex-
act manner Of Sutton's death-Bevans ia
absolutely clear. Concerning certain ac-
companying and subsequent occurrences
he Is hazy. but frankly and confessedly
so, his admissions OF doubt and uncer-
tainty having come from him voluntarily
during the course Of his testimony.
No questions put to him during the
cross-examination affected the essential
points In hts story. which Is remarkably
close to the story he told at the first in
Quiry.
For the most part also. Bevans' testi
mony is corroborative OF that OF Lieut..
Adams with regard to that part of the
affair that they both witnessed.
Where Testimony Clashes.
It differs. however. in one materia.
point. Adams testified that when Sutton
fired the shot that ended his life nobody
was touching him-that he was lying
alone on the ground. Bevans says thai
Lieut.. Utley and Sergt- De Hart were on
top of Sutton holding him down when.
with a sudden jerk, Sutton drew his arm
from under his body and fired.
The attendance at the court was larger
today than it has been before. Added TO
the usual number OF navy men and woin-
en- who have attended the proceeding
were forty or fifty young women from
Annapolis. who wandered in and out AM
several times caused q rown to puckei
the usually placid brow of Commando
Hood. presiding officer. by the noise they
made.
Next to Mrs. Sutton and Mrs. Parker.
the mother and sister Of the dead lieuten-
ant, Commander Hood has been the most
phlegmatic person In the courtroom. his
white-clad rotund figure and his placid
countenance appearing in strong contrast
to the nervous witnesses and the thought
But the "frou-frou' of feminine skirts
upset him today. SO that he ordered
couple of mild-mannered newspaper pho
tographers out Of the courtroom.
It IL the deliberateness Of Commander
Hood that broke up the plan OF that
high-strung live wire, the Judge advocate.
Maj Leonard. to have the court sit from
8 until 8 o'clock every day. with an hour
for lunch. Hood calls the court at 10
O'Clock in the morning, let's ii run along
until whatever time between L. and
O'Clock that he gets hungry. when he de-
clares q recess until 2 o'clock He always
stops the afternoon proceedings promptly
at 4 o'clock.
Court May Not Sit Saturday.
It is probable that there will be no ses-
sion of the court Saturday afternoon.
II such a recess is taken the proceedings
will be resumed Monday morning.
That the sight between Osterman and
Sutton, in which the former was victori-
GUS. exploded Sutton's reputation as a
tighter. which up to that time amounted
TO something. is the story that certain
marine officers tell among themselves
Sutton was known TO be strong man.
He was about five feet ten inches in
height and weighed 160 pounds. Oster-
man weighs about 40 pounds and was
Sutton's equal In height.
THE only trouble l had with Sutton
during the fight" Osterman is said TO
have told one of his friends afte ward
was that ne clinched al every opportuni-
~ and frequently scratched and gcuged
me.
II could never get hin. TO stand UP and
fight at long range. He would Invariably
grab me and press his head against my
body.
AFTER our fight was over my shir;
was smeared with blood from Suttons
face. He might have been strong man
and rood at certain branches OF athletics,
hut he was q rather poor fighter"
ssThe trouble with Sutton another
marine officer said today. was that he
simply didn't belong there. He he'd no
place In the service. The environment
was In no wise congenial to him.
During the short time he was at the
Naval Academy he was put In Coventry
by his class which means that he was os
tracised. On that occasion he was ac-
cused OF .greasing.' which means that
during brief periods OF authority be would