Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-08-12
TOday's Telegraphic News
The Sutton Iuouiry.

Annapolis, Nd, Aug. IL -sPecia-
tors at the Sutton inquiry today srs
wondering Whist will be the effect OF The
testimony delivered late yesterday oil
DR. Ed"srd NJ Schseffer Of Washington,
who sFoTe that no nan lying as Sutton
is said to have been lying could have
fred the shot which killed the young
marine officer.
CJmmabder Hood, The president OF
the court, evidently did not take much
stock 10 DR.. 5chseffer's testimony, TO- re
took a revolver and attempted to show
iba. Sutton could have fred the fatal
shot. To the spectators, however, 1t
wss evident that the other members Of
court paid considerable attention to DR..
Sehsefier's testimony.
DR.. Edward Schaeffer, the pistol ex.
pert, vas called for cross examination
early today.
This time he was supplied with a
heavy service revolver whose trigger re-
sistance Was much greater than that OF
the average weapon.
Again DR.. Scha- fer lay himself prone
upon a table and holding the long bar
relied gun at the angle described In pre-
viOus testimony, tried to snap it against
his head. The muscles used 10 pulling
the trigger, namely those of the forearm,
the doctor said, we're rendered almost
senseless because of the apparent
cramped and twisted position OF the
hand and arm. The fact, he declared,
that two men were said to have been on
Satton's prone body would make the
suicide all the more difficult.
Under the cross.examinaIion OF AtLorf
usy Brney, the expert held to his belize
tba! it was practically physical impOs-
sibility for Sutton to have fred a bullet
taking the course that this one did, back
ward and downward aud lodging in the
cerebellum. He again took up the skull
aud wsded into a maze of technical
terms. Under the questioning of Adams
attorney, the big navy revolver was
once sgaiD brought into play and 1t was
shown by inverting the guD, hammer
d)wnward and by using the thumb, q
wound such as had been described might
be seli-inflIcted
Lieut.. Adams Was the last witness
called. Lying on the Aoor with three
men sstride him, he reenacted The death
OF Sutton as he claims it occurred. With
bat little difficulty, the witness clicked
the gun against his head.
AS be arose, DR., Schaefier was recalled
and asked parting question.
"In the light OF that demonstration, "
said judge advocate, "do you say that
Sutton could not have killed himself 7'
Il regard 1t as impossible" said the
expert.
"A pistol shot In any of the positions
held by Adsm',' be continued, de-
liberately, "cOuld not, according to my
mind, have produced wound thai
took the course Of the one through SUIT
toms head"
At noon all the testimony in The
Sutton case was concluded. After judge
Advocate Leonard had declared tia
the government had no oral argument
TO make the court adjourned until TO-
morrow at 10 O'Clock, when Attorney
Davis will sum up for the Suttons. He
will be followed by Attorney Birney, o.
Washington, representing Lieutenan
Adams, who will insist that The only
logical decision will be that of suicide
Plriland, Oregon. Aug. 12.--Ths
the entire Sutton family believes firmly
10 the occult 10 mental telepattiy snC
10 communication With the spirits OF thi
De parted, WAS proven today by Il state
meut made by Miss Daisy Sutton, the
young sister OF the dead marins officer
who declared that on the night of Octo
Der Is, 1907, Mrs. Birker and herself
both sisters, aud Mrs. Margaret Aims
worth, an aunt of the young officer, hat
vivid dreams. This was the night Lieut.
Sutton died. The three women claim
that be appeared TO them in their dreams
and said:
"Some son-oi-a-gun sneaked up be-
hind me aud struck me in the back of
the head did not know l had been
shot until woke up in eternity; l GER
talnly did not shoot myself"
The three women were Cepirsied by
hundreds Of miles on the night they had
their dreams and were thousands Of miles
from the spot where Sutton died 10 his
a ght with mis- brother officers of the ma
rine corps.
Mrs. Sutton, the mother OF the dead
officer, on the witness stand at the An-
nspOlis hearing, has sworn thst she, too,
he'd such a dream and that her sons
spirit appeared 10 her aud begged her to
continue her Investigations to prove
that be did not kill himself.