The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-08-11
MRS. PARKER
ON The STAND
Dead Mans Sister Testifles
at Sutton Inquiry.
INTERVIEW WITH ADAMS

Witness Tells of Her Long Talk With
One Of the Officers involved and
Repeats His Story Of the Tragedy
as Told to Her at That Time-Evi-
denoe Tending to Show That Sutton
Old Not Mediate Suicide.
Annapolis, Md, Aug. l1.-When the
inquiry into the death of Lieutenant
Sutton was resumed Mrs. Sutton,
mother Of the dead officer, was re-
called to the stand at the request Of
her counsel, Mr.. Davis, who presented
two letters. The letters we're identi-
fed by Mrs. Sutton as having been
written by Lieutenant Sutton, one to
her and one to her brother. They
were chatty, intimate and hopeful In
character. That to Mrs: Sutton was
mailed the day before Lieutenant SUIT
ton was shot and contained no hint
that he meditated suicide, but spoke
OF his plans for the future.
Mrs. Sutton also identified q bill Of
1ading as having been written by her
son. Mr.. Davis offered it as evidence
showing that Lieutenant Sutton had
no thought of suicide, but looked for
ward with pleasure to going around
the world on the great cruise of the
United States battleship fleet in 1907
When Mrs. Rose Sutton Parker, SIS
ter Of Lieutenant Sutton, was called
to the witness stand she said she
started for Annapolis on the day fol-
lowing her brothers death, previously
making preliminary arrangements for
his burial at Arlington. because as a
suicide he could not be buried In the
cemetery lot Of the family In Port
land, Ore, they being members Of the
Roman Catholic church. She was ad-
v1sed by Colonel Doyen, commandant
OF marines, not to look at her brothers
body owing to the condition of the
head, which, she said, Colonel Doyen
told her showed number of wounds
OF various sorts.
Tells Of Talks With Officers.
Mrs. Parker told Of interviews in
her room at Carvel Hall with several
of the young lieutenants She asked
that Lieutenant Adams see her alone,
because Lieutenant Adams seemed i'll
at ease when she met him and be-
cause she believed he had informa-
tion which he probably would not give
her in the presence of others. The
interview began at and ended at 10
p. m. Relating what passed she said
she asked Adams to tell her every
thing about her brothers death and
not spare her feelings and that Ad-
ANS told her Of Lieutenant Sutton's
unpopularity with his brother officers.
Reading from the record OF Lieuten-
ant Adams testimony questions which
the latter had declared he could not
answer. as he did not remember, Mrs.
Parker declared that Lieutenant Ad-
ANS had told her Of the incidents of
the fight chat followed the automobile
trip to "the Dump"
She said Adams told her her brother
went for weapons, having declared he
would kill Adams, Utley and Oster-
man, and that he described the final
encounter. Mrs. Parker said Adams
told her he would not swear her
brother committed suicide; that he
knew IL Sutton had lived his own life
would have been in danger; that
Sutton would get me-"
Adams. she said, stated that Lieu
tenant Utley hated Sutton and had
declared some one ought to stake it
out Of him." Adams told Mrs. Par
ker. she said, that If Captain Mark
claimed Sutton owed him money not
to pay 1t, as Sutton owed him moth
ing.
Mrs. Parker told Adams, she said
that all she wanted was to prove her
brother was not suicide, as were he
that his mother would by her faith
be compelled to believe her sons soul
lost. She told Adams If she could do
this the case would be dropped. This
ended Mrs. Parker's direct examine
tAon.