Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-22
ROBERT E. ADAMS
GIVES COURT OF INQUIRY FULL
EVIDENCE RELATIVE TO DEATH
OF SUTTON.
WITNESS ENACTS
SCENE WITH ORDERLY
IN cRoss-ExAMINATloN THE Evl-
DENcE OF FORMER SECRETARY
is SOMEWHAT WEAKENED BY
ATToRNEY-osTERM ON STAND

Annapolis. Md, July 20.-The sec
ono days session Of the naval court
OF inquiry which is sitting to inyesti-
gate the cause of the death of Lieut..
James Sutton, who either shot him
SELF or was shot by an unknown per.
son In quarrel with a brother off Ger
on the night Of October 12, 1907, ope,.-
ed today with Lieut.. Robert e. Adams
still on the witness stand.
Attorney Henry e. Davis, coun.
sci for Sutton's mother, cross-ex-
amined Adams and took him over the
scene Of the shooting again and dwelt
on the details of the distances and
time In an effort to place the exact
spot where and the time when Sutton
was shot. The witness could only re-
member approximately about these de-
tails. The lawyer read excerpts from
Adams testimony at the first inquiry
and pointed out some discrepancies.
The witness insisted wherever testi-
mony seemed to vary that his answers
at the present inquiry were the cor
rect ones"
Saw Sutton Fire.
Il want you to state again If you
saw Sutton kill himself" Davis asked.
AS have said, saw Sutton draw
a revolver from under him in his right
hand like this, illustrating the mo-
tion), and turn his head to the right
and fire. I saw the flash jump about
six inches"
Davis pressed the question as TO
whether Sutton fired the fatal shot
with a large service revolver or a
small one.
st wasn't very light when we ar
rived there" said Adams, "but it was
my idea he shot himself with a small
revolver"
Adams was excused.
Lieut.. Adams, who was Sutton's for
mer classmate at the academy, and one
of the principal actors in the midnight
fight which cost young Sutton his
life, told a graphic story Of the Incl
dents leading up to Sutton's death.
With nervous demeanor, Adams was
momentarily confused at times, and
yet was almost defiant under the Sc
we're cross-exanlination of Henry z.
Davis, counsel for Mrs. Sutton. Ad-
ans sat facing Sutton's mother and
sister during his examination.
At one point in his testimony Adams
and an orderly enacted the struggle
with Sutton. in the court room. The
witnesses chair was removed and they
both lay prone upon the floor.
Davis succeeded in bringing out a
lot of discrepancies in Adams testi-
mony yesterday, compared with his
version of the tragedy at the former
investigation, when the board of In
quiry found that Sutton died by his
own hand.
Story of the Fight.
The ride to the marine camp in the
auto of Sutton and two other officers
Of marines, Lieutenants Utley and
Osterman; an alteration between
Sutton and the witness, and defer
red encounter when the senior officer
interfered as the automobile was
stopped short of the camp with the
intention of avoiding being caught re-
turning after hours, the later acciden-
tai meeting of the witness and Sutton,
ch the border of the woods near the
barracks and the fight between the
two men, with Sutton armed with Il
revolver in either hand, and firing five
shots, the last of which he directed at
his own head while lying on the
ground-these were presented in Ad.
ans testimony.
The witness said he had risen from
the PROSTATE form of Suttoa. who
stood a few feet back of him when he
sew Sutton raise his right hand and
fire bullet into his own head. Just
previously one of the officers who had
come upon the scene had cried that
Lieut. Edward P. Rocker had been
shot and killed. the witness said.
Adams had made no attempt to
take the revolver from Suttons hands
when he broke away, or was pulled
away from him. he said, in reply to
Davis oft-repeated question. Sutton
had previously threatened to kill him
and was generally avoided by the ma.
rines because of his wild talk and &C
tons according to the witness.
Lieutenant Edward A. Osterm was
called as the next witness. Starting
with the hop at the academy and meet
ing with Sutton later, about midnight
at Carvel Hall hotel the witness told
substantially the same story and IN.
cidents that night as related by
Adams.