The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-12
MARINE CORPS
OFFICERS IN
CLOSE PLACE
Testimony DiSCrediting Theory
of SuttOn'S Suicide Grow
ing Much Stronger.
GLlSTENING SKULLS
USED BY ARMY EXPERT
SLAIN LIEUTENANT COULD NOT
HAVE FIRED FATAL SHOTS
INTO HIS HEAD.

feature was this afternoon introduced into
the inquiry regarding tue death of Lieu
tenant James n. Sutton. ir-, of Jhe United
states marine corps when the legal rep
resanJatiye of Mrs. sutton, the mother of
the dead lieutenant, brought 20 the wit
ness stand d. Edward Scnaefer or Wash
inetou, an expert on gunshOt wounds.
The people ln the room, spectators and
Interested parties alike crowded around
the table and gaZCd with the keCneat in
ter6st upon the doctor while he placed
upon the table glittering skulls, 10 the
exterior of which he affixed. I'm little
Jumps of wax, stced rods intended TO in
ffrate to the members of the court the
course of the bullet i'm the skull OF Lieu
tenant sutton.
Opinion as Expert.
The doctor stretched himself upon the
table and show ed by pantOmime how, i'm
his opinion as an expert, it was quite inn
possible that Lieutenant Sutton could
ever have fired into his own head the
shot that killed him.
The witness declared Lieutenant sutton
could not possibly be able. under the cir
cumstances described IN the testimony,
On exert sufficient pull ON the trigger 10
discharge the weapon. When court aG-
iourued, the denomination of DR..
Schaefer was i'm progress.
The evidence of Sergeant Todd, tOUch-
frE which CUuslderdBi Die interest mas bgl ID
aroused by a published alleged interview,
while it did not confirm the interview in
whole. did bring into the official evidence
some points not i'm ConsOnanCe with tes-
timonv given previously by officers of the
marine corps.
End In Sight.
Today's resumption OF the court inquiry
Investigating the death of Lieutenant
James Sutton seemed TO bring the close Of
the case within measurable distance.
Half q dozen more witnesses may be
called, but IL is expected the examination
Of most of these viii be brief. When they
have been disposed Of the Judge advocate,
Major Leonard. will sum up. He viii be
followed by Henry +. Davis. counsel for
Mrs. Sutton, and A. E Biruey, repre-
seuting Lieutenant Adams. The Judge
advocate will then close.
II. r Taylor, undertaken. and James \.
Wiedefed. who prepared Lieutenant SUIT
ton S body for burial. both TESTIFIED there
was no evidence that either of Sutton 5
arms had been broken. Weidefeld said
there were TO indications that he had
been beaten. although the witness had
made no examination for proof.
Sutton Was Sober.
Professor Gilbert Coleman of the naval
academy stated hat inc was in the COM
uany of Lieutenant Sutton from lunch
time until about midnight of October u,
1907 (the night of Sutton's DEATH, then
leaving the lieutenant with Miss May
bly, room of the hotel. Lieutenant Sutton.
he said. was in a condition of perfect So
briefly az that time Lieutenant Allen IT.
Sumner. L. 8 NJ G.. testified TO seeing at
the hotel the same night Lieutenants
Adams. Ostermsn and Utley, and that all
o. them We're perfectly sober. Lieuten-
ant Sutton. he said. entered the room and
offered those in the party drink from
bottle of whisky, which all drained. Lieu
tenant Sumner said he afJeTWard went to
camp. After his arrival there ne saw
Lieutenant Sutton leaving the camp
armed and without his coat. Later he
heard shots. and going i'm the direction
saw Lieutenant Sutton on the ground He
also saw Lieutenant Rocker, who ap-
peared TO have been injured, and. taking
him into camp. found mis- clothing torn by
a bullet which was found in his garments
HUNDRED Sutton.
The witness identified as his own a
card on which he had written. sutton
7 am q damn fool. Consider the gun bust
ness cut out This he had signed. He
said 80 was written by him for the pur-
pose Of hum0ring a whim of Lieutenant
Sutton on an occasion when the latter
was very much intoxicated The witness
hoped il would he a means Of inducing
Sutton TO go TO his hotel peaCeably.
Lieutenant Sumner testified that Sutton
was not of good reputation among the
other student officers, and that me did
not believe him To be 2 truthful man.
Mr.. Davis declined 20 ask the witness
any questions.
Sergeant's Testimony.
Sergeant A. p. Todd. corporal Of the
guard on the night of Lieutenant Sutton's
death. took the stand. He said he heard
an unusual noise I'm the gUardroom, and
there found Lieutenants Adams and Os-
tarman. who asked him for weapons, say
ing there was trouble I'm the camp They
got mo- weapons Shortly after he heard
shots fired Later Lieutenant Rocker. in
civilian attire. came 20 him and said he
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