The Washington herald., 1909-08-26

After having obtained permission from
the War Department TO exhume the body
Of Lieut.. James y. Sutton. inferred in
Arlington Cemetery. Mrs. Sutton. mother
Of the dead marine. was notified yester-
day from the quartermaster's Office OF the
War Department that the privilege had
been withdrawn.
Mrs. Sutton had arranged 10 90 TO
Arlington Cemetery TO witness the ex-
humation. With her were to 90 Mrs.
Rose Sutton Parker, a sister Of Lieut..
Sutton. and DR.. George Tully Vaughn. OF
Georgetown University. who is to repre-
sent Mrs. Sutton in an official capacity
as physician and surgeon. a Catholic
priest was TO be one Of the party for the
purpose Of consccratins the ground where
Lieut. Sutton is inferred.
The party had been made up car
riages had been ordered and floral trib-
utes provided for the sad mission 10 the
cemetery The body was TO have been
exhumed al o'clock in the afternoon, Il
having been arranged that Mrs sutton
and her party were to start an hour be-
fore that time
Order Suddenly Revoked. =
The order of revocation was received
from the quartermaster generals office
just as the procession was about to
start.
Friends Of Mrs. Sutton regard the act
as the most extraordinary and unex-
plainable yet linked with the case
Pressed by Mrs Sutton 90 explain
the action OF The War Department, the
only satisfaction that she could get over
the telephone was that the matter had
been given too much publicity and would
likely attract a crowd Of curiosity-se
ers and make a scene in the cemetery.
No further explanation would be given
and Mrs. Sutton was at a loss TO under
stand this change OF the policy OF the
War Department. after having granted
her the privilege Of taking up tho body
Mrs Sutton has four letters from the
War Department granting her permis-
sion 20 have her sons body exhumed, and
even specifying the time as o'clock yes
terday, indicating what arrangements the
department had made for the autopsy.
which had included the selection Of Col.
Louis La Sarde. Of the Army Medical
Corps. TO be present for the army. and
Surg. Raymond Spear to act for the Navy
Department Surg. Spears assignment
followed. il is said, a communication read
a the Navy Department from the quar-
termaster generals Office, indicating
that the exhumation had been definitely
decided upon and was 10 have taken place
yesterday.
The body was to have been taken from
the Arlington Cemetery to the Naval Hos
pital. where the army and navy surgeons
were to examine the body, assisted by
Dr. George Tully Vaughn. representing
Mrs Sutton.
Permission Granted Friday.
The permission from the quartermaster
generals Office 10 exhume Lieut.. Sut-
toms body was granted following a visit
on Friday OF Mrs. Sutton and Mrs.
Parker. who took the matter I'D with
Capt Evan II. Humphrey. Mrs. Sutton
was informed, her friends say, that there
fcNAu NC 4tP NAAAiNNtt@ hAA AllaN II WDAlu
be necessary for her to put her request
in writing. Accordingly. Henry f. Davis.
counsel for Mrs Sutton, sent a formal
request to the War Department and on
Sunday, about noon, reply was re-
ccived by Mrs. Sutton stating that her
request had been agreed to.
Further correspondence then followed
between Mrs. Sutton and the department.
wherein details of the exhumatiun, selec-
ton Of medical authorities. &c. were
arranged. II was planned that the body
would be taken from the grave at .
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Sut-
ton having obtained permission from
Cardinal Gibbons to have it reburied In
consecrated ground
Before dawn yesterday morning Mrs.
Sutton had arranged for some inagnif-
cent floral offerings for the grave; had
ordered her carriage. and obtained the
services of DR.. George Tully Vaughan
for the afternoon. Some few friends. in
whom she had confded. sent floral
wreaths. There was to be no one IT
the autopsy except those officiating and
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