Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-24
MRS. PARKER TOTEll
VERSION OF TRAGEDY
Story of What Happened Told
Her by Adams to Be
Repeated.
QUIZZING OF WITNESS
PAVED WAY FOR THEORY
0sterman Made to Tell How
Victim Was Winning Battle.
MOTHER COMES TO THIS CITY.
Rumors of Important Clue and Of
Rided Trunk to Account for
Her Presence at Capital.

Her Presence at Capital.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
ANNAPOLIS. Md. July o4.-"We he
lieve that we have established our case
already" said Mrs. Rose Sutton Parker.
sister of Lieut.. James n. Sutton. and
leading spirit in the efforts of his family
and friends to have the Navy Depart
ment reverse the finding that Sutton died
by his own hands at the marine barracks
here the night of October IL. 1907.
THE witnesses have contradicted each
other throughout None of them will
swear that he saw my brother fire the
shot that killed him.
1T is still early in the trial. however
Our side has not been heard as yet"
Mrs. Parker will 60 on the stand early
next week and tell of the interview
which she had with Lieut.. Adams when
she first came on to Annapolis to inves-
tigate her brothers death. Adams has
denied giving Mrs. Parker any account of
the shooting. Mrs. Parker expects to tell
a different story.
Way Paved for Adams Story.
Henry E. Davis. counsel for the SUIT
tons, employed a ruse on one Of the Ma
rine Corps witnesses and by its use went
far to establish the credibility OF the
story Of the interview as against Ad-
ans denial. In cross-questioning Lieut.
Osterman the lawyer asked him a series
1T questions as to his fight with Sutton,
preceding Sutton's combat with Adams.
did Osterman knock Sutton down re-
peatedly?"
Did they finally clinch and go down
together"
"Did Sutton wind his legs around oster-
man: holding him down. and scratch his
eye?''
Did tile others finally come and get
Osterman on his feet again.
The happenings indicated by these ques-
tions never appeared In the testimony be-
fore, say the Suttons. The story was told
to Mrs. Parker by Adams. she says. i'm
the interview that Adams denies. I'm
knowingly Osterman has enabled the
Suttons to score strong point and has
paved the way for credit being given to
the forthcoming story OF the interview
with Adams. as told by Mrs. Parker.
Mrs. Parker will not tell at this time,
nature of the revelations made by Adams.
She has previously said, however, that
1t was Adams story. told with great
brutality and seeming frankness. that
originally convinced her that her brother
did not kill himself.
Strange Doings in Marine Corps.
One certain result of the present investi-
cation will be to show the prevalence OF
strange conditions in the Marine Corps.
The testimony has shown. in the first
place, that it was possible for brawl be-
tween officers to go unchecked for many
minutes within a few rods of the SEN
tries. An officer and a sergeant have
testified to seeing Sutton armed and MAX
ing no effort to disarm him.
The officer of the day. Lieut.. Willing.
mas hlmself testified to urging ADAMS TO
continue beating the PROSTATE Sutton,
whereas it was the duty of the officer OF
the day to raaintain order Col Doycn
has testified that he found nothing partic-
ularly puzzing about the death of Sutton
when he arrived on the scene and per-
mitted all concerned to go to their quar-
ters, while the body itself was removed.
Mrs. Parker told today for tho first
time of the existence of two other re-
volvers, not hitherto mentioned. among
her brothers effects at the marine Off
GERS camp. They were found. she said.
locked in his suit case. inside his tent,
after his death.
The Navy Department refused, so She
says to turn these revolyers over 10
her. but offered to let her buy them at
about SO apiece. She declined To DO so
not being at that time as familiar with
the case as she became later They were
turned over, she understands, to the
department and were put back into serv-
Ice.
4sOSOAVSAS " DC 0loCuSSc0.
The Suttons intend to bring up the mat
ter of the revolvers in Sutton's suit case
during the present inquiry. The presence
Of the revolvers among Sutton's effects
tends, so they believe, to cast doubt on
the idea that Sutton ever armed himself
at all on the night when he is said to
have shot at Adams and Rocker and 10
have killed himself.
Still further do they make it doubtful
whether Sutton took with him more than
one revolver when he started from his
tent to the scene OF his death.
There Is likelihood that Mrs. Parker will
testify that trouble existed between Sut-
ton and Adams for a week prior to SUIT
toms death Mrs. Parker has intimated
that she knew of such trouble. 1t arose
from Adams having made a suyring re-
mark to Sutton concerning Mrs. Parker
herself.
Mrs. Sutton left for Washington shortly
after noon. She said she had received a
letter In the mornings mail containing
information that necessitated her visit
to the Capital.
What the nature of this information was
she would not disclose. She said she
might make 1t public upon her return to
Annapolis this afternoon.
Suttons Satisfied With Showing.
That the Suttons and their attorneys
are more than satisfied with the pros ress
of the case SO far eIphaticaiiy
stated at the close of the proceedings
yesterday by Henry Il. Davis, their
principal attorney, and by Mrs. SUIT n
and Mrs. Parker.
They feel for one thing. that the testi-
mony of the various officers who have
been heard concerning the appearance
and position o. Sutton's body when the
last shot was fired and Immediately after
ward shows conclusively that he could
not possibly have shot himself from the
position in which he lay. or at least that
he could not have inflicted upon himself
such a wound as that from which he
died.
According to their statements the bullet
his head at a point entirely diff
ferent from that described by DIR. Pick
rell their contention being that 1t en-