The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-18
EVIDENCE Of
BLOWS ON BODY
Postmortem Examination OF
Lieut.. Sutton Sustains the
Mothers Contention

Washington, Sept. 1S.-In the pres
ence of the mother, surgeons repre-
senting the family and navy depart
ment and friends of Mrs. Sutton, an
autopsy on the body of former Lieut..
James N. Sutton, of the marine corps,
recently disinterred was performed
at the Arlington National ceme-
terry yesterday afternoon. Contrary
to- osassertfons that have been made, no
no arm bones were found broken, but
the face of the dead officer bore
marks Of having received a severe
beating, there being a confusion over
the right eye, while under the left
side of the jaw there was a large
lump.
At the conclusion of the autopsy.
Surg. George Tully Vaughn, repre-
senting Mrs. Sutton, and who made
the examination, announced that the
bullet wound was three inches above
the right ear. and was clean cut; also
that there was no indication that the
hair or scalp had been burned by
powder. DR.. Roymand Spear, who
represented the navy department, de-
clined to make statement, saying he
would make a report direct to the
secretary of the navy today.
Claims Proved, Says Mother.
Van Dyke and Van Dyke, associate
counsel, with Henry E. Davis for Mrs.
Sutton. said that the condition of the
wound in the head caused by the bull
let showed conclusively that 1t was
impossible for Sutton to have fired
the shot which ended his life. Mrs.
Sutton, the mother, stated that the
results of the autopsy were all that
she expected and that they substan-
tiated all she has said about the man
ner In which Lieut.. Sutton was shot.
She was emphatic in her statement
that the confusion over the right eye
and the lump under the life side of
the jaw confirmed her previous state
ment that Lieut.. Sutton was SO badly
beaten by his brother officers before
he was shot that he was unable phys
ically to have handled the gun which
fired the fatal shot.
DR.. Vaughn gave out the following
statement Immediately after the au-
topsy was completed:
The body was in fairly good state
of preservation. except the skin on
the hands, feet and chest, which was
mascreated. We found no bones
broken. but did find confusion over
the right eye two inches long and one
and one-half inches wide. The bullet
wound is three inches above the right
ear and clean cut. There are no
signs of burning hair or abrasions
of the scalp. Two other cuts were
found, one on top of the head, which
may have been made at the former
autopsy at Annapolis, and the other
a short distance back of the bullet
hole. A small piece of foreign SUBJ
stance which without close examina-
tion we believe Is fragment Of lead,
was found at the base of the skull
on the left side of the head. The
muscles of the limbs and trunk were
soft and pliable. and show that the
young officer was of powerful build." I"
DR.. Vaughn will make full written
report of his examination to Mrs. SUIT
ton this afternoon.
Mothers First View of Body.
For the first time Mrs. Sutton saw
her son in death. Calmly and with
fortitude she stood the ordeal OF see-
ing her sons body raised from the
earth where 1t had rested nearly two
years, and exposed to view. Only a
slight moisture Of the eyes showed
that her battle with her will was
waging with her mother emotions.
The long battle to remove the stigma
OF suicide from her sons memory aid