The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-20
PUTS LIEUT.. ADAMS
THROUGH RIGID
CROSS-F|RE
II Don't Remember" Snaps 0ficer in
Reply To Questions Regarding
Mysterious Death of Lieut..
Sutton After Fight.
Denies That He Told Dead Officer
Sister He Ground Sutton's
Head in Dirt.


testifyine at the inquiry into the
death Of Lieut.. sutton, today, said
he heard some shots on the fatal
night and ran towards the place
where Sutton lay. IL saw Sutton
lying on one aide Of the road and
Lieut.. Rocker on the other" he
said. "Lieuts. Adams and Bevan
were standing over Sutton. Some
one said, Sutton shot Rocker and
then shot himself" Osterman
said he once saw Sutton trying to
make some other officers dance
by firing q revolver at their feet.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, July 20.-Lieut.
Robert e. Adams today denied before
the court OF inquiry. investigating tho
death OF Lieut.. James ~ Sutton thoi
he had ever made any admissions to
Mrs. Rose Sutton Parker. the dead cf-
lcers sister, involving himself In the
tragedy.
Il don't remember" or 1T Is not
true,' Adams reiterated time aad
again. as Attorney Davis, counsel for
tne Sutton family, with Mrs. Parker 5
memorandum Of the alleged interview
| lefore him. sought to get him TO d
mercifully Sutton had been beaten by
himself and other officers during me
aght that had preceded the young
mans death.
Il tell you | did not tell Mrs. Park
CT anything except to quote from ne
records" said Adams finally, In evi.
dent anger Whats the use OF ask.
Ing me all these little details. when 1
hax I'll f da aH mi A
all?"
The memorandum which Davis held
declared that, among other things.
Adams had told Mrs. Parker that nc
hated Sutton, and had ground his head
In the dirt during the fight.
Did Mrs. Parker ask you In the
outset TO tell her the TRUTH CUES
toned Attorney Davis.
Witness Gets impatient.
''Yes, believe she did" answered
Adams.
Then you referred her to the rec
ords,n
Yes
Then you went ahead and made
q statement, did you not, and"
Adams. his face redder than 1t had
been at any time during the hearing,
ytIhcu Oul, uiu NV p~i~'N $1,000
could finish the question.
did you say 10 her that Sutton
used abusive language TO you In the
automobile on that night?" he was
asked
IL don't remember" said the wit
ness.
What 10 you mean by 1 don't re-
member? Do you deny"
that's all Pm saying"
"You did rot tell that when Sutton
and Osterman were fighting, Lieut. Ut.
ley separated them
II don't remember"
Don't you remember Mrs. Parker
asking you IL you did not feel badly
about beating her brother after you
knew he was dead?"
II don't remember"
"You did not tell Mrs. Parker that
you were SO Infatuated you did not
know what you were doing, and did
lot care; that somebody had to pull
you of his PROSTATE body; that you
we're beating him and had your hand
inder his throat You did not tell her
hat?''
II don't remember" said Adams.
RTOWInR IuOTt uiOiC puIiche'
Crowd Listens BreathlessIy.
The small crowd. some three score
men and women listened breathlessly
during this recital. Occasionally there
we're low murmurs of surprise and
more than one admiring eye was upon
Mrs. Parker, who just sat with an
amused smile. as Adams attempted to
nullify her statements.
"And you don't remember that you
told Mrs. Parker that you would no.
have stopped beating Sutton, IL some
body had not kicked you In the ribs.
and told you not to kick a man who
was DOWN." continued Davis. Adams
again protested to have no recollec-
ton of such statement.
After more than five hours on the
stand Adams was allowed temper
ary respite, and Lieut.. Osterman. also
a participant in the fight of Oct. Is,
1907. was called shortly before the
noon recess, and gave his version Ct
the tragedy.
Lieut. Robert E. Adams, one II tho
CHEF actors in the tragedy that ended
in the death of Lieut.. James Z. sutton.
nearly two years ago, In the grounds
of the naval academy, faced severe
oross-examination when the court or