The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-07-14

Annapolis. Nd, July 13.--Referring
to the case of Lieutenant James N.
Sutton, u. S. Marine Corps. who died
at the Naval Academy Hospital Oc-
tober ~, 1907, and who was de-
clared by court of inquiry to
have committed suicide, DR.. ]. ].
Murphy, head of the Emergency
Hospital, of Annapolis, who perform
ed slight operation upon Miss Ma
ry T.. Stewart (said to be wanted
as a witness in the forthcoming re-
| investigation of the case), and who
J has served in the regular army in the
| Philippines, stated yesterday that
point that has seemed strange to him
Is that Lieutenant Sutton was buried
with fun military honors. DR.. MUIR
ply said:
II nave always understood that an
army men who ended his own life
was never given military horrors at
| burial. In this case the unfortunate
| man was buried with the honors of a
| captain when his rank was that of
| lieutenant When the remains were
removed from the Naval Academy
| grounds to the railroad station, a
| company of marines accompanied
| them and at the station volley was
| fired from the rifles of these men.
| This was done after the naval in
vestigation board had declared Lieu
| tenant sutton a suicide and up to the
| present time 1 have never been able
| to understand nor learn why this
| was DONE"
Lieutenant Adams, who is now
staioned at Sea Girt, n. j., was in
conference with officials of the Ma
rine Corps yesterday. Lieutenant Ad-
ans made an attempt to obtain per-
mission from the Navy Department
to read the testimony he gave at
| the former investigation of the SUIT
ton case. He did not make the re-
quest personally. but had a friend
take up the question with the depart
| ment to ascertain whether or not
such a request from him would be
| considered.
The department declined to allow
Lieutenant Adams to read the testi-
mony. His friend was informed that
It would be better for Lieutenant
Adams to rely upon his memory for
the details of the affair, rather than
to refresh his memory by reading
the former testimony.
An abstract of the contradictory
testimony on which Mrs. James N.
Sutton will attempt to show that
her son was murdered, was given out
today by f, w. Van Dyke, of coun-
sci for Mrs. Sutton.
Mr.. Van Dyke said:
Briefly, as gathered from the tes-
ff,aT hA Ctn .f tIaa of IN,
which Lieutenant Sutton lost his
life appears to be that, some time
during the night of October 1918,
1907, party of marine officers
| went to Carvel hall on the way back
from hop, and there met Lieuten-
| ant Sutton who had Joined them. One
of the party had engaged an automo-
bile to take them out to camp as the
marine officers quarters were called,
in the Naval Academy grounds. Lieu
tenant Sutton, who had previously
also engaged an automobile. suggest
ed that the party divide, and that
some of them return TO camp in his
car. whereupon Leutenants Har-
old II. Utley. Robert e. Adams. and
Edward A. Ostermnn accepted the
invitation. The party left Carvel hall
about l o'clock Sunday morning.
ION the way to camp verbal
controversy is said to have arisen be-
tween Lieutenants Sutton and Ad-
ams-as to the subject of which the
| witnesses differ-and, something
eventually having been said about a
fight, the automobile was stopped, af-
ter II had crossed a bridge in the
Naval Academy grounds, and they all
got out. The other automobile, con-
tanning the rest of the party, pro-
ceeded TO camp. In preparation for
the fight, Lieutenant Adams took OFF
his hat, cape coat and collar, but
Lieutenant Sutton had removed none
of his clothing when Lieutenants Ut
ley and Osterman got between him
and Lieutenant Adams, for the pur-
pose, as they testified of inducing
them to forego the fight at that time.
The party then returned to camp.
"The accounts given by Lieuten-
| ants Adams, Utley and Rocker and
Sergeant De Hart as to the shooting
of Lieutenant Sutton vary so widely
that II is impossible to reconcile any
two of the versions, but all testi-
| fled that several shots were fired by
Sutton; that Adams and Rocker
were hit, the former on one of his
fingers. and the latter In the breast,
as a result of which he fell, dazed,
| though II subsequently transpired.
that the ball did not penetrate and
that he was uninjured; that Lieuten-
ant Adams rushed in and grappled
with Sutton and threw him to the
| ground, face downward.
There Is also agreement in this
testimony that when Lieutenant
Bevan ordered Lieutenant Adams to
deslst, the latter obeyed and rose to
| his feet; that glancng around and
seeing Lieutenant Rocker lying on
the ground. he then exclaimed: My
heavens! Is Rocker kiiled?' or some
thing to that effect: that almost inn
mediatcly there was fash and
revolver report and Lieutenant SUIT
ton was found to have been shot Just
above and about midway between the
ear and the vortex Of the skull on the