The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-23
TOLD BOYS TO
BEAT SUTTON
Lieutenant Wiling Gives
Testimony. s
DEADLY GUN IS IDENTIFIED
Efforts to Shake Officers Story IN
Vain.
Navy Surgeon Tells Of Much Disputed
Point and Declares Fatal
wouna May Have Bees
Self Indicted.
4

Annapolis. Nd. July 22--The remark
able variance In the testimony of some
OF the naval officers who are witnesses
before the court OF inquiry which In
Investigating the circumstances sur
rounding the death Of Lieutenant James
N. sutton. at the Naval Academy, two
years ago, was emphasized at today's
hearing by contradictory evidence a.
to the location of the bullet wound
which caused the young oregonian's
death.
This question has. assumed Import
ance In the face OF other evidence Civ
en-. as 1t would appear that II would
have been a much more different mat
ter for Sutton to have shot himself. ~
ing prone on the ground with three
men on top of him. II the bullet enter
ed the top of his skull. as Surgeon
George Pickreil. in charge of the Ma
rine Hospital at that time. who exam
ined sutton's body. testified II did
Colonel Charles A. Doom, command
ant of marines at that time, and
who holds the same post now. testified
that he examined Sutton.s body immc-
diateiy after the shooting, felt the
wound In his head. and that II was To-
Gated on the right side. a little behind
and on line with the top of the ear.
DR.. Pickreil thought Sutton might
have inflicted the wound upon himself.
as he described II. but he made an un-
convincing and awkward demonstration
In court with the revolver and q free
right arm. to get the weapon In po-
sition which would have sent the bull
let into his head, at the point where he
testified II entered Sutton's head.
Considerable progress was made at
the hearing today and three more Wit
nesses were disposed. Of. Besides Sur
geon Pickrells and Colonel Doofn's
testimony. Mr.. Davis. counsel for SUIT
toms mother and sister. finished the
crosH- examination OF Lieutenant VIII.
Ing who was also o. the stand ssster-
day.
wiiling On FEkiuefane.
willing made an Obstinate and un-
satisfactory witnexs. tho few dfscrep-
ancies which Mr.. Davis drew from him
by reading the record Of the descript.
ion OF the scene Of the shooting at the
former inquiry vera readily conceded
by lieutenant WiiIing BY the remark
that 4he testified BY the best Of HIS rec.
ollection on both occasions. ~ -,
Afr. David tried 60 md out from oil
the witnesses today what became o.
sutton's two reviewers following the
coionei Doom testinsa ti.at re saw
them and ordered Lieutenant willing q
take charge OF them. but he did nd5
know what became OF them until they
finally got into his hands at the In
quest.
II was apparent no one OF the officers
wanted to assume the responsibility OF
having the weapons about him imrne,.
diately after the shooting.
Sergeant James de Hart, of the Ma
rine Corps, the last witness at today's
session. testified that some officers at
the scene of-the shooting handed him
q revolver with the curt command to-
stake this" He admitted that on the
might IN question he was slightly UNI
der the influence Of liquor" He was
positive. however. that he was not one
Of the men sitting on lieutenant SUIT
ton and trying to hold him down.
Lieutenant Bevan previously testified
he was. He was making HIS way to
camp by "a back entrance" when he
met sutton prior to. the shooting De
Hart said that Sutton carried two re-.
volvers and that he. (de Hart). did not
stop to talk with him long. The witt
ness did not know about the trouble
Sutton had had In camp. but thought
something was up when he saw the two
guns. Soon afterward de Hart heard
the shots and ran back to the scene Of
the shooting.
Mr. Davis had not finished the cross
examination OF de Hart. when. at
o'clock. court adjourned for the day.
Willing. according to his testimony,
reached the scene Of the tragedy In
time to zee Lieutnant Adams and SUIT
ton in fisticuff prior to the shooting.
DIR. Davis took the witness over and
over the scene of the fight between.
Adams and Sutton, but could not ma
terially shake the oficer's story. Lieu
tenant Willing is said to be related
to the Asters of New York.
William J. Owens. the chauffeur who
drove Sutton's party from Carval Hall
to the Marine camp on the night of
the shooting, and Edward Griffith. the
chauffeur who took party OF officers
TO the camp Jpst' ahead of Owens car,
were both on hand today to testify.
Major Leonard the Judge advocate:
issued an order not to allow any wit
ness who had not been called. within
100 feet Of the auditorium door where
the court Is sitting.
Mr., Davis today read from the re-
cords OF the former inquiry. bringing
out some discrepancies In Lieutenant
vikings testimony. The witness said
his present testimony was correct.
Was Excited at Tune.
The former testimony was given on
the day of the shooting and some OF
1t was reckless" was the lisutenant's
explanation.
Mr. Davis handed rusty 3s-calibre
revolver to the witness and asked him
II he could identify 1t az the one he
picked up on the edge OF the parade
grounds the night Sutton was shot as
he testified.
willing broke the revolver. loolrad
II over carefully and said 1t might
b the same one. The members OF the
board also examined the revolver. Mr..
Birney, Lieutenant Adams counsel,
questioned. Lieutenant Willing at he
conclusion OF Mr.. Davis cross exami-
nation.
Commander Hood showed the wit
ness the rules In the navy blue book
which pertained to vikings duties
as oficer OF the day. at the time OF
the shooting, and asked him IL he did
not know he should have arrested any
one who was unruly. Lieutenant Will
ling said he did not recall whether or
not he knew the rule at that time.
Did you tell one OF the officers to
let Adams go ahead and knock SUIT
toms head offT' asked Mr.. Davis.
Eyes, I think I made such q remark
Lieutenant willing answered.
Surgeon Goes On Stand.
Lieutenant Willing was excused and
Surgeon George Pickrell. u. s. IN,
who was in charge of the naval aca-
denny hospital on the night OF the
shooting, testified. DR.. PickrelI AK
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