New-York tribune., 1909-07-26
THE SUTTON TESTIMONY
Many Discrepancies Pointed out
Ne1e Witnesses To-day.

Annapolis. July 25.-"I not vinolcuVe' al
desire is to clear my brothers of the disgrace
Of suicide"
So spoke tonight Mrs Rose Sutton Parker, sister
Of Lieutenant James N Sutton. OF Portland, Ore'
the circumstances of whose death the court OF IN
qury will continue to investigate to-nlorro" a. 'o
RESUMPTION Of the hearing in the Naval Academy
auditorium.
All the witnesses so far. with the exception OF
the two chaueurs have been officers OF the marine
corps of which Sutton was member Nol"l.n-
standing the fact that all who claimed Kno"ieuee
on the point consistently test1ed that he soI
himself the remainder of their stories of the incl
dents of the fight with Lieutenant Adams WHICH
led to Sutton's death have been contradictory.
The decision in the case will come from the Navy
Department at Washington the recommenda-
rions fled bv this court There is 10 believe
that the Investigation may lead to several court
nartials. with a possible dismissal from the ser
vice for some Of the young officers who were IN
volved In the brawl which cost Sutton his liS
With the opening of the second week Of the IN
vestIgatfon tomorrow. witnesses will be called on
..tbe other side" 10 refute the theory Of suicide.
Mrs Parker will perhaps be the principal witness
in that respect. Her testimony is expected TO dls-
close several important points in refutation OF the
suicide theory. based the facts obtained by her
and her mother in their work in the last years
which resulted in the reopening of the case She
viii probably not testify until the remaining two or
three navy witnesses on hand are disposed of.
Professor Gilbert p Coleman, of the Naval Acad-
marine corps will probably be witnesses tomorrow
The inquiry is likely TO occupy two three days
now and then adjourn until August l. when Sur
geon F c Cook L s. N and Lieutenant Harold
H Utley of the marine corps, who have been sub
paenaed as witnesses. are expected 10 arrive from
abroad
The inquiry thus far has beer notable for the
conflicting nature of the testimony adduced. The
young Heutenants OF the marine corps-Adarns.
Osterman. Willing and Bevan-tod stories which
aivp an int
terialy in essentials. Adams swore that no one
sitting Sutton when the fatal shot was
fired. Two Of the others testified that two or three
men were sitting on the PROSTATE form OF sutton
living face downward with his right arm under him
These swore that one of the men on Sutton was
Sergeant De Hart. who. in turn. swore positively
that he had not even touched Sutton, much less sat
upon him.
Most Of the witnesses who have testified upon that
point declare that Sutton shot himself, and eN-
press their belief that he did so Intentionally: this
in support of the assertion that he suicide
On the other hand, Surgeon Pickrell. asked II the
fatal wound could have been self-inficted under
the conditions described by the young leutenants
declared that 1t would have been utterly im-
possible
The same witness. too gave important testimdhy
as tc the location Of the wound. important in view
% the tact that he is a surgeon and was one of
tie first to reach Suttons side after the shot was
fired. He also examined him in the marine hos
Tital where he taken just after the shooting
Acc rdinF 10 this witness the fatal wound was
nearly on a line drawn from 10 ear across the
skull. and rot far from the middle of such a line,
while all the other testimony thus far given as 70
the location of the wound is that il a little
abo.7 and behind the right
L has been testified that the wound was inflicted
with 4 service revolver. weapon nearly foot
long and this II is pointed out, would have made
it additionally difficult for Sutton 10 have fired the
shot without caving in the top OF his head. Yet
the wound is said TO have been clean cut, round
one such as would have been made by a service
bullet fired a G short distance
A further notable discrepancy in the testimony
is as 10 what occurred in the automobile before
the party reached the dump" While some OF the
officers on the witness stand have declared that
Sutton was quarrelsome and disagreeable and in
suited Adams, who protested. on the way from
CarveI Hall, the chauffeur. Owens. swore that
Adams sat beside him during the trip and said not
a word to any one and that the three in the rear
of>th automobile laughed and chatted pleasantly
together.
While the officers declared that Sutton was the
aggressor. Owens swore that Adams jumped out
when he stopped the machine and at once began 10
get in fighting trim. while Sutton said he did not
want TO fight and that, Notwithstanding this ana
the fact that Adams rushing at Sutton the
other two officers held Sutton. Most of the wit
nesses thus far heard have been officers or en-