The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-07-24
death STORY TOLD
SUTTON TRAGEDY GIVEN NEW,
ANGLE BY LIEUT.. WILLIAM
E. BEVAN.
HE DIsAGREEs WITH ADAMS
Declares Officer Who Admits Fioht
with Marine Sat on Victim When
Fatal Shot Was Fired Girls
Name Brought into Case.

Annapolis. Nd, July 21.-The pro.
ceedings of the court of inquiry
which is investigating the death of
Lieut.. James N. Sutton, United States
Marine corps of Portland, Ore, took
a sensational turn yesterday when
First Lieut.. William f. Bevan of the
United States Marine corps, now at
tached to the battleship New Jersey.
took the witness stand and related his
part in the tragedy.
Lieut.. Bevan was officer of the
guard in the marine camp on that
night, and one Of the first men to
reach the scene of Suttons death.
Like Lieut.. Adams, he testified that
Sutton deliberately shot himself, but
beyond that cardinal fact, his descrip-
ton of Sutton's alleged suicide varied
in important details from the story
told by Adams, the man who said he
had participated in life and death
struggle with the young Oregon lieu
tenant just before his act of self
destruction.
Disagrees with Adams.
iIV luoSI 81 luo CCAlCuL Will
Adams story came when Bevan swore
that he and two other officers were
on top Of Sutton and trying to hold
him down to prevent him from using
his revolvers when Sutton freed an
arm from under him and fired bull
let into his own brain after someone
remarked that Sutton had killed
I in,,f do hot
he had risen from Lieut.. Sutton's
body and that Sutton lay exhausted
and alone on the ground when he saw
him raise his right hand and fire the
shot that ended his life.
Bevan's testimony also revealed
that situation bordering on a wild
west rampage had existed in the
marine camp just before the shooting.
when Sutton had been trying to make
Lieut. Rocker dance by leveling two
revolvers at his feet and afterward
rushed from the camp, disregarding
his arrest, by the officer of the guard,
and shouting that he would quit the
marines for good and all.
Marines Were Intoxicated.
IL udo DCcH ICuldl hCu la view vi
the testimony 50 far which makes it
apparent more than one of the marines
was intoxicated on the night in ques-
ton, that none Of them could be ex-
pected to give lucid account of the
incidents leading up to,Suttons death.
However that may be-, the fact that
Lieut.. Bevan was on duty and had
10
join in the "larks" of his brother off,
GERS is bound to attach more weight
to his version Of tie affair. Maj.
Leonard, the judge advocate, will
finish his direct examination of Bevan
to-day.
The trio of young officers, Adams,
Osterman and Bevan, who were all
in at the death, SO to speak, occupied
the time of the court. Lawyer Davis,
Mrs. Sutton's counsel, completed: his
cross-examination of Lieut.. Adams In
quick order after court opened, and
then Lieut.. Osterman took the stand.
Osterman, as member Of Suttons
automobile party on the night Of
October 10, corroborated Lieut..
AudIuS SIoIy, eACcpL W duu IAls1 uo
believed Sutton was badly intoxicated.
Girls Name Is Mentioned.
Lawyer Davis started the cross-ex.
animation Of witness and Immediately
referred to Miss Stewart of Pittsburg,
the young woman with whom Sutton
is said to have spent the evening be-
fore the shooting, and over whom the
fight is alleged to have occurred.
when you went to Carvel hall did
you see Lieut.. Sutton and young
lady?" asked Mr.. Davis.
II did" answered Osterman.
Ibid you know the young lady?'
mo"
Ibid you sit at a table and talk
with Sutton, the young lady and Prof.
Coleman?" asked the lawyer.
The witness said he could not recall
that he did.