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Book Title: A Soul on Trial: A Marine Corps Mystery at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Robin R. Cutler
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 365 pages (442 with back matter)
Genre: Literary Non-Fiction, History
Publisher: View Tree Press
Release date: May 20, 2026
Content Rating: PG +M: The M rating is because the book is about whether or not a young man committed suicide. There is a brawl and an autopsy described in detail but minimal violence, no sex no abuse, adultery or abortion.
Secrets, Spirits, Scandal, and a Nation Watching
A murder mystery, ghost story and courtroom drama from the Progressive Era
The death of a young Marine Corps lieutenant in 1907 creates a sensation when his mother, his sister, and his ghost challenge the Navy's suicide verdict.
A Soul on Trial is the true story of an unprecedented conflict between democratic values and military justice in the age when the modern mass media was born. It is also a tale of the power of the press a century ago, and of the lives of young officers whose private battles were often as challenging as their professional ones. After her son died under mysterious circumstances in 1907, Rosa Brant Sutton came 3000 miles from Portland, Oregon, to challenge the Navy’s suicide finding. Inspired by her Catholic faith and several alleged postmortem visits from her beloved “Jimmie,” she embarked on a crusade to save his soul from the stigma of a mortal sin– a sin that would keep him out of heaven.
Rosa’s spiritual journey soon became a political one that would take her through the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., to a courtroom in Annapolis, and, finally, face-to-face with Jimmie’s corpse in Arlington Cemetery. This book also explores the values of a proud and honorable Marine Corps forced into the center of public discourse by Rosa’s uninhibited pursuit of justice. The Corps’ brilliant judge advocate, Henry Leonard, already a combat hero at thirty-three, was the perfect foil for Mrs. Sutton, her renowned attorney, and America’s relentless reporters when the naval inquiry opened in Annapolis in 1909.
By then, millions of Americans had a stake in this confrontation between a patriotic mother and her own government in a military forum. Rosa’s story was irresistible to Progressive Era journalists and high-ranking military officials who joined with members of Congress in a search for verifiable truth that played out on a national stage. In order to save her son’s reputation and defend her own sanity, Rosa ultimately turned to James Cardinal Gibbons, the highest official in the American Catholic Church, and Dr. James Hervey Hyslop, America’s foremost psychical researcher. Hyslop commissioned a detailed field study of her paranormal experiences as part of his research on whether or not the dead communicate with the living. With the press corps as a catalyst, these two men helped Rosa achieve an American brand of justice, as well as redemption both for Jimmie and for herself.
As H. Michael Gelfand wrote in the Journal of American History, A Soul on Trial explores “one of the most remarkable cases of a civilian challenging the power of the U.S. military in American history… [and it is] a testament to the power that one ordinary individual can wield when determined to seek justice.” Plus, “. . . it is narrative history at its finest.”
Historian, filmmaker and blogger, Robin Cutler’s early life was split between Manhattan and a farm in rural Virginia. An only child, she never felt like one because of the menagerie collected by her mother, Jane Hall, a former screenwriter at MGM. Robin’s siblings included a rescued ocelot, German Shepherds, farm cats, snooty cats, and a screech owl (Sidney), who could not fly but travelled on Eastern Airlines in a modified Nantucket basket.
Robin decided she wanted to be a historian in the ninth grade. Highlights of her career include working for the National Endowment for Humanities, co-producing an Emmy-nominated dramatic series for PBS, collaborating with several Native American tribes to chronicle their histories and culture on film and video, and publishing three nonfiction books.
She discovered the extraordinary story told in A Soul on Trial in family papers. She was astonished that Rosa Sutton’s effort to learn the truth about her oldest son’s death created a national sensation between 1907 and 1910. Although Rosa was convinced Jimmie’s ghost came to her several times, he has never visited Robin. Rosa was Robin’s great grandmother.
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
As a historian, whenever I diginto a new story, I go to the places where the events happened and where there may be resources about the lives of the different characters.Trying to learn who Rosa Sutton really was took me to Vancouver, Washington, where I found her parents’ graves and, of course, to Portland to the Oregon Historical Society and to see the house on Hoyt Street where the story started. (In 2007 it was a group home and the interior was not accessible. It has since been beautifully restored as a private home.) Playing detective involved contacting lots of local archives, schools and churches and spending time in Annapolis, at the Naval Academy and its Nimitz Library. But because this is a true story, a critical part of my time travel back to the early twentieth century came when I discovered hundreds of priceless documents at our National Archives in Washington, D.C. These Included the original transcript of the sensational naval inquiry from the summer of 1909.NARA is where I got to know the Marines involved in the story as if they were family members.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Black Beautyby Anna Sewell partly because the story was told through the voice of the horse. I could hardly stand to read about the abuse that Beauty and his friend Ginger went through. I don’t think this should be a children’s book, but it helped expose inhumane practices.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Energize definitely. Though the research sometimes can get exhausting.
What is your writing kryptonite?
Probably going down too many research rabbit holes. Sometimes it’s hard to resist.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
No, but the thought is intriguing.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they
help you become a better writer?
I had a wonderful several years with a nonfiction writers group where we met weekly to analyze each other’s work. Most of my writer friends are other scholars who have been great collaborative partners on particular topics; but in general writingfor me is a solitary effort.
Do you want each book to stand on its own or are you
trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I inherited a large collection of letters, diaries and other documents when my mother died in 1987. It was surprising to learn that some of my family members had unusual adventures in the early 20th century that could interest a broad audience.
Each book stands on its own, but some of the real life
characters in my books are related to each other. For example my mother’s
outspoken, passionate and bold grandmother was Rosa Sutton whom I knew nothing
about before writing A Soul on Trial.
What Authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
Charles Dickens is one example.We were given Bleak House to read for a school assignment and it was daunting. Later onI learned to appreciate Dickens’ extraordinary portrayal of Victorian England and his characters like Ebeneezer Scrooge, or Oliver Twist. And I enjoyed Great Expectations.Miss Havisham was quite scary yet unforgettable.
Favorite underappreciated novel?
She’s probably not underappreciated now, but I had never heard of Marie Benedict until a few years ago. Once I started readingCarnegie’s Maid, I was enthralled by Clara Kelley, though it’s not always easy to figure out what’s true in historical fiction.
As a writer what would you choose as your mascot avatar,
spirit animal?
The lion
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
None at the moment.
What did you edit out of this book?
Some of the historical background information that appeared in earlier drafts and is now easily available for anyone to find online. It’s still quite a detailed story because I wanted to follow all of the threads in the case to be fair to Rosa as well to the members of the Marine Corps whom she challenged.
If you didn’t write what would you do for work?
I would be a journalist or possibly an attorney. Of course, those careers do involve writing but in a different way. And I enjoyed teaching and mentoring.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few
people will find?
No, although there are some surprises in A Soul on Trial
that come out as the plot thickens.
What is your favorite childhood book?
Probably The Secret Gardenby Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was easy to identify with Colin and Mary as they escaped from the confines of an adult world.
Thank you, Vicki, for the great questions and your interest in this book. There are lots of pictures on my website related to A Soul on Trial.https://robinrcutler.com/a-soul-on-trial/a-soul-on-trial-gallery/
Robin
Robin R.Cutler
For much more see https://robinrcutler.com/a-soul-on-trial/
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