Evening star., 1938-02-23
COOK CASE BRINGS
SWEEPING INQUIRY
INTO HIGH SCHOOL
States Attorney Orders
Probe Following Talk
With Lois Simms.
PRINCE GEORGES POLICE
TOLDOF "WILD PARTIES"
Case Against Youth Continued
After Brief Hyattsville Court
Appearance.

Disclosures made following the re-
turn OF Lois Simms, l5-year-old Hy-
attsville High School student, and the
arrest of her companion, 18-year- old
Clay Cook. fellow student, today
prompted States Attorney Alan Bowie
OF Prince Georges County, Md, to
order a thorough investigation of Ger
tain conditions" at the high school.
County police were instructed to in
quire particularly into reports of sew
eral wild parties" held by high school
students, who allegedly were members
Of a gang"
MIR. Bowie said Policeman Henry C.
Briscoe has obtained information from
various high school students, which
leads him to believe an inquiry is es-
sential, Miss Simms, it was said, tod
the States attorney of several
parties" attended by certain
gang"
Hearing Is Continued.
Miss Simms, pretty brunette, was
accompanied to Police Court in
Hyattsville today by her parents. Mr.
and Mrs. o. L. Simms. Riverdale
Heights, Md, but Judge George B
Merrick continued until next Wednes-
day the hearing on statutory charge
brought against young Cook. who ap-
peared with his father and a brother
Mr.. Bowie said Policeman Briscoe
has been ordered to present in court
at the hearing report on his investi-
cation of condition among Hyattsville
High School students.
Cook, held in Jail in default of
$4,000 bond, was represented in court
by an attorney, who succeeded in hay
ing the bail reduced to $500.
Father Posts Bond.
The Slmms girls father posted a
$500 bond for her appearance as a
material witness against Cook. Will
liam White, another schoolmate of
the girl, who led G-men last Monday
to the hiding place of Miss Simms
and Cook near Purcellville, Va. is
Ut liberty under an $500 bond, also as
. material witness.
The disappearance of the girl on
February IA had been widely investi-
gated by police and Federal officers,
on the theory she was victim of kid
napers. Special agents of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation had entered
the case at the request of the girls
parents. When White, who, it is al
legged. accompanied Cook and the girl
to Virginia, returned to Washington
Sunday night for the reported purpose
of obtaining money to finance flight of
the couple to Mexico or Canada, agents
trailed him back to a stretch of woods
10 miles outside of Purcellville, where
the pair was found
Sweeping Quiz Ordered.
The F. B. I. turned the case over to
Maryland authorities when it was de-
cided no Federal violation had oc-
CURED. Hyattsville police placed the
Cook youth under charges and began
questioning other high school students,
as a result of which Mr.. Bowie ordered
. sweeping inquiry.
The girl, it was stated, told the
States attorney she had tried to get
Cook to let her return home and
pleaded with him to let her telephone
her mother, but said the youth told
her he was afraid to do so. She told
of spending two nights in boarding
house here, from which they fled only
20 minutes ahead of G-men. Three
nights were spent in the woods near
Purcellville, she said.
She told Mr. Bowie that White was
sent to Washington to get a $3.50
check which he was expecting from
his father, who was in Florida
Asked If they intended to get mar
ried in Canada, Miss Simms replied:
Our plans didn't go that far. We
hadn't even talked about it,"