Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-10
. Jones Followed
Orders, 0rme
Tells Mob Trial
Policemen Accused
OF Neglect Of Duty
Obtain Severunces
By Staff Correspondent Of The Star.

By starr correspondent OF the star
ROCKVILLE, Md, July To-
Sergt. Guy L. Jones, one of three
Montgomery County policemen
charged with neglect of duty in
connection with the riot here June
10 when group of Jehovah's Wit
nesses refused a mob's demand to
salute the American flag, carried
out all the orders" of the county
police chief, the County Police Trial
Board was told today.
Charles M. Orme, former police
chief, who was discharged by the
county commissioners as a result
of the riot, told the board soon
after the trial of Sergt. Jones started
that the officer had carried out
all of his orders on the night Of
the riot.
The former chief was on the
witness stand for more than one
hour and during that time was
questioned repeatedly by both pros
ecuting counsel and attorneys for
Sergt. jones about any criticism he
might make of Sergt. Jones super
vision Of police at the riot scene.
Flag Presented to Witnesses.
Mr.. Orme related that, on Sergt.
Jones instructions, Patrolman Leslie
Thompson carried the American flag
| into the headquarters of the religious
sect and informed the Witnesses
that mob was gathered outside
their meeting rooms. He asked if
they would not salute the flag.
II do not think he should have
directed the police to request the
Witnesses to salute the flag" Mr..
Orme said.
Joseph D. Simpson, jr., who with
his sister, Miss Vivian v. Simpson,
is conducting the prosecution, then
asked:
Us it true that Sergt. Jones said
he had directed that the Witnesses
be asked to salute the flag in an
effort to appease the mob and avoid
possible bloodshed?"
! Eyes, understand that is why he
made such a request" Mr.. Orme
replied.
Would Have Quit Desk.
The former chief also said that if
he had been in Sergt. Jones position
at the time the telephone alarm
was received that the mob was
gathering outside the Witnesses
room, he would have turned the
desk in police headquarters to some
one else
Mr.. Orme, however, admitted
while he was on the stand that
Sergt. Jones had followed his in
structlons to order the members OF
his shift to report at the scene
that he had telephoned the county
pollce stations at Bethesda and Sill
yer Spring for additional help, and
then had gone to the scene him
self.
Mr.. Orme said he gave those in
structlons to Sergt. Jones when the
T laner- called him at his home in
Galthersburg and told him that the
mop was gathering to descend upon
the Witnesses. One of the charges
lodged against Sergt Jones was that
he failed promptly to submit a re-
port concerning the riot to Mr..
Orme after the latter had requested
that he do so, and a great deal of
the time that Mr.. Orme was on
the stand was devoted to this phase
OF the charges.
Time Called Reasonable.
Shortly before he concluded his
testimony, Mr.. Orme, questioned by
Trial Board Member Harold c.
Smith, stated that the report he
finally obtained from Sergt. Jones
was submitted within a reasonable
length of time
Former States ATTORNEY James H
Pugh and Donald Bowie, ATTORNEYS
for the three suspended policemen.
who are charged with failing to de-
ter the mob from disrupting the
Witnesses meeting or breaking UP
the Witnesses headquarters, re-
quested and received a severance of
the trials at the outset of proceed
ings this morning. The trial of
Sergt. Jones was called first.
The other two suspended police
men, Pvts. Leslie Thompson and
Charles Peter, probably will be tried
In that order following conclusion
of the case involving Sergt. Jones.
On the board hearing the charges
are R. Watt Farmer, police COM
missioner, and B. Peyton Whalen,
police civil service commissioner,
both OF whom are ex-officio members
of the tribunal, and former Police
Judge Harold G. Smith, who was
chosen by the county commission
ers yesterday as the civilian member
OF the board in the absence of Clar-
ence H. Small, who is ILL.,
Ten Rockville men were arrested
two days after the riot and charged
with disorderly conduct and unlaw-
full assembly. They are at liberty
under bond pending trial at the fall
term of the Circuit Court.
Spain, Portugal Become