Evening star., 1941-05-14
Check Given
Youth Wounded
While Aiding Police
Presentation Made to
Jon Francis, 20, as
Mother Looks On

Jon Francis, 20-year-old, blond
haired youth who was wounded
while attempting to aid policeman
in the pursuit of a man who had
run amok with a gun in a down.
town business area February 27, got
his reward from the public and the
District of Columbia today in the
form of a check for $1,10477.
The check was presented him in
the presence of his mother, Mrs.
Elizabeth Francis of Chevy Chase,
Md, Commissioners and police
officials who had requested the
youth to come to the District Build
ing for that purpose.
The amount of the check repre-
sented the balance in a $1,419.42
fund raised through police and
newspaper campaigns. Included in
the sum were $92185 received by
the Police Department from public
contributions; $44785, from The
Stars campaign: s972, taken in by
the Post; $50 donated by the District
Commissioners, and $40 from anony-
IlOuS SOuICeS.
S314 Paid for Medical Services.
In his report on the Embarrassing.
Inspector James F. Beckett. acting
executive officer of the Police De-
partment, announced that S26465
had been paid to Emergency Hos
pital and $50 to Merritt, Groover and
Christie, .X-ray firm, a total of
S314.65. The remainder of the con-
tributions, he added, are on checking
account for the youth at the Ma
tional Bank of Washington.
Inspector Beckett also reported
that medical experts at Emergency
Hospital had reduced their bills
when they learned they were to be
paid by public subscription and that
DIR. James Mitchell, in charge of
the youths treatment and whom
the inspector described as "a friend
to all police and firemen," had re-
fused to charge for his services.
Present to witness the presenta-
ton also we're Commissioners
Young and McCoach, Supt. of Police
E. w. Brown, Geoffrey M. Thornett,
secretary of the Board of Commits
sioners, and the following members
of the police committee in charge
of raising the fund: Inspector
Beckett, chairman; Capt. Lawrence
r. Beall, chief clerk of the Police
Department; Capt. Harvey G. CAL
lahan, police property clerk, and
Capt. Milton D. Smith, commander
of the police traffic division.
The slender youth of 6 feet 8
inches remained modestly quiet
throughout the presentation, but his
mother, recalling that she had cau-
toned her son repeatedly since the
shooting to be more careful, re-
marked that she was confident he
would do the same thing again.
Job Aid Offer Repeated.
The Commissioners repeated their
offer to find the youth an inside job
with the District Government if he
finds the wound has incapacitated
him for outside labor, and Mai.
Brown, recalling that Jon will be q
in September, pointed out that he
will be eligible that month to apply
for job in the Police Department.
The youth left the hospital April
10, still bearing a bullet in his lung.
His condition had been critical for
time.
He was shot by Murphy H. Hubbs,
33-year-old grocery clerk, who later
committed suicide after he had been
cornered at a parking lot near Elev-
enth and H streets NV.
Jon was standing outside the
Greyhound Bus Terminal, where he
was employed as a baggage clerk,
when he saw Policeman William
Gaylol chasing Hubbs toward him.
The policeman slipped, fell to the
ground and shouted for aid in stop
ping the fugitive. Without hesita-
ton, although warned by a colored
porter that Hubbs was armed, the
youth took up the chase. He had
almost overtaken Hubbs when he
was shot.