Evening star., 1950-05-08
Welfare Board
.ToProbe Death
OF Boy Fugitive
Meeting Set for Today;
Maryland Policeman
Arrested in Shooting

Inc nlTe-meNDeE OlStTlCt bOaI0
If Public Welfare was called to
meet this afternoon to study cir
surrounding the fatal
shooting Of a l4-year-old fugitive
rom the Industrial Home School.
Maryland investigators Of the
Killing Of George William Mooney.
marked time after an
Anne Arundel County policeman
1ad been charged with man.
slaughter in the boys death.
The policeman is Pvt, william
80. of Mayo. He Is free
on $1,000 bond pending a hearing
June 2. When the charge was
placed against him at | am. yes
terday by Prince Georges County,
Pvt. Walters was temporarily
suspended from the Anne Arundel
police force.
Four Policemen Involved.
Young Mooney was shot and
killed late Friday by one OF four
policemen who pursued him across
the PatuXent River from the Anne
Arundel side to Prince Georges.
They were called to apprehend him
after he fed from an Industrial
Home counsellor at WaySons
Corner.
States Attorney A. Gwynn
Bowie Of Prince Georges County
ordered Pvt. Walters arrest after
talking with him. another Anne
Arundel policeman and two from
Prince Georges who tried 20 cap.
ture the youth.
Reports circulated Immediately
that there was resentment In
Anne Arundel on grounds il would
be difficult to establish which Of
ficer fired the fatal shot. It was
pointed out that the bullet that
penetrated the boys body was not
recovered and all Of the police
men were reported to be carrying
.38 calibre revolvers.
Events Preceding Shooting.
According to the police and to
other investigators these events
preceded the shooting:
George Mooney fed from the
Industrial Home School early in
March. He was located Friday
at Waysons Corner by Lawrence
chief counsellor of the
school. While Mr.. Prentiss was
talking with him, the boy bolted
out of a tavern and the council
lor summoned police.
AS the two policemen from
Prince Georges and the two from
Anne Arundel approached an
other tavern in the community.
George ran from the building and
headed toward the river. quarter
OF mile away. The police gavs
chase across the marshy fields.
Police Fired Warning Shots"
The youth jumped into and
swan across the river, stopping
on an island to remove his shirt
and shoes. He yelled that he
would not stop. The police said
they fired warning shots"
Pvt. Lawson Peed of Prince
Georges joined Pvt. Walters in
a rowboat. while Pvt. Robert
Mellin of Anne Arundel and Pvt.
Benjamin Richards Of Prince
Georges drove across a nearby
bridge to head of the boy on the
Prince Georges bank.
The police said they fired over
the lads head. When he reached
the Prince Georges side of the
Patuxent he vanished into the
woods. 1t was dusk and the off,
GERS obtained searchlights to help
in the hunt. They found his body
near the river bank at $50 pm.
Anne Arundel Police Chief John
H. Souers declined to comment di-
rectly upon the arrest of Pvt. Wal
ters. He said. however. 1t would
be difficult to determine who fired
the fatal shot. Apparently in de-
tense Of all the policemen assigned
to the hunt. he suggested that
newspapermen look at the official
complaint which led to the search.
Complaint Cited Murder"
The complaint said George
Mooney was II years old and that
he was wanted for murder and
automobile theft in the District.
Maj. Ralph Brown. chief of the
Prince Georges police. said he
warned his officers that the hunted
youth was dangerous" on
the strength of what Mr.. Prentiss,
the Industrial Home counsellor.
told him. The chief quoted Mr..
Prentiss as saying the boy was II
and had been placed at the in
dustrial school for shooting.
Mr.. Prentiss has not been avail
able for comment since the shoot
ing.
Gerard M. Shea, director Of
Public Welfare here, said there
would be no statement from his
Office until the board studied the
case today.
States Attorney Bowie empha-
sized that the manslaughter war
rant against Pvt. Walters does not
imply that he deliberately tried
to kill" young Mooney. He de-
clared. however. that an investiga-
ton disclosed to my satisfac-
tion-and / thought to the salts
faction of everybody else involved
that it was clearly established
beyond any sensible doubt that
the man who did fire the fatal
shot was Walters"
Young Mooney lived at 20 Four
teenth street NE. with his mother
and Stepfather. Charles Myers.
until he was committed TO the
school in October. He had criti-
cally wounded a 6-year-old COLI
ofed boy. shooting him in the neck
with a stolen revolver. Previously.
he had been at the school for
burglary.