Evening star., 1950-05-08
D. T.. Welfare Board
Cancels Inquiry Into
Death Of BoyFugitiye

The nine member District Board
of Public Welfare today Cancelled
a meeting set for this afternoon
to study circumstances surround
ing the fatal shooting of a IA
year-old fugitive from the Indus
trial Home School.
Maryland investigators of the
killing of George William Mooney
meanwhile, marked time after ar
Anne Arundel County policeman
had been charged with man
slaughter in the boys death.
The board said it is confident
Maryland authorities will deal
competently" with the case.
+ The policeman is Pvt. William
Walters. 80, of Mayo. He is free
on 81 900 bond pending a hearing
June 2. When the charge was
placed against him at l 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 fled from an Industrial
Home counsellor at Waysons
Corner.
States Attorney "A. Cwynr
Bowie of Prince Georges County
ordered Pvt. Walters arrest after
talking with him. another Anne
Arundel policeman and two from
Prince Georges who tried to cap
ture the youth.
Reports circulated Immediately
that there was resentment in
Anne Arundel on grounds it woulo
be difficult to establish which Of
hcer fired the fatal shot. 1t 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 tc
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
Prentiss. chief counsellor of the
school. While Mr.. Prentiss was
talking with him, the boy bolted
out of 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 a mile away. The police gave
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 off the boy on the
Prince Georges bank.
The police said they fired ovel
the lads head. When he reached
the Prince Georges side of thu
Patuxent he vanished into thu
woods. It was dusk and the Off
GERS obtained searchlights to helr
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-
lrectly upon the arrest of Pvt. Wal
ters. He said, however, it 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
The complaint said George
Mooney was II years old and that
he was wanted for murder and
automobile theft in the District.