Evening star., 1952-06-11
Board 10 Hear
Data on Escape
From Staunton
Report Due Tomorrow
On Fox, Accused in
Killing ; Persons
BY jones BirchfieId
Sfor Sfnff Corresnondenf

~ AON O1N, va, JuIlc 11.-1Q6
results of an investigation into
the escape of a mental patient
from Western State Hospital here
May 10 will be considered by the
State Hospital Board at a meet
ing tomorrow at Marion. -
The patient. Maurice Ray Fox.
80. killed his 75-year-old father
and two other persons May 81.
Hospital officials said they had
known that Fox was at his home
since the day of his escape, but
had not notified Loudoun County
police.
1t appeared here today that DR..
Charlton G. Holland. acting SUPER
intendent of Western State Hos
pltal at the time of Fox's escape.
did not follow routine practices
OF the hospital in regard to escaped
patients.
Definite Routine Followed.
DR.. James B. PettiS, superin-
tendent, who was on a European
trip when the escape and mur-
ders occurred. said a definite
routine has been followed at the
hospital when patients escape.
He said warrant is signed by
the superintendent and turned
over to police here. At the same
time, he explained, hospital at
tendants and hospital farm work.
ers are used to search the imme.
diate country.
If the patient is located in an
other community, he said, police
there are notified and a warrant
is sent them for the patients
arrest.
After Fox killed Capt. Robert
IO'Connor. AZ, pilot for Capital
Alrllnes; Miss Lillian Levona
Hove. "a, a friend of Capt.
IOConnor's, and his father, at the
FOX farm near Arcola, DR.. Hol-
land said the hospital had not
communicated with Loudoun
County police because that "is
not our responsibility"
Classified as Dangerous.
AT the same time he admitted
That Fox had been classified as a
dangerous patient and had been
a troublemaker since his arrival
at the institution here.
DR.. Pettis, who served in the
Navy during the last war said he
was "very escape conscious" He
said hospital officials have
standing order to call him. dav
or night, if patient escapes. He
said immediate steps are taken
to recover the patient.
DR.. Pettis emphasized that mem
tal hospitals are not penal insti-
tutlons. The inmates are sick
people. 1t is the hospitals lob
TO treat. cure or rehabilitate the
patients.
FatlentS are given ground priv
llegeS as soon as doctors believe
they are capable. They may be
released from the hospital in the
care OF a relative as a further
means Of treatment.
Patients who are furlouehed
may be released by the hospital
after year if examinations prove
them well adjusted.
Similar Plan Followed.
AT Southwestern State Hospital
at Marion, the only institution in
the State for white patients with
a department for the criminallv
insane, DR.. Joseph R. Blalock, SUI
perlntendent. said steps similar tn
those at Staunton are taken If
patients escape.
Marion is located close to the
borders of four other States
North Carolina, Tennessee, West
Virginia and Kentucky-and on
several occasions extradition pro-
Iceedings have been necessary to
recover patients.
DR.. Blalock said two patients
recently were extradited from
North Carolina and one from
pennsylvania. He said in both
cases the hospital officials had
IrelentleSsly traced the patients.
Both DR.. Blalock and DR.. Pettis
said the State institutions pay the
expenses of transporting patients
to the hospitals.
If the hospital cannot send for
the patient, they said, local officers
are paid mileage for bringing
them to the hospital.
Virginia Law Cited.
They said the Virginia law pro-
Ihibits keeping a mental patient in
jail for more than six DAYS after
the patient has been committed
to the institution, or, in the case
OF furloughed or escaped patient.
been pocked up by police.
We do not like to have a
patient in Jail at ALL" DR.. Pettis
said. I'VE would rather. when
possible, to have them retained by
their family until we can arrange
for their transportation to the
hospital"
This confiicted with experiences
related by Loudoun County Sheriff
Roger Powell. Sheriff Powell said
that on several occasions the hos
pitfalls have given local officers
poor cooperation" in regard to
handling mental patients.
A woman patient at Staunton.
he said, had been released on fur
Tough to a family in Southwestern
Virginia this year. She left there
and came to Loudoun County,
where she was found with a fam
lily that was part-time ward of
the county welfare department.
In this case, he said, the Board
OF Supervisors paid transportation
back to Staunton, holding it was
cheaper than to care for the addi-
ton to the family through well
fare funds.
Another recent case, he said,
concerned a patient. also from