Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-23
Knife Waving Sailor
Terrorizes % on Bus
Greyhound Driver
Forced to Speed
On Turnpike

GREYHOUND bus told today how
he was forced to race his % pas
sengers for IS miles over the
Pennsylvania turnpike with the
knife Of q crazed sailor pricking
his neck every mile OF the way.
Near collapse after the ordeal.
William z. Small. So. Of 2259
Lewisdale drive, Hyattsville.
rested at his home today.
In Somerset fPa.) County Jail.
Stewards Mate Robert Lee
Jones, %, colored, Of the 1900
block Of Olive street NE. was
being held for the Navy without
charge. He was perfectly calm
today. which was more than
could be said for his fellow bus
passengers.
Tricked by Passenger
Many Of them sat terrified
! while the bus rambled along
at top speed. threatened with
destruction at the sailors within.
The wild ride ended near
Somerset when Jones ordered
the driver to pull into a driye-in
restaurant, and was tricked into
capture in a clever rnaneuver by
q passenger from Washington.
TlSergt. Charles r. Cook. IS.
of 1854 Seventh street Sc. chal-
lenged the sailor to come get
him, took a swing at him with q
crutch and gave Mr.. Small the
opportunity to grab an emer-
gency fire ak to subdue the wild
passenger.
Mr.. Small gave this account Of
the adventure:
The bus left Pittsburgh for
Washington at 1850 pm. yester-
day. AS 1t got on the turnpike.
Jones. sitting two seats behind
the driver. walked up to him and
drew a switchblade knife with
Ia 3ia-inch blade.
1--WE got a knife on you" he
said. Step on it-let's get go-
Iing-or I'll get you before they
lget me-"
| Mr.. Small. hardly daring to
move his head, did rs he was
told. thinking furiousiy Of ways
'Iof escape.
i Il prayed the Lord would di.
!, rect me what to do" he said. II
Thought of all those people on
1.-THE bus and knew 1t would be
1.-the end for them II ne got me.
III thought our only salvation was
Ito pray for guidance"
Any time Mr.. Small let up on
1.-THE accelerator a bit. Jones or
lldered him to step on it. Mr..
llSmail thought If he invited the
lfsailor to bend over and see for
himself that the accelerator was
ldown. he or some one could grab
i Jones head. But the cagey
i knifewielder did mot fall for 1t.
i As the minutes and miles raced
.Ipast. the tension rose. In the
.|rear mirror Mr.. Small saw o
State troopers car approaching.
He looked at the speedometer and
,tread So miles an hour-speeiing.
Surely this cop will stop me. the
,Idriver thought.
| But the police car drew along
side and then gradually pressed
on. Mr.. Small dared not touch
Ibis horn. Stealthily, he moved
his hand toward the headlight
switch.
Get your hand away from
that DASH" the sailor barked.
| They rolled on. At Somerset
interchange, the sailor COM
manded:, Drive of on a side
road" But they were past the
road before the bus could be
! slowed. and Mr.. Small had to
drive on with apologies.
I Outside Somerset, Mr.. Small
was ordered to drive into q new
Howard johnson restaurant.
When he started to turn into
a space for buses, Jones told
him to drive closer to the build
ling. This looked like the
captive riders first break.
! Passengers Freed
"All right, all of you out
I'm going to take a ride with
1.-The driver" Jones ordered.
/ The passengers began filing
Iout slowly--to give the first ones
out chance to call help. Mr..
Small felt the knife pricking his
neck--a small red welt still
lis visible there.
In time. all but six Of the
passengers had alighted. One
of those remaining was Sergt.
Cook, who took his time about
MODELLING out on his broken foot
and crutches.
Il had been sitting with my
wife on the fourth seat" he said.
I"There hadn't been much we
could do. ] tried to keep my wife
calm"
1 Il tried to stall as we were
getting of the bus, and the sailor
pushed me. When ! got out I
yelled at hin-'You've been boss
Iof this bus long enough-come
ion out and I'll show YOU
This seemed to distract him.
land he started for me.
That's when the driver
grabbed up the AK and took after
him. He ordered the sailor up
against the side of the bus. and
held him there until police ar
rived.
Jones surrendered meekly and
Egave up his knife to Pvt. Francis
Petruskevich Of the State Po-
lice.
Soon other police arrived,
among them the State trooper
who had passed the speeding bus
earlier.
why didn't I arrest you? ]
just wanted to give you break"
he said to the driver of the
shedding vehicle. "Mayhe IL was