Evening star., 1955-05-20
! Youths Held
In Ho|dups Of
Finance Firms
One Of Accused
Figured in D. c.
Insanity Dispute

uOu1lCCO I1lC SO4obAoA Va WV
recent finance company hold
ups and Washington police
washed their hands-at least
temporarily-of a youth who has
figured prominently in the legal
insanity dispute here.
Held by Montgomery County
police were two 20-year-olds
charged with the $1.400 armed
robbery last Saturday Of the
Allied Finance Co.. Silver Spring.
Capt. Charles N. Thomson,
Prince Georges detective chief,
announced his department now
holds warrants accusing the two
of the May II holdup Of the
Coastal Finance Corp. in Takoma
Park, where bandits got $493.
Under charges were Maurice
Jones. colored, Of the 900 block
Of French street NV. and
Thomas D. Strother, colored. Of
the 400 block of o street NV.
Both were arrested by WASH
ington police yesterday, waived
extradition and are being held
under $1,000 bond. They face a
hearing next Tuesday in Silver
Spring Police Court.
Headache Since 1851
Jones has been a headache
to Washington police and the
courts since 1851. At the age
Of 16 he was indicted for his
role in a church break-in after
Juvenile Court waived jurisdic-
ton.
He was also indicted on
charges or robbing the home Of
Roger (Whitetop) Simpkins. the
gambler, Of $2.317. of breaking
into a home and taking safe
containing $1,000 and Of robbing
a woman Of $40.
He was found mentally in
competent to stand trial in June,
1852. The following March st.
Elizabeths psychiatrists reported
he was then fit for trial but
three months later he was again
found mentally incompetent.
Last August he was again re-
ported fit for trial.
BY. that time the U. S. Court
of Appeals for the District of
Columbia had established a new
definition for legal insanity.
Under the new ruling, a man
could not be held responsible
for his crime If it was the
product of a mental disease or
mental defect.
Called "Case to Watch"
On October 20, a jury found
Jones not guilty on grounds OF
insanity and the trial judge said
Jones would be sent to st. Eliza
beths. At the time, The Star
commented editorially that this
would be a good case to watch. d
It was. The order to commit
Jones to the custody of the De-
partment Of Health, Education
and Welfare so he could be sent
to st. Elizabeths was cancelled
when the District moved to have
Jones adjudged feeble-mfnded
and placed in the District Train
ing School at Laurel, Md.
The other indictments against
him were dropped and Jones
faced another District Court
jury to determine if he were
feeble-minded. The jury on De-
cember / determined he was not
feeble le-mlnded and Jones walked
out of court a free man.
"Here," commented The Star
editorially. sis a case which still
bears watching. as Illustrative
of the loopholes which exist in
the system designed to protect
society from such persons as
Maurice Jones"
Named in Yoke Robbery
On April "a, Jones was back in
the hands of Washington police
with another man. He and the
other man were picked out of a
14-man lineup by the victim of
an April IA yoke robbery.
On May 3, Assistant United
States Attorney Kenneth Wood
reduced the charge to assault
and taking property without
right and bond was reduced from
$4,000 to $500. On May IL
Jones' defense asked for a jury
trial, set for June Is.
Last Tuesday, according to
Washington police, Montgomery
County police told Washington
police they had a positive identi-
fication of Jones as one of a
quartet which bound two en-
ployes of the Allied Finance
Corp. and escaped with $1,400.
Washington police made ar
rangements for Jones to come to
court and he was picked up out
side the courthouse yesterday
Mr.. Wood then dropped the mis-
demeanor charge against Jones
and he was headed for Mont
gomery County. Maryland still
follows the old "right-wrong"
test in determining whether a
man can be held criminally re-
sponsible for his acts.