Evening star., 1960-09-08
Bowling Alley
Sit-|ns Cause
Arrests Of Five.
College Students
Fail to Post Bail
In Prince Georges

bowling alley near Langle!
Park last night as sit-in dem
onstrations spread to Prince
Georges County.
County police said the fivt
were arrested after being tolC
to leave the Fair Lanes Bowler
anna at 2031 University boule.
ward.
Three of the group were
Echarged with trespassing. The
other two were charged with
interfering with a police off,
Ger. All five spent the night
in Hyattsville Jail after re.
fusing to post 500 bond each
according to police.
One of those arrested was
Laurence C. Henry, 26. who
led demonstrations at Gler
Echo Amusement Park, the
Hiser Theater in Bethesda, and
at various establishments iYI
Arlington. He said it was the
start of a campaign against
places in Prince Georges which
do not permit patronage by
Negroes.
Manager Complains
Mr.. Henry of Philadelphia
and another Negro. Henry
James Thomas, 10, of the 2400
block Of First street NV, were
among the three charged with
trespassing on complaint of an
assistant manager of the bowl
ing alley, John Berry, Police
Pvts. James Ross and Donald
E. johnson reported. Also
charged with trespassing, the
policemen said, was Monroe
Meyersburg, %, white. of the
5000 block of Summit avenue,
Kensington.
Those charged with inter-
fering with Pvt. Ross as he
tried to lead the other three
from the bowling alley were
Paul David DIETRICH, %, of New
Bloomfield, Pa, and John Will
liam O'Connell, 20, Of the 6400
block of Wiscasset road, Mohi-
can Hills, Md. Both are white.
Mr.. Berry swore out addi-
tional warrants today, police
said. against Mr.. Henry, Mr..
Thomas and Mr.. DIETRICH,
charging all three with dis
orderly conduct and Mr.. Henry
also with destroying private
property.
Mr.. Henry is a divinity stu
dent at Howard University,
where Mr.. Thomas is a sopho-
more. Mr.. DIETRICH and Mr..
O'Connell both attend George
Washington University. Mr..
Meyersberg also is a college
student.
Mr.. DIETRICH, along with Mr..
Henry, were among those
arrested during the demon
strations at Glen Echo.
Arrive After Midnight
Pvt. Ross said the five men
came to the bowling alley about
midnight and were told by Mr..
Berry that the place was closed
and were asked by him to leave.
The policeman said the men
refused and instead picked up
bowling balls and rolled them
down unlighted alleys.
The policeman said the man.
ager then swore out warrants
against three men. Pvt. Ross
said he added the charges
against the other two when they
stepped in his way as he started
to take the others out.
All five were detained over
night at the cellblock in the
basement of the County Serv-
ice Building. Hyattsville, sitter
police said they refused to put
up the required bond.
At a hearing today in Hyatts-
vile Police Court, Judge George
j. O'Hara increased the bond
amount for Mr.. Henry to 1925
and to $125 for Mr.. Thomas
and Mr.. Dietrich and ordered
them held for jury trials before
the county's Circuit Court at
the request of the State. The
men then were returned to
their cells.
Mr.. Henry, from a detention
room while awaiting the hear
ing. told a different version
of the arrest. He said there
were about 16 in a group of
white and Negro persons, both
men and women. who went to
the bowling alley after having
been served earlier at nearby
doughnut shop.
Mr.. Henry said a man and
woman, both white, went in
before the others and reserved
alleys and rented six pairs of
bowling shoes. Then Mr..
Henry said he and others went
in and six of them started to
bowl. With this, he said, the
assistant manager came up and
turned off the lights and
mechanism on their alleys
while other alleys were still
in use. He said the men told
them that they could not bowl
there.
Goes to Snack Bar
Following this, Mr.. Henry
said he went to the snack bar
in the establishment and was
served coffee and soft drinks,
but said Mr.. Thomas was re-
fused when he came up. He
said the policemen were the
ones who came up and ordered
them to leave the establish
ment, not the manager.
Ted Rusenko, manager of the
Fair Lanes establishment, told
a reporter at the hearing that
We'll serve any customers as
long as they don't become un-
ruly." He said the reason the
group was refused service last