The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-01-18
TWAS A FIGURE IN WRITE
That Almost ParaIy1ed With Fear
a Lot of Brave Men.
one OF OUANTRELL's VETERANS
Tells Of Worst Frigh During the Great
Civil War Between States.


OthO Offut, of Holden, johnson
county, enjoys the distinction Of
having been one of the famous
Quantrell band of guerrillas during
the civil war. He, like most of his
comrades, had many hairbreadth
escapes, and was shot to pieces more
than once. On one occasion, when
rushing from a house, a revolver in
each hand, fighting his way through
line of federal soldiers by whom the
house had been surrounded, he was
shot through the breast, but he sue
ceeded in getting on his horse, on
which he made his escape.
Offut must have been the ideal rough
rider Of his time, for he is six feet,
four or five inches heigh, weighs 200
pounds, and is all muscle He carries
his 56 years with an easy grace.
Passionately fond of horses to this
day, and nearly always behind fast
roadster or on the back of a superb
saddle animal, he is still easily the
most snowy and dashing hOrseman Of
the community in which he lives.
His four years in the saddle with
Quantrell gave him neyer-ending
fund of romantic and exciting Incl
dents upon which to draw now in the
days OF his ripper years, and its many
good story he can tell when sur
rounded by company Of congenial
spirits Of priyations, midnight march
eS, raids, fights and escapes
One evening, not long ago, when
Offut was in the narrative mood, one
Of his listeners ventured to ask when,
in his numerous adventures, he had
been the worst scared.
"The worst scared?r said he.
"Well, I'll tell you. 1t was down in
Boone county, this state, and it was
not in fight at all.
sit was along in the summer Of '63
when three or four of us boys were
out on a scouting trip and
were travelling over a very lonely
road. Suddenly it began to rain, and
we could not see the light Of house
far or near. We came up to church.
standing by the road, dismounted.
hitched our horses under big tree
and went in to wait till the rain was
over. 1t was regular old-time
Missouri thunderstorm and the light
ming was flashing every minute.
1--WE had hardly got seated in the
back end of the church when fash
Of lightning revealed the pulpit at the
other end of the room, with what
appeared to be female figure, clothed
in white, sitting in it.
''There it was, plain as day; we aH
saw it; there could be no mistake
about it.
81 had never troubled myself much
about ghosts, but thought If there
: ever was a ghost we had found it. !
tell you the cold chills ran all over
-and | think it was the same way
with the other boys.
"There was another flash of light
ming, and we saw the figure in white
coming down out Of the pulpit into
the aisle. The thunder was roaring
through the sky and the rain was
falling in torrents. We we're simply
paralyzed, and sat in breathlesS
silence.
Then came another flash of light
ming and the figure was in five feet
of us.
"We could stand it no longer.
Every man broke and ran, two jump
ing headlong through the windows
and the Others going out the door |
had in my belt two big reyolvers, but
Ineyer thought once Of my pistols.
We ge got ON our horses and left there
on the double quick. Finding barn,
we stayed there the balance of the
night, and the next morning we went
up to the house TO get breakfast. a
man named Barnett lived there, and
he told us that his insane sister had
escaped from the house the day before
and asked us if we had seen anything
of her.
I'm moment we Thought Of the
apparlti0n in the church. Yes, said
Mr.. Barnett, when we told him Of the
incident Of the night before, that
was my sister. She is insane on the
subject ofreligion, and whenever she
escapes from our care she goes straight
toa church,
$50 there was the explanation OF
the ghost But III leave it to any Of
you if it wasn't enough to scaR
7 ANYBODY