The Washington times., 1902-04-27
WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL.

There is only one topic of conversation
in the Western High School at the pres
ent time, and that concerns the thrilling
''hold-up" and highway robbery" said to
have been perpetrated upon Warren Offutt
| and Leroy Heffelb0wer, two of the most
illustrious pupils in the school, one night
| last week.
The pupils generally are inclined to
laugh at the matter as yarn" of the
boys, for there is no way of proving that
the thrilling encounter with highwaymen
that the two young men have described so
vividly actually took place. Their own
| word for the matter L. all they have to
back UP the most unusual and blood -curd-
| ling story.
A the story goes the pair were taking
solitary walk through Dead Mans Hol-
low on the Virginia side of the Potomac
river about . O'Clock the other night.
At dark and des0lated part OF the road
they were met by two disTeputable look
ing men. one of them lame, who asked
them for match. The boys gave them
, some matches and started TO walk of
when two more men stepped out OF the
! woods by the side Of the road and the
students found themselves surrounded and
yolvers. They were robbed. and after
conside,ab BILE discussion among the men
as to what should he done with the boys.
they were allowed TO go on their way.
Onutt and Hclelbower have told and
retold the story to every pupil in the
school VINO will listen TO their tale OF
voc. All the boys are rigging the paiT
for attempting to work of on them what
they regard as purely a product OF their
seldom
to be found repeating the tale without the
assistance of the other. They seem to
rely rron each other to back up their
statements and add some truth TO the tale.
The story as related by the wcll-known
pair to The Times during the latter part
OF the week was as follows:
"oGutt and we're taking walk over
| in Virginia the other night" said Heffel-
| bower. and about o'clock We passed
through Dead Mans Hollow The moon
was shining fairly bright, and the trees
| cast deep. black shadows across the road
| The weird. ghostly atmosphere and ap-
| pearance Of the place began to get on our
nerves Finally we fell TO talking OF the
horrible crimes that had been committed
| in that very tract OF woods, and of the
| number OF dead men who had been found
there. Amt that so. Onutt!"
Feared Attack of Robbers.
Sure 1t is" replied the short. stout
individual who answers to that appella-
tion. I'VE were getting pretty scared
Then we began to talk Of highway rob-
bers. and offutt told some awful tales of
what they usually did to the people they
robbed. By that time We were getting
more shaky. and were wondering what
We would do IL anyone were to spring out
on u.s.
That's right" chimed in the other stu
dent. "Hcnelbower was about scared to
death"
Get outi' exclaimed the person re-
ferred to. 81 wasn't half as scared as
you. You kept saying you wished you
were home; that we were likely to be at
tackled at any moment
Well" he continued, 'just about the
time when We were in the deepest part
of the hollow we saw two iisrcputable
looking men coming toward US along the
road. They were hcavy-set fellows. and
looked strong as bulls. One Of them
was lame and walked with a heavy stick
that was a regular club
Yes: and you came near dying right
in your tracks," exclaimed Offutt
"oh. shut up, will ytu," rejoined his
companion. "Tll bet II it hadn't been so
dark l could have seen tears in your
eyes. You hollered: you better look out
for these tOughs.'" 10
II just did that because saw you were
afraid. Go ahead with your story, or I'll
tell II for YOU 81 -
when the pair we're opposite us" re-
sumed Heffelbower. they stepped and the
lame fellow asked MS for n match. l
could see they were looking us over to
see whether we had sny valuables. We
iished out n lot OF matches and gave
them to him and started on. Gee, whiz!
0nutt; wasn't that lame fellow herce-
looking customer
A Tough Citizen.
That's what he was. lie looked like
he wanted to kill US. Old Hchelbower
wanted to run, but l stopped him.
you didn't do anything of the kind.
You would have made break to get away
yourself, but you were too scared to
bulge. Well, the minute the chaps were
not looking l slipped my watch out OF
sight
1--WE were not ten feet away from the
men when the lame fellow spoke to US
again. heard him say 'Fard.
I'VE turned around quick. spoke up
Ofutt, "and saw the chaps had us covered
with revolvers. We could see murder In
their eyes even in the moonlight never
was SO scared in all my life!'
Dry up and let me tell this story.
Henelbower exclaimed; its none OF your
business"