The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-09-14
A BANDITS LIFE
FOR TWO RUNAWAYS
Boy Dime Novel Readers
Are Missing.
ONE LAD HAS EIGHT DOLLARS
Fourteen-Year-0ld Boy Ran Away Once
Before 70 st.
Louis.

To live the life of his favorite dime
novel heroes, Vivian Price ran away
from home last night and started on
his way to the West to fight on the
frontier like the men he had read about.
Vivian is fourteen years old, and did
1--we, until he chose the life Of a ranger.
at 219 Third Street southeast. This is
the second time within FIVE months ne
has been missing.
Bornhart Fentress. a chum of Price,
and about the same age. has also disap-
peared. 1t is believed he is with Price.
His First Escapade.
At the opening Of the St. Louis Expo
sition Price took French leave from his
parents home and got as fart as Kan
scs City. He was caught there in com
pany with several other boys and re-
turned 10 his home.
Mrs. Price last evening informed the
police that the lad had run away a sec
Ond time, and asked that every effort
be made to capture him before he
reached the Western plains. She has
grave doubts regarding his return 70
Washington at any time within the near
future.
Serves Notice.
Leaving home about o'clock last
evening, Vivian placed a note on table,
which was found by his mother about
9'45 O'Clock. or an hour and a quarter
after he was last seen. The note read:
Dear Mamma. Papa: I have gone
on a little Trip for a whiid Don't
worry, viii be back soon / have got
money eight dollars"
The missiVe was on yellow paper and
written ir anything but a legible hand
Thinks Himself Man.
His mother says although ne Will not
be fifteen years old until January next.
he has long since come TO the conclu-
sion that he is a man and can take
care of himself in the world.
Every Saturday he would trot of 70
a corner newsstand to purchase the lat
est novel, telling Of the escapades OF 10
lnSs OF desperate characters. returning
70 gloat over the papcrbocked book IN
III taken away from him by mis- par
eIts. At present one corner Of his room
l. filed with books with fiaring and
bighiy-colored pictures Of impossible
rescUes a1d situations on their front
covers.
In May last the boy read the papers
daily and heard great deal OF the ST.
Louis Fair. At almost every meal he
would tell % what he intended doing
when he reached st. Louis. and averred
that he would take a trip farther West
AID become a cowpuncher. Suiting the
actions to the words he pulled up stakes
az his home. and went away with two
o. three other boys about his age.
Got 20 Kansas.
lie had less than IS al that time, but
managed 10 work his-Way 20 Kansas
when picked up by the police. penni-
less. He returned o-1Fashlngton great
~ against his will at considerable cost
70 his parents. Since his return he has
thought Of nothing but running away
a second time
His companions, who congregated
around the corners near his home and
snapped stories Of terror with him. saw
he ran away this time with Bernhart
fcnrreas, who lives al 323 Street
southeast, only a short distance from
tflcc home. They are what the boys
call 'buddies."
Fentress' mother has been dead for
eleven years. Persons who know him
say be has grown up as wild as a weed
lie lived with his aunt and grand
mother on 9 Street and was employed
in Fiser's shirt factory, on Ninth
Street northwest.
IL is believed he saved a little money
from his weekly earnings.
Eentress, father is remarked. and is
living in Cincinnati
The boy Is also said TO have read cline
novels until he imagined he was some
notorious bandit, and served notice on
his aged grandmother that he intended
hitting the West.