Law Student Kidnapped, Held Up by Two Gunmen

Hiller B. Zobel '53, a second-year student at the Law School, was kidnapped at gunpoint in front of Dunster House Friday night, driven to Holyoke, Mass., and then abandoned in a heavily wooded area outside that city.

On Saturday, Zobel gave the following account of the affair to State police in Holyoke.

He had been visiting Arthur A. Maass, associate professor of Government, in Maass' apartment in Dunster House. Before he left, Zobel was requested by Maass to garage the latter's car.

On reaching the street, Zobel was accosted by two men who asked him directions to Putnam Ave., which he gave. Then the two men walked away while he put the car in the garage.

They reappeared as Zobel prepared to shut the garage, and forced him back into the car. One of the thugs got behind the wheel, and the other sat on the opposite side of the car, with Zobel in the middle.

They drove at a high speed in the direction of Holyoke. On the way Zobel carried on a lengthy conversation with one of the thugs, whom he described as "very articulate." They talked about a wide variety of subjects, ranging from the Navy to the motivation of crime. Zobel's assailant declared he had turned to crime because "it's the easiest way to make a living."

On arriving in Holyoke, the two men expressed disappointment at the failure of some friends to show up at a prearranged rendezvous. They then drove into the country and threw Zobel out of the car, after relieving him of $20 and some small change. 'We don't want you making any telephone calls," they said.

After 15 minutes of wandering about in the darkness, Zobel came upon a farmhouse. He roused the occupants and called the police.

He spent most of Saturday in conference with members of the police force.

As of late last night, no trace of either the thugs or the car had been found.