The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-10-13
Gang Was 10 Run Off Cd
Man Rockefeller.
They Would Have Held Him
for Big Ransom.
Dope Fiends'' Believed to Be
Piping in Plenty.

Butte, Mont. Oct 6-That plans had
been laid to kidnap John d. Rockefeller
and hold him for a ransom of $1,000
600 or $3,000,000, and that the scheme
was not executed because of the timid-
ness of one of the plotters at the last
moment, was asserted today by Pat
Grove, the notorious outlaw under arrest
here for his connection with the kidnap-
ping of the Cudahy boy.
SO startling in its boldness was that
plan to steal the Standard Oil man that
those who heard it were inclined to
laugh at first But as the boldest ban
dit in this part of the country told the
details and circumstances of his visit
to Cleveland land the preparations that
had been made for the greatest kidnap-
ping in the history of the country, all
doubt as TO the truth of the story Grove
told vanished.
IL may Ut tIub JDili -. IlDckeltlitl
and his family will smile at the sug-
gestion of kidnapping the richest man in
the country, but those who know Grove
and his adventures say he would not
have hesitated.
Captain of Detectives Henry Dunn and
Officer Henry Haitzenden of Omaha, ac-
companied by several Omaha newspaper
men, reached Butte and identified Grove.
The recognition was mutual. They will
leave for Omaha Saturday night, secur-
ing Governor Tooles signature to their
requisition today. Despite Groves as
sertion of his willingness to accompany
them without requisition, Captain Dunn
says he will take no chances with Grove
who will be heavily manacled en- route
to Omaha. Curious crowds filled the iail
today, anxious to see Grove. Women.
many of them carrying fruit, visited the
prisoner in large numbers.
Grove was positively identified today
by two detectives from Omaha When
he realized that he cOnld not avoid
standing trial for the Cudahy kidnap-
ping, the outlaws love of telling of his
experiences returned to him and he sent
word to the newspaper men that he
would tell them of his adventures He
answered all questions put to him ex-
cept in regard to the Kidnapping for
which he is under arrest and then told
of the plan to kidnap Rockefeller. As
he unfolded the plot it sounded more
like an Arabian Nights story than a
tale of real life which was prevented
from being carried out only by the faint
heartedness of another man.
John ID. Rockefeller is the oldest kid
l ever had designs upon," Grove said
| and II my partner had not got cold feet
we would have made two millions out
OF the deal soon after the Cudahy trick
lhs Is no fairy story, I'm telling, but
the cold truth, and Rockefeller can thank
his lucky stars-and they have been
lucky for him-that he was not carried
Off, gagged and his son forced to dis
gorge some of the coin his father has
done others out of.
1T was Immediately after the Cudahv
affair that my partner and I-never
mind my partners name-were living
low in Chicago We were laughing at
the excitement over the Cudahy kidnap-
ping and spending our money reeklessly.
Kidnapping was so easy that suggested
that we 90 after bigger game. and the
idea hit me so well that | decided to
90 after the biggest game in the coun-
try.
Then we would have let John d. Jr..
know what we expected We would
have made his head swim. | tell Won
that old man would have written a letter
to his son that would have brought the
money next day.
"A week after | made the suggestion
we took the train to Cleveland and laid
out our plans. When we got down there
Hill, six miles east of Cleveland. and
sized up the place. 1t was dead easy.
We could have turned the trick without
effort and got away with the money.
The old man was out there and we
saw him several times. The place where
he lives is so quiet that l got enthusiast
tie as | saw my plan succeeding. l was
so sure OF my game that / went back to
Cleveland and began spending some of
that two millions | had made up nv
mind to get.
We'll, finally we got down to business
We planned to hold up the Waterman at
the point of a pistol, bind and gag him
and get into the house at night We
had a plan of the entire place fixed
and it was our plan to lift the old man