The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-11
SAVIOR OF "BOBS"
GOES TO PRISON
Sam Grice, Holder of Victoria Cross.
Taken to Utah Penitentiary.
H0NoRE0 ONCE BY QUEEN
NOW HE BEGINS PAYING PENAL
TY FOR BURGLARY.

bronze. For the Crime of Burglary
written I'm ink-both are matters of
public record, and the name in each
case is the same-Sam Grice They
took him to the peniteRtiary yesterday,
| handcuffed TO another felon. Twenty
eight years ago he won his Victoria
! cross by saving the life of Lord Rob
| erts.
Here in Salt Lake 4 has been sam
Grice, burglar. In England II was
Private Samuel Grice, hero. Queen
Victoria pinned on his breast the biz
of brown metal for which some English
generals would almost barter their
commissions
But the Victoria cross isn't 70 be
obtained by barter in this particular
! instance its wearer rode between his
own sines and those OF A half savage
enemy. disnOunted where the bullets
Spattered thick, and threw on his horse
a wounded officer. He led the mount
/ day he spiked nine cannon in the teeth
Of pursuing Afghans intent. on their
capture These are facts which have
been verified
sentenced for burglary within the past
week. For ten years the police and
sheriff's Office have known him as a.
clever. slippery thief. His name has
come to be q bywOrd among those who
! hunt down crooks. And so they were
happy when they got him where they
felt he belonged He had given them
no end Of trouble He should have been
| in prison years ago. That is the way
everyone who had to deal with the
matter looked al IT.
Tells About Victoria Cross.
Yesterday afternoon he sat in his
cell waiting for them to come for him
Tertiary His LAWYER had tried 10 Sc
cure him clemency- and he got twelve
years sentence He was not feeling
any too cheerful. He did not want 20
| talk. Men seldom do when they are on
the eve of "A long term. He was in this
mood when he was asked about his
/ deathless bronze
How did you get your Victoria
crosse he was asked He wheeled
about in his walk across the cell floor
and his grey eyes blazed.
L ARMED it he said
But hOw2''
Never mind how. don't feel good.
I don't want to talk"
Probably he did not. He was ac-
custOmed TO being questioned. Sweat
ing Was an OLD process with him II
was never pleasant But the question
was repeated, and he was told that
people We're becoming interested in the
matter. He stopped his walk and
z
I saved another man in Afghanistan''
he said. And then he began filing his
pipe.
DO You mind telling who?"
He looked IN oddly
Did YOU ever hear Of A man in the
British army called Roberts - he asked
dTily- 1T was him
And then he allowed the story to be
pried away from him. That same
story IS told in a book, The Victoria
! Cross a work dealing with the deeds
Of the medals wearers- No one gets
} that hammered gun metal unless ne
I has risked his life to save the life of
some other The book IS worth read
ing And the story Of Sam Grice-old
Sam Grice, burglar. dTunkard and
common thief-is not the least interest
ing bit of history it contains
In Battle With Afghans.
1T was the 22nd day O. Nay. u" he
said and scratched his head getting il
back into his memory.
Now on that 22nd day of May, 1877,
the Britich forces were in = bad mixup
with a lot of Afghans. These hill
tribesmen were ugly fighters They
went into battle with the pleasant idea
| that you must die fighting and then
you would go straight 10 paradise .
Under this belief they did wonderful
things. And on May p they were dong
some of them. They were beginning to
drive the British troops back It was
a hot fight
Lord ROberts-he was a general then
and just in the middle OF getting the
SObriquet "BObs''-was caught between
the lines His horse was shot from
under him. He was pinned down. be
tween the fire of his own troops andthe
hail OF lead from the trfbesmen.
Private Grice. Bombay Light IN
fantry, caught sight Of the officer. He
didn't know who he was. but he had
that streak i'm him which makes men
do reckless things. He rode out-60o
yards IL was-between the lines He
dismounted. with bullets digging UP
dust all round him. He picked up the
officer and threw him on the horse.
! Then he led the brute back. The
tribesmen were advancing all this time
You see, said Sam Grice. convicted
burglar. yesterday. these fellers used
TO torture man after they killed him.
and we didn't like to let no one get
into their hands,
Had Varied Military Career.
But to get back to Sam Grice. nero.
According to the story told in print
| for IL is told better there than Sam
Grice told it. this man wasn't salts
| fed with saving Lord Roberts.
The British were being driven back.
| It is ugly business TetreatinE with a
| lot of anxious savages pressing on YOU.
/ and they were going through great
deal. But they did il in pretty good
order. Dhey could not, however, save
| their artillery. Tt was too not for that.
So Sam Grice stayed behind and spiked
nine of the cannon. He had only nine
! pins. and 50 he couldn't stay longer
That is all there is TO it-eXCeptus
! this sam Cfrice served through the
siege of Alexandria He went ON M
the Nile and fought Dervishes. Those
were the days when British troops
tstood in hollow squares and fought OF
| thousands of bowling MoSlens-the
| Fuzzy uzzies" of Kipling's poem
| who rushed in succeeding waves right
/ I'D 10 the muzzles of the muSket9. In
south Africa Crice saw more fghtinS-
ZuIus this time-and finally he Went
| back 10 England
| There along with number OF other
heroes he stood while queen Victoria
| pinned on his breast the bronze cross
! which is still among his few effects
| He got other medals, and some bars.
| They signify good conduct and clean
Announcements. and distinguished ser
vice His wife keeps them now she
| is making an effort 10 have the BritlsS
/ government take hold OF Sans case
/ Possibly they Will They think Ere2l