The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-09
PIT GROVE WANTS To REFORM
Noted Western Bandit Tired of the
Strenuous Life
He Publicly Proposes That He Wants
to End His Happy-Go-Lucky Exis-
ence-Trial On the Charge of Kid
mapping Young Cudahy-His Ac-
quittal Brought Fourth Cheers i'm
the Court Room-Other Incidents in
the Stirring Life Of the Outlaw.

Pat Groves acquittal of the kidnap-,,
ping Of young Edward Cudahy, Jr.. in.
Omaha five years ~ has set the
tongues of detectives everywhere TO:
wagging about that remarkable crimi-,
nal. 1t has also given them some cause
for alarm, since he will probably be!
at large again before long, having be-
fore him no greater charge than that
Of holding UP and getting the days
receipts On two trolley cars in Omaha
last summer. In spite Of all his alleg-
ed confessions and prostestations of
a desire to reform, his future course
Of life will probably be in the %directionl
he set for himself when he began his
career Of crime. And the worst thing,
about Grove is that he shoots. a re-
volver in his hands is no plaything.
Fame came to Pat Grove with a.
vengeance when young Cudahy, dis
appeared from his paternal home in
Omaha IN December Is, 1900.
Pat was charged with being his abb
ductor. Since that time, although the
charge was never proved against him.,
he has been known as a kidnapper-'
AN ONNNAy hANAcppSl nv WHY P1CoS-F
ant distinction, since it makes his
capture for anything whatsoever one
Of the ambitions of every western de-,
tectiVe that is able to smell a rat.
Startling disclosures were made in con-
nection with the case. First the fine
hand of Grove was Immediately dis
covered. Next the sum Of $4,000 was
paid, per directions, for the ransom
Of the beef man scion. Then, whenI
ln9IlV RIM down after manU 6oSnar9f 70
adventures and after the sum of $780,,
600 had been placed on his head andI
Withdrawn, Grove is alleged to have
confessed that he kept Eddie CudahyI
away from home, but at the boys own
nstigation. In fact. he charged the
packers son with inducing him-Patf
to go into a plot to do the "old mani
out Of first $50, 900. then $4,000. All oil
which goes to show that either Grove
was a fellow c~onspirator in a more orr
less harmless game or else a fine ro-I
mancer, as we'll as highly deserving of
his sobriquet, the ~kidnapper.
Cudahy, Jr, disappeared from his.
father's mansion on the morning Of
Dee. IS, 1900. He was taken to an old
vacant house within a mile and a half
of his home, after which Grove rel
turned to the Cudahy residence and
threw a letter demanding $25, 900 inl
gold for the boys release over thel
fence. Mr.. Cudahy made no bones overi
the letter but went to an Omaha bank,l
drew out the amount, drove five miles,
to a point on the Centre street road
where a red lantern hung, deposited
the cash according to directions and
returned with his coachman. Next
morning Eddie was conducted to with
in a block n a half of his home and
there released. After which a hue and
cry was raised that spread as far east
&c Nnyy Vnrly or6 oc fo~ ynr n G. Co
Francisco.
No one knew for certain, but every!
one thought the Kidnapping must
nave been Pat Groves doing. Mr..
Cudahy insisted on his capture as a
public necessity and added $4,000 to
an equal amount already offered for
his arrest. 1t was during this time
that the desperate would appear on
n streets every once in a while with
a display Of the utmost nerve, give
the police every opportunity and then
escape either quietly or after a fight
in which his pursuers thought them
selves lucky if they got off with only
a few bullet wounds.
One day last spring Grove suddenly
turned up in the office of the Omaha
World-Herald-nearly four and a half
years after a price was set On his head.
He was we'll dressed, looked like a gen
tleman, acted like one and spoke
straight from the shoulder. He want
ed the newspapers to do him a favor,
nothing less than tell the public that
Pat Grove was tired of being a and
wanted to start life anew. His one
proviso was that he would not be
sent to prison. Willing to give him.
self up and plead guilty to the charge
Of kidnapping, he said he would do
both if after being sentenced he would
be>paroled and be set free. After he
had made this statement to a fambus-
ticated editor he calmy walked out
Of the office and disappeared.
The STORY" of the strange interview
next morning made a sensation
throughout the country, especially in
Omaha, where every man with a bank
account began to get frightened again
upon learning that the terrible Grove
was back in town. The police laugh
ed at the f~ugitive's plea for a chance
show Pat any quarter? Not much.
The game was to capture him dead Or
alive. So they sleuthed about with
their hearts bobbing up against their
Adams apples, scared to death, lest
perchance they might run across the
now more desperate criminal.
Some months after this, however,
the rewards for his capture were with
drawn. in the hope that Pat would
surrender. But he didn't surrender.
He saw no reason to. He knew that
Cudahy wasn't he only rich man who
would breathe easier with him behind
the bars. Tired though he was Of be-
ing bounded almost to death, he kept
his freedom a. long as he could. how
belt, with a nonchalant, Indifferent
regard for his safety, turning up ev-
cry once in a while in Omaha, Council
Bluffs, Butte and other big western
cities. He gradually became the bug
bear of the police and detectives-a
sort of hoodoo that gave dime novels
a touch Of reality. One day Grove was
in need Of money. so he quietly but
firmly held up two trolley 0rs on the
way to Council Bluffs and got the days
receipts: quickly disappearing. to the
utterly mystification and chagrin of the
authorities.
But the end of this happy-go-lucky
sort of existence had to come. and Pat
was captured in Butte on the night of
Oct. 2 last. 1t was there and then he