The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-03-31

life handicapped may be given a proper start It may seem to the general pub lie like the climax of nerve for me to go to Cudahy with such a proposition but I know Cudahy and believe that he will respond It was Cudahy himself that gave me the inspiration for this idea, and I am certain that he will eagerly em- brace the chance to do something for the coming generation"
 What was it that impelled you to start d movement of this kind?' Grove was asked
 ''The desire to do something that will make me remembered as something else than the kidnaper of Eddie cudahy,' re- piled Grove, "and the most desperate all- round crook in America, as the police call me. Yes 1 will admit that in some respects I have done things which would give me a clear claim on the last title, but l am not guilty of one tenth of the crimes they have attributed to me. But there are probably some also that might be connected with that I have ney- CT been suspected of. But all that is past. l can now walk the streets of any city in this country without fear of ar rest. l am beginning life with a clear slate, and my one purpose in life Is to see this institution, which I think will do so much to prevent boys from start ing on criminal career, launched on a business basis.
 My life in the west, and particularly in Chicago" continued Grove warming up to his subject, "has shown me that but small percentage of criminals are such of their own accords. They start out as boys handicapped in wife, they get sent to Bridewell or the House of Correction for some trifling offense and their associa- tion with desperate criminals in such places Is certain to give them an i'm petus down the path that leads to the gallows and the penitentiary that they would not otherwise have had. If there was school maintained by each state which should not be designated as a re- form school. where boys and first offend CTS could be sent and kept until they learned some useful trade, there would be the first step taken to prevent the devel- opment of criminals.
 Take boys in Chicago for instance. Most of the first offenders are sent to the John Worthy school, which is attached to the Bridewel. My idea is that the stig- ma of having been confined in a semi penal institution should not be attached to these boys at all."
 Grove talks freely about his connection with the Cudahy kidnapping. He does not attempt to justify the crime, but in pallia- tion says that at the time he committed 1t in 1900 the hands of the police all over the country were raised against him, he was liable to arrest anywhere in this country charged with some crimes that he had never committed and for which he knew he would be ralroaded, and he resolved to pull off a coup that would net him enough to live comfortably the rest of his life He claims that the idea of the Kidnapping and the threat to burn out the boys eyes with acid date from the days of his boyhood. when his own mother was bllnd and he realized what a terrible affliction this was. He knew that the threat would be efficacious to move MT. Cudahy to grant his demand. He goes freely into the details of the crime, but says that he never had the slightest in- tention of carrying out the threat of blinding the boy.