Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-19
Justice His Only Demand.

Later on Grove declaims: Justice is
all ask. Give me a chance to demon
strate to mechanical science the value
OF my idea" Grove urges Judge Pugh
not to let the foul odor which arises
from the unburied corpse of my past
transgressions becloud your mind, for
anger. like whisky, often dethrones the
| reason.
You know that I am in the observa-
ton ward Of the JAIL" the letter states,
and you also know history is the OBJ
servation ward of time. Please let
your mental eye scan the space be-
tween events as times pendulum
the dial of progress never turns back
ward" Grove tells the judge it lis
comforting to reflect that no human
power can lessen mans desire to in
crease the sum of human knowledge.
to tighten the burden of life and aid
In the future well-being of mankind"
The letter then explains that Grove
had come to Washington from a con-
siderable distance to give the public
the benefit of his knowledge. He then
explains roughly his idea, which is
new coupling for steel rails. This
coupling will permit the rail to adjust
itself to extreme changes of tempera-
ture. and automatically prevents the
says is the cause of about 10 per cent
Of the railroad accidents.
Refers to the Law.
Under the safety appliance act. the
letter continues. railroads are bound to
adopt certain safety measures, and cites
the cases of the Westinghouse airbrake
and the Janney car coupler is examples.
Grove says that no doubt, as soon as
the government safeguards his rights to
the invention, capital will look him up
| land talk business. clipping from
The Star. recounting an accident. is
| Enclosed in the letter, and Grove says
At this point in the letter reference
to the patent rail coupler abruptly
ceases. and Grove dilates on his own
eSa1eh judge b @ay % in the ee wre an
pew" this new part of the letter com
mences. Don't you think SOP 1t con-
| tinues. II certainly do OF course. you
| looking out Some difference you
know Pat points out. and likens the
Judge to the democratic party and him
self to the progresSiveS. but adds:
while there is life there is hope"
| Grove then gets a bit sarcastic. Kind
~ send my congratulations to Marconi,
! he writes. "and remind him of the fact
| that he is very ungrateful discoverer.
and that he still owes a visit to the OBJ
servation ward of the Washington jail"
| Grove says that if the discoverer of the
wireless telegraph had paid visit to
presence of John Law prior to his sue
cess he would have "home in the OBJ
| servation ward. where l am now
Wants Watt Notified.
Continuing in this vein, Grove asks the.
judge to notify Watt who lives just
across tie Great Divide of his trouble.
He says that Watt probably will be sym
pathetic, as it would not now be his
(Crowes) duty to invent safety rail If
Watt had not dropped the marble in the
spout of the boiling kettle.
Grove next retails some of his impress
sions of the observation ward for the
Judges enlightenment. Everybody here
seems to be happy he writes, Just as
happy as IL they had good sense One of
the patients told me the only really hap
Ply people on earth were insane people
and babies"
Grove declares that the claims of "this
proud young republic have been over
rated He illustrates this statement by
declaring that if you steal a ride on a
box car you would have to go to Jail
for being a tramp, while if you steal
railroad in Wall street you are great
captain of finance Grove declares that
Americas boast. equal rights for all and
special privileges for none.' is mock
cry under these conditions
Grove then told of a conversation with
DR. William p. Reeves, the physician who
examined MN " i'io Sohdi-
ton The conversation ran to red
caps and cardinals" and things OF that
sort, the letter says, and Grove says he
informed DIR. Reeves that for five CEN
turtles his ancestors have been noted
teachers in the church, and says that
within 900 years he expects to be
canoniZed saint.
Went to Church Once.
The doctor asked him If he went to
church, and he said he used to, the let
ter states, when he was "a good little
boy" Grove then wakes poetic in his
answer to the doctors question, and
writes:
But now that I am old. and fat and gray,
And full OF prunes and shredded hay,
I say to such professions-Scat;
] have brighter dream THIS day.
I'm church / heard too much talk about
souls from heavenly. splendor
barred
And not enough about humanity by
the laws of injustice SCARED"
Pat then writes about comparing his
condition with that of Napoleon on st.
Helena and Emil Zolo writing his way
ont of prison" He tells OF black cat
which prowls silently about his cell at
night. II sometime think 1t is the devil
in disguise" he writes. Pat says 1t is
40 quiet he "can hear his toe nails
grow inside his slippers"
Pat ends with another poetic bit:
Not void OF all ambition.
Not dead to every wrong,
And do not wish to be alone.
| would rather be where vnlturcs rave.
And fulfill my earthly mission
Ere find the quiet grave.