Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-11-01
TING "Rrroamrp CRIMINAL" STUNT.

A story going the rounds accom-
panied by his picture makes sort OF
hero out OF Pat Grove. 1t VIII ne
req Oily recalled that Pat Grove wac
a kidnaper OF children, a criminal ana
tough who escaped arrest for years
with a reward OF $4,000 on his head
Later he gave himself up and declared
his reform. Now he Ia, in the story
referred 70, being introduced to
bunch Of bankers by the superinten-
dent OF n children's relief association
as a little tin god and is being offered
a Job in the banks by each and every
banker of the lot.
1t sounds very much as tho the string
ncrd had made the most of his oppor-
tunity hut there's considerable in 1t at
that. 1t is to be assumed that the
bankers. however tearfully happy they
may have found themselves over this
whltewashed crow, snatched as a
brand from the hensnests and corn
fields of a criminal past, reserved the
right to keep the combinations OF safes
and the hcys of cabinets containing
valuables out OF Pats hands. In short,
that they didn't offer Pat job in the
midst Of the cash reserve, but surely
there were men needing jobs who had
decent characters and earned their
living all their lives who would have
been glad of the jobs SO freely pressed
on Pat Grove.
It is a peculiar popular tendency
that OF making much of criminals
who have finally found that the game
Is played out and that honesty is the
best policy" in many instances the
only policy" that viii keep them out
Of te penitentiary or will let them out
after they have been properly put in.
Somehow, the reformed" safe blower
draws the crowd where a Skilled safe
mechanic couldn't get g. corporafs
guard to hear him explain the mechan-
lam Of safes. the reformed drunkard'
always gets the audience when he
starts featuring on temperance as he
usually does. But nobody pays much at
tention to the man who never stole or
knocked anybody In the head for a
purse, or kidnapped a child. but had Just
gone on earning wages and educating
his children, paying taxes. holding out
IL r mi
psy chologist doesn't notice him; usual!y
he has to hunt a job when the old one
fails: he doesn't stand IN particularly
/ with the fearful whether they happen
to be relief" superinterdents or bank
ers. They look for a sensation Ike
Pat Grove, whitewashed and with o
blue ribbon about his neck, posing
and perhaps also doing someth!ns-fo-
"err.ng men" and thu relief Of chill
dren." Funny, Isn't It, in a way7 Old
John L. Sullivan. after years OF de-
bauch, made a great hit lectur!ng to
Y. N. C. A. audiences on the evils Oh
an evil life. John had run his race
by that time and needed the money.
The fact Is that instead OF being ex-
plotted with pictures as hero Par
| Grove should be In the penitentiary
and stay there until he had to be car
ried out feet first. He was k!dnaper
of children. If there are crimes that
earn and deserve capital punishment,
that is one Of the most deserving. II
he Is to be free at all he should be sat-
listed to earn a decent living like other
men who have been decent, and the
fearful reformers should be satisfied
to see that he does it in a decent ana
quiet way.
Perhaps we are to have Pat Grove
paraded thru the country with "!ec-
ture" written by somebody else. If so,
it is a good entertainment to stay
away from.