The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-07
WHY ONE BURGLAR REFORMED
Crook, Prepared for Leslie's Week
" by Richard Barry

Crook, Prepared for Leslie's Week
ly by Richard Barry.
A little over 40 years old, of clean.
cut executive appearance. smoots
shaver; looks as If he might enter
the ring at the middleweight limit
and give a good account of himself,
Intelligent; not evasive; not emo
tional; well dressed; apparently an
habitue of the best hotels, and a pa
tron of the smartest tailors. The play
director of the business drama would
hesitate between casting him for the
hero or the villain; it would depend
a good deal on how the author wrote
the part.
Mr.. Grey. in his time, has cracked
over 100 safes; for years he was a
member of one of the best known
bank burgling 'mobs" in the country.
His last exploit was the robbing Of
three cigar stores in Times Square
New York, one morning before
breakfast. That was about six years
ago. Though never convicted of this
crime, an arrest resulted in his be-
ing detained for an earlier one in an
other state. The chief executive OF
that state later pardoned him. For
previous and a federal offense.
the United States had pardoned him.
To both the governor and the Presi-
dent he had given his word that he
would go straight. But he doesn't
say that Is what kept him straight
l rather liked 1t about him that he
didn't lay his moral" conversion to
sentimental reasons.
Tell me the real reason WHY YOU
have kept on the level?" 1 insisted
before we got down to the business
of analysing the new crime.
TT was Greenwich Village" said
he.
Hold on" I interrupted, please
speak seriously"
II am serious. he insisted IT
came to New York from that nearby
state after they discharged me from
the prison, and fell in with some
Greenwich villagers. There was The
odore Dresser. Frank Harris. Art
Young and others. | spent several
weeks in the cafes down there listen
ing to them hold forth. It taught me
to think. 1t showed me the folly of
my previous ways"
Il want you to swear to this" said
l. "for 1T is an important historical
fact--score one for the Village. This
is the first time I have ever heard
of the moral regeneration of crook
occurring there" Later. | told Art
Young editor of Good Morning and
one of the Village lights, about il.
and he was plainly bewildered; he
could not understand it. Queer"
said Mr.. Young. shaking his head
for We're against banks and the
other established ways of society. I'd
like to know how it happened"
Mr.. Grey spoiled the score for the
Village a trifle when he went on to
explain. Another thing" said he, II
began to reflect that was getting
on toward 40. If l kept on robbing
I'd probably make slip some time.
for though the percentage of success
is in favor of the bank burglar, his
penalty for single error or bit of
bad luck is extremely severe. slip
would mean 10 or Is years in prison,
and at my age that is the same as
life. / decided to quit.
.'Beides. I began to realize that If
l gave the same thought, care, dill
gence and stamina 60 a business en-
terprise that l had previously given
to breaking into banks l could earn
a good bit of money and not have to
worry about 1t. Maybe that's what
l got from listening to the villagers"