MORE DASTARDLY DEEDS
Continued from: August Clawson Helps Crowe Get Away
After Pat Crowe's successful escape from Crawford County authorities for robbing the Northwestern train station at Denison, Pat went to Denver Colorado to steal some diamonds in 1894. He successfully thwarted attempts for his capture. The next year found him in St. Louis, Missouri where he was sentenced to three years in Leavenworth for pleading guilty to grand larceny in connection with the hold up of a Burlington express train. Pat served the term, but the confinement hardened him deeper. It was there he learned how to pull off a kidnapping and made his plans to finally get his revenge against Edward Cudahy, the millionaire meat packer in Omaha, Nebraska.
As noted below, before the kidnapping, Pat kept busy with other misdeeds.
Denison Bulletin – August 11, 1898
PAT CROWE CAUGHT AGAIN
Sunday daily press dispatches tell of the capture at St. Louis of Pat Crowe, the notorious crook who several years ago held up Frank Evans in the depot at this place and after being placed in jail choked the turnkey and liberated himself, afterward having a little shooting match with an officer in a field near Arion.
Crowe has a brother near West Side who has done a great deal to keep him on a straight and honorable path and help him out of scrapes, and Pat stayed at his place some time.
Crowe is now arrested for swindling a woman out of $5 by the “shortchange” method, after jumping into a nearby buggy, holding a revolver at the driver's head and giving his pursuers a furious chase.
He is also wanted in Denver, Colo., for murder, and also for burglarizing Chapin's jewelry store in that city of $600 worth of diamonds.
He was pursued by officers and shot and killed Officer A.J. Moon in Chicago. Crowe served three years for train robbery in Missouri.
Pat Crowe is one of the most remarkable criminals in the country. In appearance he looks for all the world like a mild-mannered bookkeeper. He is tall, slender, has lighthair and a blonde mustache. There is nothing to indicate the desperate character which he had proved himself to be save the steely glint of his cold blue eyes.
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Denison Review – February 6, 1900
Pat Crowe has been arrested and taken to Chicago, charged with robbing the C. & N.W. Fast mail near Maple Park, Ill., last fall.
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Denison Bulletin – December 27, 1900
OUR FAMOUS PAT CROWE
Noted Desperado Charged With Abduction of Millionaire's Son.
The city of Omaha has been in a great state of excitement since last week, on account of the abduction there of the fifteen-year-old son of Millionaire Edward Cudahy. The boy was taken on the street one night and was driven away by his captors and held for a ransom. After twenty-four hours of suspense in the matter the unhappy father paid up $25,000 in gold for the return of the lad, and got him.
Edward Cudahy, Jr.
The letter and some other features of the kidnapping are printed on another page of this paper. The crime is now charged to Pat Crowe, who is very well known in this county. It seems that whenever the police or detectives run up against a case which is unusually bold or difficult to handle, they lay it at once to Pat Crowe, and to keep out of the pen that individual has to skip. Pat is no doubt mixed up in many crimes, and too many to warrant him in getting into the hands of police. And many who know him would not put this last great game past him.
Crowe has been charged with train robbery, diamond snatching, highway robbery, murdering policemen, and almost every bold crime, and if he has stolen all that police reports lay to him, he must have taken half a million dollars of money that did not belong to him. While eluding arrest he was in this county a long time, several years ago, and ended up his career here by holding up the Northwestern depot agent, and then trying to kill the marshal and sheriff when they tried to arrest him.
The Ransom Note:
Mr. Cudahy:
We have kidnapped your child and demand $25,000 (twenty-five thousand dollars) for his safe return. If you give us the money, the child will be returned as safe as when you last saw him, but if you refuse we will put acid in his eyes and blind him, then we will immediately kidnap another millionaire's child that we have spotted and demand $100,000 and we will get it for he will see the condition of our child and realize the fact that we mean business and will not be monkeyed with or captured.
Get the money all in gold, five, ten and twenty dollar pieces, put it in a grip in a white wheat sack, get in your buggy alone on the night of December 19th at 7 o'clock p.m., and drive south from your house to Center street; turn west on Center and drive back to Ruser's park and follow the paved road towards Fremont; when you come to a lantern that is lighted by the side of the road place the money by the lantern and immediately turn your horse around and return home. You will know our lantern for it will have two ribbons, black and white, tied on the handle; you must place a red lantern on your buggy where it can be plainly seen so we will know you a mile away. This letter and every part of it must be returned with the money and any attempt at capture will be the saddest thing you ever done.
If you remember some twenty years ago, Charley Ross was kidnapped in New York City and $20,000 ransom asked. Old man Ross was willing to give up the money, but Burns, the great detective, with others, persuaded the old man not to give up the money, assuring him that the thieves would be captured. Ross died of a broken heart, sorry that he allowed the detectives to dictate to him.
This letter must not be seen by any one but you. If the police or some stranger knew its contents they might attempt to capture us, although entirely against your wish, or some one might use a lantern and represent us; thus, the wrong party securing the money and this would be as fatal to you as if you refused to give up the money. So you see the danger if you let this letter be seen.
Mr. Cudahy you are up against it and there is only one way out. GIVE UP THE COIN. Money we want and money we will get.
If you don't give up, the next man will, for he will see that we mean business and you can lead your boy around blind for the rest of your days, and all you will have is the dam copper sympathy. Do the right thing by us and we will do the same by you. If you refuse you will soon see the saddest sight you ever seen.
Wednesday, December 19th.
THIS NIGHT OR NEVER.
Follow these instructions and no harm will befall you or yours.
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Denison Review – December 28, 1900
CROWE IN MANY PLACES
Police are Seeing Him All the Way From Chicago to Boston.
Former Owner of Pony Found.
Omaha, Dec. 28 – The police chanced upon a clue yesterday which they hope will mark the beginning of the end of the kidnapping mystery. It is by all odds the most important development in the case thus far, as it clears up the identity of the pony at Pacific Junction, traces it directly into the hands of the bandits and furnishes more accurate description of the outlaws than the police had previously secured. It was learned that the pony was sold Dec. 14 by Daniel Burris, who lives at 3310 Grand Avenue, to two men, one of whom answers the description of Pat Crowe.
Crowe is the most ubiquitous man in the United States. In the space of 48 hours he has been simultaneously seen by police of three cities and sleuths all the way from Denver to Liverpool are looking for him.
Crowe Also Seen in Chicago.
Chicago, Dec. 28 – Disguised as a woman, Pat Crowe, who is being sought all over the United States on the charge that he was the kidnapper of Eddie Cudahy at Omaha, has been seen in Chicago within the last few days and may still be hiding here, according to statements made by Detective Sergeant James Storch, who has arrested Crowe a number of times in the past.
Think Crowe Sailed for Liverpool.
Boston, - Dec. 28 – The Boston police have evidence to indicate, they think, that Pat Crowe and the man who is wanted on a charge of kidnapping young Cudahy are on the Warren Liner Michigan, bound for Liverpool, and a cable containing that information has been sent to the Scotland Yard detectives, who will be on the Liverpool docks when the steamer arrives.
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Denison Bulletin – January 3, 1901
Deloit News
The much-sought Pat Crowe has been in Deloit all the past week, and has attracted considerable attention from our people. And yet nobody has attempted to arrest him. At least a well known resident of this place who knows Pat Crowe says it is him or he will never eat another meal. The face, the figure, height, complexion, and all are Pat Crowe's to a dot, he says, and he is almost tempted to wire for the detectives to come and get him and take in that $25,000 reward. The stranger came here several days ago, and gives his name as Collins, and seems to enjoy the situation as well as the rest of us. He walks on the streets and boulevards in the crowds, rides on the street cars and attends the theaters and churches like the rest of us, and if it is Crowe, he is certainly very bold.
To be continued: The Kidnapping according to Pat Crowe
