Getting Away with Kidnapping in Omaha

On December 18, 1900, Pat Crowe and an associate kidnapped fifteen-year-old Edward A. Cudahy, Jr., son of a wealthy Omaha meat packer, and held him for $25,000 ransom. Since kidnapping had been an infrequent crime, Nebraska had no kidnapping statute. Because of this, Crowe was tried and acquitted on other charges. Although many professed outrage at the verdicts, Crowe had become something of a folk hero. In this episode, we explore this crime in the 1976 article titled “A Really Spectacular and Truly Named Desperado: Pat Crowe and the Cudahy Kidnapping” by Garneth Oldenkamp Peterson.

#Crime #Omaha #Kidnapping

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
The following episode features ahistoric article from the
Nebraska History magazine. This article may reflect the
language and attitudes of its time and while it offers
valuable insight into the past, may contend expressions or
viewpoints that are outdated or offensive by today's standards.
Any outdated terms do not reflect the current views or
perspectives of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Welcome to the Nebraska History podcast.
I'm your host, Chris Goforth. Each episode we explore articles

(00:21):
written and published in Nebraska History Magazine.
On December 18th, 1900, Pat Crowe and an associate kidnapped
15 year old Edward A Cudahay Junior, son of a wealthy Omaha
meat Packer, and held him for ransom for $25,000.
Since kidnapping had been an infrequent crime, Nebraska had

(00:41):
no kidnapping statute. Because of this, Crowe was tried
and acquitted on other charges. Although many professed outrage
at the verdicts, Crowe had become something of a folk hero.
On this episode. We explore this crime in the
1976 article titled A Really Spectacular and Truly named
Desperado Pat Crowe and the Cudahy Kidnapping by Garnet

(01:04):
Oldencamp Peterson. The early years of the 20th
century have been pictured as happy, lazy years, a time of
simple and uncomplicated life. Among the idyllic recollections
are band concerts in the square,bicycle rides on a tandem with a
sweetheart, and afternoons spentcheering the local baseball
team. But like all memories, the

(01:26):
picture given us of the first decade of this century is
distorted. A closer look at this period
reveals facets often overlooked.1 was the violence of everyday
life. On December 22nd, 1900, the
headlines of one newspapers front page screamed in cowshed
with throat cut. Schoolgirl hangs herself, War

(01:50):
Office auditor murdered, and even a single paragraph article
was headlined Death and burglary.
Such headlines were not exceptional, but daily
occurrences and their frequency seemed to point to an interest
in crime by most readers. As the only important
information agency, newspapers wielded great influence.

(02:10):
In 1900, Omaha had three daily newspapers which mirrored its
expanding Commerce and Industry.Through Omaha, a railroad center
since the 1870s, moved the agricultural products and
manufactured goods of the Midwest.
By the turn of the century, Omaha grew rapidly as great
numbers of immigrants, Germans from Russia, Italians, Czechs,

(02:33):
and others, moved into the city.Earlier immigrant groups, Irish,
Germans, Scandinavians, found jobs in one of Omaha's major
industries, such as in packing plants or on railroads.
By 1900, urban growth produced class divisions between labor
and management. Although workers were not fixed
in a rigid class structure, onlyabout 1/4 of them in 1900 could

(02:58):
hope to advance to white collar status.
Within the previous 25 years, men such as John D Rockefeller
and Andrew Carnegie built their fortunes and earned for
themselves the title of robber barons.
As frontier cities of the West attracted industry and gained an
urban character, the process of division into owner and worker

(03:20):
continued. Omaha's transportation and meat
packing industries brought in transients and some unsavory
characters. With the number of people moving
in and out of the city, the incidence of crime increased.
On the night of December 18th, 1900, a crime took place that
shocked Omaha and raised interest across the United

(03:43):
States and ne'er do well named Pat Crow and an associate
kidnapped Edward A Cudahy Junior, son of a wealthy Omaha
meat Packer, and held him for a $25,000 ransom.
This crime had a greater impact on the average citizen than did
most crimes because it evoked sympathy for a boy of 15

(04:04):
snatched from his family by criminals.
Prior to the kidnapping, Pat Crowe already had behind him a
string of crimes and flamboyant escapes, with one characteristic
to all of them his steady nerve under pressure.
He had started in the butcher business in 1886 at the age of
17 after coming to Omaha from his parents farm near Vail, IA.

(04:28):
Crow and his business partner Kavanaugh allowed their working
class customers to fall behind on their bills.
Their little butcher shop closedwhen it could not survive
competition from a CUDA hay retail outlet.
Crow vowed to make the wealthy CUDA Hay quote pay for this
someday and pay well. End Quote.

(04:49):
Not yet 20 years old, Pat ended up working in the Cudahy retail
store. He quickly discovered how easy
it was to borrow money from the till, a habit which cost him his
job. From that time on, Pat and Crime
were companions. Intending to start another
butcher shop in Davenport, IA, Pat went to Chicago to buy

(05:09):
tools. His trip ended in a brothel.
When he awoke the next day, he found his $750 gone.
He retaliated by robbing the Madam of a sum greater than he
lost. He continued in crime in Denver
and Kansas City, stealing diamonds worth $6000.
By 1892, Crow relocated in Philadelphia, where he first

(05:31):
heard about the unsolved kidnapping of Charlie Ross.
New York City police had convinced young Ross's father to
withhold the ransom and allow the police to find the boy.
Crow spent a profitable summer in Philadelphia and in New
Jersey seaside resorts robbing summer guests, but the Ross
story continued to intrigue him.He vowed to gain revenge on

(05:54):
Edward Cudahy, although revenge was probably secondary to profit
by this time. Pat returned to the Midwest but
did not implement the long considered plan until 1900.
On the evening of December 18th,young Eddie Cudahy left his home
at 518 S 37th St. to return somebooks to Misses CB Rustin at her

(06:17):
home three blocks away. When Edward Cudahy and his wife
returned from an evening with friends about 10:00, they
expressed surprise that their son had not yet returned.
Cudahy was dismayed to learn from the Rustin's that Eddie had
left their home promptly after delivering the books.
Worry increased when Eddie's collie dog returned home alone.

(06:42):
This indicated the boy must haveleft the neighborhood in a
streetcar or other vehicle, for the dog always waited outside a
house if his master stopped. Cudahy called the police at 12 O
clock midnight, whereupon Chief of Police JJ Donohue decided
Eddie had been kidnapped. Melville Sears, Cudahy's

(07:03):
attorney, organized search parties and alerted hospitals
and railroad stations to watch for the boy.
Kudahay told police to quote, spare no expense in their quest.
End Quote. He telegraphed Chicago
requesting the aid of Pinkerton detectives.
Various theories on Eddie's whereabouts arose.
The Omaha Evening World Herald described Kudahay as a quote,

(07:25):
quiet, industrious boy of the best habits.
End Quote. And Edward Cudahy believed his
son would quote never 'cause hismother so much trouble by
straying away without his consent.
End Quote. The police put Eddie's friends
under surveillance. One boy had been seen at 56th
and Center streets, the extreme limits of the city, the previous

(07:48):
evening. A companion, presumably Eddie,
had been seen with him. This heightened concern because
places of bad repute were located in that area.
The kidnapping theory proved true on the morning of the 19th
when Andrew Gray, a Cudahay coachman, found a ransom note on
the family lawn. Shortly thereafter, Cudahay

(08:10):
received a phone call from a manwho asked if the note had been
found. Cudahay had the call traced to
Glenn's livery stable on Leavenworth St.
The police failed to apprehend the caller, but Frank Glenn
described the caller and the Baypony.
He rode. The police only allowed a small
portion of the note to appear inthe newspapers.

(08:31):
Quote Mr. EA CUDA. Hey, your son is safe.
We have him and we'll take good care of him and we'll return him
to you in consideration of the payment of $25,000.
We mean business, Jack. End Quote.
The full note described the location for delivery of the
ransom, and it contained a threat to blind Eddie with acid

(08:55):
if the directions were unheated.Written so as to quote Harrow
the feelings of his parents and quote, the note recalled the
unsolved case of Charlie Ross and threatened the same fate for
Eddie if the money demands were not met.
In retrospect, one of the most interesting aspects of the case
concerned its newspaper treatment.

(09:17):
The Omaha Daily News gave the straightest report, running the
story in column one, page one with the conservative headline.
The Omaha Daily Bee ran A1 column story, although the Bee
generally supplied more information than the news.
The Evening World Herald, the most zealous, frequently placed
stories in both the right and left hand columns, with extra

(09:40):
large headlines throughout the case.
The World Herald, obviously setting out to sell papers,
printed every rumor, every clue and related incident.
The suspense over the kidnappingdid not last long.
By December 20th, Eddie had beenreturned home safely.
The World Herald announced in headlines that the kidnapping

(10:02):
resembled a thrilling novel and that Eddie had been seized,
bound, and chained a floor of cottage.
Eddie's description of his captivity sounded tame in
comparison to the headlines, as one who quote apparently
suffered least from this terrible experience.
End Quote. Eddie appeared to the World
Herald reporters as happy with all and perfectly enjoying the

(10:24):
sensation of which he was the peace de resistance.
Eddie had returned home shortly after one O clock AM December
20th, approximately 30 hours after the kidnapping occurred.
He explained that he had been walking home from the Rust
Insurance when two men approached him posing as
sheriff's from Say's County. They accused him of being Eddie

(10:46):
McGee, an escaped reform school inmate who had stolen money from
his aunt. Although Eddie protested that
his name was Kudahay, the two would not let him go, claiming
he had to be identified by the sheriff.
The three traveled South by buggy on 37th St. until they
reached Leavenworth St. where Eddie saw a streetcar whose
conductor could identify him. Eddie told this to his captors,

(11:10):
who immediately blindfolded the boy and turned West on
Leavenworth. They traveled variously on rough
roads and paved roads until Eddie surmised that they were
somewhere in South Omaha. He pointed out that quote.
Two or three whiffs from the packing house district assured
me that my conjuncture was correct.
End Quote. The group soon arrived at the

(11:30):
captivity house where the two men LED Eddie up rickety stairs
to a room with no furniture. His captors fastened leg irons
on his ankles to keep him from escaping.
Eddie said he laid down for about 5 hours and attempted to
sleep, but his nerves were too badly shattered to permit of it.
He was giving coffee and crackers by a guard who was
drinking heavily, and he said that the guard became garrulous

(11:54):
after six or seven hours and that, quote, his talk rambled
the weather from drink or design, I could not say.
End Quote. The guard spoke with a strong
Irish brogue, and from his conversation Eddie gathered that
six men made-up the gang. One man who came from Mexico and
Denver was, quote, an expert in the kidnapping business.

(12:15):
End Quote The guard said his partners really wanted to kidnap
Eddie's sisters, but were unsuccessful and settled for the
boy. On Wednesday, the guard became
angry when a partner who had gone to pick up the ransom
returned with $5000, pleading that he fell into a Creek and
lost $20,000. Soon afterward, the men brought

(12:37):
Eddie to 36th and Leavenworth, where his guard threatened to
shoot his partner if the money was not divided fairly.
After removing his blindfold, Eddie ran home.
Meanwhile, Edward Cudahy had been making plans to comply with
the instructions in the note. Chief Donahue and the Cudahy
attorneys urged him not to meet the demands because the

(12:58):
kidnappers might fail to return Eddie even if they had the
money. But Cudahy felt confident the
men meant business and that afternoon sent Melville Sears to
the Omaha National Bank for $25,000 in gold.
Placed in a bank grip inside a white wheat sack, the money was
taken 5 miles out on West CenterRd. at 7.

(13:21):
PMA. Lantern tied with black and
white ribbons marked the drop off point.
Although Cudahy did not mention it at first, he later admitted
he was not alone. As specified, he was accompanied
by PJ McGrath, a livestock buyerat the South Omaha packing
plant. Kudahay enclosed the ransom note

(13:41):
with the money, as the kidnappers had demanded, and a
letter of his own in which he, quote, called attention to the
fact that he had complied with their requests and demands to
the very letter and expected them to keep their part of the
bargain. End Quote.
The two returned home about 9:30PM.
Kudahay suggested that the two police officers on duty at the

(14:01):
house stay out of sight to avoidscaring off any messengers or
persons returning. Eddie The officers adjourned to
the barn behind the house and missed the excitement, not
realizing Eddie returned until Cudahay told them at 1:15 AM.
Newspapers reported some interesting contradictions on
December 20th and 21st. Attorney Melville Sears stated

(14:24):
there was absolutely no truth inthe story that Cudahay drove out
to the city last night in a carriage with a red light
attached to it and paid the ransom.
Cudahy's story appeared immediately below that
interview, recounting his trip and the fact that he did pay the
ransom. The account left Sears red faced

(14:45):
and the next day he explained that he knew of the ransom
payment, but not that the story could be made public.
Another discrepancy concerned Missus Cudahy's opinion of the
police. She doubted, quote, whether the
police are not in standing with the criminals.
End Quote. The report claimed the captors
were informed of police action and so informed Eddie.

(15:07):
Missus Cudahy supposedly stated that she would, quote, like to
see them the criminals hung and would be willing to pull on the
rope. End Quote.
Edward Cudahy, discounting such fiery statements, said quote,
Missus Cudahy believes nothing of the kind.
There are some features of journalism that ought to be
discouraged, and 1:00 of which this assertation is based, is

(15:30):
one of them. End Quote.
In the attempts to capitalize onthe Cudahy story, the newspapers
built up rivalries. The News reported that Chief
Donahue knew the criminals involved and could, quote, put
them under arrest at any time ifMr. Cudahy wishes.
End Quote. The B followed with a statement
from Chief Donahue calling the news report absolutely false.

(15:54):
Kudahay felt it was quote, his duty to prosecute the scandals
to the fullest extent of the lawand quote and on December 21st
offered $5000 for the arrest andconviction of any one of the
kidnappers, 15,000 for two and $25,000 for three.
If indeed three men were involved in the case, Kudahay
promised he would leave no stoneunturned in his efforts to make

(16:17):
things too hot for them around Omaha.
The World Herald and the News reported that the police sought
Pat Crow because a reputable citizen who knew Crow remembered
that Pat had discussed kidnapping a child of wealthy
parents and demanding ransom. Because the citizen did not know
the contents of the ransom note,the informants tip pointed to

(16:40):
Crow. Police continued searching for
the house in South Omaha where Eddie had been held and the
horse and buggy used to transport him.
After locating the house, they plan to secure descriptions from
neighbors of any strangers seen in the area.
Chief Donahue explained why the police did not lie in wait for
the thieves near the Lantern in the country.

(17:01):
They believed capture of the kidnappers only a secondary
goal, the first being Eddie's safe return.
Donahue further stated that the Police Department did quote
nothing that was not in compliance with Mr. Cudahy's
wishes, End Quote, and felt Cudahy judged wisely in paying
the ransom. Chicago police did not agree,

(17:22):
charging Cudahy with setting a dangerous precedent and
predicting a series of sensational kidnapping cases
would follow. They contended that eventually,
quote, rich men will have to employ servants to act as
bodyguards for their young ones,End Quote.
This fear was evident in Omaha, and several wealthy families did
hire private detectives. On December 22nd, a search party

(17:46):
located the Captivity House in alonesome locality at 36 O 4
Grover St. in South Omaha. Eddie identified the house by
the broken stair steps and by articles strewn about the room.
Searchers found cigar stubs and burnt matches, as well as sugar
and coffee in a well bucket fromwhich Eddie drank.

(18:07):
Tacks used to fasten newspapers over the windows remained on the
sills. The police obtained descriptions
of strange men seen in the area.BK Munshaw and his daughter
Maude of 3640 Grover St. reported a light complexioned
man with blonde hair had asked about the house 2 weeks before.
The Munshaw's statement LED police to the owners of the

(18:28):
house, the James Schneiderwinds.Misses Schneiderwind had spoken
with a light complexioned man who gave the alias James L
Connor the name of Crow's brother-in-law and rented the
house for $6 a month. These statements brought Pat
Crow firmly into the case. The World Herald described Crow
as quote, one of the most picturesque criminals in the

(18:50):
country because of his daring and the magnitude of his
adventures. End Quote.
Since the beginning of the Cudahy affair, the World Herald
had taken every opportunity to mention any failure of the
Police Department under the heading of Police Are Amusing.
The paper gleefully reported thescare the reporters had given
Chief Donahue Cudahy and the search party when they arrived

(19:13):
at the captivity house. The reporters had been inside
when one startled Chief Donahue struggled to draw his revolver,
according to the World Herald quote.
Had the reporter been in the bandits shoes with a firm grip
of his gold and the other with aloaded revolver, the chief would
have been A trifle slow in getting his eye over the muzzle
of his revolver. End Quote.

(19:35):
The police chief, it developed found out about the house
through a boy who had seen reporters there earlier.
The newspaper criticized the chief for inactivity.
While the bandits, quote, passedthrough the highways and byways
of the well protected city of Omaha and quote, General John C
Corwin, another could a he attorney exasperated matters

(19:55):
between police and the press by publishing special thanks to the
World Herald reporters quote. There is no better detective in
the world than the sharp, shrewd, energetic, ubiquitous
newspaper man and quote. Perhaps the World Herald report
was biased, but the News also credited 2 reporters with
locating the house and said the Police Department failed to

(20:15):
uncover substantial clues. On Christmas Day delivery
Stables Bay Pony, ridden by the deliverer of the ransom note,
was located in Pacific Junction,IA, 20 miles southeast of Omaha.
The police tried to bring the pony to Omaha, but Pacific
Junction residents refused to release it unless paid the
reward for producing evidence. John F Code, a Pacific Junction

(20:39):
farmer, supposedly brought the news of the horse to Omaha.
This item caused conflict between the World Herald and
other Omaha newspapers. Both the News and the Bee
credited Code with reporting thestory to police.
The World Herald, however, charged the Bee with stealing
news from the World Herald and creating a fictitious John Code

(21:00):
in order to raise circulation. Code was real, however, reports
on him not only appear in the Bee but also in the News.
The Word Herald made another accusation on December 23rd.
Both the Bee and the News reported descriptions of the
kidnappers given by August Schlemm, a farmer on Grover St.

(21:20):
The World Herald charged that hewas also mythical, a creation of
a reporter looking for a scoop. When the newspapers battled for
premacy, someone discovered thatno Nebraska law covered the
Cudahy crime. Oddly enough, the New York Times
had more to say on the question than the Omaha newspapers.

(21:41):
Kidnapping in Nebraska, it said,carried a sentence ranging from
two to seven years, applicable only when the intent was to
transport the victim out of the state.
Another Nebraska offense, child stealing, applied only to the
abduction of children under 10 years of age.
The only charge the police seem to have against the Coulda Hey

(22:03):
kidnapper was false imprisonment, a misdemeanor
subject only to a fine and jail sentence.
At the discovery of this omission, senators introduced
corrective bills in the state legislature.
Senator Frank T Ransom of Omaha introduced a bill providing life
imprisonment for extortionists and death for threats or actual

(22:23):
injuries to the victim. Senator Nathan V Harlan's bill
set punishment from 1:00 to 20 years for the abduction of a
child under 18. Both bills became law on March
30th. 19 O1 police alternately searched for clues and parried
criticism for inactivity. 1 critic said the Nader of police

(22:45):
prestige occurred when 2 farm boys had found the Lantern used
by the kidnappers to signal Cudahy.
The Bee termed it quote an interesting addition to the
abduction museum in the chief's office, which is growing
rapidly. End Quote.
Meanwhile, in Pacific Junction, a quarrel had developed over
ownership of the pony. Both Joseph Goodrich and Misses

(23:09):
Bertha Mack claim possession of the animal.
Since Goodrich held the pony, Misses Mack took the issue to
court. A Pacific Junction judge would
not allow the horse moved without a $100 deposit.
Chief Donahue charged that that there seemed to be a steady
effort to impede in the case. Reports of Pat Crowe came in

(23:31):
from everywhere. He was supposedly seen in
Chicago on an ocean liner at Nantucket Beach, Rhode Island,
and in St. Joseph, MO Chief Donahue felt
Crowe was too well known in Saint Joseph to hide there
successfully. Both Chief Donahue and the
Cudahy family received crank letters daily.
Some letter writers claimed to have been involved were denied a

(23:54):
share of the ransom money and would turn informant for a
price. The newspapers gave most
attention to the Eloise T letters, so-called because of
their signatures, which taunted the police for failure to solve
the case. The Daily News ridiculed the
police for their attempt to bring the pony to Omaha,
questioning the value of the action.

(24:17):
If the pony went unclaimed, it could surmise the kidnappers
were owners, and possessing the horse in any event had little to
do with solving the mystery surrounding the abductors.
If someone claimed the pony, it will likewise be settled that
the pony did not belong to the abductors.
Another important bit of evidence in front page

(24:37):
editorial. A few days later, the paper
asked do they really want Pat Crow?
The editorial said police did not seem to be trying to find
Pat and had used him as a scapegoat because they had no
leads, which cast doubt upon thesincerity of the police in
hunting for him. The paper ridiculed Chief

(24:57):
Donahue and said he would probably be flustered completely
if Crow appeared to prove his innocence.
Meanwhile, $100 was pledged to bring the pony from Pacific
Junction. The police plan to search for
the Smith who shot it in hopes of getting a description of the
horse's owner. Joseph Goodrich of Pacific

(25:18):
Junction threatened to prevent the movement of the mount across
the state line. Fortunately, Goodrich waited in
Council Bluffs where BF Warren 1, owner of the horse, rode it
over the East Omaha Bridge Farther N on New Year's Day,
after the exhausting ride from Pacific Junction, the horse
required the services of a veterinarian.
On January 30th, news of yet another threatening letter to

(25:42):
the CUDA Hayes shocked the community.
On January 30th, news of yet another threatening letter to
the CUDA Hayes shocked the community.
Delivered by the postman rather than by Ryder, The letter or a
postmark of December 22nd. CUDA Hay had withheld any news
of the letter at first, but finally it was released to the
press. Quote Kuda Hey, if you value the

(26:04):
boy's life at the price of a bullet, you will withdraw the
reward at once and let well enough alone.
If you don't do this, we will finish the job with a bullet.
If any man, whether guilty or innocent, is ever arrested, a
bullet will close the boy's mouth.
You think this a warning when it's too late.
End Quote. The letter failed to deter Kuda

(26:25):
Hey, who stated he had quote notwithdrawn the reward and did not
propose to End Quote. The Omaha City Council called a
special session to set its own reward for the criminals.
The council asked Cudahay to withdraw his reward for his
family's safety. They in turn would set up one to
take its place. The council offered $8000 for

(26:46):
the arrest and conviction of oneof the criminals, 15,000 for
two, and $25,000 for three. Cudahay announced his reward
withstand, thereby bringing the total to $50,000.
Unsolicited, Brigadier General Anson Mills of Washington, DC
added another 500 to the fund. The council even plan to ask the

(27:10):
county and the governor to offerrewards.
The council felt it must act believing that the eyes of the
world were turned on Omaha. The first months of 19 O1
brought a continuation of the crank letters and reports of
Crow. It was reported to be on
Bellevue Island in Creston, IA, and on a steamer, Dudley, bound

(27:33):
for Honduras near Shatter, Nebraska.
A man was trailed to the Pine Ridge Reservation of South
Dakota where he was discovered to be a Boston curio collector.
Police arrested John Crowe, Pat's brother, from Council
Bluffs, but released him when Eddie Cudahy could not identify
him. A hypnotist offered his

(27:54):
services. The chief felt he may do some
good. Reporters in jest said that some
people say the hypnotist may have begun operations on the
chief. The first breakthrough occurred
on February 19th with the arrestof James Callahan of Omaha as
Crow's accomplice. Callahan had worked for CUDA

(28:15):
Hayes at one time. Suspicion turned to him because
he was seen with Crow prior to the kidnapping and had spent
freely since the crime. His previous criminal record
consisted only of several petitelarceny cases, but police knew
him as a member of the Q street gang.
He was described as a typical hobo with a swagger and a

(28:38):
slipshod shuffle, and Eddie could have readily identified
him as his talkative guard, withthe Irish brogue remarking that
he could quote pick him out of 1000.
End Quote. The charges brought against
Callahan included false imprisonment, grand larceny in
robbery, and bond for each crimewas set at $2500.

(29:00):
The trial began on April 23rd Eddie Cudahaye and his father
served as witnesses along with Callahan himself.
Although under examination for two hours while the prosecuting
attorneys questions came, quote,with the rapidity of balls from
a Gatling gun and quote, Callahan consistently claimed he
was in Arf's saloon the evening of the kidnapping, The judge

(29:23):
charged the jury to determine whether Callahan robbed Edward
Cudahy by putting fear in him and thereby forcing him to give
up the money for fear of his son's welfare.
The jury returned a not guilty verdict for Callahan.
When the overjoyed prisoner asked permission to thank the
jurors, the judge retorted that the jurors, quote, did not

(29:44):
deserve any thanks. End Quote.
The judge proceeded to show his disgust by stating that he could
not conceive of 12 intelligent men returning a verdict of this
kind. He continued his statement by
pointing out that juries should protect people and society, not
make heroes of men who prey uponpeople and upon their property.

(30:07):
He then discharged the 12 without the compliments of the
court, adding that he hoped thatthey would never be called again
to serve as jurors. Men such as Edward Cudahy echoed
the judges sentiments of the verdict, remarking that it was
incomprehensible that 12 men would wholly ignore such
convincing evidence. Chief Donahue felt very much

(30:29):
chagrined at the verdict and suggested the rewards be dropped
so there would be no inductment of any witnesses to stretch his
testimony. Callahan remained in custody,
although he could not be tried on the other charges because of
acquittal on the robbery charge.The court later charged him with
seven counts of perjury in the robbery trial, but a jury again

(30:51):
found him not guilty. Soon after the Callahan trial,
Cudahy received a letter from Elgin, IL, this time from an
agent of the kidnapper. The letter offered to return
$21,000 if Cudahy would withdrawhis $25,000 reward.
The letter intrigued Cudahy, whowent to Chicago to deal with the

(31:15):
agent. Kudahaye eventually refused to
withdraw the offer, claiming he would spend his last $1000
rather than compromise. The only word of Pat Crowe
during the summer of 19 O1 surfaced in July when the New
York Times reported him in SouthAfrica fighting in the Boer War.
Crowe had sent a payment of $250to a St.

(31:37):
Joseph, MO, lawyer who once defended him on a robbery
charge, and the letter bore a Johannesburg postmark.
In October, Crowe contacted Chief Donahue through a
messenger, promising to surrender if the $50,000 reward
was withdrawn and his bond reduced to $500.
Crowe reasoned there would be less chance of witnesses

(32:00):
manufacturing incidents in orderto gain part of the reward.
Finally, Edward Cudahy in the city withdrew their rewards, but
no judge would release Crowe at a $500 bond.
The Des Moines capital, especially critical of the
police, commented that even though the public was not
supposed to be able to understand the workings of

(32:21):
officers of the law, the thick headed public will persist in
wondering who this individual iswho can saunter back and forth
as this special messenger of PatCrowe.
The capital wanted to take advantage of the messenger to
trace Crow and quote, took little stock in the practice of
compromising with thugs and quote.
The plan called for Crow to surrender by November 1st.

(32:45):
When he failed to appear. The World Herald observed that
Crow had succeeded in having theprice on his head withdrawn,
allowing him to meander about the country feeling some $50,000
safer. The Herald believed most widely
advertised and persistently haunted fugitive of many
generations to be hiding in Omaha, and said his exchange of

(33:07):
courtesies with the Omaha policeis apartment to pass down into
history as one of the most humorous passages in the annals
of crime. The Daily News pointed out that
although Crow was dangerous, 1 cannot but respect the infinite
genius of the man. He is a character unique in
criminal annals. Crowe suddenly turned up in

(33:28):
Omaha in the spring of 19 O 5 and gave an exclusive interview
to a World Herald reporter. He was quote weary of living as
a fugitive and anxious to begin a new life and quote and really
meant to reform. Crowe offered to give himself
up, but would not admit involvement in the kidnapping.

(33:49):
Once free, he planned to enter the saloon business, believing
it the only occupation in which he could stand to show of
success. Nothing came of the interview.
He slipped into Omaha, made his plea for sympathy, but slipped
out quietly again. Chief Donahue personally offered
a reward of $200 for the arrest and delivery of Pat Crowe to the

(34:10):
Police Department. Crowe became a suspect again in
July of 19 O 5 when gunman robbed 2 Council Bluffs street
cars of about $50. A man fitting Crow's description
had been observed in the nearby house.
Crowe appeared in Omaha on September 6th, 19 O 5 and
wounded Patrolman AH Jackson in a gunfight on S 16th St. while

(34:35):
outside a saloon. Crowe and his brother-in-law
Frank Murphy had seen four out of uniformed policeman
approaching and a shootout resulted.
After wounding Jackson, Pat again escaped.
Finally, on October 2nd, 19 O 5,outside a saloon in the
Tenderloin section of Butte, Mt,detectives nabbed Crow.

(34:57):
He put up no fight but quote cursed bitterly, expressing
chagrin at his arrest in a town the size of Butte.
End Quote. Everyone wanted to see the
famous kidnapper. Women even brought him fruits
and flowers. Crow enjoyed his notoriety and
told the jailer to let all visitors in to see him since

(35:17):
quote, he did not know when he would again come to Butte.
End Quote. The wily bandit chose not to
fight extradition and soon left for Omaha with 15,000 people at
the station to see him depart and with the curious at many
stations on route. The Omaha Daily News sent a
correspondent to cover Crow's return.

(35:39):
Crowds were so large at Rawlings, Wyoming, that
detectives were forced to almostfight their way to the hotel
with their prisoner. In Green River, WY, the sheriff
of Sweetwater County boarded thetrain and rode to Rock Springs
to become acquainted with the man he considered the most
famous outlaw in America. At North Platte, a resident
claimed Crow attracted quote more attention than President

(36:02):
Roosevelt did. End Quote.
Unaccountably, the estimated crowd of 300 in Omaha appeared
almost subdued, although some chanted Hooray for Pat Crowe at
his arrival. Pat faced trial December of 19 O
5 for shooting with intent to kill or wound Officer Jackson in
the battle on 16th St. The four day trial ended in

(36:24):
Crowe's acquittal because the court could not determine who
fired 1st and therefore whether or not Crowe had shot in
self-defense. Crow's trial for robbery from
Edward Cudahy of $25,000 by putting him in fear began in
Douglas County District Court inFebruary 19 O 6 JP English, and

(36:46):
AS Ritchie served as Crow's attorneys in choosing the jury,
County Attorney WW Slabaugh asked each juror whether or not
the fact that Mister Cudahy was reputed to be very wealthy would
have any influence on the final judgement of the case.
At the same time Crow was on trial in Omaha for robbery,

(37:07):
Edward Cudahy and other meat Packers were being tried in
Chicago under a restraint of trade charge.
Slobaugh saw that under the circumstances, a jury of
labouring men in the Crow trial would be unfavorable to Kudahy.
Slobaugh's questioning failed tosecure the type of jury he
desired, however. He faced essentially a working

(37:28):
man's jury consisting of men from such varied occupations as
a packing house employee, sign painter, delivery clerk, and
cigar dealer. Edward Cudahy took the stand and
became quite emotional in his recalling of the story.
He stated that he gave up the money for his son because,
quote, they have threatened to burn out his eyes with acid and

(37:50):
cut his ears off, and I was afraid that he would be
murdered. End Quote.
Eddie Cudahy also testified, butthere have been quite a change
in his appearance. No longer little Eddie the
kidnap victim. He had grown over 6 feet tall
with a base voice as big as its professor and the appearance of

(38:10):
being entirely able to give any kidnapper quite an argument
before reaching any basis of compromise.
In the course of his testimony, Eddie recalled his guards threat
to shoot his partner if he did not get his fair share of the
money. At this statement, Crow quote,
could not keep his face straightand covered it with his hand for
a minute or so to conceal his very evident amusement.

(38:32):
End Quote. Various other witnesses involved
in the case testified, but no one could be certain of Crow's
identity. After a hiatus of five years,
eventually the case worked down to the details of the pony and
the Lantern, which the News fictitiously reported.
Albert Iyers, who owned the ponywhen it died, explained that the

(38:54):
animal staggered, then finally laid down and pointed its toes
toward Pacific Junction, gave upits spirit.
The prosecution introduced perhaps the most important
evidence of the trial on February 13th.
Crowe had written a letter to his family priest, a Father
Murphy of Vail, IA in 19 O 4IN which he had asked the priest to

(39:17):
intercede for him with the CUDA Haze.
In the letter, Pat confessed hisguilt in the kidnapping and
asked for a chance to start a new life.
Pro recalled that he had shown quote mercy to the rich and
mighty when they were in my power.
End Quote, probably referring tothe Coulda Hey kidnapping.
He also testified that he had attempted to return $21,000 of

(39:39):
the ransom money and offer Coulda Hey rejected Crowe wanted
to plead guilty and have his sentence suspended or relieve
himself of quote, the burden that is crushing out the last
ray of happiness in my waste of life and quote.
A legal battle arose over whether the letter could be
admitted to the court. The defense claimed that the

(40:00):
letter was a privileged communication between a church
member and his priest. The court, however, eventually
ruled in favor of the prosecution because Crowe had
been seeking earthly, not spiritual, relief and wanted the
priest to serve as an intermediary in a business
transaction. The confession letter so
satisfied Slabaugh that he dismissed several important

(40:21):
witnesses and allowed the case to go to the jury.
Each attorney finished with involved closing remarks.
Assistant County Attorney FW Fitch urged the jurors to bring
in a verdict that would, quote, be a credit to them in the
afterlife and the state of Nebraska.
End Quote. Most memorable were the remarks

(40:42):
of defense attorney, AS Ritchie,a writer, later referred to the
speech as an old fashioned 2 hour oration that crackled with
such words as irrefragable, chimerical and animativert and
touched on the history of law, the Catholic Church, Martin
Luther, Old Glory and Abraham Lincoln.
But Richie's main attack centered on Cudahy as a wealthy

(41:05):
businessman and his connection with the Beef Trust trial in
Chicago. Richie's harangue may have been
the deciding factor. On February 16th, the jury found
Pat Crowe not guilty of robbery.The Overfield courtroom
applauded the verdict, causing Judge AL Sutton to clear the
court and announce his surprise.Quote that such cheering should

(41:28):
follow the announcement of the acquittal of a notorious
criminal. End Quote.
Newspapers printed comments fromtownspeople that resembled those
of the judge and reflected the social class of those
interviewed. Men asked to comment included
the mayor, attorneys, insurance agent, druggist, furrier, county
assessor and the Superintendent of Associated Charities.

(41:51):
Of the 44 people asked to comment, 31 expressed surprise
at the verdict and felt it an outrage.
A women's group also met to protest their indignation in
protestation of the acquittal verdict.
Although the report specified that the meeting concerned all
Omaha women and not club women exclusively, the list of
officers chosen reflected the more well to do of the city.

(42:14):
Chief Donahue in high temper didnot conceal his contempt for the
jurors, stating it was a pity that no law existed to prosecute
them for neglect of their duty and send them all to jail for
what in so high a position in the city.
The chief was clearly undiplomatic in expressing his
beliefs on the case. Attorneys of the city banded

(42:35):
together an attempt to keep the men of the Crow jury off any
other cases, calling their verdict a travesty of justice.
And one well known businessman charged Crow's acquittal to
yellow journalism, pointing out that, quote, these papers have
made him out to be a hero. End Quote.
One citizen felt certain the verdict showed the growing

(42:56):
spirit of socialism. Many believe the jury voted
against Cudahy because of the feelings against the Beef trust.
The World Herald commented that the jury saw Crow as a modern
Robin Hood, with Cudahy in the role of the modern Baron.
Indeed, class consciousness seemed to be at the heart of the
matter. One person asked to comment on

(43:17):
the Crow acquittal, replied quote.
It was nothing more than we could expect from the jury,
composed as it was largely of laboring men.
Could a hey, in their minds is robbing the people in small
amounts three times a day. And Pat Crowe got back a part of
this money in one big chunk and didn't hurt anybody at all.
There is no doubt but that the jury thought it no worse to

(43:39):
steal one's child than to starvemany.
End Quote. In Omaha, Lawyer echoed that
statement and expressed no surprise after the verdict
either, because of the characterof the jury.
He remarked that they probably thought that Crowe was taking
the money from one who had himself filched it from others.
In the meantime, police escortedCrowe to a Council Bluffs jail,

(44:00):
where he was charged with the streetcar robbery from the
previous July. Crowe, jubilant over his
acquittal, entered the cell corridor as jauntly as if being
shown to the best room in a hotel.
Over 200 people came to visit the famous criminal.
Crowe told reporters that he hadbeen offered $500 a month to
join a theatrical company, but had not decided whether or not

(44:23):
to accept the offer. Lawyers were able to postpone
his trial and by February 21st officials released Crowe on
bail. The trial did not occur until
May of 19 O 7, when again a juryacquitted Crowe in his two day
trial. A key witness did not appear,
perhaps because Pat had been observed at her house for a

(44:45):
considerable time Sunday afternoon and evening and again
the early hours of Monday morning during the week of the
trial. The record of Crowe's life after
the Council Bluffs trial is sketchy.
By October of 19 O 6, Crowe had published a book entitled Pat
Crowe, His story Confession and Reformation, in which he

(45:05):
admitted his guilt in the CouldaHey kidnapping.
The book also included AS Ritchie's address to the jury,
the lengthy speech filling over half of the book.
In 1919, Eddie Coulda Hey married Margaret Carey in
Chicago, where he served as vicepresident of the packing
company. Crowe, in New York City working
for the Salvation Army, sent a congratulatory telegram to Eddie

(45:28):
which said, quote, nobody can wish you greater happiness in
the hands of your new kidnapper than do I.
Here's hoping you cherish no illwill over our former escapade
and enjoy this one even more. End Quote.
Crow became a lecturer on crime and at various times throughout
the 1920s spoke to presidents, or so he claimed, about Prison

(45:49):
Reform and training for children.
In 1922, he advocated the vocational training of the
country's youth on 40 acre farmsand 10 acre chicken ranches.
In 1927, he wrote another book, Spreading Evil, in which he told
his life story and warned boys not to follow his example.

(46:10):
Crowe intended the proceeds fromthe book to go toward a national
publicity campaign in the interest of America's
underprivileged youth. Of course, he had other problems
over the years. Police arrested him as a beggar
on a subway in 1925. The judge gave him a suspended
sentence and the court took upona collection and sent him on his
way. Pat only commented that honesty

(46:33):
is the best policy and it pays to advertise.
In 1935 he was back in Omaha andapprehended on a drunkenness
charge. His old lawyer, AES Ritchie,
came out of a two year retirement to successfully
defend him on the charge. Just before he died, Crow worked
as an attraction in a penny arcade off Times Square in New

(46:54):
York City. He died of a heart attack in a
Harlem rooming house on October 29th, 1938.
Scrapbooks filled with yellowed clippings of his escapades were
the only belongings found in hisroom.
The books were probably his onlycontact with reality, since by
the time of his death he had become a shaking alcoholic.

(47:14):
Pat Crowe never seemed truly malicious, but rather committed
his robberies for the money involved and for the daring and
skill necessary to pull them offthe could.
Hey, kidnapping was only one of these escapades, and it appears
Crowe probably never did hold a grudge against Edward Cudahy,
but instead saw him as an easy route to money.

(47:35):
The laboring classes apparently sympathize with Crowe because of
his ability to steal from the rich, from diamonds to children,
and get away with it. The newspapers in 19 O 6
pictured the new aristocrats of the American class system, men
such as Edward Cudahay, as capitalist who stole from the
poor to increase profits. It was no wonder that a

(47:58):
combination of working man, resentment of the rich, and
oppress generally favorable to Pat Crow produced a jury capable
of acquitting him of theft from Cudahay, the Midwest version of
the robber Baron. The people made Crow a folk
hero, which explained why crowdsgathered to greet his train in
every little town from Butte to Omaha.

(48:19):
In his own fashion, Pat Crowe was perhaps one of the last of
the American folk heroes, a picturesque man who outwitted
both the police and the Pinkertons and stole from the
rich. He carried off his operations
quote with a dash and abandoned of daredevil tree that marked
the deeds of the picturesque oldscoundrels of the days before
civilization laid them on the shelf.

(48:41):
End Quote. By the time of his death, the
country that had experienced World War One and the Great
Depression had no interest in scoundrels of an earlier age.
His end as an alcoholic in a Harlem rooming house somehow
seemed unfitting for a criminal.The Omaha Daily News described
as one of the few really spectacular and truly named

(49:02):
Desperados of the day. Thank you for listening to the
Nebraska History Podcast. To learn more about the Nebraska
History Magazine, to listen to more podcasts, or to support our
podcast by becoming a member of the Nebraska State Historical
Society, go to history.nebraska.gov/podcast.
And don't forget to subscribe tothe podcast and get notified

(49:23):
when we release new episodes on your favorite podcast platform.
Until next time, I'm Chris Goforth.