Pat Crowe
Encyclopedia
Pat Crowe aka Frank Roberts, was a criminal turned author and lecturer who was implicated in the 1900 kidnapping of Edward Cudahy, Jr.
in Omaha
. Crowe's criminal notoriety as a bank and train robber and as a kidnapper gained him fame across the United States when he began writing and speaking about his exploits in the early 20th century. According to Time magazine
, Crowe's "misdemeanors began with robbing Omaha streetcars in 1890 and included a diamond theft, homicidal attempts, a visit to and escape from Joliet prison, hold-ups and pilfering on railroads."
Today, his written personal narratives of the Cudahy story are studied for their authenticity. After his last acquittal in the Cudahy trial, the Omaha Daily News described him as "one of the few really spectacular and truly named desperadoes" of the day, while an obituary called him, "one of the most colorful figures in American criminal history."
, and had 11 siblings. Soon after he turned 17 his mother died, and Crowe moved to South Omaha, Nebraska
, a new town centered on a growing meatpacking industry. Along with a partner named Pat Cavanaugh, Crowe opened a butcher shop in the area. Soon after his shop was closed by the large operation owned by Edward Cudahy. He was hired by the Cudahy Meatpacking Plant
shortly thereafter. Cudahy fired Crowe after he was caught stealing money from the operation.
Crowe held a variety of jobs and committed small crimes until the early 1890s. Using the alias Frank Roberts, Crowe perpetrated a variety of crimes. After an attempted robbery in Joliet, Illinois
, Crowe got in a gunfight with police in Chicago
. He was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison. In 1897, Crowe, again as Roberts, was sent to trial in Denver, Colorado
, for burglary and larceny of a jewelry store. However, he jumped bond and was never tried.
Crowe resurfaced in South Omaha around 1900 with his old comrade Pat Cavanaugh. That winter they kidnapped Edward Cudahy, Jr. After scoring the first successful ransom for a kidnapping in the United States, Crowe disappeared, resurfacing a number of times until 1905. That year he walked down the streets of Butte, Montana
, asking to be arrested for the kidnapping. In February 1906, despite the prosecution's 40 witnesses, a firsthand account of a confession to a priest, and no testimony by his defense, Crowe was acquitted by a jury.
Crowe died of heart disease in poverty in Harlem
, New York City
in 1938.
Edward Cudahy, Jr.
Edward Aloysius Cudahy, Jr. , also known as Eddie Cudahy, was kidnapped on December 18, 1900 in Omaha, Nebraska. Edward Cudahy, Sr. was the wealthy owner of the Cudahy Packing Company, which helped build the Omaha Stockyards to world renown through the 1950s. The kidnapping caused a national uproar...
in Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
. Crowe's criminal notoriety as a bank and train robber and as a kidnapper gained him fame across the United States when he began writing and speaking about his exploits in the early 20th century. According to Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Crowe's "misdemeanors began with robbing Omaha streetcars in 1890 and included a diamond theft, homicidal attempts, a visit to and escape from Joliet prison, hold-ups and pilfering on railroads."
Today, his written personal narratives of the Cudahy story are studied for their authenticity. After his last acquittal in the Cudahy trial, the Omaha Daily News described him as "one of the few really spectacular and truly named desperadoes" of the day, while an obituary called him, "one of the most colorful figures in American criminal history."
Biography
Crowe was born on a farm outside Davenport, IowaDavenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, and had 11 siblings. Soon after he turned 17 his mother died, and Crowe moved to South Omaha, Nebraska
South Omaha, Nebraska
South Omaha, Nebraska is a former city and current district of Omaha, Nebraska. During its initial development phase the town's nickname was "The Magic City" because of the seemingly overnight growth due to the rapid development of the Union Stockyards. Annexed by the City of Omaha in 1915, the...
, a new town centered on a growing meatpacking industry. Along with a partner named Pat Cavanaugh, Crowe opened a butcher shop in the area. Soon after his shop was closed by the large operation owned by Edward Cudahy. He was hired by the Cudahy Meatpacking Plant
Cudahy Packing Plant (Omaha, Nebraska)
The Cudahy Packing Plant was a division of the Cudahy Packing Company located at South 36th and O Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. The plant was opened in 1885 and closed in 1967. The plant included more than 20 buildings that were one to six stories tall, covering five square blocks...
shortly thereafter. Cudahy fired Crowe after he was caught stealing money from the operation.
Crowe held a variety of jobs and committed small crimes until the early 1890s. Using the alias Frank Roberts, Crowe perpetrated a variety of crimes. After an attempted robbery in Joliet, Illinois
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, Crowe got in a gunfight with police in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison. In 1897, Crowe, again as Roberts, was sent to trial in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, for burglary and larceny of a jewelry store. However, he jumped bond and was never tried.
Crowe resurfaced in South Omaha around 1900 with his old comrade Pat Cavanaugh. That winter they kidnapped Edward Cudahy, Jr. After scoring the first successful ransom for a kidnapping in the United States, Crowe disappeared, resurfacing a number of times until 1905. That year he walked down the streets of Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, asking to be arrested for the kidnapping. In February 1906, despite the prosecution's 40 witnesses, a firsthand account of a confession to a priest, and no testimony by his defense, Crowe was acquitted by a jury.
After the kidnapping
After his acquittal Crowe was not implicated in any more crimes. He wrote two autobiographies, in both of which he admitted his responsibility for Cudahy, Jr.'s kidnapping. In 1927 a biographer wrote Crowe's life story, portraying him as "a modern-day Robin Hood." After scoring the first successful ransom for a kidnapping in the United States, Crowe disappeared, resurfacing a number of times until 1905.Crowe died of heart disease in poverty in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1938.