I had become interested in the fellow while he was delivering his speech and I became much more interested in him in our car ride, together, to the Lindell Hotel, and he invited me to stop off with him awhile at the Lindell Hotel, and we were soon engaged in all kinds of discussions, both religious and political. He was a "Dutchman" and had asked his government of Holland for a leave of absence to fight in the Boer war, which was granted him, and to prove the truthfulness of this assertion he showed me a wound on his breast which had not yet healed.
He remarked that he came "nearly" telling in his address at the "Emmet" meeting about the miraculous escape of Pat Crow to South Africa, and stated that if it had not been for the bad impression Pat Crow had made in America, he would have told of the trick that had been turned to gain him his freedom and rob some one in America of the reward that had been put on his head by Millionaire Cudahy.
The following is his story he told me as near as I can remember it:
"One night I was in Johannesburg, South Africa, and stayed with Pat Crow in the same room. I knew that it was Pat Crow and did not intend to have much to do with him, but he noticed me and I became interested in him, and he spoke to me about matters, and the millionaire's boy being abducted, and the ransom that he received, and his escape to Africa.
"He remarked that I would realize from his name that he was an Irish Catholic, and stated that he had gone through the Catholic schools and was a 'brother' in the cloisters, and stated that this was his strong point in never being caught in his daring undertakings.
"He stated that when they received their $25,000 ransom from Cudahy that it was divided at the cottage where the crime was committed. He stated that it cost him quite a sum of money to stay with friends a few days in Omaha, but that he soon disguised himself as an inmate of the Jesuit College, a school for Catholic boys.
"He stated that he traveled on a 'permit' as Father O'Connor to Kansas City, and stated that from there he went to St. Louis, disguised as a Catholic priest, and that the conductors on the train spoke to him as 'How do you do, Father?'
"When I arrived in St. Louis I went to St. Anthony's Church, where you can obtain most anything from that saint. I rang the bell for confession. I confessed all kinds of things. I confessed to murder, robbery, kidnapping, and the Father Confessor was impressed with me because I was a 'big fish' in my line, and because I had done no harm to the millionaire's boy. I told the inmates of St. Anthony's Church that I wanted to make confession and do penance the remainder of my life.
"A brother came with the scissors and I received the 'tonsure' for the third time, which left only a circle of hair around my head, and no Pinkerton detective, or even Bertillion himself could have identified me.
"In a short time I left this St. Anthony Church in a 'Catholic Habit,' which disguised me as a Catholic official, and I went to Omaha and passed myself off as 'Brother Clement from St. Louis.'