Circumstances of Death

Prohibition Agents Harry Hampton Elliott and A. A. Murphy were following a suspect vehicle along Highway 2, near Spencer, IA.  As they pulled alongside the other vehicle, Agent Elliott recognized the driver as Claude Ridout, a twice convicted bootlegger. He ordered Ridout to stop the vehicle and pull to the side of the road. When Agent Elliott alighted from his vehicle, Ridout immediately began shooting.  Agent Elliott was hit several times and fell to the ground mortally wounded. Ridout also shot at Agent Murphy when he came to assist and although Murphy was wounded, he managed to wrestle with Ridout, but he escaped. The following day, agents and local officers found Ridout hiding in a cornfield. Knowing that he was trapped and could not escape, Ridout committed suicide. Mrs. Ridout, who had been with her husband throughout the entire escapade, was arrested by State authorities as an accessory to murder.

Background

Agent Elliott joined the Bureau of Prohibition on July 28, 1928, with an annual salary of $2,300.  He carried badge #318.

Personal

Agent Elliott was born in Grinnell, IA. He was survived by his wife, Esther and their three children.