Aussie Elliott
Encyclopedia
Aussie Elliott was a Depression
-era outlaw and associate of bank robbers George Birdwell
and Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd
. Born in Oklahoma
, Elliott was convicted of bank robbery
in 1932 and sentenced to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary
in McAlester, Oklahoma
eventually escaping on August 14, 1932. Soon after joining Birdwell and Floyd, the three robbed a bank in Sallisaw, Oklahoma
of $2,530. Although identified by witnesses raiding a bank in Henryetta
of $11,352 only six days later, several reports attributed the robbery to the Ford Bradshaw
gang.
Along with Adam Richetti
and Edgar Dunbar, Elliott robbed $3,000 from a bank in Ash Grove, Missouri
on January 12, 1933 before fleeing to the home of Richetti's brother in Bolivar
. Captured four months later in Creek County, Oklahoma
on May 14, Elliott was imprisoned for five months before again escaping on October 28. Despite the extensive manhunt by authorities, Elliott refused to flee Oklahoma and, along with bandits Raymond Moore and Eldon Wilson, was eventually trapped by police near Sapulpa, Oklahoma
and engaged in a gun battle resulting in the deaths of all three men as well as Sapulpa Police Chief Tom Brumley and Patrolman Charles Lloyd on February 3, 1934.
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
-era outlaw and associate of bank robbers George Birdwell
George Birdwell
George William Birdwell was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was one of Pretty Boy Floyd's closest known associates and also teamed with a number of fellow Oklahoma-based bandits, most notably, William "Billy the Killer" Miller and Aussie Elliott.-Early life and criminal...
and Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd
Pretty Boy Floyd
Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was an American bank robber. He operated in the West South Central States, and his criminal exploits gained heavy press coverage in the 1930s. Like most other prominent outlaws of that era, he was killed by law enforcement officers...
. Born in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Elliott was convicted of bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
in 1932 and sentenced to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary
Oklahoma State Penitentiary
The Oklahoma State Penitentiary is located in McAlester, Oklahoma, on . It is a prison of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Opened in 1908 with 50 inmates in makeshift facilities, today the prison holds more than 1,200 male offenders, the vast majority of which are maximum-security inmates...
in McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 17,783 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County. It is currently the largest city in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by Durant....
eventually escaping on August 14, 1932. Soon after joining Birdwell and Floyd, the three robbed a bank in Sallisaw, Oklahoma
Sallisaw, Oklahoma
Sallisaw is a city in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,880 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sequoyah County. It has three highways running through it: U.S. 59, or Kerr Boulevard,...
of $2,530. Although identified by witnesses raiding a bank in Henryetta
Henryetta, Oklahoma
Henryetta is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,096 at the 2000 census.Henryetta is notable as the high school hometown of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman...
of $11,352 only six days later, several reports attributed the robbery to the Ford Bradshaw
Ford Bradshaw
Ford Bradshaw was an American criminal bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was a rival of fellow Sooner, Oklahoma bandit Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, and although never as nationally well-known as Floyd, Bradshaw's small town bank raids far exceeded those of Floyd during his criminal...
gang.
Along with Adam Richetti
Adam Richetti
Adam "Eddie" Richetti was an American criminal and Depression-era bank robber. He was associated with Aussie Elliott and later Pretty Boy Floyd in the early-1930s, both he and Floyd later being implicated in the Kansas City Massacre in 1933.-Biography:Adam Richetti was born in Strawn, Texas on...
and Edgar Dunbar, Elliott robbed $3,000 from a bank in Ash Grove, Missouri
Ash Grove, Missouri
Ash Grove is a city in Greene County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,532 at the 2009 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ash Grove is located at ....
on January 12, 1933 before fleeing to the home of Richetti's brother in Bolivar
Bolivar, Missouri
Bolivar is the county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,325 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Bolivar, Tennessee, home to many of the original settlers, and like that city its name is pronounced to rhyme with Oliver...
. Captured four months later in Creek County, Oklahoma
Creek County, Oklahoma
Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 69,967. Its county seat is Sapulpa.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
on May 14, Elliott was imprisoned for five months before again escaping on October 28. Despite the extensive manhunt by authorities, Elliott refused to flee Oklahoma and, along with bandits Raymond Moore and Eldon Wilson, was eventually trapped by police near Sapulpa, Oklahoma
Sapulpa, Oklahoma
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census...
and engaged in a gun battle resulting in the deaths of all three men as well as Sapulpa Police Chief Tom Brumley and Patrolman Charles Lloyd on February 3, 1934.