Elmer H. Inman
Encyclopedia
Elmer H. Inman was an American criminal, bank robber, jewel thief and Depression-era outlaw. At one time considered Oklahoma
's "Public Enemy No. 1
", he was a member of the Kimes-Terrill Gang
and associated with Herman Barker and Wilbur Underhill, Jr.
throughout the early-1930s.
in 1880. He received his first major criminal conviction for his participation in a jewelry heist in Arkansas City and was sentenced to serve at least 10 years in Leavenworth Penitentiary
. Once inside, he managed to get into the good graces of Warden J.K. Codding and his family. Inman was able to convince the warden he had been "jobbed"
for the robbery and eventually became his chauffeur
. Inman was also wonderfully attentive to the warden's sickly wife and began a romantic relationship with his daughter Lavona. The two were married in August 1921, shortly after Inman's parole.
While Lavona petitioned the state of Kansas to pardon her husband however, Inman was arrested for stealing a car in Oklahoma and was sent back to Leavenworth. It was also discovered around this time that Inman had been selling stolen jewelry throughout his time as an inmate and was charged with using the prison mail to defraud. On November 8, 1921, his marriage to Lavona was annulled on the grounds that, while a convicted felon, his marriage could not be recognized by the state.
. While in custody, it was discovered that Inman was wanted for the robbery of a bank and post office in Ketchum, Oklahoma
. Before he could be extradited, Inman was released on bail and left the state. He was arrested a few days later with Ray Terrill for a burglary in Ardmore, Oklahoma
.
On September 27, he and Terrill overpowered a guard in the Carter County
jail and escaped. Two months later, he was suspected in participating in the Sallisaw break out of Matthew Kimes by Herman Barker and Ray Terrill on November 9, 1926. At the time of his escape, Kimes was appealing his 35 year sentence for robbery and murder.
. Arrested for burglarizing an Oklahoma City
store on December 27, 1926, he was convicted and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on February 9, 1927. While being transported to McAlester
, Inman escaped from custody near Bolton
and soon rejoined the gang.
After a near-5 month crime spree across Kansas and Oklahoma, Kimes and gang member Raymond Doolin were arrested at the Grand Canyon
in June. Inman and Terrill hid in Arkansas
for a few months until their arrest in Hot Springs
on November 26, 1927, and were extradited back to face authorities in Oklahoma. By the end of the year, they were back in McAlester where the two were reunited with Matthew and George Kimes.
and his mob.
Together they tried to seal a safe from a Harrah
bank on December 12, 1933, but it ended up falling through the weak floorboards and into the basement. The next day, Inman was named as one of two unidentified men who stole $4,000 from a bank in Coalgate
. Underhill was mortally wounded when police stormed his honeymoon cottage
on December 30, 1933, and died at the prison hospital in McAlester on January 6, 1934. Inman was arrested a day later when police spotted him at a gas station in Bowlegs, Oklahoma
and was injured while resisting arrest
; his girlfriend Lena Nichols was also arrested. Returned to McAlester, he died there of natural causes on June 11, 1939.
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...
's "Public Enemy No. 1
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and his S1W group, DJ Lord , and Music Director Khari Wynn...
", he was a member of the Kimes-Terrill Gang
Kimes-Terrill Gang
The Kimes-Terrill Gang was a bank robbing gang, led by Matthew Kimes and Ray Terrill, active in the Midwestern United States during the 1920s. The gang was known, not only for their high-profile robberies, but for their frequent escapes from prison...
and associated with Herman Barker and Wilbur Underhill, Jr.
Wilbur Underhill, Jr.
Wilbur Underhill, Jr. , often called "Mad Dog" or the "Tri-State Terror", was an American criminal, burglar, bank robber and Depression-era outlaw...
throughout the early-1930s.
Early life and marriage
Elmer Inman was born in KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in 1880. He received his first major criminal conviction for his participation in a jewelry heist in Arkansas City and was sentenced to serve at least 10 years in Leavenworth Penitentiary
United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
The United States Penitentiary , Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005. It became a medium security prison in 2005.It is located in Leavenworth, Kansas...
. Once inside, he managed to get into the good graces of Warden J.K. Codding and his family. Inman was able to convince the warden he had been "jobbed"
Frameup
A frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
for the robbery and eventually became his chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
. Inman was also wonderfully attentive to the warden's sickly wife and began a romantic relationship with his daughter Lavona. The two were married in August 1921, shortly after Inman's parole.
While Lavona petitioned the state of Kansas to pardon her husband however, Inman was arrested for stealing a car in Oklahoma and was sent back to Leavenworth. It was also discovered around this time that Inman had been selling stolen jewelry throughout his time as an inmate and was charged with using the prison mail to defraud. On November 8, 1921, his marriage to Lavona was annulled on the grounds that, while a convicted felon, his marriage could not be recognized by the state.
Partnership with Herman Barker and Ray Terrill
Finally released in 1926, Inman remained in Kansas despite his past trouble with the law. On June 7, he was arrested with Herman Barker while driving a stolen car in Fort ScottFort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States, south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,087. It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National...
. While in custody, it was discovered that Inman was wanted for the robbery of a bank and post office in Ketchum, Oklahoma
Ketchum, Oklahoma
Ketchum is a town in Craig County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 286 at the 2000 census.-History:Ketchum was named for a prominent Methodist minister named James Ketchum who helped found the town in 1898...
. Before he could be extradited, Inman was released on bail and left the state. He was arrested a few days later with Ray Terrill for a burglary in Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore is a business, cultural and tourism city in and the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 24,283, while a 2007 estimate has the Ardmore micropolitan statistical area totaling 56,694 residents...
.
On September 27, he and Terrill overpowered a guard in the Carter County
Carter County, Oklahoma
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 47,557. Its county seat is Ardmore.Carter County is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
jail and escaped. Two months later, he was suspected in participating in the Sallisaw break out of Matthew Kimes by Herman Barker and Ray Terrill on November 9, 1926. At the time of his escape, Kimes was appealing his 35 year sentence for robbery and murder.
Kimes-Terrill Gang
Following the jail break of Matthew Kimes, Inman became a regular member of the Kimes-Terrill GangKimes-Terrill Gang
The Kimes-Terrill Gang was a bank robbing gang, led by Matthew Kimes and Ray Terrill, active in the Midwestern United States during the 1920s. The gang was known, not only for their high-profile robberies, but for their frequent escapes from prison...
. Arrested for burglarizing an Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
store on December 27, 1926, he was convicted and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on February 9, 1927. While being transported to McAlester
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....
, Inman escaped from custody near Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and soon rejoined the gang.
After a near-5 month crime spree across Kansas and Oklahoma, Kimes and gang member Raymond Doolin were arrested at the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
in June. Inman and Terrill hid in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
for a few months until their arrest in Hot Springs
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
on November 26, 1927, and were extradited back to face authorities in Oklahoma. By the end of the year, they were back in McAlester where the two were reunited with Matthew and George Kimes.
Inman and the "Tri-State Terror" Wilbur Underhill
Though Kimes and Terrill would remain in prison, Inman would be released on parole by the early 1930s. He may have been involved with the Barker-Karpis Gang during 1932 and 1933, especially due to his former association with Herman Barker, but by late-1933 he had aligned himself with Wilbur Underhill, Jr.Wilbur Underhill, Jr.
Wilbur Underhill, Jr. , often called "Mad Dog" or the "Tri-State Terror", was an American criminal, burglar, bank robber and Depression-era outlaw...
and his mob.
Together they tried to seal a safe from a Harrah
Harrah, Oklahoma
Harrah is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Located east of downtown Oklahoma City, Harrah had a population of 5,148 people as of 2009.-Geography:...
bank on December 12, 1933, but it ended up falling through the weak floorboards and into the basement. The next day, Inman was named as one of two unidentified men who stole $4,000 from a bank in Coalgate
Coalgate, Oklahoma
Coalgate is a city in and the county seat of Coal County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,005 at the 2000 census.Morris W. Turner , a businessman and the mayor of Lubbock, Texas, from 1972–1974, was born in Coalgate.-Geography:...
. Underhill was mortally wounded when police stormed his honeymoon cottage
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
on December 30, 1933, and died at the prison hospital in McAlester on January 6, 1934. Inman was arrested a day later when police spotted him at a gas station in Bowlegs, Oklahoma
Bowlegs, Oklahoma
Bowlegs is a town in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 371 at the 2000 census.Bowlegs was named after an early resident, Lula Bowlegs, a descendant of the Florida Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs. It has been a popular misconception that the town was named after the...
and was injured while resisting arrest
Resisting arrest
Resisting arrest is a term used to describe a criminal charge against an individual who has committed, depending on the jurisdiction, at least one of the following acts:* threatening a police officer with physical violence while being arrested...
; his girlfriend Lena Nichols was also arrested. Returned to McAlester, he died there of natural causes on June 11, 1939.
Further reading
- Koch, Michael. The Kimes Gang. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2005. ISBN 1-4184-7128-3