Herman Hollis
Encyclopedia
Herman Edward "Ed" Hollis (January 1903 – November 27, 1934) was an American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) special agent. As an FBI special agent in the 1930s, Hollis worked with agents Melvin Purvis
, Samuel P. Cowley
and others fighting bank robbers, gangsters and organized crime
in the Chicago area during the Great Depression
. Hollis is best known for being killed in the line of duty during an intense shootout
with Chicago-area bank robber Lester Gillis, a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson
, at the Battle of Barrington in 1934. Hollis was also one of the three FBI special agents who shot John Dillinger
near the Biograph Theater
earlier that year, resulting in Dillinger's death. One controversial account also implicates Hollis in the death of Pretty Boy Floyd
. Hollis served as a special agent
for the FBI's field offices in Kansas City
, Cincinnati, and Chicago for over seven years; at the time of his death, he was 31 years old.
in January 1903 and received his law degree from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, D.C. in 1927. He was married and had one son.
. Over the years, Hollis repeatedly requested that the Bureau transfer him to a field office in California or Arizona; doctors insisted that a warmer climate would help improve his wife Genevieve's nervous condition
.
On July 22, 1934, Hollis, Purvis and agents Charles B. Winstead and Clarence O. Hurt participated in a gun battle with the bank robber and gangster John Dillinger
outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago, Illinois. As Dillinger came out of the building with two women, Agent Purvis signaled to the other agents, including Hollis. At least one account states that Purvis then approached Dillinger from behind and said, "OK, Johnnie, drop your gun." Dillinger fled toward a nearby alley and reached in his pocket for a pistol. Hollis, Winstead and Hurt then fired a total of four or five shots; either two or three hit Dillinger, who fell to the ground. According to one source, Winstead fired his .45 pistol three times, and both Hollis and Hurt fired once. Because of the simultaneous gunfire, it was unclear which agent was responsible for the shot that killed Dillinger, and the agents themselves did not say. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
was pleased at the news of Dillinger's death and later recognized Hollis, Winstead, and Hurt for their "fearlessness and courageous action".
was killed on October 22, 1934 after a shootout
with FBI agents and local authorities in an apple orchard near East Liverpool, Ohio
. In a 1979 TIME Magazine article, East Liverpool, Ohio
Police Captain Chester C. Smith claimed that Hollis killed Floyd under orders from FBI agent Melvin Purvis
. According to Smith, after Smith had wounded Floyd, "Purvis turned to G-Man Herman Hollis and said: 'Fire into him.' Hollis obeyed, killing Floyd with a burst from a tommy gun" at close range. This version of events contradicts the official FBI account and is highly controversial since, in Smith's version, Floyd was already wounded and could have been taken into custody at the time Purvis ordered Hollis to fire. In a subsequent letter to TIME's editors, FBI Special Agent Winfred E. Hopton claimed that he was one of the agents present when Floyd was apprehended, that he knew Hollis personally, and that Hollis was not present when Floyd was apprehended and could not have been responsible for Floyd's death. At least one other source discredits Smith's version, stating that although Smith's story received wide currency, Hollis was not at the orchard that afternoon. Hollis' FBI profile does not mention his participation in this incident.
of the FBI's Chicago Office in charge of the search for Baby Face Nelson
. On November 27, 1934, Cowley received a tip that Nelson had been recognised in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
driving a stolen car. Cowley and Special Agent Hollis left the FBI's Chicago office heading northwest on Northwest Highway
to intercept Nelson; Hollis drove.
Local FBI special agents William Ryan and Tom McDade spotted a vehicle matching the description of Nelson's stolen car between Fox River Grove
and Barrington, Illinois
and realized that Nelson, Nelson's accomplice John Paul Chase
, and Nelson's wife Helen Gillis were in the vehicle. The occupants of the two cars recognized each other, and Agents Ryan and McDade began a pursuit. After a series of u-turns, Chase shot at Ryan and McDade's vehicle with an automatic rifle. The gunfire broke windows on both cars. Agent Ryan then returned fire, hitting the radiator of Nelson's car.
Hollis and Cowley met up with the outlaws as Nelson, whose car was partially disabled from Agent Ryan's shots, left Northwest Highway and stopped his car near the entrance to what is now Langendorf Park in Barrington. Chase, Nelson and Gillis all got out of the car, and Gillis ran toward a nearby field and flung herself down in the grass. When Hollis and Cowley stopped and emerged from their car to apprehend the suspects, Nelson and Chase began firing at them. Hollis and Cowley took cover behind their vehicle; neither was wearing a bulletproof vest. Both agents returned fire, and Hollis wounded Nelson with a shotgun blast to the legs. Nelson, still standing, continued shooting at Hollis with a rifle. Having emptied his shotgun, Hollis pulled out a pistol and fired as he ran to take cover behind a nearby telephone pole. An eyewitness later recalled that it was at that time that one of the agents "ran across the road and got behind an electric pole, but he got his head blown off." Nelson had struck Hollis in the forehead.
Nelson staggered over to where Hollis lay by the pole before making his way to the FBI agents' car. Since Nelson and Chase's stolen car was no longer operable, Chase assisted the badly wounded Nelson into Cowley's car and transferred their guns and equipment into the agents' vehicle. Gillis, who had continued lying in the field during the shootout, jumped into the government vehicle as Chase drove it away. The fierce gun battle was over in less than five minutes.
The first bystander to reach the scene ran to where Hollis lay face down; he had suffered severe wounds to the back of his head. The man tried to speak to Hollis, but Hollis only moved his eyes and gasped. Next, the man ran to Inspector Cowley. Cowley, who suffered serious stomach wounds in the gunfight, instructed the man to look after Hollis first, then call the Chicago field office and report what had happened. Flagging down a car, witnesses loaded Hollis inside and directed the driver to Barrington General Hospital; Hollis died before they reached the hospital only a short distance away. A witness then found a rosary
in Hollis' pocket and called a priest. Cowley died early the next morning at a hospital in Elgin, Illinois
after unsuccessful stomach surgery. Nelson, critically injured, died at approximately 8 pm that evening.
Hollis was survived by his wife and young son, who found about his death when they arrived at the FBI Chicago Field Office that day to surprise Hollis to go Christmas shopping. Hollis is buried in Glendale Cemetery in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) special agent. As an FBI special agent in the 1930s, Hollis worked with agents Melvin Purvis
Melvin Purvis
Melvin Horace Purvis, Jr. was an American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation agent. He was given the nickname "Little Mel" because of his short stature...
, Samuel P. Cowley
Samuel P. Cowley
Samuel P. Cowley was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who was killed in the line of duty in a gunfight with Lester Gillis in 1934 on Route 14 in Barrington, Illinois....
and others fighting bank robbers, gangsters and organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
in the Chicago area during the Great Depression
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...
. Hollis is best known for being killed in the line of duty during an intense shootout
Shootout
A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a military context A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups....
with Chicago-area bank robber Lester Gillis, a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Gillis was known as Baby Face Nelson, a name given to him due to his youthful appearance and small stature...
, at the Battle of Barrington in 1934. Hollis was also one of the three FBI special agents who shot John Dillinger
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. was an American bank robber in Depression-era United States. He was charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer during a shoot-out. This was his only alleged homicide. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations...
near the Biograph Theater
Biograph Theater
The Biograph Theater, at 2433 North Lincoln Avenue, Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois, was originally a movie theater but now presents live productions. It is notable as the location where bank robber John Dillinger was shot by FBI agents after watching a gangster movie on July 22, 1934...
earlier that year, resulting in Dillinger's death. One controversial account also implicates Hollis in the death of 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...
. Hollis served as a special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
for the FBI's field offices in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Cincinnati, and Chicago for over seven years; at the time of his death, he was 31 years old.
Birth and personal life
Hollis was born in Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
in January 1903 and received his law degree from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, D.C. in 1927. He was married and had one son.
Career
Hollis began his service with the FBI almost immediately after finishing law school in August 1927. During his seven years with the Bureau, Hollis worked with the Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Chicago field offices. Rated as one of the FBI's top investigators, Hollis earned a sharp-shooter's medal for his work with the Thompson submachine gunThompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
. Over the years, Hollis repeatedly requested that the Bureau transfer him to a field office in California or Arizona; doctors insisted that a warmer climate would help improve his wife Genevieve's nervous condition
Anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety. Conditions now considered anxiety disorders only came under the aegis of psychiatry at the end of the 19th century. Gelder, Mayou & Geddes explains that anxiety disorders are...
.
John Dillinger shooting
On July 22, 1934, Hollis, Purvis and agents Charles B. Winstead and Clarence O. Hurt participated in a gun battle with the bank robber and gangster John Dillinger
John Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. was an American bank robber in Depression-era United States. He was charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana police officer during a shoot-out. This was his only alleged homicide. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations...
outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago, Illinois. As Dillinger came out of the building with two women, Agent Purvis signaled to the other agents, including Hollis. At least one account states that Purvis then approached Dillinger from behind and said, "OK, Johnnie, drop your gun." Dillinger fled toward a nearby alley and reached in his pocket for a pistol. Hollis, Winstead and Hurt then fired a total of four or five shots; either two or three hit Dillinger, who fell to the ground. According to one source, Winstead fired his .45 pistol three times, and both Hollis and Hurt fired once. Because of the simultaneous gunfire, it was unclear which agent was responsible for the shot that killed Dillinger, and the agents themselves did not say. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
was pleased at the news of Dillinger's death and later recognized Hollis, Winstead, and Hurt for their "fearlessness and courageous action".
Pretty Boy Floyd shooting
Notorious bank robber Pretty Boy FloydPretty 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...
was killed on October 22, 1934 after a shootout
Shootout
A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a military context A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups....
with FBI agents and local authorities in an apple orchard near East Liverpool, Ohio
East Liverpool, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,089 people, 5,261 households, and 3,424 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,010.3 people per square mile . There were 5,743 housing units at an average density of 1,320.8 per square mile...
. In a 1979 TIME Magazine article, East Liverpool, Ohio
East Liverpool, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,089 people, 5,261 households, and 3,424 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,010.3 people per square mile . There were 5,743 housing units at an average density of 1,320.8 per square mile...
Police Captain Chester C. Smith claimed that Hollis killed Floyd under orders from FBI agent Melvin Purvis
Melvin Purvis
Melvin Horace Purvis, Jr. was an American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation agent. He was given the nickname "Little Mel" because of his short stature...
. According to Smith, after Smith had wounded Floyd, "Purvis turned to G-Man Herman Hollis and said: 'Fire into him.' Hollis obeyed, killing Floyd with a burst from a tommy gun" at close range. This version of events contradicts the official FBI account and is highly controversial since, in Smith's version, Floyd was already wounded and could have been taken into custody at the time Purvis ordered Hollis to fire. In a subsequent letter to TIME's editors, FBI Special Agent Winfred E. Hopton claimed that he was one of the agents present when Floyd was apprehended, that he knew Hollis personally, and that Hollis was not present when Floyd was apprehended and could not have been responsible for Floyd's death. At least one other source discredits Smith's version, stating that although Smith's story received wide currency, Hollis was not at the orchard that afternoon. Hollis' FBI profile does not mention his participation in this incident.
Battle of Barrington and death
In 1934, the FBI put Inspector Samuel P. CowleySamuel P. Cowley
Samuel P. Cowley was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who was killed in the line of duty in a gunfight with Lester Gillis in 1934 on Route 14 in Barrington, Illinois....
of the FBI's Chicago Office in charge of the search for Baby Face Nelson
Baby Face Nelson
Lester Joseph Gillis , known under the pseudonym George Nelson, was a bank robber and murderer in the 1930s. Gillis was known as Baby Face Nelson, a name given to him due to his youthful appearance and small stature...
. On November 27, 1934, Cowley received a tip that Nelson had been recognised in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
driving a stolen car. Cowley and Special Agent Hollis left the FBI's Chicago office heading northwest on Northwest Highway
U.S. Route 14
U.S. Route 14 , an east–west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles , but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles . For much of its length, it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90.As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in...
to intercept Nelson; Hollis drove.
Local FBI special agents William Ryan and Tom McDade spotted a vehicle matching the description of Nelson's stolen car between Fox River Grove
Fox River Grove, Illinois
Fox River Grove is a village in the Cuba Township of Lake County and the Algonquin Township of McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,862 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Barrington, Illinois
Barrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
and realized that Nelson, Nelson's accomplice John Paul Chase
John Paul Chase
John Paul Chase was an American bank robber and Depression-era outlaw. He was a longtime criminal associate of the Karpis-Barker Gang and Baby Face Nelson who later brought him into the John Dillinger gang. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover once referred to Chase as "a rat with a patriotic-sounding name"...
, and Nelson's wife Helen Gillis were in the vehicle. The occupants of the two cars recognized each other, and Agents Ryan and McDade began a pursuit. After a series of u-turns, Chase shot at Ryan and McDade's vehicle with an automatic rifle. The gunfire broke windows on both cars. Agent Ryan then returned fire, hitting the radiator of Nelson's car.
Hollis and Cowley met up with the outlaws as Nelson, whose car was partially disabled from Agent Ryan's shots, left Northwest Highway and stopped his car near the entrance to what is now Langendorf Park in Barrington. Chase, Nelson and Gillis all got out of the car, and Gillis ran toward a nearby field and flung herself down in the grass. When Hollis and Cowley stopped and emerged from their car to apprehend the suspects, Nelson and Chase began firing at them. Hollis and Cowley took cover behind their vehicle; neither was wearing a bulletproof vest. Both agents returned fire, and Hollis wounded Nelson with a shotgun blast to the legs. Nelson, still standing, continued shooting at Hollis with a rifle. Having emptied his shotgun, Hollis pulled out a pistol and fired as he ran to take cover behind a nearby telephone pole. An eyewitness later recalled that it was at that time that one of the agents "ran across the road and got behind an electric pole, but he got his head blown off." Nelson had struck Hollis in the forehead.
Nelson staggered over to where Hollis lay by the pole before making his way to the FBI agents' car. Since Nelson and Chase's stolen car was no longer operable, Chase assisted the badly wounded Nelson into Cowley's car and transferred their guns and equipment into the agents' vehicle. Gillis, who had continued lying in the field during the shootout, jumped into the government vehicle as Chase drove it away. The fierce gun battle was over in less than five minutes.
The first bystander to reach the scene ran to where Hollis lay face down; he had suffered severe wounds to the back of his head. The man tried to speak to Hollis, but Hollis only moved his eyes and gasped. Next, the man ran to Inspector Cowley. Cowley, who suffered serious stomach wounds in the gunfight, instructed the man to look after Hollis first, then call the Chicago field office and report what had happened. Flagging down a car, witnesses loaded Hollis inside and directed the driver to Barrington General Hospital; Hollis died before they reached the hospital only a short distance away. A witness then found a rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
in Hollis' pocket and called a priest. Cowley died early the next morning at a hospital in Elgin, Illinois
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
after unsuccessful stomach surgery. Nelson, critically injured, died at approximately 8 pm that evening.
Hollis was survived by his wife and young son, who found about his death when they arrived at the FBI Chicago Field Office that day to surprise Hollis to go Christmas shopping. Hollis is buried in Glendale Cemetery in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa.