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Special Agent

Elmer Robbins

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Police Department — Cleveland, OH

Felonious

End of Watch April 17, 1919

Age 52

The Vigil Panel 37 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Location: Indiana Weapon: Handgun Offender: Deceased

Special Agent Elmer Robbins was shot and killed near Greensburg, Indiana, while searching a train coming from Ohio after having received a tip that two men were transporting a large load of illegal whiskey on it.

A man claiming to be a federal revenue officer had called Agent Robbins at home in the middle of the night to make the report. Agent Robbins assembled a posse with the assistance of the Greensburg Police Department and Decatur County Sheriff's Office. They stopped the train as it approached Greensburg and Agent Robbins began searching it.

When he entered the coal car he was fatally shot. The two suspects then jumped from the train and hid nearby. It is believed they re-boarded the train when it started moving again. Both were arrested in Indianapolis the following day. The man who confessed to shooting Agent Robbins escaped from jail but was found dead in a local river.

An investigation later revealed that the man who had alerted Agent Robbins to the illegal whiskey was impersonating a federal officer. He had hired the two men on the train to deliver the whiskey to him but believed they were stealing it. He was arrested by federal authorities and charged in connection with impersonating a federal officer.

Agent Robbins was survived by his wife and son. He is buried in South Park Cemetery, Greensburg, Indiana.

Survivors

Agent Robbins was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-6E89014E
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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Special Agent Robbins served with the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Cleveland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Robbins.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Police Department

Location Cleveland, OH

Platform Identity cccslrpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 17, 1919

Age 52

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Offender Deceased

Special Agent Elmer Robbins is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Police Department, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Police Department

of 5 officers

60% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious