Elmer Guy Cole
Agency patch
Federal Prohibition Agent

Elmer Guy Cole

Felonious
End of Watch December 15, 1922
Age 36
Tour of Duty 5 mo
The Vigil Panel 44 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Federal Prohibition Agent Guy Cole was shot and killed while attempting to arrest the murderers of Prohibition Agent Robert Duff and Special Deputy David Treadway of the Menifee County Sheriff's Office. Agent Duff was killed in an ambush while investigating a moonshining gang in the hills of Menifee County, Kentucky. Deputy Treadway was shot and killed the following day while attempting to arrest his killers. Agent Cole was shot and killed when the posse he was riding with cornered the gang and engaged them in a shootout. The leader of the gang was also killed, and six members were arrested. Agent Cole had served with the United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit for five months.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
NW-ER7B-TM8T-7 earlier record number BO-US-FED-4B3310FA
Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Federal Prohibition Agent Cole served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Federal Prohibition Agent Cole.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtirspufed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 15, 1922
Tour of Duty 5 mo
Age 36
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Elmer is one of 15,741 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.2% of the 27,543 remembered there.

33,910 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1922, 228 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 3rd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Elmer was 36. Of the 14,215 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Elmer had served 0.4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.2% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit has 59 officers remembered here, Elmer among them.

Across the years

Federal Prohibition Agent Elmer Guy Cole

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit · End of Watch December 15, 1922

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 20-W

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