872763-821555-thumbnail.jpgIn 1979, retired E. Liverpool, Ohio police captain, Chester Smith, re-wrote history and made international headlines in regard to the killing of "Pretty Boy" Floyd.  In an article he wrote that year for Time magazine, he "decided it was proper to set the record straight because of the several men involved, he was the only one living."  Floyd was killed in an Ohio cornfield on October 22, 1934.

In the Time article, Smith claimed it was he who brought down Floyd with a rifle, and not FBI Agents as history had written. 

Smith claimed that upon being shot, Purvis and others ran up to Floyd and Purvis ordered SA Herman Hollis to basically assassinate Floyd on the spot, telling Hollis to "Fire into him."  Allegedly, Hollis followed orders and machine gunned Floyd to death in the cornfield.

FBI history would have been re-written the day of Smith's article however, he overlooked one thing; one of the law enforcement officers present at the Floyd shooting was still alive.

As a result, Retired Special Agent (SA) W. E. "Bud" Hopton (1934-1955) wrote Time magazine to tell them Smith's story was false because Hopton was there.  In his letter to Time, Hopton states "The truth is Floyd was shot by two of the 4 FBI Agents present when Floyd aimed his gun at them."  For added information, "Agent Hollis, whom I know personally, was NOT even present when Floyd was apprehended."  The truth is when the East Liverpool police came up to where Floyd was lying, he had already been mortally wounded. Hopton sent Time a copy of his commendation letter from Director Hoover on the Floyd matter.

Another item that Smith forgot about is that he admitted carrying a rifle to the shooting scene; Floyd was killed by 2 shots from .45 caliber ammunition according to the coroner report.

Author Bryan Burrough later spoke to Bob Beresford, a county sheriff who was close to Smith.  Regarding Smith and his "story," Beresford said, "he would tell different stories at different times.  I heard a couple of different versions; the version involving Hollis is a new one....."

Burrough, the author, later stated in his book, "Public Enemies," that "Smith's allegations must be dismissed as a canard generated by an elderly man embittered that others received the fame he felt he deserved." In his research, Burrough also corroborated that Hollis was not there that day.

Pretty Boy was brought to East Liverpool Ohio, the nearest town with a mortician, to be embalmed. The procedure took place in the morgue of the Sturgis Funeral Home. It's now the basement laundry room of the Sturgis House, a bed & breakfast, and Pretty Boy's death mask hangs over the washer and dryer.

"Bud" Hopton retired to Franklin, Tennessee and was a member of the Former Agent's Society.   He died in Nashville, in 1998.