Newspaper Articles » Ray Elliott - Lost Boy

Near 60 Years Ago Tells
Ray Elliot Kidnapping

In the history of Marengo, perhaps no one episode so stirred the people of this city or gave Marengo so great a notoriety as the famous Ray Elliot kidnapping case. The following is taken from the 1921 volume of The Marengo Republican.

‘A book containing 260 pages entitled “lost and Found, The Abduction and Recovery of Ray Elliot” was written on the case by Rev. W. B. Phelps, Presbyterian minister here at the time, and newspapers all over the middle west devoted columns to the abduction and recovery and legal fight following the boy’s recovery.

The town was divided over the matter, some contending the boy returned was Ray Elliot, others, as long as they lived, stoutly maintained that the real Ray Elliot was never found and that the returned boy was Roy Burke.

Disappeared in 1895

On May 12, 1893, occurred the mysterious disappearance of little Ray, then not quite four years of age. His mother missed him in the middle of the afternoon. A preliminary search revealed no trace. Just at nightfall, the alarm was given and the news of the lost boy spread like wild fire. All thru the night and for days after, the searchers sought out every corner. The mill race was emptied and the river dragged. Mayor E. E. Alverson offered a reward of $100 for the return of the child. This later was increased to $500. Sympathy spread and soon the whole country was looking for Ray Elliot.

Father is Convinced

Fourteen months later, after 20 different boys had been seen and disclaimed by the father, a letter dated July 11, 1894, was received by ex-mayor Alverson from Waterloo, stating that an unknown woman had left a child there answering the description of Ray Elliot. They boys’ father and Rev. W. B. Phelps made a trip to Waterloo to see the boy. He failed to recognize his father, said his name was Roy Burke and he did not seem to remember Marengo. Mr. Elliot took him on his knee and said: “I had a little boy once. Santa Claus used to come on Christmas and put presents in a little cubby hole near the ceiling. My little boy would rap on the stove pipe and I would hand them down to him.” Quick as a flash the boy spoke up. “No you didn’t. You lifted me up and I took ‘em out myself.” Later a slight cough and the boy’s carriage convinced the father he had found his child.

Recognizes Mother

A great crowd at the Waterloo station gave the father and son a send off. From Vinton the journey was made by horse and buggy. At Blairstown, the whole town welcomed the party. Ward was sent on ahead that they were coming and Mayor Morrison provided a carriage and sent the mother to meet them. The conveyances met on the Hedrick hill 3 miles north of Marengo. Mother and child instantly recognized each other and a touching scene ensued.

When the reunited family arrived in Marengo, they were met by a great crowd. Speeches were made in the park where an informal reception was held, people from miles around gathering to see Ray Elliot.

A few months after, members of the family from which Ray Elliot had been secured, began to make claims to the supposed Ray Elliot, sworn affidavits and the statements by various parties building up a case so strong that various state papers took up the matter and soon the country was all agog with the question, is the boy at Marengo Ray Elliot or Roy Burke?

Involved Court Proceedings

The chain of evidence tracing the history of Roy Burke from his birth was very complete and apparently convincing. A long line of litigation in the Iowa county courts ensued, in which the Burke adherents after a six week’s preliminary trial before Justice Richardson were bound over to the grand jury failed to find an indictment. The Burke adherents in turn instigated habeas corpus proceedings for the recovery of the boy. The case of course was tried before a packed court room and interest ran high, Attorney’s Stapleton and Feenan appearing for the state and later for the Elliot family, and Wilson and Lake for the Burke claimants.

While many phases of the question were not solved by the evidence brot [sic] out, the ruling of Judge Wade ‘that as between two persons, neither one of which is legally entitled to the possession of the child, the court will not change the custody from one to the other unless there is an affirmative showing that the best interests of the child require it’ early in the proceedings established a foundation for the Elliot action which the evidence presented by the Burke faction (numerous members of which were shown to be questionable characters) did not tend to shake.

The case ended with a victory for the Elliot’s giving them possession of the child.

Accidentally Killed Child

J. C. Dinwiddie informs the Republican that later developments years afterward developed the fact that the woman who actually kidnapped Ray Elliot was a resident of Waterloo, who had been left in charge of her daughter’s child, which she had accidentally killed. It seems that in reproving the child while it was sitting in a high chair, the grandmother slapped it, the force of the blow upsetting the chair, the child’s neck being broken in the fall. She quietly buried the body, and fearing both the action of the law and her daughter’s wrath, she set out with her husband in a covered wagon in search of a child resembling the one killed, finally kidnapping Ray Elliot, whom her daughter accepted as her own child. Years later, according to Mr. Dinwiddie, the grandmother plead guilty at Waterloo and was let off with a light sentence.

Sometime after the Elliots were given custody of the boy claimed as their own, the family moved to Grinnell, resided at Marion and other points, once returning to Marengo for a brief spell.

Saxophone Player in Navy

A few years ago Ray Elliot went west to the state of Washington where he joined the navy, serving 6 years. He reenlisted when the war broke out and played a saxophone in the marine band, over half of whom were killed in the Argonne, the balance acting as stretcher bearers. Elliot was slightly wounded. He is said to be one of the finest saxophone players in the country.

He is about 33 years old now and was married a year ago last July to Clara Linx of Cedar Rapids where he now resides. His father was buried here in 1906 and his mother is remarried and living in Cedar Rapids.

Ray Elliott Again in Limelight

Marengo’s Famous “Lost Boy” Mysteriously Disappears.

Cedar Rapids, Ia., July 14—Ray E. Elliott, prominent young insurance man disappeared from his place of business here last Tuesday afternoon. According to a report made by his wife to the police today he left his office at the usual time to go home, but never reached there. A friend met him at a hotel near midnight and he said he was going to leave the city. That was the last heard of him. His affairs with the insurance company are O. K. and he had no domestic troubles. Mrs. Elliott fears his mind has become unbalanced by reason of injuries sustained in the war.

He was seriously gassed and has suffered much pain since returning from France. Police in all the large cities have been instructed to watch out for him.