Product Description

On June 17, 1933, thirty seconds of gunfire covered the parking lot of Kansas City's Union Station with blood and bodies. To a nation reeling from depression and a decade of prohibition-fueled gang violence, the "Kansas City Massacre" was one outrage too many. Congress empowered J. Edgar Hoover and his G-Men to find and punish the enigmatic former sheriff turned outlaw, Verne Miller, who was responsible for the slaughter. The book tells a story of the paradoxical life of Verne Miller, of his mysterious death, and, for the first time, the story of Vi Mathis, Verne's beautiful and devoted lover.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1919632 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Customer Reviews

A perceptive and well researched book
This book was one of the better ones l have read about the Depression era criminals of America. The bibilography is very impressive, obviously the author has done a lot of research of books and newspapers as well as conducting interviews with the Miller family and other persons. The book walks the reader through the life of Miller from his childhood to his time as a soldier to sheriff to criminal. The author sticks to the facts and if no evidence is available, he says so.

Miller's life is a paradox, from war hero to an honest, decent sheriff to a cold blooded killer and bank robber. Why did Miller follow this path? How could he turn from being an honest sheriff striving to seek justice for victims of crime to a ruthless criminal shooting down people in cold blood? Brad Smith explores this area well and examines and explains the area of military psychology. The author suggests that Miller fits the profile of a soldier who is thrilled by the state of war. These types are not natural killers but will not hesitate to kill if they think that certain moral codes have been impinged or a friend is need of help. The job of lawman was too confining for Miller, he could have a much richer lifestyle as a bank robber and killer and get more thrills out his life too!

Brad Smith makes the distinction that the criminals of the rural midwest differed from the urban east in personality and lifestyle as did the societies in general and of course he is right. Millers relationships with other criminals such as Nash, Buchalter, Pretty Boy Floyd, Richetti, Karpis etc also make up much of the book and is fascinating to read. The author brings this era and its criminals back to life in this book and gives the reader an excellent perception of the type of lives these people lived.

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
I wondered when I opened this book how well I would enjoy a true story about an underworld figure. I was not disappointed; this book held my attention from beginning to end.

"Lawman to Outlaw" is the story of Verne Miller, a known underworld figure, perhaps one whose life was filled with more mystery than any other. Mr. Miller was responsible for the slaughter that took place at the parking lot of Kansas City's Union Station, June 17,1933. Did you know that the FBI was actually formed because of this event and the outcry of the American people against crime. Interesting piece of information, I would say.

The author takes you through the life of Verne Miller; his childhood, his military days, his days as a well respected Sheriff and draws you into the mystery behind this man and his faithful companion Vi Mathis. What made a law abiding respected man turn into a cold blooded killer? Mr. Smith addresses this question and more.
I cannot even imagine the intense research that went into this work. Detailed information is revealed, events are replayed as the author walks you through the life of this notorious gangster and finally his death at the hands of his so called friends. Quite a story, quite a read!

Well done Mr. Smith, hats off to you! A recommended read for all those that are interested in our colorful past and those that painted it red!

A starkly-detailed and riveting portrayal
Brad Smith works this biography in the same way that Verne Miller reputedly wielded a machine-gun: powerfully, controlled, and with surgical precision. Smith succeeds in exploring the motives and flaws within Miller, from his early exploits as a war hero and sheriff, to underworld hoodlum. The accounts are straightforward and laid bare, without yielding to hearsay or romanticism, and Smith even explores alternate scenarios in some of the more critical events in Miller's life.

Miller winds up - eventually - a desperado hunted by both law officials and the criminal world. His life is filled with paradoxes that only Smith has succeeded in conveying in written form. And Miller's enduring legacy with the Kansas City Massacre is also recognized as the driving force that sparked the formation of today's FBI. Had Miller been captured by J. Edgar Hoover's G-Men, his role in history may have rivaled those of Al Capone, John Dillinger, and "Pretty Boy" Floyd. Smith's work may bring Miller's significance to light, seventy years after his gruesome and unusual death.

As a storyteller, Smith never loses command of his subject matter, and weaves a tale of desperation, loyalty, love, and brutality unlike any other I've read yet. A definite must for those who enjoy reading about the Golden Age of Crime.