Vernon Miller – Prohibition Gunman
Vernon C. Miller, a figure shrouded in the murky atmosphere of the Prohibition era, carved a niche for himself as a freelance gunman, bootlegger, bank robber, and, ironically, a former sheriff of South Dakota. His life, a whirlwind of illicit activities and violent encounters, stands as a testament to the lawlessness and moral ambiguity that characterized the roaring twenties and the desperate thirties. This is the story of Vernon Miller, a man who traded his badge for a gun and left an indelible mark on the annals of American crime.
Born in the small town of Kimball, South Dakota, on August 25, 1896, Miller’s early life offered little indication of the path he would eventually tread. Kimball, a typical Midwestern town, provided a backdrop of quiet normalcy that sharply contrasted with the violence and chaos that would later define his existence. In 1914, at the age of eighteen, he moved a short distance northeast to Huron, South Dakota, seeking opportunity and a fresh start. He found employment as an auto mechanic, a trade that reflected the burgeoning automotive industry of the time. However, the humdrum of mechanics proved insufficient to contain his restless spirit.
The winds of change were blowing across the nation, and Miller soon found himself swept up in the currents of patriotism and military service. In 1916, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, joining the ranks of soldiers deployed to the volatile Mexico border, where repeated bandit raids threatened American interests. This experience, a baptism by fire, likely hardened him and instilled a sense of discipline and familiarity with firearms.
When World War I erupted, Miller was thrust into the heart of the conflict, serving with distinction in France. He demonstrated valor and bravery on the battlefield, earning decorations for his service and rising to the rank of sergeant by the war’s end. The horrors of war undoubtedly left an indelible mark on his psyche, shaping his worldview and potentially contributing to his later descent into a life of crime. His military service, however, provided him with skills and experience that would prove invaluable in his future endeavors, both legal and illegal.
Returning to Huron in 1918, a decorated veteran, Miller was welcomed as a local hero. He capitalized on his newfound status and joined the police force, seemingly embracing a life of law and order. Two years later, in November 1920, he ran for Beadle County Sheriff and, riding on a wave of popularity and respect, won the election. He was now the chief law enforcement officer of the county, responsible for upholding justice and protecting its citizens.
However, the allure of law enforcement proved fleeting. Somewhere along the line, the constraints and limitations of the job chafed against his restless nature. The temptation of easy money and a life free from the shackles of the law proved too strong to resist. In a shocking betrayal of public trust, Miller absconded with $4,000 in county funds, abandoning his oath and shattering the faith of those who had placed their trust in him. The betrayal showed that Vernon Miller was a person of complex character.
His transgression did not go unnoticed. He was eventually tracked down, apprehended, and convicted of embezzlement on April 4, 1923. He was sentenced to incarceration in the South Dakota State Penitentiary, a stark contrast to the life of respectability and authority he had once enjoyed. However, his prison stay was relatively short-lived. He was paroled in November 1924, less than two years into his sentence, leaving many to wonder about the circumstances surrounding his early release.
By the time Miller walked free from prison, the landscape of American society had been fundamentally altered. Prohibition, enacted in 1920, had outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages, creating a lucrative black market for bootleggers and fueling the rise of organized crime. Miller, ever the opportunist, saw an opening and plunged headfirst into the bootlegging trade.
His initial foray into the illegal alcohol business resulted in a fine for bootlegging in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in October 1925. However, the fine did little to deter him. The profits were too tempting, and the risks seemed manageable. He continued to engage in the lucrative trade, honing his skills and expanding his network of contacts.
Seeking greener pastures and greater opportunities, Miller moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, and later to Chicago, Illinois, two major hubs of organized crime during the Prohibition era. In these cities, he began associating with underworld gangs, rubbing shoulders with some of the most notorious criminals of the time. He quickly learned the ropes of the criminal underworld, mastering the art of intimidation, violence, and deception.
As he immersed himself in the criminal milieu, Miller’s reputation as a ruthless and effective gunman began to grow. He became a freelance enforcer, offering his services to various Midwest bootleggers and racketeers. He was a hired gun, a man who could be relied upon to carry out dirty work without hesitation or remorse. His skills with firearms, honed during his military service and perfected through countless encounters in the criminal underworld, made him a valuable asset to those who sought to maintain their power and control.
His involvement in the criminal underworld was not without its consequences. On February 3, 1928, he was indicted for the murder of a Minneapolis police officer. However, the case was eventually dropped due to a lack of sufficient evidence, allowing Miller to continue his life of crime with impunity.
In 1930, Miller’s violent streak reached new heights. After Al Capone’s men allegedly killed a friend of his, Miller sought revenge. He tracked down three suspects and gunned them down in cold blood in June, in an act that became known as the Fox Lake Massacre. The incident solidified his reputation as a ruthless and unforgiving killer, further cementing his place in the annals of American crime.
That same year, Miller teamed up with a notorious group of gangsters, including Harvey Bailey, Thomas Holden, Francis Keating, and the infamous George "Machine Gun" Kelly, to carry out a daring daylight raid on a bank in Willmar, Minnesota, on July 15, 1930. The heist resulted in the theft of $70,000, a significant sum at the time. Vernon Miller was becoming more and more dangerous and well known.
However, the spoils of the robbery were short-lived. Less than a month later, on August 13, in an argument over a "double-cross" related to the bank robbery, Miller allegedly murdered Frank "Weinie" Coleman, Mike Rusick, and "Jew" Sammy Stein, dumping their bodies in White Bear Lake. The brutal act highlighted the ruthlessness and treachery that permeated the criminal underworld.
Undeterred by the mounting body count and the increasing attention from law enforcement, Miller continued his criminal activities. On September 9, 1930, he participated in another bank robbery, this time in Ottumwa, Iowa, alongside Bailey, Holden, Keating, Kelly, and Lawrence De Vol. The heist netted them $40,000.
The following year, on April 8, 1931, Miller, along with Bailey, Kelly, Frank "Jelly" Nash, and several others, robbed a bank in Sherman, Texas, of $40,000. His relentless pursuit of wealth and power seemed insatiable, driving him to commit increasingly daring and violent acts. He was also reportedly involved in the killing of two Minneapolis Police Officers in December 1932.
By this point, Miller had returned to primarily acting as a hired gunman, offering his services to the highest bidder. In one of his most infamous assignments, he was hired to free his former partner, Frank Nash, from federal custody.
On the morning of June 17, 1933, Miller, accompanied by Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd and Adam Richetti, attempted to free Nash while he was being transported to Leavenworth Federal Prison. As Nash was being escorted from the Union Train Station in Kansas City, Missouri, the outlaws opened fire in a brazen escape attempt. The resulting shootout, known as the Kansas City Massacre, left Nash and four law enforcement officers dead. The massacre sent shockwaves across the nation and intensified the manhunt for Miller and his accomplices.
Following the Kansas City Massacre, Miller, accompanied by his girlfriend, Vivian Mathias, fled to Chicago, arriving around June 19, 1933. He briefly sought refuge with a member of the Barker-Karpis gang before reportedly moving on to New York. On October 31, 1933, an FBI investigation discovered that he had returned to Chicago with his girlfriend. The next day, he narrowly escaped a trap set for him by the FBI, leaving Mathias to be taken into custody. She later pleaded guilty to harboring and concealing a fugitive.
On November 29, 1933, as the FBI continued its relentless search for Miller, his mutilated body was discovered in a ditch on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan. He had been beaten and strangled, his body bearing the marks of a brutal and violent end.
Information later received by the FBI indicated that Miller had been involved in an altercation with a henchman of Longie Zwillman, the head of New Jersey’s underworld mob, in Newark. During the dispute, Miller allegedly shot the henchman, leading to swift retaliation. A short time later, another Zwillman associate reportedly exacted revenge by killing Miller, bringing an end to his tumultuous and violent life.
Vernon Miller’s life was a whirlwind of crime, violence, and betrayal. He rose from humble beginnings to become a decorated war hero and a respected law enforcement officer, only to fall from grace and descend into a life of crime. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the allure of easy money, the corrupting influence of power, and the consequences of choosing a life of lawlessness. His name remains etched in the annals of American crime, a reminder of the dark side of the Prohibition era and the individuals who thrived in its shadows.