Vanhoose, Brooks L.

Carthage Missouri. The body of B. L. Vanhoose, about 70, a retired quarry operator and mining man, was found today in his country home two miles southwest of Carthage...officers are working on the theory that the capitalist-investor had been murdered by would-be kidnapers. L. B. Harmon, operator of a tourist camp east of here, was arrested for investigations. . . Vanhoose had been shot through the right breast, the bullet passing through the body and lodging in the wall at the entrance hall of the auto driveway. A bullet fired from Vanhoose's own gun, apparently when the attempt was made to force him to surrender, struck the capitalist's car standing in the driveway. A large diamond ring which Vanhoose habitually wore on his finger and his purse had not been touched. Vanhoose, authorities said, had been "tipped off" that gangsters plotted to kidnap him and had been carrying a pistol for protection. A series of robberies and kidnapings kept officers of southeaster Kansas and authorities of this county on the jump. No arrest had been made today. The first kidnaping occurred in front of the Central Drug store in Picher Oklahoma...Gus Berger, assistant of Dr. Richard Russell, and who was sitting in Dr. Russell's car a 1933 Chevrolet coupe, was kidnaped by a lone bandit who forced him to drive to a point near the New Chicago Mine, ordered Beger from the machine and drove away after telling Berger, "I'm Pretty Boy Floyd." At 11 two men riding in the Russell machine, drove into a filling station of the Twentieth Street garage, at Baxter Springs Kansas. They ordered the attendant to fill the tank and then forced him into the machine and took him four blocks, there he was release after being robbed of $1.95. A few minutes later the bandits drove into the Grace Hill curve station south of Baxter on highway 66 and kidnaped an attendant. This time the victim was taken approximately a quarter of a mile before he was released, the pair relieved him of $10 and drove south. At 1 o'clock Sunday morning the coupe figured in a robbery at the Pearl Squires barbecue stand on East Main Street at Commerce Oklahoma, there $11 was taken. Another man had joined the expedition somewhere en route. . . two miles south of Ottawa Oklahoma officers found the Chevrolet coupe abandoned. Two spare wheels, a motor meter and license plate had been removed and the car showed evidence of a collision... No trace of the robbers could be picked up at that point. All of the kidnap and hold-up victims identified the car. Note: Don't see any connection with the murder of Vanhoose and the rest of the article.

Carthage Missouri. Discounting the kidnaping theory in connection with the death of Brooks L. Vanhoose, Carthage capitalist, Prosecutor Fay Watson today said that evidence he gathered in questioning two men under arrest indicates "a gang of six men, led by Glenn Hammons, committed the crime with robbery as the motive." L. B. Harmon, brother of Glenn Harmon, and Charles Napper, former Illinois convict, have been arrested. The former has made a verbal statement, and Napper has made one in writing, both of which would indicate, the prosecutor said, that six men planned a robbery and then plans went awry. Officer are seeking Glenn Harmon and his three companions, Watson said. Vanhoose was found dead Monday morning, in his home. An autopsy disclosed that he had been shot twice.