History Mi Co Ks Vohs Murder Nov 1906

Eugene Vohs Resident of Miami Co Ks – Murdered November 1906

Eugene Vohs , of Wea township,  lived north of Wea Church in Miami Co Ks. He was murdered in route home from Louisburg, Kansas. Eugene and his son Lawrence left for town that Saturday morning to sell two loads of hogs. Lawrence returned home to do the chores and Eugene stayed in town to do some shopping. He’d been seen leaving Louisburg alone at 6:00 pm. At about 8:00 pm Lawrence heard his father’s team of mules enter the drive and went out to help him care for the animals. He called to his dad but there was no answer. When Lawrence got up on the wagon he found his dead father laying in the back of the wagon.

The son surmised his father’s warm body proved he’d been murdered close to home. Later the mother recollected of hearing two or more pistol reports a half hour earlier. Two of the .38 shells entered Eugene’s head close to the temple. Another went through the top of his head and the 4^th one entered his chest. Powder burns discovered on the side of his head indicated he’d been shot at close range.

A neighbor lady that lived one mile south of Mr. Vohs’s place saw a man in the wagon with him as they passed her place. It’s thought the man knew Eugene had sold pigs at market that day and planned to rob him. However, discovering they were so close to the Vohs place he ran away without the money as it was found on the dead victim’s body.

Later Andy Weir arrested Carl Baker aka Carl Warnecke in his twenties for the crime. In his procession was a .38 caliber pistol. He’d been seen walking along the road in the area where Eugene was shot that evening.

Eugene Vohs born in Germany in 1844 came to America in 1866 and settled in the Miami Co Area. In 1876 he bought the Wea General Store from Homer Mayer and also served as Wea postmaster of the Wea post office.

Reference:  Miami Co Ks History Museum paraphrased.