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the KANSAS MURDERS.A. Terrible Tale of Crime.Through special dispatches the readers of the Timet have already gained some idea of the atrocious murders recently | perpetrated by the Bender family, near ] Cherry vale, in Southeast Kansas. It is now known that the Bender family fled in this direction. A detective, Air. Thomas Beers, of Independence, Kan., who has done more titan any one else to ferret out the mystery, arrived yesterday morning, having traced the Benders to ' St. Louis. A Time* reporter called upon Air. Beers during the day and obtained the inside history and full particulars of the Benders’ bloody career.For several months different persons have been disappearing very mysteriously on the route between Independence and Osage Alission. Nearly a dozen people hud suddenly dropped out of sight in tnis way, and the matter was exciting a great deal of talk throughout Southeast Kansas.About a month ago, I)r. William A. York, brother of Senator York, disappeared in the same way, and efforts to find him were in vain. Dr. York lived in Fort Scott, and had gone out on a collecting tour, riding valuable roadster. He dually rode down to Independence and visited his father, then he started home, passing along the treacherous route to Osage Mission, and nothing more wars ever seen of him.The York family is one of considerable influence in that part of Kansas, and the affair caused great excitement. The other disappearances were recalled to memory and the people began to talk of the existence of a gang of tgurderers and robbers somewhere between the Mission and In-dependence.On the route between these places is a dismal stretch of prairie, sparsely settled. Two of the landmarks of this prairie are Drum Creek and Big Hill. Alidway between them lived the Bender family, consisting of the old man and old woman, a young man who passed as a son of Bender, and a young woman who passed as the daughter of the old woman. The young people passed as married, although the younger Mrs. Bender bore a very slippery character on the point of morality.Bender had a frame house of several rooms, which he had built upon a claim. He professed to keep a grocery in the front room of the house, and an eating room lor travelers. The place was considered a kind of half way slopping pluc house stood iu the midst of a prairie, with nothing to break the view lor a mile around.The younger Mrs. Bender professed to be a spiritual medium, and held occasional seances, tike also had a card it; one or two of the county papers, inviting calls who desired to have the futurestopped the disinterring and began to dig down a trench two feet wide on one side of the grave, toward which the face was turned a little.While they were thus employed a party arrived from Cherryvale, having gamed an inkling of what was going on. Among the new-comers was a doctor who had been sent out by Senator York.The trench was lowered below the level of tlu- bottom of the grave, and the earth dug away carefully from the face anil head of the holly. Then the detective, seeing that from the condition ot the corpse the utmost care would he necessary in order to insure recognition, told the doctor Uc must detach the head from the trunk. It was done, and having been carefully cleaned, was lifted out and placed on a sheet brought from the house. The countenance was exposed to view, and in an instant the features of Dr. York were recognized.Some of the men there sat down and cried like children, others turned away sickened, while with others the sight only nerved them to continue the search.While the detective was telling this heart-sickening story to the Timex reporter, lie would stop as he came to this horrible scene, at the finding of Dr. York's body, anil seem to forget tlu; present and go back, in bis agitation, to that terrible morning of the 5th of Alay.The work went on and other bodies were lound, until, in all, nine bad been unearthed when Beers left. In every case, except that of the little girl, the skull was broken in at the back of the head.The detective is of the opinion that the murders were done in the following manner:lt;*10 000 and Beers thinks that they have gone straight to the seaboard with the intention of hiding across the ocean.lie will follow as fast as the trail can be picked up. Chief McDonough w. 11 render every assistance possible, information has been received already of part.es here who have told more about the murders than they ought to know as innocent'^Detective Beers says the peop e of Southern Kansas are terribly excited over the discoveries and it would be a difficult task to keep the Benders out of the hands of a mob if they should be taken backU Tlie claim upon which the bodies were found, lie says, is being visited by hundreds and thousands, who come from many miles. The lot was carefully and deeply plowed over before all the bodies were found, and it is not known yet but that there may be other victims buried near tlie bloody home of the Benders.Beers is almost worn out with the ternrevealed.About two weeks ago or more, Senator York organized a party and scoured the country far and wide to find some trace of his brother. In the course of their ride they halted at the Bender place to feed. Young Bender, when he heard of their mission, volunteered his services to aid in the search. The visit occurred on Wednesday. The younger woman also called ator York aside and, telling of herproposed t Fridayglit, it heshe would reveal the whereabouts of his brother.York paid little or no attention to this, and tin1 party soon passed on.About two weeks ago, Air. Thomas Beers, who lias been a Kansas detectiveipiested by Scnatoi York to lak; h the ease, and he did so.Day and night he traveled the route between Osage Mission and Independence, seeking to solve the mystery. He soon struck the trail of a desperado with whom he was acquainted. The man hail served M veral times in the penitentiary, ami there was nothing to show that he had reformed. Beers found that this man was traveling hack and forth between the Mission and Independence, and he shadowed him closely. Wherever the man stopped Beers wailed and learned his conversation. Illt;- found that the villain was talking freely about mysterious disappearances.At one place he told a woman about the murder ot a little girl seven or eight years eld, and when the horrified listener exclaimed, “How could they do it?” he exclaimed, Why, they strangled her.” This was told to Beers, and he knew he had a clue.At another place the disappearance of York was the topic, and the man confidentially said they would never find York, for he had been burned in a cornfield and the ground bad been plowedBeers heard this, too, and some other things. Then he learned that the Benders had suddenly disappeared, and he began to see light. He went back to independence, told York his suspicions, asked him to go with him in order to identify anything that might be found, which had belonged to his brother. York put but little confidence in the detective’s suspicions, and sent a younger brother with him.Beers went from independence to Cherryvale by rail, and then taking a wagon rode out to the Bender claim, a few nnles off. The place had been deserted hastily, but there were plain evidences that efforts had been made to burn clothing, pieces of harness, and papers. There was a small stock of groceries in the front room. Between this and the next room only the joists had been put up, and a sheet was bung upon these for a screen.The Benders had gone, apparently taking nothing hut a little wearing apparel with them. As they searched the house, Beers told young A ork to keep a sharp lookout for anything which might have been his brother's, lie did so, and before they had gone far he picked up a piece of his brother’s bridle.Then the search began in earnest. In groping about in the room back of the grocery, Beers found a little trap door and raised it. There came up a sickeniugstench, peculiar to decomposing human remains. Almost nauseated, Beers and his little posse examined the place. The trap opened into a pit about six feet deep, and this hail a passage opening out under the foundations. They made a careful examination of the pit, and found the soil saturated with what was plainly human gore. Back of the house was apiece of ground, perhaps an acre and a half in extent, which had been broken up and apparently recently plowed.Beers subsequently- learned 'bat Bender had plowed this ground over the day after Senator York and his friends had been there on their search.The detective at once began the examination of this ground, and, taking young York with him, started diagonally for the | southwest corner, intending to begin a systematic search, looking carefully for any appearance of subsoil or disturbance. A few rods from the corner Beers stopped and looked about him. Young York, who was on his right, a few feet from him, turned and came toward him. Glancing down. Beers saw between them a little depression, and Both noticedThe parties either came or were enticed to the house where the young woman engaged them in conversation, for she had the reputation in all part s of the county of bein g a good talker. Then one of the men would strike the visitor on the back of the head, felling him to the floor, when the other would strike him with a heavier sledge-like instrument. Then it would be but the work of an instant to drag the victim to the trap and cut his throat. In every case, except that of the child, these terrible wounds were found in the hack of tin- head, and the throats were gashed from ear to car. Two hammers were found in the house, which had evidently been used in the manner described.There was also something very peculiar about the manner of burial. The gr; were till from three to five feet deep.L‘ j bodies were straightened out with the1 right hand drawn up and laid flat upon the right breast. The left arm and band wi re stretched straight beside the body. This Air. Beers informed the reporter has been a puss sign between a large gang ol cut-throats and liorse-thieves working along the route from the Alission to Independence.The news of the finding of York's body-spread like wildfire, and before night icoi if men had lloeki 1 to the place to aid in the search. Among tin . lt;German, wholly innocent of wrong, hut because he happened to tie of the same nationality as the Benders, the crowd strung him up three times to make him confess, and finally desisted upon Beers’ declori tion that the man was innocent.About a year ago there was anothe member of the Bender family, a young man, but he all at once disappeared. The supposition is that, in attempting to dispose of some victim, this Bender was eitlier killed or mortally wounded, and then secretly buried.Of the bodies found thus far nearly all have been missed since last October. II. Lonchor, one of the victims, was a farmer in Howard lt;'ouuty. He sold out his cl; and, taking his little girl eight y ears he started for Iowa with his team, last known of him was when he camped on Drum Creek, lie could be traced no farther, and the finding of his body in Bender's field with the remains of the child a little way off, solved the mystery. A day or two after Longchor was lost, his team*was found about sixteen miles south of the Bender place. It had evidently been driven there in great hasle and abandoned. At several points on the line between the Bender place and the spot where the team was found, several persons were told of seeing the team go past at a furious rate, and on this line were found, at intervals, the end-board of Longchor’s wagon and his guns, which had fallen out in the hasty drive.The Benders talked boldly about this disappearance, and insinuated that the man must have been shot down on Drum\V. F. AlcCarthy, another of the victims, was a Howard County farmer. He was formerly in the One Hundred anil Twenty-third Illinois Infantry. lie had bad a long dispute about his claim with a man who belonged to the Bender gang. The latter had taken him away to have a settlement, and he was never seen afterward till his body was unearthed. The supposition is that’be was enticed to Bender's, and murdered in the same manner as the others.B. F. McKenzie was a farmer from Ohio, who was looking about for lands. He had $(.000 nr $7,000 and disappeared as mysteriously as the others. His body was found also.Another man named Boyle, who started from Independence to Alission with $700 iii his possession, was found also.Two others were identified, but the rest of the bodies were not recognizable.Nearly all of the victims bad teams lt;r saddle-horses. In two instances the wagons were tound on the prairie, and in one instance a horse which had been peculiarly marked was left with the wagon.In the other cases the horses were run otT by some members of the gang, and disappeared as mysteriously as their owners. Dr. Y’ork, when he disappeared, had with him a very fleet and valuable rouil-It seems that after the visit of Senator York and his party-, tlie Benders took the alarm. The next morning the old man plowed the field, and shortly afterwards they hitched up and drove to Thay er, a station on the Gulf road, twenty-or twenty-five miles away, where they were not known, arriving there in time to take a night train. It seems that they stopped a little way- out of town, unharnessed the horses, and tied them to the wagon. Then leaving the dog with tlie team, they went to the depot and left.The team remained out of town two or three days, no one knowing to whom it belonged. Finally, the Town Alnrshal went out and brought it in.A day or two after that some country-people were in town, and one of themdicing the dog which had been left with the team, exclaimed: “Why, there’s oldBender's dog!”This led to some explanations, and the team was readily identified. This led to a visit to the Bender place, and then it was discovered that the whole family had departed. This was just before or about the time that the detective made his visit to the claim.As soon as the bodies were unearthed. Beers entered upon his search for the criminals. He tound that the Benders ________________ were co-operating with a band of thieves,appearance of subsoil, j and just before he left Kansas, had sworn _t, and the detective said: j out warrants for the arrest of twenty-two‘There’s something here, York; go and j parties, many of them professedly farmers, get a wagon rod.” York complied, and j holding claims in Southern Kansas, soon returned. Beers himself has assumed the difficult ;Beers took the rod and gradually pushed task of hunting down the four members v it down until it struck hard ground just j of the Bender family. He succeeded in fi as it reached the ring. Then drawing it ! tracing them until they left the State, and J tl out he found that he had plunged the iron j then had an interview with the Governor I a into what appeared to be human remains. ! of Kansas, who authorized him to go . ft The others, who had in the meantime J ahead and hunt down the murderers re- j 11 been rummaging the house, were sum- i gardless of expense. | emoned, and ’ digging was commenced. 1 With this understanding he started and e About four feet below the surface they 1 arrived in St. Louis yesterday, having fol- h came upon a body partially decomposed, lowed a clear trail to this place. band lying face downwards. Then they I The Benders left Kansas with about h
Newspaper Details
Grand Rapids Wood County Tribune
Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, US
Thu, May 22, 1873
Page 2
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WI, USA 13 Mar 2025
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