The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-06-06
from tt OAwcno Register.I
ei a DEN OF MUHDEHErgH.
The Bender Tragedy Discovery Of The
Eodies.


.e5 egtA DEN OF MUnDERErss.
The Bender Tragedy Discovery Of The
4a46 iscdies. g
Yesterday, accompanied by Or.
Wier, W.,P.. Bishop and McGill of
the Independent, We visited the premi-
ses where the body Of the murdered
DIR. York was found. It il situated
on'aection 13, township 81, range IL /,
Usage township, near Timber Hill
creek, thirteen miles from Parsons.
The road leading from Osaqe Mis-
sion toIndependence lays across the
premises. which is wild unbroken
claim. The house is one-story.
pine lumber frame, 16x24 feet, neith-
or plastered nor ceiled. A cloth
partition had been thrown across,
leaving small room in the rear.
Tho first room had been used as a
store, in. which o small stock of
goods had been kept for sale. In
the back room was trap door, about
1Gx22 inches. underneath Of which
had been large hole scooped out
like n pickle dish, about six feet deep
at the lowest point. The sides, door
and roof of the house were perforat-
ed with, by actual count, dozen
bullet holes. We found two stoves,
bedsfend and few articles of
clothing remaining in the bonse. 4
few steps southeast of the house,
stood a stone stable covered with
straw. To the east hundred yards
and across the road stood corn crib.
Twenty steps in the rear was piece
of broken ground containing about
three-quarters OF an acre, and on
which stood an orchard of apple
trees. There was no fencing about
the premises, and this small patch
was the only ground broken upon
the claim. It was this small orchard
that proved to be the burying ground
OF eight murdered victims.
The circumstances which led to
tho discovery OF DIR. York. body are
these. Last Friday Silas Toles,
while passing the premises above
described. noticed that it had desc.
late appearance as if unoccupied
Cattle. hogs and horses were wander
ing about the place as If they needed
attention. He examined more close.
ly and found the house deserted, and
the horses and wagon gone. He
looked into pen aud fonad dead
calf, which from appearances had
starved to death. He notified l.. f.
Dick, trustee OF the township. of the
circumstances when on Monday Mr.
Dick, and a brother of the murdered
York, accompanied by two detectives,
made a thorough search of the
premises.
The family which had deserted the
claim in such mysterious manner,
were Hollanders by the name oil
Bender Tor Benter, as written in
pencil over the house). The family
consists of John Bender, 60 years OF
age. his daughter q young woman,
Mrs. Bender aud her son, a young
man. At times the young people
claimed to be man and wife, but
publicly and when on tour as a
spiritual lecturer, she passed off as
Miss Katie Bender.
On entering the house they found
the furniture regularly arranged, the
stoves in their accustomed place and
nothing but a portion of bed clothing
was missing. Even flour and other
Provisions were remaining. They
were met by strong, sickenine
stencil which drove them back. In
attempting to ascertain the source oi
the stencil, and place to pry up the
floor. which was pine grooved, they
discovered small trap door describ.
ed above, under table standing in
the center OF the house From the
hole arose the stencil. The hole was
searched but contained nothing bui
clotted blood
The next day n more thorough
search was made. the house wa.
dragged from off the hole. but moth,
ing further was developed. They
passed to the plowed ground in ths
rear and probed it with iron rods
Mr.. York said, "Look out for graves.
He was the first to perceive Sigh
depression in the east end of ths
garden. A force at once proceeded
to remove the earth, when, to theil
horror, they unearthed the body O
the murdered York.
1t was crowded in q hole abou
four feet long and four feet deep
head down and feet almost protrud
ing through the soil. When remov
ed the head fell from the body. Th,
| throat had been cut from ear 10 ear
severing leaders and arteries. Th,
skull was mashed in two places
as if done by O hammer, blow Oh
/ either side of the head. A shoe
hammer, however, and n hatcet. wer.
found in the house. the polls o
which fit the holes.
/ On Wednesday still further searcl
was made, when seven more bodie
were cxhumed, all of which hav,
since been identified. The grave
were found on the east edge of th,
breaking. in row, excepting on
body which was found in roun,
hole once used as we'll.
| On the extreme west was foun.
the body of Longcor and child. il
one grave. This is the man of whom
York had been making diligent IN
quiry. He had left Independence
| for Iowa last winter. with team
accompanied by o little girl eightee
months old. His team and wagol
i had been found few miles belo'
that place, in the woods near a creek
which York and others afterward
identified as the property of Long
cor. The child was buried in il