Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1873-05-16

The Chsrryvale Murderers.

Inc OlerryVaIe Muruerers,
For some days the telegraph has
been giving us disconnected scraps
of information relative to the afro
cious murders committed by the
Bender family, near herryvale, Kan
sas. From our Eastern exchanges we
gather the revolving details. Cherry
vale is a small town on the Leaven-
worth, Lawrence and Galveston rail
road, about fifty miles from the south
ern boundary of Kansas. The
Bender family consisted OF two
brothers, both of whom had wives.
They lived on a farm about two miles
from C~herryvale, and occasionally
entertained travellers. One of the she
Bender's. wife Of the oldest Bender,
claimed to be a kind of spiritualist or
medium, ami Vas looked upon by the
neighbors as a perfect s~he-ievIl.
Some months ago DR.. York. 4 promi-
nent politician of Kansas, had occa-
sion to pass through that portion OF
the State on horseback. He sud-
denly disappeared, and the most
diligent setrch failed to reveal any
trace of his Whereabouts. The
try was secured for him, but without
avail. They could track him to the
vicinity of C~herryvale, but no fur
Their. The country was deeply agi-
tated, and the mysterious disappear
ance of DR.. Not k vas III everybooy's
mouth. The Blenders became alarmed
and fled the country, but no II
seems to have missed them until they
had been gone several weeks. y maj
passing the farm n day last week
discovered a dead calf in the yard
near the road, and, on investigation,
a~scertained that it had died from star
walton. The thought then flashed
across his mind that the Blenders had
left the country, and he proceeded 10
town and 50 reported. y crowd at
once visited the farm. Beds, furni-
ture, cooking utensils, etc, were all
in place. Search was then instituted
for the remains of the missing Dr..
York. In a deep, dark pit, or cellar
under the floor, cold, clotted blood,
mingled with earth, was discovered.
The house was thoroughly ransacked,
but to no purpose, and the party next
proceeded to the garden. Armed
with q sharp iron rod, vigorously APP
piled in probing the ground, they
soon discovered a grave, which, Oh
examination, was found to contain
the remains of the long absent DR..
York. He had been buried without a
coffin, face down. His skull was
crushed on the back part of the head,
and his throat had also been cut
from ear to ear. Further search in
the garden disclosed ten other
graves, all containing remains in q
greater or less degree decomposed.
Among the rest were the remains of a
father and his golden-haired little
girl of six years of age, in one grave.
Eleven bodies in all were eXhumed
by the excited p%Opulace ina few hours,
Death had in every case resulted from
a blow with a m%urderous hammer on
the back part of the head. AS might
we'll be coniectured, the most intense
excitement prevailed for miles
around, and people tlOcked by the
thousands to the scene of these dia-
bolical murders. Most Of those MUIR
dered were travellers, but at latest &C
counts many of them had been iden-
tilted. Plumber is the supposed mo-
tive which prompted the commission
of these crimes. The case certainly
stands without a parallel in the Grim
inal history of our whole country. In
conclusion, we have the gratifying
announcement to make, that accord
ing to our dispatches of this morning
one Of the Benders has been arrested
somewhere in Texas. The whole
tribe should be roasted alive.