Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-05-23
The Kansas Horror.

The latest horror has just been unearth-
ed in Labette County, Kansas, where nine
murdered bodies have already been dis
c )vered, and search is being prosecuted
for more. Among the victims found is
DR.. William York, brother Of State Sena-
tor York (who gained sucA extended no.
toriety during the late Senatorial election).
The scene of these wholesale murders lies
one and half miles southeast OF More
head Station, on the road leading from
Usage Mission to Independence The
bodies were found under a frame house
recently occupied by German family
named Bender, who left the place some
two or three weeks since. This family
consisted of four adults, Bender and his
wife, and a son and daughter They had
settled upon railroad claim ten years
ago, and although they were not regarded
favorably by their neighbors, no suspicion
existed that they were engaged in criminal
practices. The daughter professed to be
a spiritual physician, and claimed the art
of healing all the ills that flesh is heir to-
Her mode of cure is now found to have
been effectual. The following is a copy
of her advertisement published in the In
dependence (Kas) Journal:
Prof. Miss Katie Bender can heal all sorts of dis,
eases; can cure blindness, nus deaInessi ana an
I'd miles east of Independence, on the road from
independence to Usage Mission, lR miles bouln-
east of Morehead Station. hATE BENDER
June IS, 1872.
The history of the terrible tragedy is
full of interest. Persons had been mys-
teriouslv disappearing for some time, but
as they had no friends to prosecute an
earnest search, but little attention was paid
to the matter. Some time in March, while
Dr. York was on visit to Fort Scott,
partially consumed wagon was brought
into the city which the doctor recognized
as the remains of vehicle he had sold to
d German in Independence. The parties
who brought it in explained that they had
found it just off the road between Ladore
and MOrehead, and that 1t was supposed
to have belonged to a German who, with
his daughter, had started out few days
previously DIR. York expressed great in
terest in the discovery, and when he
started out ON his return home, declared
his intention ofhunting up the details OF
the supposed crime. About March lO he
left Fort Scott, mounted on a valuable
horse. but never reached his home. HIS
family becoming alarmed at his absence,
his brother, the Senator, proceeded to Fort
Scott to inquire after him. Learning the
facts of the case, he returned over the
road, accompanied by another brother VINO
lived in that city and some other
persons, and they traced the missing
man to Usage Mission and thence to Drum
Creek, and here all trace of him was lost.
1t was at once supposed that the DOCTOR
had been waylaid and murdered, the re,
cent disappearance of other persons in the
same locality giving color to the suspicion
Officers were set to work to ferret out tne
murderers, and Governor Osborne offered
reward of $500 for the apprehension OF
every person concerned in the crime. This
stimulated inquiry, and on the 9th inst
the body of the murdered man was dis
covered by his brother Edward IN ploWeo
| field about an acre in extent, and ten RODS
| from the house. He had been stripped
naked and thrown face downward into
hole four feet deep. The head was founc
to be badly broken both temples crushed
| in, and an indentation on the back OF the
skull A shoe-hammer was found In the
! house fitting the fracture in the skull, anc