The Lincoln County herald., 1873-05-21
up, and sheet was hung upon these for

up, and sheet was hung upon these for
q screen.
The Benders had gone, apparently
taking nothing but little weaving ap.
tarel with them. As they searched the
house Beers told young York to keep
sharp look out for anything that might
have been his brothers. lie did 30, and
before they had gone far he picked up q
piece of his brothers bride.
Then the search began in earnest. In
cropping about in the room back of the
grocery, Beers found little trap. door,
and raised it. There came up a sicken
ing stencil, peculiar to decomposins
human remains. Almost nauseated,
Beers and his little posse examined the
place. The trap opened into pit about
six feet deep, and this had a passage
opening out under tho 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 a piece Of ground, per.
haps an acre and a half in extent, which
had been broken up and apparently re.
Gently ploughed.
Beers subsequently learned that Bender
had ploughed this ground over the day
after Senator York and his friends had
been there on their search.
The detective at once began the exam
ination 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 suosoil or disturb
ance.
A few rods from the corner Beers
stopped and looked about him. Young
York, who was on his right. few feet
from him, turned and came toward him
Glancing down, Beers saw between them
little depression, and some appearance
Of subsoi. Both noticed it, and the de
tective said: There's something here,
York 90 and get wagon rod" York
complied, and soon returned.
Beers took the rod and gradually
pushed it down until it struck hard
ground Just as it reached the ring
Then drawing it out he found that he had
plunged the iron into what appeared to
be human remains.
The others, who had IN the meantime
been rummaging the house, wero sum
moned, and digging was commenced.
About four feet below the surface they
came upon body partially decomposed,
and lying face downwards. They then
stopped the disinterring and began to
dig down q trench two feet wide on one
side of the grave, toward which the face
was turned little.
While they we're thus employed q
party arrived from Cherryvale, having
gained an inkling Of what was going on.
Among the new corners was a doctor who
had been sent out by Senator York.
The trench was lowered below the leve
of the bottom Of the grave and the ear.f
dug away carefully from the face and
head Of the body. Then the detective
seeing that from the condition Of thu
corpse the utmost care would be neces.
sary in order to insure recognition, told
the doctor he must detach the head frou
the trunk. 1t was done, and havins
, been carefully cleaned, was lifted out ant
placed on q sheet brought from th
, house. The countenance was exposed t
{ view and in an instant the features Of DR.
York we're recognized.
Some of the men there sat down ant
, cried like children. others turned ava.
, sickencd, while others the sight onl
nerved them to continue the search.
|. While the detective was telling thi
heart sickening story to the Times re
porter. he would stop as he came to thi
horrible scene, at the finding Of DR.
York'a body, and seem to forget th'
present and 20 back in his agitation, Il
, that terrible morning Of the 5th of May
The work went on and other bodie
: wero found, until in all, nine had bee
uuearthed when Beers left. In ever,
case except that Of the little girl, tn
skull was broken in the back Of the head
The detective is of the opinion tha
!, the murders we're done in the following
, manner:
The parties either came or were en-
, ticed to the house where the young wo
man engaged them in conversation, TO
she had the reputation iu all that part q
4 the couatry of being good talke'
Then one OF the men would strike tn
= visitor on the back of the head, fcIlin!
;, him to the floor, when the other wou
strike him with heavier slcdge llk
instrument. Then it would be but tn
work of on instant to drag the victim I
i the trap door and cut bis throat. /
! cvery case except that of the child thes
terrible wounds we're found IN the bac
of the head, aud the throats were gashe
from car to ear. Two hammers wer
found 10 the house, which had evidentl
, been used in the manner described.
u There was also something very pecu
!, liar about tho manner Of burial. Th
graves wero all from three to i've fec
J. deep. The bodies we're Strengthened ou
With the right hand drawn up and lsi
y fat upon the right breast. Tho ie
Q hand and arm we're stretched straigh
d beside the body. This Mr.. Beers ia