Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1873-05-17
THE EClIERRYVALE HORROR.
The Darkest Crime ON Record Gynph-
lc DcstribiiOn Or the sccna "r tile
Horror.
fFrom the Cherryville Courier.l

From the Cherryville Courier.
One Of the darkest crimes in the some.
what eventful history CT Kansas has just
been unveiled in the northwestera part OF
Dabette county. All who have read the
papers lately are familiar with the report
of the mysterious disappearance of Dr.
York, of Independence, as well as . num-
ber of other parties. The whole county, as
well as all portions of the State, has been
in fever Of excitement over this mysleri.
ous affair for some time, and the other day
the untiring energy of those who have
never ceased work in hopes CT ferreting
out tho matter, were rewarded with de-
velopmeuts wtlsh nc ed only TO he hnown
10 cause one blood to curdle in theiF T5ihb
We learned the following particulars Of
the matter from Mr.. John Keepers, who
lives three miles west of CUtfeyville, and
who in company with Mr. John NJ. Crowcli,
special agent Of the Posottice tp rtmcnt,
was At the scene of horror,
1t seems that II family OF uermah fam lily
named Bender, and who pretended to be
spirilualists, were the perpetrators of Il
series Of the most damnable crimes on
record Mr.. Keeper says: TIL scene OF
the horrible tragedy il one mile east and
two miles south of Moreberi station, atd
six miles northeast Of Cherryvae.
The house is situated in beautiful val
ley, surrounded on the south, east and
north by range of 4ow hills and in fair
view of the Leavcnworth, Lawrence and
Galveston railroad, and many farm h.uses,
though not nearer than half mile 10 amy
one. The huge is about lox2O,, nhingle
Single sJst xni tei ithbf geiled nor plass
tered. The Bender family consisted cf
four persons; iatber, mother, Sen and
daughter. Age of father SO years, the
mother 60, son u, daughter ~. The son
if described as a strong muscular man.
The family are pruiessed spirituaisi5
and the daughter claims supernatural
powers, that she can heal the sick, restore
sight TO the blind, etc. Also, that she
could give d, finite information of rob
berries, murders, etc. The following is II
partial list of the victims Of this mysteri.
ous family. The lat of their victims was
DIR. York, Of independence, a highly lie.
spected citizen, whose mysterious disaps
pearange created pe much feeling that
large partiss wcni Id search Of him. lie
was traced TO Bcnder's house, whsre they
said he took Dinner and left Tor lndcpcn-
dence, but no suspicion rested upon them ;
but the weight of guilt was heavy, and the
large number in search alarmed the fam
lily, and ,hGy left the hovse, without re-
moving anything, druse their team 10
Thayer, and left it whore it was taken a
few days after by the Sheriff of that
county.
1. was about the first of April when .hoy
disappeared They took the northwarl
bound train At Thnycr. There being no
suspicion resting upon these quiet, unob-
trusivs Germans, and they not having
been very social and having. but few Wis
itors, it was not known they had aban-
doned their home for noar four weeks,
aud when the discovery was made 1t was
found that their calves and hogs were
starved TO death In the lots. These dis.
coveries at once awakened Suspicion and
sea rch was commenced in a small orchard
100 feet south of the house. The surface
had been carefully plo Sed and furrowed
by Benders before their departure. but
the body of Mr. York had been buried so
recently that the heavy rain and time had
settled the gaound around the grave so
that the outlines of the grave were dis
tine ,ly visible and few hours work un-
earthed their horrible crime.
DR.. fork's body being found, further
search was made by thrusting sharp
pointed iron rod into the earth which soop
developed the fact.t that there we're many
more graves on this half acre ofgroand,
aud by night-fall eight bodies in al we're
exhumed, of which he following is a mar
iial list, so far as could be identified. W
F. McGrouty, of the 1S3d illinois infantry,
company sd, - Brown, Henry McKen-
zie, of Hamilton county, Indiana, aud o
Mr.. Lonchore and his little girl. The lat
ter had just buried his wife and was about
starting to Iowa. The scene Thursday
was too horrible to give eyed !, faint de-
.cription Of it. Seven bodies in various
stages Of decomposition were laying on
the ground by the side of their open graves.
Their skulls broken and ihei rthroats cut
from ear ear, except the little girl Is
months old, who must have been strangled
or else ihrowu into her grave alive. She
was in full dress as her grand mother bad
dressed her that merning; was in the bot
tom of the grave and her father lying up
on her.
The manner in which they accomplished
their terrible deeds was this: On the
house was posted the sign, "Groceries, I"
but they kept nothing but rome wines.
THIS sign called in their victims. In the
floor near the stove was q traFvdoor, two
feet square, which opens into a rude hole
in the ground, seven feet deep, six feet
wide ct the top and three feet at the bot
tom. The earth outside OF the house does
not show any sign Of excavation. Into
this horrible hole Was plunged the unfor-
tunats victims they murdered in day light.
The hammers used for breaking he
skulls were such as are used by stone
breakers on our streets. The hsndles are
about twenty inches long. Upon examin-
stion it VAS found that the skslis we're all
broken on the bacs and right eide Of the
heal, showing that the desperate deeds
have all been done by right-handed
man. The b0dfss have all been identified
butfH0.