Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-05-23
The Kansas Butchery,
A TERRIBLE RECORD OF MURDER.

In the annals OF wholesale human
butchery the names of the Bender fam
lily of Cherryvale, Kan, will hereafter
be associated with those of Probst and
Troppmann, The series of horrible muir
ders of which this family has been guilty
even exceeds in extent and atrocity the
crimes which those bloody men expiated
with their lives, for their devilish work
has continued undiscovered through an
unknown period, and to murder they
added sckening mutilation. The house
occupied by the Benders, in and around
which the evidence of these fearful muir
ders has been discovered, is situated on
the Usage Mission road, about two miles
from Cherryvale, in Labette county,
Kan, short distance from the south
line of the state. The house is on an
open prairie, and was kept as way-side
tavern it is about IA by 90 feet, and
contains two apartments. In the rear is
garden of about two acres. During the
past year number of persons have dis
appeared in remarkable manner, and
all traces of them have been lost. In
many cases a thorough search for the
missing ones was made, but all exertions
and inquiries of friends were fruitless.
The first disappearance that attracted
public attention was that of an old man
and his granddaughter, who left Cherry
vale about three months ago in two
horse wagon, to go to Fort Scott, but
never reached that place. All inquiries
failed to elicit clew to the cause OF
their disappearance, until, about the be-
ginning of March, DIR. William I'll. Y ork,
| brother of State Senator York, recog-
nized the team and wagon at Fort Scott
DIR. York ascertained that the wagon
had been purchased at the fort from
some person who came from Cherryvale
and he resolved to ferret out the mystery
For this purpose he left the fort on
March 8, and went in the direction ot
Cherryvale; but he, in like manner
disappeared, and all after-search for him
by his brother and host of friends was
fruitless, Notwithstanding the fact that 8
large reward was offered for any intelfi
gence of his fate. The search, however
for DIR. York led to the finding of tht
bodies of the old man and child in the
rayine near Drum creek, with theil
throats cut from ear to ear. Further
search at this time resulted in the dis
covery of wagon wedged in between
two trees, the horses having been unable
to liberate it, and from the half-starveC
condition of these animals it is supposed
that they must have been thus held fol
several days. The marks of bullets ant
blood upon the wagon indicated that ;
conflict had taken place: and it wa
surmised that while the owners of th,
wagon were being murdered the horse
doubtless became alarmed, and mad
their escape, finally getting fastened il
the manner described. Who these per
sons were, has not yet been found out.
While making the search for Di
York, the house of the Blenders, fami
| ly who bore pretty bad reputation, wa
visited by several parties but to all tn
answer was returned that no one ha'
seen the missing man. The persistenc
with which these inquiries were made
ard the constant advertising through th
papers of Kansas of the strange disap
pearance of DIR. York, doubtless cause'
some alarm in the minds of the Bende
family, although no one had any defnit
information which traced the disappear
ance to their agency. Abont fortnigh
ago, man riding from the prairie ne
ticed that no smoke was to be seen issu
ing from the chimney of Bender's house
that the doors and windows were closec
. and not a sign of life was visible. Thi
did not particularly excite his curiosit
until he noticed in the lot calf whic
apparently died of starvation. This e1
cited his suspicion, and he galloped owe
to Cherryvale with the news. The tow
g soon became excited, and it was then r,
membered that William Bender ha
about April "a sold watch, some clotl
ing, two mules, and some other propert,
All then became impressed with th
idea that the Bender family had, frol
some good cause, taken hasty leave {
their residence, and party went OF
: from Cherryvale to make some inquire
On arriving at the place, the out-hou'
or stable was first examined, and mex
the larger room of the cabin. Ever,
thing was exactly as the Benders ha
left them, and there was nothing to ind
cate murder or foul play. Even in th
rear room there was nothing suspicion
at the first glance; but on removing or
of the two beds, slight depression
the floor led to the discovery of traI
door upon hinges. Raising this trap,
well, about six feet deep and FIVE fe,
wide, was uncovered f; and, upon descen'
: ing Tito it. the ground was found to |
? saturated with thick, fetid blood, whic
stuck to the fingers of those who ha
been cropping about the bottom of ii
we'll. The horror excited by this disco
: cry may well be imagined, and the c.e
to many of the mysterious disapperanc
E was thought to be near. The soft grour
: at the bottom of the well was bored wit
: rods, but nothing rewarded the search
o the now excited party. There was L
: doubt that murder had been committe,
and that the bleeding bodies had bee
thrust into this well but what had afte
ward been done with them was as yet
: mystery. 1t was then suggested that ii
! garden should be examined, and all 8
:. to work boring the ground with rod