The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1873-05-23
The I4ansas Tragedy.


we have not met milh any atrouity at oil
approaching the recent Bender murders II
Kansas, at place called Cherryyale. we
condense the circumstances Of this appall- /
ing massacre IL uuwary travellers from our
Missouri exchanges, which are full Of details |
and excitement
The Bender family consisted of four per
sons, father, mother, son aud daughter
The age Of the father was sixty-three years,
the mother sixty, son twenty yseyen, and
daughter twenty -four. The son Is described
us strong, muscular man. The family are
professed spiritaalists, and the daughter
claims supernatural powers, ii that she can
heal the sick, restore sight 70 the blind, md
also that she could give definite information
Of robberies, murders, etc.
These resided in a small house near the
railroad, half mile distant from any other
residence. The house had 9 sign out ot
"Gruceries, which seems to have been the
bait for the victims. Iii the floor near the
stove was ttap-door, two feet square,
which opens into q rude hole in the ground,
seven feet deep, six feet wide At the top,
and three feet al the bottom. The earth out
If excavation. Into this horrible hole was
plunged the unfortunate victims whom they
murdered in daylight. The hammers used
for breaking the skulls are such as are used
| BY stuue-5reukers on our streets, and the
handles are about twenty inches long.
Upon examination it was found that the
skulls were jill broken on the back and right
sideof tie head, showing that the desper
ate deeds have been done by right handed
| man.
The mysterious disappearance Of DR..
York, OF Independence, BROTHER Of Colonel
York, so notorious in the Senator Pome-
roy scandal, who was traced to the Ben
ders, where they said he took dinner,
caused the discovery of the murders. The
Benders were not suspected, but becoming
alarmed from the closrness of the search
for DR.. York, they left the house without
removing anything. drove their team to
Thayer aud lett IL, where il was taken few
days after by the sheriff Of that county.
1t was about the 9TH Of April when they
disappeared They took the northward
bound train at Thayer. There being no
suspicion resting on these quiet unobtrlsivt
Germans, and they not having been very
sociable and having but few visitors, it was
not known thgt they had abandoned thei
home fur nearly four weeks; and when tht
discovery was made, il was found that theil
calves and hogs we're starved 70 death il
the lots. These discoveries at once awak
ened suspicion, and search was commences
III i small orchard, one hundred and fifty fee
south Of the.honse. The surface had beel
, carefully pIowed and narrowed by the Ben
!, ders, before their departure but the bod
Of Dr. York had been buried so recent
!, that the heavy rains and time had settle
the ground around the grave so that th
outlines of the grave We're distinctly yisibl'
= and d few hours work unearthed these ho
: ribe crimes. DIR. Yurks body being foun'
:, further search was made, by thrusting
2. sharp pointed iron rod into the earth, whc
Y soon developed the fact that there we
e. many more graves on this half acre
y ground, aud by nightfaIl eight bodies 10 .
a were exhumed, all Of which have been iden
2 ded. Among these victims was child
eighteen months old, who was probab
! strangled, or else buried alive, her fathel
!, body being thrown in on top Of her.
!, y Such are tie facts as We have gather
I !. them from our exchanges The bunt is b
= after the murderers, aud We hope soon
- hear Of their capture, for the annals
y crime in this country can show nothi
r. to equal this atroci'y.
Sc -----~--~-~----~Ns--7-~-~---~J--
cir A TOUCHING INCIDENT. The Gosingt
tKy( journal says: A short time sin