The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-05-23
ggistellatleuas.
TIE BENDER BAND.
Mere Facts CsneerniaS the Horrible
Tragedy IN KanSa<

A"-NNL 4-1 ANNhN-ANa
A reporter of the Kansas CITY
Times, who returned from the scene
Of the murders on Monday night,
makingthe following statement, which
contains many facts of interest in ad
dition to those already published
The devil kitchen, otherwise the
the Bender house, is q small, rude
frame shanty, without lath or plaster
or intervening substance between its
floor ard the rs'ters of the pointed
rocf. In size 1t is 16 by "a feet.
Small uprights 2 By 4 inches are set
to mark the house into TWO compart.
ments, but no wall had ever been made
other than a white cotton cloth hung
in the rear apartment and against
these upright. The front apartment
had in it counter, over which the
butchers once pretended to sell gro
ceries. In the rear room was a rude
bed, table stove, and three chairs.
The table, to which the guests of
the fiends were seated, was placed
directly over the trap-door, so that
the guests back was to and against
the white curtain. In this position it
was an easy thing for the male villsins
in the front apartment TO strike the
form clearly lined aud resting against
the white cloth, and when the blows
of the sledge and the hammer had
knocked the victim, with q crushed
and broken skull, senseless and help
less to the floor, for the female fiends
in the back room TO cut the throat.
The execution was as simple as it was
dreadful, but, though it would seem
resistance to such well planned mur-
der of the trusting and unsuspectlng
was impossible, the walls gave silent
evidence that some of the murdered
ones had not been sent to their doom
without an effort to defend them
selves. No less than a dozen bullet
holes in the sides and roof of the
house attest that armed men, when
struck down go relentlessly, had at
tempted to shoot their murderers,
but, unfortunately their aims had been
wild, and the murderers are reserved
for the hempen Latter.
THE SITUATION.
This building is located just on the
rising edge OF a beautiful narrow val
ley, circled On the south, east, and
west by a range of mounds or hills,
fronting to the north in the mouth Of
the valley. The hills are distant from
the house from a half TO mile, the
closest being On the south, 10 the rear.
The house fronted to the road Just
10 the bend, sitting back about its own
length from the roadway. From this
point of the road can lie had full
view OF everything for half mile
in every direction, but not another
house is within sight. It is about
seven miles from Cherryvale, ten
miles from Thayer, eight niles from
LadOre, and two miles from More
head, and just in the northwest cor
ner OF Labette County.
Although for the past three years
this section hiss been infested with
horse thieves and murierers, and
this known to every one shout the
country, it is probable the same state
of affairs might have continued for
an indefinite period had not the mur-I
der of DIR. York, a usn of family,
friends, and reputation, lec TO the ex.
posu:e. Men have been missed and
bodies found OF murdered men for
three years past, t,and vigilance COM
mittees'' have hunted and driven
some men from the country, but it
would now seem So though the lead
ers Of these "regulatcrs" were them
selves the Williams, snd honest men
had been falsely and foUlIy suspected
and driven from their homes. Known
villains have for that time been sent
to the Penitentiary, Only to be par
dOned out by the Governors.
And even the band Of eeventy-lye
armed and honest men who scOared
the country n search Of Dr.. York, I
when it was learned that he WIS miss
ing, seemed To have had very little
judgment or discretion.
On the 2Sth o. March last, Colonel
York snd Mr. Johnson visited the
Benner House, 70 which they had
tracked DIR. York, and endeGyored TO
cosx some Information irum them.
but they would tell nothing. On the
81 Of April this armed band visited
the house with the Object ot finding
the murderers Of DR.. York, vet they
did not notice tue bullet holes in the
house, and allowed Themselves to be
fooled by an assumed stupidity which
was the disguise OF most hellish cum
ming. The old hag sat mum and
gloomy, pretending she could not
understand or speak EIgllsh old
Bender said notbiag Kste. she of
the evil eye, denied all knowleGg ge
of the lost, ard the younger male vii
lain fooled them with 4 well made no
story. He said tina, a: about the
tlIne Lhey said inst DT 0Ek was
missed, he, Bender,
HAD BEEN sHCT AT
in lonesome place near Drum Creek,
one evening, and it must have been
BY those who killed the doctor. He
described the place minutely and then
took them TO It, and it was ionnd as
he said, and they half believed his sto-
Nv. and returned with him While
going and coming from the creek John
told Col. York that his lister Kate
could do anything, that she could con-
troll the devil, and that the devil did
her bidding. When they returned TO
the house Col. York tried TO induce