The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-05-27

doze, from which she was awakened bv
the touch of the Old hag of the den, WHO,
pointing to an array Of pistols and doub-
lie edged knives, of various sizes, lying
on tile table, said in spirit of hellish ma
iignity: "There, your supper is ready"
Ehe woman was motionless and breath
less with terror, and as sue sank back on
the bed, the devil dame picked up the
knives one by one and drew her finger
across the sharpened blades, at the same
time glancing fendishly at her intended
victim. How long this terror lasted the
woman could not tell but at last she, in
the very desperation of fear, arose as
though not alarmed, and made a private
excuse for going out. She was permitted
to do so, and moving around to the shell.
ter OF the stable, barefooted and scarce
half-clad, she darted off on the wings of
fear, and ran for two miles to the house
of one who protected her and gave her
shelter. AS she was running away she
turned frequently to see if she was pur-
sued but no one followed her, though she
saw the light from the opened doorway
several times, as though the devils inside
were awaiting her return.
Even this story SEEMED not to have
aroused more than the before existing
suspicion that the Benders we're not ex.
actly .lle right kind of people.
BUNGLED BUSINESS:
Although for the F asst three years this
section has been Infested with horse
thieves and murderers, and this was
known to every one about the country,
it is probable the same state of affairs
might have continued for an indefinite
period had not the murderer of DR..
York, man of family, friends atid rep
utation, led to the exposure. Men have
been missed aid bodies found of MUIR
dered men for three years past, and
"vigilance committees" have hunted and
driven some men from the country, but
it would now seem as though the leaders
of these regulators" were themselves
the villains, and honest men had been
falsely suspected and driven from their
homes. Known villains have for that
time been sen. to the Penitentiary, only
to be pardoned out by the Governors.
And even the band of seventy five
armed and honest men who secured the
country in search Of Dr.. York, when it
was learned he was missing. seem to
have had very little, Judgment or dis
cretion
On the 2Sth Of March last, Col. York
and Mr.. johnson visited the Bender
house, to which place they had tracked
DR. York, and endeavored to coax some
information from them, but they would
tell nothing. On the Sd of April these
armed men visited the house with the
sole object of finding the murderers of
DR.. York, yet they did not notice the
bullet holes in the house, and allowed
themselves to be fooled by an assumed
stupidity which was the disguise Of the
most hellish cunning. The old hag sat
mum and gloomy, pretending she could
not understand or speak English; old
Bender said nothing; Kate, she of the
evil eye, denied all knowledge of the
lost, and the younger male william fooled
them with well made up story. He
said that at about the time they said DR..
York was missed, he, Bender,
HAD BEEN SHOT AT
in lonesome place near Drum Creek,
one evening and it must have been
those that killed the doctor. He des-
cribed the place minutely and then took
them TO it, and it was found as he said,
and they half believed his story, and
returned with him. Col. York repeated
the story given above, of supper, of
| pistols and knives offered to the lone
woman, when the old hag soon found
her sense of the English language i'm
proved. She understood all that had
been said, and flew into violent pass
ion. She denied the story of the sup
per, but said that that was bad and
wicked woman whom she would kill if
ever she came near them again; that
the woman was a witch and had be-
witched Kate's coffee; and then she or
dered the whole band away While
going and coming from the creek John
told Col. York that his sister 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 this
wonderful mistress of the Devil to re-
veal where the body of his brother was.
She positively and persistently refused
her Satanic aid at this time, giving as
her reason, therefor, that she could not
do so in the daytime and while there
were SO many meu and so much noise
about.
AN INVITATION.
This pretended sorceress and real
fiend then told Col. York, private, that
if he would come the next night, Friday
| when best she worked her spells
and bring only one man with him, she
would take him to the grave of his mur-
dered brother. Had the Colonel beer
so foolish as to believe the mysterious
power of the creature there Is no doubt
she would have proved her promise
good. The whole band then left the
house. They visited the houses of
Roach and Smith and Harness, at La
dore, and made many threats, but
accomplished nothing. Their intent
was good, but they lacked an experien-
ced detective for leader. So strong
was their conviction, however, of the
guilt of the Reaches and the Benders
that they would have hung them if it
had not been for the persuasion of Col.
York and few others, who were deter
mined that none but the known guilty
should suffer, Of course this visit alar-
med the Benders, and they fed. How,
has been published in the Times.
MORE cARELEssNEss.
1t seems strange that no watch was
put upon the suspected Benders, and
still more strange that they should have
been gone three weeks before any one
knew it, When they went to Thayer
they left their team, wagon and dog on
the public street of the town. On the
street the team and wagon remained two
days without claimant, when they were
taken charge of by livery firm-Bears
& Wheeler. No notice, other than an
item in the Head Light, local journal,
was given of the finding of the team,
and no description of the horses pub