The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-05-30
miscellaneous.
From the st. Louis Times, May Ill
THE BENDER BUTCHERIES.
Detective Beers Story.

A detective, Mr.. Thomas Beers, oi
Independence, Kansas, who has done
more than any one else TO ferret out
the mystery, arrived yesterday morn
ing, having traced the Benders TO st.
LoUis. y ZTmes reporter called upon
Mr.. Beers during the day and obtain
ed the inside history and full partie-
ulars OF the Bender5' bloody career.
For several months persons have
been disappearing very mysteriously
On the route between Independence
and Osaga Mission. Nearly q dozen
people had suddelly dropped out Of
sight in this way, and the matter was
exciting o great deaf of talk through
out Southeast Kansas.
About . month ago, DR.. William A.
York, 4 brother OF Senator York,
who exposed the Vaccinations of
Pomeroy, disappeared in the same
way, anu all efforts to find him were
in vain. DR.. York lived in Fort
Scott and had gone out on collect
ing tour, riding a valuable roadster.
He finally rode down to Independence
and visited his father, then he started
tor home, passing along the treacher
Gus route to Usage Mission, and
nothing move was seen OF him.
The York family is one of consid-
cradle influence in that part of Kan
sas, and the affair caused great ex-
citement. The other disappearances
were recalled to memory and the
people began to talk of The existence
of a gang OF uurderers and robbers
somewhere between the Mission and
Independence.
On the route between these places
is dismal stretch OF prairie, sparsely
settled. Two Of the landmarks of
this prairie are Drum Creek and Big
Hill. Midway between them live the !
Bender family, consisting of the old |
man ard the old woman, a young
man who passed as the son of Ben
der, ard a young woman who passed |
as the daughter OF the Old woman.
The young people passed as married,
the younger Mrs. Bender
bore very slippery character on the
point of morality.
Bender had frame house of sew
erGl rooms, which he had built upon
q claim lie prOiessed 20 keep a
grocery IN the front roOIh Of the house
and an eating-room for travellers.
The place was considered q kind of
halfway stopping place. The house
stood in the midst Of prairie, with
nothing to break the view for q mile
around.
The younger MIS-. Bender professed
to be q spiritual medium, and held
seances. She also had q
card in ore or two of the country
papers, inviting calls from those who
desired to have their fortunes reveal
ed. Il
About two weeks sgo or more,
Senator York organized party AID
secured the country far and vide to
ind some trace OF his brother. In
the course of their ride they
halted ct the Bender place TO feed.
Young Bender, when he heard of !
their mission, volunteered bis servi- ,
ces 20 aid ia the search. This visit I
occurred on Wednesday. The young {
,r woman also called Senator York ,
aside, and telling him OF her powers, ,
proposed to hold = seance on the I
next Friday night, saying that if he |
would come she would reveal the 3,
Of MS brother.
York paid little CT no attention 10 a,
his, snd the p2rty soon passed Oh. +.
About two weeks agO, Mr.. Thomas ,
Beers, WHO has been . Kansas detec- i
i've for ten Yeas or more, vas ur- ;
gently requested by Senator York to !
AXE hold OF the case, snd aid go. Ii
Day and night he travelled the
quite between Usage Mission and +,
Independence, seeking 10 solve the
Mystery. He soon struck the trail ,
If desperate with whom ne was
acquainted. The man had served a..
Ieveral terms in the penitentiary, and :
here was nothing 70 show tia. he !
lad reformed. Beers found that this !,
nan was travelling back and forth I.
between the Mission and Independ- ;
nee, and lie Swallowed him closely. :
Wherever the man stopped Beers :
gsited and then learned his conyer- :
alton. He learned that the villain
vas talking freely shout mysterious y
!,
tone place he told q woman about
ne murder Of little giri about seven {
II eight yesrs old, a.d when the hor. .
flied listener exclaimed, chow could
hey do it :" he replied, ''Why, they :
trangleJ her. This was told 20
seers and lie knew Ee had 4 c!ae.
At another place the disappearance
f York was the topic, and the man
onfdently ssii that they would o
ever find York, for he had been
ulied in a corn fed, and tine ground Z
ad been plowed over. !
Beers head this, too, and some q
Tiki LII - 4Dtl IL 4LAEleU tQ2t
be Benders had suddenly disappear '
d, and he began to see light. He l
rent back 10 Independence, told York Il
Is suspicious, and asked him to 90 :
Tith him, il order TO identify any, Il
hing that might be found which had !,
elonged to his brother. York put
ut little confidence n the detectives y y
and sent : younger broth ::
? with him. =
Beers went from Independence to
'herryvale by rail, and ihen taking a Q
lagOn rode out TO the Bender claim, l.
few miles CT. The place had been d
eserted hastily. but there were plain o.
that great efforts had been
1ade 70 burn clothing, pieces OF 81
arness and papers. There was d
mall stock OF groceries in the front W
II