Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-05-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Kansas Futchery.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The foul and dreadful series Of n.ur
ders lately brought to light In Labette
county, Kansas, continues to be the al
absorbing topic of conversation through
out the State, and to excite wonder and
amazed horror all over the nation. The
Bender house is a small rude frame
shanty, without lath or plaster or inter.
tervening substance between its floor
and the ra:lers of the pointed roof. In
size il 1924 feet. Small uprights 2x4
inches aIe set TO maIk the house into
two compartments, but no wall had ever
teen made, other than white cotton
cloth hung in the rear apartment and
against these uprigh,s.
The table TO which the guests were
seated, was placed directly over the trap
door, so that the guests back was to
ard against the white curtain. In this
position it was an easy thing for the
male Williams in the front apartment to
strike the form clearl y lined against the
white cloth, and when the blows of the
slcdgc hammer had knocked the victim,
with crushed and broken skull sense
less to the floor, for the female iends in
the back room 10 cut the throat.
The execution was as simple as it was
dreadful. but, though it would seem re-
sistauce to such well planned murder of
the trusting aud unsuspecting was impos
sible, the walls gave silent evidence that
some Of the murdered ones had not been
sent to their doom without an effort to
save their lives. No less than a dozen
bullet holes in the sides and roof of the
house attest that armed men. when struck
down 50 rtlcntlessly, had attempted to
shoot their murlcrers, but unfortunately,
the aims had been wild, and the murder
ers are reserved for the hempen halters
With tAe exception of DR.. York and
fcury L N Mkenzee, G. W Longcor
and daughter, whose families took charge
Of their remains and buried them at In
dependence. the bodies of those found in
the garden graves were silently taken
away by men who knew them not, yet
longed for vengeance ON their assassins,
to the base OF a high mound, about
.!ilc 10 he southeast of the DEVILS kitch- !
en-, and there a second time returned to
the earth, 10 Sleep until the fnal resur-
section
Although for the past three years this
section has been infested with horse |
thieves aud murdercrs, and this known
to every one about the county, it is pro-
bablc the came state of affairs might |
lave continued for an indefinite period ,
had not the murder of DR.. York, a man
of family, friends and reputation, LED to
the exposure. Men have been missed.
and bodies found of murdered men for
three years past, and vigilance com
nsit.ecs" have hunted and driven some
Rien from the country, but it would now
seem as though the leaders Of these regu
iators were themselves the williams, and
honest men had been falsely and fouliy
suspected aud driven from their hom -
Known Williams have for that tine been
sent to the penitentiary only to be par
doned out by Governors.
And even the band of seventy five
armed aud honest men who secured the
country in search of DR.. York, when it
was learned that be was missing, seemed
to have very little Judgement or discre-
rion. On the 2Sth of last March, Col.
York and Mr. Johnson visited the Ben
der house, to which they had tracked
information from them, but they would
tell nothing On the 3rd of April this
armed band visited the house with the
sole object of finding the mnrderers Of
DR.. York, yet they did not notice the :
bullet holes in the house, aud allowed
themselves to be fooled by an assumed
stupidity which was the disgust of most
heliish cunning.
The old hag sat mum and gloomy,
pretending she could not understand OF
speak English, old Bender said nothing.
Kate, she Of the evil eye, denied all c
knowledge Of the lost, aud the younger I
male william fooled them with a well
made up story He said at about the
time they said Dr. York was missed, be,
Bender, had been shot at in a lonesome
place near Drum creek, one evening,
and it must have been by those who kill
ed the Doctor. lie described the place
minutely and took them to it, and it was
found as he said, and they half believed
his story, and returned with him
While coming from the creek John
told Colonel York that his sister
could DO any thing, that she could con
troll the Devil, aud that the Devil did
her bidding. When they returned to
the house Col. York tried to induce this o
wonderful mistress of the Devil TO reveal fl
the whereabouts of the body of his bro f
ther She positively refused her Satanic a
aid at this time, giving as her reason
therefor that she could not do so in the
day time. and while there and SO many
men aud so much noise about.
This pretended sorccress and real T