The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-05-15
Additional Chapters Of Crime.
Identification Of the Victims.
A Little Girl Evidently Buried
Alive Beneath the Body Of
Her Murdered Father.
Accurate Intelligence From the
Scene Of the Horror by Our
Special Correspondent.
Etc, Etc,
Etc /.

Etc, Etc, Etc.
Last Thursday We published detailed &C
count OF the discovery of the body of Senator
York brother, and the report that unrecog-
nized bodies Of other murdered men had
been found buried near the house Of Bender.
With view Of presenting orr readers with
accurate Information regarding the dark
and damning tragedy, We sent special re-
porter to the scene ofthe slaughter, who sends
US the following:
THAYER, KANSAS, May 9th, 1873.
Editor Times:
Complying with your request l visited the
scene OF the murders in Labette county, and
gained all the information at hand respecting
the names of the murdered persons, whose
bodies were found on the premises of the
Bender family.
The "mur,lerous house" Is situated about
one mile from the Leavenworth, Lawrence
and Galveston Railroad and two miles south
of Morehead station on that road, and ten
miles from Thayer. 1t is a frame house
16x2O feet, one story high and divided into
two departments. There are several houses
in thai neishborhood, but none nearer than
three-quarters of mile to the scene Of the
terrible tragedy. Presuming that your
readers have been informed Of the first dis
coveries, deem it only necessary to relate
some of the incidents closely associated
with the dark and bloody deeds.
l doubt if history can furnish a more
devilish chapter of crime than that portray
ed in the dis6gured corpses exhu.ned from
the garden OF the Bender family. The first
body discovered was that of William York,
whose disappearance caused 30 much ankle
ty. Parties searching the place some weeks
after the departure of the Bender family.
noticed that calf tied in the yard was dead.
and had been starved TO death.
There were other signs of exit withou.
and suspicion was aroused that
foul play was connected with the designs Of
The fngitives. 1t was noised about that
The
RENDERS
had gone-fled hastily, and neigh bors gath
cred around the house and grounds. and
searching. The first
Weakening to a realization Of
hel terrible horror was caused by the dis
,overy of a trap-door in the floor of the
house large enough to admit body, and
lirec,Iy beneath it pit Fix feet deep. One
If the searching party descended the pit
md found the ground clo:ted with blood. |
The unmistakab'e evidences Of a terrible |
murder were here presented, and searching |
'arties were dep'oyed about the ground that
'ad been recently plowel and narrowed to
ind the graves. A sunken place in the gar
len suggested a grave, and sharp iron in
trument was sunk in the ground without |
ifficulty. Digging commenced, and FIVE
eet below the surface
HUMAN CORPSE,
ruised, distorted and partly dscompo'ed,
nd clothed in IN rndershirt, met the horri- |
lie gag. of the assembled neighbors. 1t was
rought t, the light, and dozen persons at
nee recognized the remains Of William
FORK. The next day "Wednesday the
earch was resumed, and the news having
pread like wiliiire Throughout; Labette and
djoining counties large crowd of people
'ere on the premises. During Wednesday
even more bodies were dug up. All have
cen identified save one The rol, Of the
murdered ones is as follows:
GEO. W. LoNGCoR AND DAUGHTER.
hey were on their way to Iowa. Mrs.
.ongcor died few weeks previous to the
'urney, and Mr.. L. was taking his daughter
about three years old-back to Iowa.
The little girl and father we're in the
,me grave. No marks Of violence, bruises
: strangula,ion were found on the girl. She
as buried beneath her father and evidently,
ON all appearances, pitched into the grave
nd buried alive The next body discovered
As that Of
GEO. BROWN,
no resided at Cedsrville, Howard county.
lie Wis recognized by a silver ring. The
Ext WAS
wuIrAw M'CpOruy
Howard county. 1t is thought that he
ID abont 50, 900 in money with him when
e was killed. The body Of Il
H.T. MCKENZIE,
Indiana, was al.o ident'f fed. 1t is sup
,sed that he had very little money about
$ person. Another victim WAS
NR. BOYLE,
Montgomery county. The body Wa in
oh an advanced stage OF decomposition
at there il some doubt about the identiica-
IN. Another body is still unrecognized.
The fatal blows seem to have been infic:.
with an iron hammer upon the back Of
e head. A remarkable circumstance con-
cted with the murders Is that the throat Of ,
cry victim was cut. 1t is now supposed
ut travellers who CHANGED to pas the house
ten stopped for a drink Of water or
netting to eat. a. the lenders kept few ,
ticles of refreshments for sale, and that
1enever alone we're killed with the
HAMMER, a
opped down the trap, where they were kept Z
til night and then buried. All the graves '
re within one hundred feet Of the house. q
In the house six bibles printed in the 2
en6h and German languages we're found. =
, the pages we're written lines recording
tea Of massacre. The
GENDER FAMILY a
Insisted O. four persons, father, mother, son .
d daughter. The daughter Is q clarivoy- u
or medium, and ruled the X
use by putting on = su- Il
Z natural air. The son is . robust stout h
nrn>nsn and avidootlv w.s The ma ~ho