The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-16
BENDER IN UTAH.
The Kansas Assassin in Charge Of
the Mormon Police.
EXCITEMENT AT SALT LAKE
The Whole Family Likely To Be
Captured.

The whole civilized world was shocked ct the
first announcement OF the barbarous murders that
were committed upon the plains OF Kansas ABOUT
ten months ago by the Bender family; indeed, 1t
was with dificulty that the story OF those whole
sale assassinstions could be believed. Still the
bodies Of the murdered were found, and the nends
had ned without leaving trace Of the path that
they had pursued to escape the penalty OF tho
law, and have hitherto been only too success
ful in evading the oflcers of justice. Let hope
that we now have reached the turning point in
the dark route that they had chosen, and that we
are IN possession OF the key that will unlock the
mystery. ] have telegraphed to the HERALD this
evening OF the incarceration OF the old man Ben
der in the city jail here; but there are detailed
circumstances about his arrest and hts personal
life and appearance that ought to be given to the
public in the hopes that evidence may accumulate
against the murderers, and that tact may be added
to fact in bringing home the certainty OF guilt to
them all.
The following is the description given Of the old
man Bender in tine circular issued by the authori-
ties in Kansas
OLD NAN BENDER.
y od man Bender Is tyye 70 sixty old about
WITH ssssS he
slow ra sluggish weight lao to LOU $ r ne has
deportment His voice seems to come rather rom the
broken manner his native tongue being Low Dutch.
He has been wandering now ten months over the
plains and in the mountains, so that he cannot
now appear with beard short CUT" it is long and
matted with dirt. HIS complexion il not dark;
but with that exception the old man Bender that
we have here answers in every particular to the
above description. There is nothing OF fierce
murderer's countenance about him, but there is
in his whole appearance so little Of human in
a tn
of the quartet who murdered and robbed the
unfortunate strangers who CHANGED to call at the
rancho for refreshments. This Bender was capa-
BILE OF witnessing all such work, and taking any
part in It, without the slightest inconvenience. de
might not think 1t right to kill any human being
tnat IS ssa the act se hsv was not exactly
family never seem to have travelled mentally:
punishable with death they never would have
buried the bodies Of their victims in such care
lett their work to SO easy detection. A glance
at the prisoner here to-day would satisfy any
cspaee Of nd aoing his full share Of the
Bender work in the way that the Bender family
did 1t. He is not demoralzed being-he never
had conception OF morahty-he knows natures
hence to human brutes Of tnat order the
then, the prisoner answers physically,
SURPRISE ON BEING ARRESTED.
The presence OF such stranger in thinly occu.
pied country where he was apprenendsdh was az
came from, and when informed that he was appre-
nended on the charge OF murder and that ne was
supposed to be the notorious Bender. he threw up
his hands ana drew attention to the fact that the
little nnger Of his right hand was entirely gone,
also gone, and added that he could not have
committed so many murders, that he was physi-
faS sxo@ 81
cuses mmseln and to that he IS said to have re-
had not lost his ns
taken to san Pete county, where there was jail.
while he was held there, . young man, . stranger,
admitted him, and the Visitor and old Bender had
Q familiar talk, and gave evidence OF personal
settled countries this might seem too great iree-
| dom TO be permitted, but In the Western wilds
OF the moment the stranger left, and has since
been tracked and arrested as young Bender and
In three days more VIII be IN the same caiaSoose
tisement In all particulars except that In the cir
cular he is said to !, have ,na 2 scar on one
on the young man now in prison IN the South.
QUESTIONED THE OLD MAN
to-day, and with the aid OF Mr.. w. l.. Crane, who
was in the oflce OF the County Clerk in Pike
county, Illinois, IN 1861 am satisfied that ne
answers to the Bender Of Kansas. The prisoner
OF schmidt, who died In Pike county at that time.
and that ne had been appointed the administrator
had occasion to see him, and Immediately re-
cognized him in jail to-day. Bender admitted
and a Mr.. E. F. Milnoan, who had been in the en-
pioy OF the government and supplied the Indians
almost daily seen the prisoner at Bender's rancho
for months. and knew him to be Bender. Mr.. Mil
hoan was engaged in constructing road past
Bender's place to the reservation, and saw no
difference in the Bender there and the Bender
here than fatigue and restlessness.
But THE TWO WOMEN
still at large. Late IN the lall woman came
out OF the mountains into the outskirts OF Provo,
iorty mules south Of this. She was almost naked:
gave gave 'A out that sns had been d.sap.
6eoI arsa into 0' the mountains in Utah Pity
for woman in distress induced Mormon sister
| to give her home and Clothes and after little
1 stay the strange woman left again for the noun
tains. There seems probability that the whole
family has been y Tue saxs n ange
diflculty in finding the means OF prolonging life;
but the indians may have aided them, and what
i with the berries and roots to be found
before winter in the mountains they may have
provided for themselves. At all events they never
! came from Colorado to Utah In the winter time.
They must have come before the snow Tell. and the
fact that they have been found on the west side OF
the mountains within the last few weeks shows
concusIvely that they have been concealed as be-
SENATOR A. N. YORK,
OF Kansas, whose brother, DR.. York. was the last
victim OF the Benders, Is fully satisfied that the
prisoner mere is "the old man Bender,D and urges
but the Governor seems very slow and apparently
would ike the authorities Of Utah to take the
prisoner to Kansas rather than to send for him
probably concluding that Kansas might save some
expenses The following letters require no CON-
ment:-
KANSAS RED TAPE.
l STATE KANSAS
OFFICE ExxCurIvE DEPARTMENT,
NW ToPExA, March 19 1874 }
ANDREW BURT, Chief Of Police. salt Lake City, u. Tt
srR-oovernor Asborn directs me 70 enclose you the
letters which you will find herewith from
Colonel A. NJ. York.. Of Independence, Kansas,
brother OF one Of the victims Of the Ben.
der family, in answer Of your letter Of the 81
inst. enc closing photograph OF the man now under
arrest In Utah Territory awaiting identification ~ the
old man Bender The reward offered is the maximum
authorized by Jaw -$5)0 for the and delivery
to the Sheriff OF Lafayette county, Kansas for each
member OF the Bender family Very respectfully,
G. A. MORRIS, Private Secretary.
SENATOR YORK's LETTER.
Elk FALLS, Howard countv, Kansas, March 10. 1874
Governor OSBORN
SR;-I enclose herewith q statement regarding the
opinion of Benders neghbors of the you received
from Utah. 1t Is the first Instance where any 81
the n,crurcs sent here for Identification have