Connecticut western news., 1874-05-01
SUPPOSED ARREST OF THE BEN.
 DERS.
The Crimes they Committed and the
 Hk Arrests. EE,

It IS now fully year since the whole
 sale murders committed bJ. the Bende
 family were brought to light by part
 of resolute investigators near Cherry
 vale, Kansas. The Renders had. durin,
 several years previously, kept sort O
 Way-s1de inn npon few acres of lant
 which they owned. The family con
 sisted of two males and two females
 and although not suspected of murder
 they bore anything but fattering repu
 tation in the county. The younpe,
 woman professed to be able to "c9r.
 blindness, eplleptic fits, deafness, ani
 all such diseases, also deaf and dumb
 ness, and through the means of an ad
 Vertlsement thus worded in the loca
 newspapers, succeeded in drawing tc
 her cabin good many patients. Ina
 any of the dupes thus attracted ever
 got away with their lives is 8 question
 which has not yet been satisfactoril,
 answered. A considerable number o,
 persons had. disappeared before any
 thing like thorough effort was made
 to discover what had become of them
 1t was not until an old man and hi,
 granddaughter were added to the list
 thataa proper degree of interest was
 manifested in the matter. The late Dr.
 Yorke, brother. of Senator Yorke, of
 Kansas, was the first to throw himself
 heart and soul into the work of unrayeI ing the mystery.
 In the course of his travels from place to place in search of information
 he went at last to the Bender cabin. and there met his death. When he, too. was added to the number of the missing. z determ1natlon was at once evinced by the people to trace him. The Renders were not slow to comprehend the dan. ger of their position. All their property that could be disposed of without ere. a1tlng curiosity, was speedily put into the market. After completing their arrangements for flight, they stole away so silently that they were not missed fo1 three weeks. A lonely traveller who sought admission to the inn made the discovery that it was deserted. This fact, coupled with still more significant ones, aroused public attention so quick ly that scarcely moment was lost in arriving at the conclusion that all the missing persons, including Dr. Yorke. had been murdered by the Renders,
 The cabin and grounds soon swarmed with earnest investigators, In the room that had been used as a bed-cbano. '. per there was trap-door, beneath which was found considerable onan- tity of blood. Three bodies in an ad. vanced state of decomposition were subsequently, unearthed. This led to an exploration of the field in which the cabin stood. The investigators, al- though it was after midnight, .labored with surprising energy until, in all, eleven bodies were dug up. In one of the graves or holes were found the re- mains of Dr. Yorke. The skull had been broken with a shoemaker's ham, mer. All the bodies save one gave eyi- 1ence of similar treatment The excep- .lon was that of the little girl who had disappeared with her grandfather. She aad evidently been buried alive. E
 The next step was taken by the Governor, who offered 8 reward of $5OO tor the delivery of each of the murder DTS to the State authorities. Many at- 'empts to arrest the culprits were made. put they would ali have failed but for he enterprise of the Chief of Police at Salt Lake City. A poor, forlorn old nan recently stumbled into the way of he official referred to, and was prompt y arrested and locked mp on suspicion 'f being. the head of the Bender amlly: A person supposed to be the 'on Of the old man, has since been 'rrested: The photograph of the form 'r was identified by Senator Yorke, not vlthstanding the altered expression of he face and the matted hair and beard. The Governor of Kansas, however, loubts it, and has instructed his .pri- ate Secretary to inform the Chief of 'olice at Salt Lake that the reward annot be paid until he has delivered sender into the hands of the Kansas uthorities. The Governor would not ven go to the expense of sending de- ectives to Salt Lake. The community divided as to the identity of the men rested. 7 z..-s-. s .''-' -