The Van Buren press., 1877-05-15
THE. FATE OF THE EBNDERs.
A Narrative by One OF the Men who
Lynched Ihem-ShOt to Death.

The Benders might have continued
their bloody work in peace and prospect
ty for an indefinite length of time had
they continued planting their victims in
the garden. But previous to the killing
o&-pr rlerkvthess Assir NM raered 5artnatl
named Tones In FehLiAfv aarnm named
Conklin, in company with another farm
er, while riding along Drum Creek, and
tho dead body of a-tnan caught in some
drift. wood. 1t proved to be the body OF
Jones. lie had his throat cut from ear
to eaM s1fc bpaS hid hde@hju& ju&ul6b
it save shirt Some ten or d dozen far
mers met quietly on the banks of Drum
Creek, and after viewing tina body OF
Jones, held q, council. AT thisr meeting
the Benders were spoken Of Jns piciously,
and it was determined to keep the disco.
very of the body quiet until further de-
ve)opments. The next day man who
evidently was a tramp, and had footed it
sss s,ol II bssfesl bss Aoase; a. snd III
asked for something to eat In converse.
,ion with this man Dutroit learned tina
law VIZ GNNutuE3 puG ltdiuP HAN
while looking around for place to pass
tue night, come across ilaystack back
OF th6f Bhlder sthonse. into which he
quietly nestled himself 1t must have
been midnight when he was awakened by
voices, and quietly looking out from his
nest, he saw the dim outline of three per-
sonAeysii4lFtly, V work. digging atYa short
distance from him. II was 50 dark that
he could pst, distinguish them, but he
could Ae lritAem speak in German, . Ian.
glaEex a.dhanos understand ) lis first
ilsphtse wsas 10 90 but .tos them. But
sgttuthins seemed to withhold him, and
alter a fine they finished whatever work
they were at, and withdrew into the house
The tramp departaliANfyin the morning
aad had tnanaPed ons until he, bad stop
ped at Dutroitlssfor breakfast. He con-
ci.saaht,ls tale by rem arlflsg Tint it look.
e niigatili T. Hteias i Grey. wore bprying
some ODE. Mt. Dhtrql said nnthing At
the time, but When the party aof Twelve
m4 by.anpofitafJe on, Dfun Cfeek,sle
related The .cffcdip Stance to, them, ana IL
ws adetefihined to give the Bender man
sio4sa quiet investigation. A wagon
track was discovered leading to the Ben.
der place from where Jones body had +
been st4brogYn into the ,creek,. The party
struak Htspn qle m4qh haiL hnds About
suaa4tf tsbrohfliu them whHn view aof
the tavern. 1t was then determined to
forego proceedings until to morrow, and
in .the morning the entire party would
meet pa DrQ.n Creek, well armed, andi
ride over to the Bender place.
On the morrow, about s o'clock, the
party assembled OH the creek, and imme-
diatelt proceeded over. the prairies to the
suspected house But when they arrived
therds they found tile Bender ranch deser-
tsds 1.-The Behders hadnoticed the squad
Of horsemen riding on the wagon trail,
tie previous evening ana during the night
had bundled up their effects and depprt.
ed. Ths Bendcrs had, at. the time, four
horseA ri cow. and "a twagon-load Of
household truck. y}s5 Is
While the scouting party were CANVAS
sing the new state of affairs, Mr.. Dutroit
and Others went in search of the spot in
Heated by the Tramp They searched
around for eomctiruu In win, no .s,c
ground had been recently plowed over
but AhlASt ftrYckna spot tbpt appeared
groaia beaea.il isAsaf hiscGsnliy 5eess tdsa. m
ed up. No shovel being found, three OF
tkespartys set to work with shingles torn
from the roof yof the house, and after
digging hole four feet deep, one of
theme witlisa shout, reached down his
hand and pulled up the skirt of a mans
under garment, and beneath could be
seen the exposed portion OF a human
body. This was the corpse Of DIR. York,
thotgrat the time tile explorers did not
know it. 5i.
The track Of the Bender, wagon could
be seen leading to tile southwest. The
horsemen followed it at full speed. just
before sunset the pursuers came in sight
Of the. fugitiyes. r They had sevidently
urged their teams on with all the speed
possible, as they were good forty five
miles from their tavern, and their ami.
mails appeared pretty well used up. There
was nc COW with the outfit, nor had the
Benders' COW been seen. or heard OF from
that day to this. IL. As the. pursuers came
in sight Of their game. they gave, a yell,
and adschargedudown npon them. The mo
ment the Blenders caught sight of their
pnrs1efs, the greatest CONSERVATION ap,
pcared to- seize upon them !, John Ben.
der, gho was walking BY the side Of the
wagon, ran forward to the Il ad team, AZ
though to!nphiteh them, pbutwas evident.
ly recalled by ttheao man, who handed
him out an old -fashioped smooth bore
Yeageffife.. With this. weapon lie fired
Il lfdfhlees shot At the advancing horse
men, and then drew navy revolver, and
reached his hand into the wagon for an
other. Before he had time to draw it
forth, however, shot from one of the
farmers laid him out lifeless on the prai.
rie, the ball entering his left breast and
piercing the heart
Old man Bender stood up in the wag,
on, striking down the cover, yelled at his
horses in German, and fourished re-
volver over his head. The pursuers de.
sired t. capture them alive, if~pessible,
buttd k6e like to approach too nearsto
the 81 I6anssF revplyer. As they were
goind 1sn 1kro Jpn the prairie, one 81
theft s1 dsas All and Kate springins
outb went to the~fallen ami.
anim 3sif ta gctitsup. But instead q
raisii V fallen beast, size cut loose II.
mie h, nlplintins'i 'itsswas endeavorint