Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-05-12
THE FATE OF THE BENDERS.
A Narrative by One of the Men Who
Lynched Them.

Lynched Them.
A Western paper contains an account
of the fate of the Bender family, whose
deeds of crime in Kansas and mysterious
disappearance created such a great SEN
sation few years ago. 1t seems that a
tramp who was sleeping in a haystack
back of the Benders' house was awak-
ened at midnight, and looking out he
saw three persons evidently at work dig
ging at a short distance from him, but it
was SO dark that he could not distinguish
them nor make out what they were bury
ing. The next day he told this circum-
stance to a neighboring farmer, who i'm
meeliately organized q party of twelve
and started for the home of the Benders,
but when they arrived there it was de-
serted. The party found the wagon
tracks of the fleeing inmates, and imme-
diately started in pursuit.
The track of the Bender wagon could
be seen leading to the southwest. The
horsemen followed at full speed. Just
before sunset the pursuers came in sight
of the fusitivcc. lhoy had evidently
urged their teams on with all speed pos
sible, as they were good forty-fve miles
from their tavern, and their animals ap-
peared well used up. AS the pursuit
came in sight of their game they gave a
yell, and charged down upon them. The
moment the Benders caught sight of
their pursuers, the greatest CONSERVATION
appeared to seize upon them. John
Bender, who was walking by the side of
the wagon, run forward to the head
team, as though to unhitch them, but
was evidently recalled by the old man,
who handed him ont an old-fashioned
weapon he fired harmless shot at the
advancing horsemen, and then drew a
navy revolver and reached his hand into
the wagon for another. Before he had
time to draw it forth, however, q shot
! from one of the farmers laid him out
lifeless on the prairie, the ball entering
his left breast and piercing the heart.
Old man Bender stood up in the
wagon, and, striking down the cover,
yelled at his horses in German and -four
ished revolver over his head. The
pNsuers wished to capture him alive, il
possible, but did not like to approach
too close to the old mans revolver. As
they were going down roll in the prai-
rie one OF the lead horses fell, and Kate,
springing ont of the wagon, went to the
fallen animal rs ii to get it up. But in
stead of raising the fallen beast, she cut
loose its mate, and, mounting it, was en-
deavoring to n axe her escape on its
! back. At this the old man seemed crazy
with anger, and fired his revolver at her.
He did not hit her, however, but the
horse springing forward caught leg in
the breeching of its fallen mate, and
went down with Kate under him. The
old man having emptied his revolver, the
pursuers closed in ON him and beat him
down with their gun barrels, though he
and his wife fought like tigers to the
last. After they had tied Bender and
his wife they got the girl out from under
| the horse and found that she had a leg
broken in the fall. Kate cursed them,
cursed her father and mother, and seemed
in red-hot vial of wrath.
The party moved over to "run" and
camped for the night. Old Bender re-
fused to say word in English, but both
he and his wife cursed their captors in
German. Kate Bender seemed to think
their captors knew everything, and while
she would not answer questions, she
made no concealment of the awful work
that had been carried on at the tavern,
and asserted frequently that they had
killed over 100 person. She said she
had done most of the throat cutting
herself; that John was afraid; that he
| ~ tho old 1uDY,oY J;I .,olI o,,o,,oI l.
knock their victims on the head, but they
appeared to be afraid of them after they
were down.
When asked why they killed so many
(referring to her assertion of having
killed 100 persons), she replied that the
old people (meaning her parents) likeC
the money, but she liked to see tht
blood. She was lying on the ground un
bound, her broken limb preventing he
escape. One of the men happened tx
sit down near her, when, quick o.
thought, she ierked his revolver from
his belt and fired at him. The bal
missed him and entered the feshy par
of the thigh of man named Love
Before she could fire again she wa
shot, one of the balls passing through
her head.
The old couple looked on with appar
ent indifference upon the terrible scene
and when spoken to would make n
{ reply, save to give utterance TO maledic
, tions upon their pursuers.
The farmers held long consultation
as to the disposal of their prisoners.
bond of sworn secrecy was entered into
/ and SO the old man and his wife wer
both shot, They made no appeal t