Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-07-05

tney w.re good forty five miles from
their tavern, and the ANIMALS appeared
well used-up. There was no COW with
the outfit, nor has the Bender cow been
seen or heard of from that day to this.
As the pursuit came IN sight of their
game, they gave d yell and charged down
upon them. The moment the Benders
caught sight of their pursuers, the great
est CONSERVATION appeared ~ seize upon
then!. jo!,n Bendef, who was walking
by the side OF the wagon, ran forward to
he lead team, ss though to unhitci
hem, but was evidently RECALLED by the
Old man, who handed him out an old
fashioned, smooth rife, With this weap-
ion he fired harmless shot at the advanc.
Ii>g horsemen, and then drew a navy
= volver, aud reached his hand into the
wagon for another. Before he had time
te draw 1t forth, however. shot from
|one Of the farmers laid him out lifeless
on the prairie, the ball entering his left
breast and piercing the heart,
Old Bender stood up in the wagon, and,
striking down the cover, yelled at bis
horses in German, and fiourished revol.
yer over his head. The pursuers wished
to capture them alive if possible, but diu
not like to approach too close to the old
man's revolver. As they were going
down roll in the prairie one of their
lt ad horses fell and Kate, springing cut
of the wagon, went to the fallen animal
as if to get it up. But instead of raising
up the fallen beast, she cut loose bis mate,
and mounting it, was endcavoring to make
her escape on its back. At this the old
mau seemed crazed 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
maze, and went down. with Kate under
him. TIE old man having emptied his
revolver, the pirsuers closed in on him.
and beat him down with their gun-barreIs,
though he an6 his wife fought like tigers
10 the last. After they had tied Bender
and bis wife, they got the girl out from
under the horse, and found that she had a
leg broken in tie fall. Dutroit said Kate
acted ke very devil. She cursed them,
cursed her father and mother, and seemed
a red. d.hot vial of wrath.
The party moved over to "run' and
camped for the night. Old Bender re-
e..~oa y " ,rn-d in Enoliah hnt hnth
he and his wife cursed their cart0rs in
German. Kate Bender seemed to think
their captors knew everything, and while
she would not answer questions, she
made no concealment of the he)lish work
that had been carried on at the tavern,
and asserted frequently that they had
killed over 1W persons. She said she had
done most of tho throat cutting herself !;
that John was afraid; that he or the old
woman did we'll enough to knock their
victims on the head, but they appeared to
be afraid of them after they were down.
When asked why they had killed go
many (referring to her assertion of having
killed 100 pelsons), she replied that the
old people (meaning her pArents) liked
the money, but she liked to see the blood.
She was lying On the ground unbound,
her broken limb preventing her escape.
One Of the men happened to sit down
near her. when quick as thought she jerk.
his revolver from his belt and fired at him.
The ball missed him and entered the
deshy part of the thigh Of man named
Love. Before she could fire again she
was shot, one of the balls passing through
her head.
The old couple looked on with apparent
indifference upon the terrible scene, but
when apoken to would not reply, save to
give utterance to maledictlons upon their
pursuers.
The farmers held a long consultation as
to the disposal of their prisoners. A bond
Of sworn secrecy was entered into, and SO
the ,nan aud his wife we're both shot.
They made no appeal to mercy, but died
cursing. 1 he following morning their
Effects were divided up among their cap.
tors. The bodies were buried on the
SPOT.