The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-05-11
The Fate Of the Benders.
NARRATIVE BY one OF THE MEN WHO
LYNCHED THEM-SHOT TO DEATH.

blnody work in peacs and prosperity for an
/ indefinite length of time had they continued
planting their victims III the garden. But
. i,revinus to the killing of Dr. York they had
murdered n man name0 Jones. In Februa-
ly IA man named Conlin, in company with
another farme~, while riding along Drum
creek, saw the dead body of a man caught
in some driftwood. 1t proved to be the
body of Jones. He had had his skull
smashed i'll with hammer and his throat
cut from ear to ear. The body had no
clothing upon it save a shirt. Some tel or
a dozen ia; mers met quietly on the banks
of Drum creek, and after viewing the body
OF Jones held council.
At this meeting the Blenders were spoken
of suspiciously, and it was determined to
keep the discovery Of tile body quiet until
future developments. The next day man
who was evidently tramp aud had footed
it from Independence on his way to Fort
Scott, stopped at DutrOt's house and asked
for something 10 eat. In conversation with
this man, Dutroit learned that late the pre-
vious evening the tramp had, while looking
around for place TO pass the night, come
across small hay stack back of the Ben
dcr's house, into which be quietly nestled
himself. II must have been midnight when
lie was awakened by voices, aud quietly
looking out from his nest he saw the dim
outline of three persons, evidently az work
digging at short distance from him. 1t
was SO dark that he could not distinguish
them, but lie could hear them speak in
German, language he could not under
stand. His first impulse was to 60 out to
them. But something seemed to with
hold him, aud after a time they finished
whatever work they were at and Withdrew
into the house. The tramp departed early
in the morning and had tramped on until
he had stopped at Dutroit's for breakfast.
lie concluded his tale by remarking that it
''lOoked mighty like as if they were burying
some one" Mr.. Dutroit said nothing at
the time, but when the party of twelve met
10y appointment on Drum creek, he related
the circumstances to them, and it was de
teImined 20 give the Bender mansion n
quiet investigation. a wagon track was
discovered leading to the Bender place
from where Jones body had been throyn
into the creek. The party struck out on
the wagon trail, and at about sunset it
brought them within sight OF the tavern
1t was then determined to forego proceed.
ings until the morrow, when in the morn
ing the entire party would meet on Drum
creek well armed, aud ride over to the
Bender place.
On the morrow, about eight o'clock, the
party assembled on the creek and immedi-
atcly proceeded over the prailies to the suS-
pected house. But when they arrived there
they found the Bender ranch deserted. The
Blenders bad noticed the squad of horse
men riding upon the wag on-trail the pre-
vlous evening, and during the night had
bundled up their effects and departed. The
, BendeIs at this time had four horses a
COW, and IA wagon load of household truck.
While the scouting party were canvass
ing the new state of affairs, Mr.. Dutroit
and others went i'll search of the spot iudi-
Gated by the tramp. They searched around
for some time i'll vain, as the ground had
been recently plowed over, but at last struck
spot that appeared moister than the
rest, as though the ground beneath it had
recently been turned up. No shovel being
found three Of .he party set to work with
/ shingles tom from the roof of the house.
and after digging a hole four feet deep,
one of them reached down his hand and
pulled mp The skirt of a mans underonr-
+ ment, and beneath could be seen an ex-
posed portion Of human body. THIS WAS
the corpse of Dir. Young, though at the
/ time the explorers did no: know it.
/ The track OF the Bender wagon could be
seen leading to the southwest. The horse
/ men followed it at full speed Just before
sunset the puIsuers came i'll sight of the fr-
gitives. They had evidently urged their
teams on with all speed possible. as thew
/ were good iorty-iive miles from their
I tavern, ano their animals appeared well
used up. There was no COW with the
! outfit, nor had the Benders' COW been seen
from that day TO this. As the pursuers
came IN sight OF their game they gave 4
yell and charged down upon them The
moment the Benders caught sight of .hri,
pursuers the greatest CONSERVATION an
( peared to seize upon them. John Bender.
who was walking by the side of the wagon.
/ ran forward to the lead team as :hough tr
unhItch them, bat was evidently recalled
! 10y the old man, who handed him ont an
old fashioned smooth-bure Yeayer rifle
/ With this weapon he fired harmless sLo,
. at the advancing horsemen, and then drew
ms navy revolver and reached bis hand int
the wagon 70: another. Before he had
! time TO draw it forth, however "A shot from
one of the farmers laid him out Iifelcss on
the prairie, the ball entering the left breast
. and piercing the heart.
Old man Bender stood up in the wagon.
and, striking down the cover yelled at Il il
horses i'll German aud fiourshed a areyoive,
over his head. The pursuers wished tc
capture them alive, II possible, but d id not
ike 10 approach too close To the old mars
revolver. As they were going down n rol
in the prairie one of their lead horses fell
aud Kate, springiRg out OF the wagon. wen;
To the iaiien animal as if to get itup Ru.
instead of raising the fallen beast. She chi
( loose its mate, and, mounting it. was en-
deavorlng to make her escape on it's back.
At this the old man seemed crazed with
angerand fired his revolver at her. He did
not hit her, however, but the horse s,,rino
ing forward caught leg in the breecbino
OF its fallen mate and went down with Ka,e
under him. The old man having emptied
MS revolver, the purSueIs 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 Bende,
ana his wife they got the giil out from
under the horse and found that she had =
leg broken in the fall. Dutroit said Kate
acted like very devil. She cursed them.
cursed her father and mother, and seemed
red hot vial of wrath
The party moved over to 'srua'' and
camped for the night. Old Bender refused
to say word in English, but both he aud
his wite cursed their captors in German.
Nate Bender seemed to think their captors
: knew eyerVthinp aud uyb ila L., -,