Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1877-08-02

he told this circumstance to q neigh
boring farmer, who Immediately Or
ganized party of twelve and start
ed 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 i'm
mediately started in pursuit.
The track Of the Bender wagon
could be seen leading to the south
west, The horsemen followed Mt
full speed. Just before sunset the
pursuers came in sight Of the fugi-
tives. They had evidently urged
their teams on with all speed possi-
BILE, as they were q good forty-five
miles from their tavern, and their
animals appeared well used up. AS
the pursuers came in sight Of their
game they gave yell, and charged
down upon them. The moment the
Benders caught sight of their pur.
suers, the greatest CONSERVATION ap-
peared 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 out an
old-fashioned smooth.bore Yaeger
rife. With this weapon he fired a
harmless shot at the advancing horse
men, and then drew q navy revolver
and reached his hand into the wa
gon for another. Before he had
time to draw it 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 man Bender stood up in the
wagon, and, striking down the cover,
yelled at his horses in German and
flourished a revolver over his head.
The pursuers 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
a roll In the prarie one of the lead
horses fell, and Kate, springing out
of the wagon, went TO the fallen ami
NAL as if to get It up. But instead
Of raising the fallen beast, she cut
loose its mate, anc, mounting it,
was endeavoring to make her escape
on its back. At this the old man
seemed crazy with sanger. and fired
his revolver at her. He did not hit
her, however, but the horse spring
ing forward caught a leg in the
breeching of its fallen mate, and
went down with Kate under him.
The old man having emptied his re-
volver, 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. At
ter they had tied Bender and his
wife they got the girl out from un-
der the horse and found that she had
q Leg broken in the fall. Kate
cursed them, cursed her father ard
mother, and seemed in q red-hot |
vial of wrath.
The party moved over to ''run"
Ind camped for the night. Old Ben
Ter refused to say a word in Engiish,
but both he and his wife cursed their |
captors in German. Kate Bender !
seemed so think their captors knew |
everything, and while she would not !
answer questions, size made no con-
ceaIment of the awful work that had |
been carried on at the tavern, and !
frequently that they had |
killed over 100 persons. She said |
The had done most OF the throat cut
ting herself; that John was afraid;
that he or the old woman did we'll
nough to knock their victims on
the head, but they appeared to be
afraid of them after they were |
down. rr-e
When asked why they killed so
many referring to her assertion of |
having killed 100 persons), she re-
piled that the old people (meaning |
her parents) liked the money, but |
she liked to see the blood. She was
laying 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 jerked his revolver from his belt |
and fired at him. The ball missed
him entering the feshy part of the |
thigh of man named Love. Be-
fore she could fire again she was |
shot, one of the balls passing through |
her head.
The old couple looked on with ap-
parent indifference upon the terrible |
scene, and when spoken to would
make no reply, save to give utter
ance to maledictions upon their pur-
suers.
The farmers held long consulta-
ton as to the disposal of their pris-
oners. A bond of sworn secrecy
49, g.