The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-07-26
The End of the Bender Family

You wouldn't have believed that
such a rough looking chap could read
al all. but after the train left St. Joe
he pulled out a ST. Louis paper from
his pocket settled tack in his seat, and
for half an hour Was busy with the
news All of a sudden be threw his Ia
per down. uttered a wicked oath, and.
reaching forward. he touched fellow
passenges pu the shoulder and bIurted
out:
They are fools. sir, cussed fools :"
w no ." asked the astonished trav-
elier
why. them Newspaper men, Blast
their eyes Can't they take a hint
without kick
What do you mean -
He picked up the paper and pointed
ou, n paragraph, which read that old
Bender. the Kansas murderer. had been
seen in Maryland. and then grow led
out:
"l'li give ten thousand dollars TO any
man who ever gets eyes on old Bender.
~ any o the rest o that fam -
What do you know about the Ben
d.rs p asked the traveller greatly in
te.ested all at once.
The old man chuckled, rs if greatly
pleased, but after a moment his face
grew serious aud stern. Leaning over
10 get closer IL the traveller he wills
pcr.d.
Il know every one o the devils f'rCm
the old uan down God never made n
wuss lot lived up IN Kansas within
twenty miles q their private burying
gronnd :"
You did
Il did ald I've eaten mor' II one din.
ner in the room where they used TO
shoot their victims from behind cur
tain Sometimes, when gt In think
ing of me sitting al the table Ia that
httie room. AMI Old Bender lehlnd the
curtain. not twelve feet away. ready to
put n bullet through my head, why, sir,
the cold ellis go over the I'll! It's like
having shake of the ager :"
But be spared you ~
so he did; but could never guess
why. 'cept that there are five b.o,hers
OF Us. and be might have argued that
the other BOYS would make sharp
hunt 1t | was missing Travellers who
did not wear any hctter clothes nor |
10, and who didn't seem 10 carry any
more money. baltcd at the Devils iIo-
tel taT dinner. and were murdered,
robbed. aud put under ground less'n
an hour -
Was there nothing suspicious about
the house itSelf-n othIng in the looks
or actions Of the family TO put the trav
eller on his guard :" asked the Ia scu-
ger
Yes there WAS. ana then agin there
wern't. IL was lone house, with no
neighbors to spy and mcddle; but it
Was handy place Tor one 10 stop aud
glt dinner l reckon that u hungry
man, riding a tired horse. don't be sus-
pec.ing ss much "a detective would.
Old Bender wasnt party. but he'd pass
master as well a "A thousand others out
this way. The only mean thing about
him was the way he got round. lie
didn't pick up has feet like man. bu,
sort O shd here ami there like a cat
lie didn't look ye in the face if be
could get rad at il. but look over be-
yond ye. Sull. I've seen honest mel
10 the same way
And the others
We'll. less ST. There VAS the old
mau. then there was an old she devil
around ther. who was always kn,ttii =
stockings and singing religious song.
She was fifty years or more, and was
probably hls wife, Then there was a
woman ab0ut thirty ye.rs Old called
Kate She wasn't blocking nor
had locking. and nobody could have
told what = bloody heart she hal The
! papers said she MAS Bcnder's daughter.
hu' | don't believe it The papers
hadns a. many WAYS ot finding oo, a.
| had Some q them ucver mentioned
the old woman q, all. aud vet she was
night there all the time Then there
were enc or two chaps hanging around
there most - the time oug a them
PASSED tor Mates husband. lat don't
believe they were ever marglei
think the pair had laid in with the ol..
mau - open ihc tavern. help 50 q" the
running II IL and the mur,ietlos. ani
take half lbe profits They were a
regular gang o rotlsr~. horse Thieves
aua murdercr,. and nobody NilI ever
kne~ what relation th,y ~tte L. esct
other
The pAlrt- bai $50 u.ul -tvr, io
+ ,el! wien Il cane cat. SAID the nav
eler
80 they bad. but tbey didn't tell il
b.i ,noush. Those raie-fsced chaps
with ie,t reGrlls over their ears dtiu I,
set around there 10 >ee tbc wofst ui IL
TEL, ,ug. ,5r. shvre heve~ va. such
another garg of c0iihroa,s li lbe c'ua.
srv Thcy bal ts.ea killing AWAY and
killing AWAY tog year> Ieastwsse
seme II tie s,stiles hsi alma>t gone To
.lass. and i, takes tame ter TIA: When
man eau.e AlouS there NAo .ooke,i 20
have money they popped ham ever. 10
MISTER whether be ~s> atgApger or
i.sct uuy iossu miles sHsy Tie
tso,.lc, wvfc barred aaNn ceilsF aua
sI,,au3 ;h,. house. arI ! '>ptt; &C iiin {
find halt a. them " ben they dfst
cosnmenoe'i killing. ,hes pr badly cal
Fisa ihe c,'rpses further ANay - bary