The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-08-10
THE BENDER BUTCHERS.

THE BENDER BUTCHERS.
Their Arrest and Identification at
Fremont, Nebraska--The Auth gfs
tiles i'm Pursuit of Kate and John
"A Large Reward Offered for the
Whole Gang.
OMAHA, August 3 Sheriff Gregg, of
Dodge County, who arrested old Bender
and his wife, now in Fremont Jail, is in
Omaha hunting ap the trail of young
Bender and WIFE, The latter we're seen
with team and wagon with old Bender
and wife, who were on foot, near Schuy.
Ter, and they parted near there. Shortly
before Daniel Condor informed Gregg Of
their suspicious inquiries about the Ben
der family of Kansas. Mr.. Gregg has
since learned that the young couple
crossed the river at Omaha with tesm
and wagon and went into Iowa, no doubt
en- route to the place Of meeting agreed
upon by them and the old folks.
Sheriff Gregg says that when he ar
rested the old couple he rode up to them
and said, "HeIlo. Kate!' The woman
replied, II amt Kate Bender" Gregg
believes that he has sure thing on the
old man, but thinks the woman Benders
mistress, and that they have killed his
wife. The original old Bender was a
German, and had big scar on the Gen.
ter OF his head. The prisoner at Ere
mont has scar, but swesrs he doesn't
know a word of German. A Dutchman
was put in the cell wi b instructions to
curse him in bis natural tongue. Old
Bender forgot himself and swore terrific
ally at the man in German. Bender
asked for razor to shave, but Gregg
fearing he would commit suicide, refus-
ed, and had the barber to shave him -
Sheriff Gregg is determined TO capture
Young Bender, as it is understood S25,-
900 reward is offered for the whole gang.
or this amount $1,000 is for the old
man.
OMAHA, August "a dispach from
Fremont, NebrasKa, says: Further de-
velopments make almost certain the iden-
tity of the couple in Jail here for COM
plicity in the Bender butcheries. H. V.
Hooplar, of this county, who formerly
resided in Labelle County, Kansas near
the Bender's interviewed the old man
and woman in Jail yesterday. He says !:
81 asked him il he had seen anybody
murdered there He said he had seen
eleven persons murdered. Questioned
closely. 'he admitted having helped to
kill and bury them, and exclaimed. Let
them hang me- He said he would mo-
60 back to Kansas; he would kill himsel
fret."
Mr.. Hooplar then went and saw th'
woman captured with Bender. She com
menced laughing when asked if she knew
him, and answered, "Yes, do know you
How do you do, Mr. Hooplin9 ? thi
name she called him by.l never ex.
pected to see you any more. don
want to talk with you"
He said: "You are captured at last. !"
She answered: "Yes, We are. They
will hang u.s."
4 He asked her what she Was going t.
| do, and she said: "You know that that
John Bender; there is no use to deny
any longer. l am going to tell the truth
il that don't save me from being hum
I'll have to hang"
Mrs. Bender Relates the Infam0u
Exploits of the Gang..A Whole
Family Murdered--Childr
Buried Alive.
! FREMoNr, NEB., August 8 There hs
, been further developments in the Bendt
matter to-day. Mrs. Bender made a fu
confession OF all the horrible murder
! committed on the John Bender farm du
!, ring 1872 and 1873. She was wido
. when she married McGregor, alias Bel
: der, who was widower with four Chi
dren. They migrated from Missouri
: LAi,an Hanntu- -Kanaaa-n nharn--nndaH-fl II
leadership of Kate, old johns daughte
the murders aud robberies that made Il
family so notorious began. Mrs. Bend
declares that she had no personal han
in these crimes The first man killed b
: them was a man named Blown. Ver
!, soon after the murder two strangers wei
killed. The woman was asked whetht
she remembers about q whole famil
being killed, aud she said, "Yes, l d,
There was a man, wife and two lit
, girls, who drove up to the house or
!, afternoon and wanted to spend the nigh
! That night while the n an and wife vel
at supper they were dropped through u
hole. Kate and the old man were belo
- - The man fought pretty hard, but th'
: fixed him. Next dsy the two childrt
. were buried alive. Old John took ol
and Kate the other. They followed q,
fully, but finally stopped, and Kate can
in and said, The damned brals are 9
! right now" Soon after this, accordir
to the woman's story, they becou
! frightened and joined the Cherokee
I Choctaw nation. Many further detail
were obtained from this woman, and
these are not the original Benders, tt
fact can easily be established,