Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-08-20
WHAT BECAME OF TIE BENpERS.

A correspondent of the Chicago |
Times, writing from Oswego, Labette |
County, Kan, in reference to the arrest |
of the McGregor tramps and their claim |
20 be members of the murderous Bender |
family, says:
"The Blenders are dead. speak thus de-
oisively because know whereof l speak. 1t |
is not customary for one to boast of acts of
lawlessness, and it is not in that spirit that
enter upon the recital OF the last chapter Of
the bloody career of the british Blenders.
1T is not necessary TO go into detailed
account of the murders. In point of fact,
very little is actually known on that point. No
one in the land of the living will have the hard
ihoOd to say that he saw the deeds done, aud
the Blenders themselves never made a con-
fession that know Of The McGregor liars
were a little of in their description of the muir
ders, They always had Kate, or Maggie, her
cousin, or John, cutting the heads of the VIC
Tins TO pieces with hatchets whereas they
were invariably Drained with u hammer and
their throats cut.
" The Benders, John and his wife, and their
two children, Kate and John, kept a wayside
tavern about a mile and half southeast of
Morehead Station on the road leading from In-
dependence to the Usage Mission. They were
there when moved into the county two years
before the discovery of the butcheries, and
were well known then. Kate was red-faced,
low-browed, squarc-shouldered amazon, strong
enough to throw bull by the tail, and every
body stood in awe of her. She made n pre-
tense of pfacticing the healing art, and was
known far and wide as "spiritualistic
DOCTOR" Her cures were permanent,
and her remedy was q hammer. Decent
people avoided the Bender tavern. As the
country hereabouts harbored agood many des-
peradoes about this time, no one cared to
raise row, and the protest went no further
than avoidance. When search was instituted
for the body of DIR. York, in April 1873, sus-
picion was directed against the Bendcrs, and
contrary TO the general belief close watch
was kept on them for while. They must
have been aware of the surveillance, for at
the fret opportunity they decamped. The re-
port that they took the train at Thayer, a sta
ton few miles north of Cherryvale, and went
to Humboldt, from which place they took
passage for Texas, is mistake. They simply
bundled their goods intotwo wagons and start
cd for Indian Territory. They did not pro-
ceed at once TO their destination, if, indeed,
they had any destination marked out, but
crossed over into Montgomery County. and
squatted near Nerdgris River to await devel-
opments. The distance from their farm was
something like twenty miles; John, Jr:, or
John, Sr made daily trips back to the vicinity
of CherryVale and took observations. 1t was
their intention to return if the excitement
should blow over, but If it continued warm
they would 20 on as originally planned They
knew of the discovery of their crime within
an hour after the bodies were dug out of their
shallow graves, and they lost no time In strik-
ing their tents. They struck out for the west
bank of the river and started sout Inward post
haste. Their flight soon became panic, and
to add to their discontinue one of their
wagons broke down. Packing what they
could of the load on their horses they piled up
what was left, set fire to it, and hurried on.
"ln the meantime vigilance committee
had been formed. This move was taken with
the greatest secrecy, and none but trusty men
were aumllted 70 the orgaulzatlon; Ine I UT
most circumspection was used, for the reason
that in new community like this the doubt
full assistance of suspicious characters was n
thing to be dreaded. The Nigilante5 did not
number more than one hundred men all
told, but they meant business as the sequel
proved. 1t was my good or bad fortune to be
one of the elect. Scouts were sent out in all
directions, and within forty-eight hours of the
departure of the Blenders from their camp in
the next county, the fact was duly reported
| TO us.
ABOUT forty of us organized into pursu-
| ing party and started after the butchers. Once
on their trail, we had no difficulty i'll following
1t. The murderous quartet had taken to the
| open country west of the river, but were keep
| ing within convenient distance of the thick
| timber that grows in the valley watered by the
| stream. They were expecting pursuit. and
! hoped to escape by losing themselves in this
/ timber If 1t came to the worst AS we pro
ceeded the trail freshened, and ere long we
| came across the half-consumed ruins of the
| wagon left by the Renders in their flight.
! From the direction they were taking, it be-
came evident TO the mind of those acquainted
| with the country that they were pointing for
| that paradise of cutthroats located near the
| mouth of the Red fork Of the Arkansas
The country. horeabouts is a bleak and
! desolate region, infested by holSc-thieVeS,
| halt-brecd Greeks, PawneeS and CherOkeeS.
| Once there they knew they would be safe from
/ pursuit. Even the United States troops have
never been able To penetrate that terra tncOg-
| nud. II Is safe retreat for the border rufians,
and is known to be such all through this sec
| ton of the country. This haven for the wick.
| ed is distant about one hundred and forty
! miles from the point where the Nerdlgris
| River enters Indian Territory. The murder
! erS had about forty miles to travel before
reaching the boundary of the Territory, and
they were probably twenty miles beyond
| the line when our scouts caught sight
of them. Burdenod as they were with
much cumbrous baggage, they had
not been able to make very great
speed, but they used every possible effort tC
I rafrF on n hRkR NsnG hpnf
| O'Clock on hot, sultry May afternoon that We
came in sight of the party. They saw us as
soon as we came from cover, and abandoning
| everything they broke for the forest They
| plunged into the woods and scattered W.
were close upon their heels, however, and they
did not succeed in eluding us long. The ole
man and mis- wife and Kate were under arr est
in less than an hour. John, Jr., was more for
tunate than the other members of the tribe
| for he contriyed to eVade us for an hou
longer, but he was ut length run to cover anC
| forced to surrender.
Every one of them showed fight but witt
the exception of Kate they all weakened wher
| il came 10 the scratch. This charming borde
| beauty emptied every chamber of her revolve
into our faces, but her aim was bad and sh
did no serious damage beyond manning one O
our horses and clipping a lock of hair from
my temple. The bullet raised a ridge aloni
the skin, the work of which shows to this day
she finally succumbed to superior strength
but to the last maintained the same daredevil
reckless demeanor.
"Having captured the assassins the ques
tion now arose, What are we to do with themi
Some were for taking them back and lettIni
the law take its course. The advocates O
this line of policy were largely in the minors
ty. There were those amongst us whose relt
tiVes had fallen victims to the deadly hammer
and knives Of the wretches, and they woui
not listen to the suggestions of the conservs
tive element. They threatened to do som
killing then and there IL their demands for II
stant vengeance wore not regarded. No on
tion if they had carried out their threats, bu
IL was thought best TO do the job up after tn
most approved form obtaining in the court
presided over by Judge Lynch.
"The prisoners were acco rdingly arraigne
and asked what they had to say i'll their d'
fense. The old woman was sullen and ugly
but the two men showed signs of falterng
Had they been left to themselves, they woul
have made full confessions, beyond doub
The amiable Kate perceived this, and, thinl
ing 1t would please the viRilants too muc
TO hear confessions she fell to cursing he
brother and father for their cowardice Fou
er language was never uttered than came frol
to appsy to her relatives They took it sullel
ly at first, but soon something of her reckle.
spirit infused them, and thcy too Joined
the TRADE. The chorus of blasphemy this
went up from that hardened lot caused
shudder to run through our party. With deaf
staring them in the face, they united in cur
ing MS and amenting their inability to do
harm. Such malignity never saw equale'
; Even the old woman chtpped in occasional
and her appearance indicated that she who'll
approved of the family demonstration.
"0ur court went through with the form pr
scribed and then pronounced n sentence {
death. The announcement was received wit
: jeers from the hardened criminals, who ha
determined TO brave it out TO the last. 1t WI
decided that the murderers should be shot,
il would take too much time 10 hang then
The sun was already nearly down, and III
shadows of approaching night were deepening
There on the borders of the forest the cru
J killers were tied to sapiings and told to pr
pare for death. One OF our number, who ha
not quite forgotten his early education, III
dertOOk to Offer prayer, but the lovely Kat
spit in his face while he was addressing tn
throne of grace, and he quit right in the mil
die of a sentence and drew of in disgust.
1.-THE four died with curses on their lip
hardened and unrepentant to the last. Thel
in that lonely, dismal spot, away beyond tt
confines of civilization, they met rghteol
retribution, and their souls black with Grim
were sent to meet the great Judge. hol
made by the displacement of the roots OF
fallen cottonwood, was made a little larger an
deeper, and tho bodies were thrown in an
hastily covered with loose earth, rocks an
brushwood. This was all there was to Ii
funeral.
"On reaching the level again, the effects
2 the Blenders were stacked and burned as
2 sort of an Offering TO Heaven. We then pr
ceeded northward, separting before reachin
the settlements, each seeking his hon
quietly.