The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-08-12

The whole Family Killed In Kansas
over seven Wears Aga


Speaking Of the Blenders an Omaha
paper says:
There seems 10 lie good deal TO
support the theory that the prisoners
were impostors. although it would hard
ly seem impossible that such could be
the case. Some years ago the associate
editor of the Atehison Champion was
told by a well-knoxn citizen Of Topeka
that while travelling In California he
met q former resident Of Montgomery
county, Kansas; that this gentleman
assured him that the Blenders never left
Montgomery county; that they were
suspected first of connection with
horse thieves; that they were seized by
a company Of citizens who had formed
a horsethief detective association; that
the Blenders, in view Of death con-
fessed the murders; told where the
bodies could be found and were exc
cuted by these regulators. Mr.. A. III.
blanchard, Of DE Kalb, No., tells
u story confirming that narrated
by the Topeka gentleman. He says
the published description Of the parties
arrested at Fremont do not agree with
the description Of the Benders. The
man described Is too large for old Ben
der; the woman is not old enough to be
old woman Bender, and is too old TO be
Kate, and nothing Is said. in the de-
scription, about the loss Of middle
finger Of the right hand. Old Bender
had lost his finger.
Mr.. j. o. Partridge, who now lives
at Salina, but who, like Mr.. Blanch-
ard, lived in Parsons in 1873, tells an
apparently straight story concerning
the fate of the Benders, which the
Champion believes to he reliable. He
(Partridge) belonged TO a vigilance
committee organized In Labette county
10 ferret out and punish horsethieves
and other criminals. The members Of
this committee had suspected the Ben
ders for some time, and had been keep
ing watch OF their movements. Some
of them saw the Blenders returning
from Drum creek, after disposing Of
the body Of Jones, one OF their victims.
Suspecting some crime, they followed
the dished wagon tracks, and Mt length
discovered the body of the murdered
man. They at once called the COM
mittee together. But before the mem
bers could be assembled the Blenders
had taken alarm and were of TO the In
dian territory. The vigilantes overlook
them a few miles over the line. rs they
were descending steephill. The Ben
ders were in wagon and their pur-
suers ON horseback. The murderers
Wiped up their horses and made fran
tic efforts to escape but one OF the
animals stumbled and fell. at the foot
of the hill, throwing the occupants OF
the wagon out. The leg of one OF the
women was broken by the fall. The
old man and John were armed and
made fight, but were soon over
powered. Both were wounded during
the struggle. The vigilantes took their
prisoners to a creek near by, and bound
them. One of the committee was sit
ting near Kate, guarding her. She
raved and cursed, declaring she had
killed many men, and would kill him
yet. lie had large knife in scab-
bard attached to his belt. Finally she
made sudden jump, and grasping the
knife, drew it from the scabbard and
made a vicious lunge at her captor. He
had revolver In his hand, and in
stantly shot her. The vigilantes then
proceeded to hold a lynch court, for the
trial of the prisoners. Some one Of the
Benders confessed the crimes of which
they had been guilty. The whole party
were then shot or hanged, and buried
on the spot.
1t would indeed be n remarkable
thing IL these people. but little above
animals in intelligence, had for over
seven years been able to elude the
sharp eyes Of thousands who were look
for them. They had been searched for
with a zeal that never tired; the best
detectives in the country, stimulated
by the large reward offered, have been
on their tracks; but they have, II alive,
managed to disappear rs IL the eartl
had opened and swallowed them.