Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-08-19

by Forty Armed Wien, Captured,
Tied to Trees and shot 10 Death
Dying with Curses on Their Lips.
A dispatch published in EVERY EVENING,
on Saturday, stated that II correspondent
of the Chicago Times, writing from
Oswego, Labette county, Kansas, declares
that the Bender murderers are dead and
that he helped to Lynch them several
years ugo. The full story of the CORE
spondeut il now NJ hand aud il pa follows:
Whe,, search wts nstitntsd III Tue body
of Dr York. in April, 1873 suspicion YVES
directed against tn- b"nclvrs, aud, contrary
to general belief, rlnse watch was kept
on them f1r vhir. rhey mnst have
been aware of iha surveillance, for, ut the
first opportduity, they decanprd. The
report lnat they took the train At Tnsyer,a
station u few miles north OF Cherryvale,
and went to Humboldt, from which place
they took passage for 'texas, is H mistake.
They SIMPLY bundled them goods iit1 tSo
wagons aid started Tor Indian
Territory rnry did not proceed at
once to their destination. VI, indeed,
they had AZ, d, situation marked out. but
crossed over into Montgomery county and
squa,tcd itenr the N-rdiGtN rtsar 10 await
farnl was something like ~ miles JoLn,
Dr., or Johu. Hr , ua1r daily iips onrk 10
the vicinity of Cherry walls and took
observations 1t WIS their intention 10
return # the excitement should blow over,
bur # il continued wHru they would 60
on as originally planned. lhey know Of
the discovery of their Crime Sithiu Nh
hour after he bodies were dug out Of their
hal md Tim. in,
striking their teuts they struck out for
the west bank of the river and star ed
southwark ppst haste. Their flight soon
became u pauic. and 10 add IL their dis
comfiture one OF their wagons broke down.
Packing what they could Of the load on
their horses they piled no what was left,
set fire to it and hurried ON.
Meanwhile u vigilance committee HI d
been formed. This move was taken with
the greatest secrecy, and none but trusty
men were admitted TO the organization.
The utmost circunspeotion was used, for
| the reason that in n new community like
| this the doubtful assistance CT suspicious
characters was thing to be dreaded.
The vigilautes did not number more than
100 men all told, but they meant business,
as the sequel proved. l. was my good or
|
Scouts we're sent out 10 all directions, and
within Is hours of the departure of the
Blenders from their camp in the next
county the fact was duly reported to us.
About 40 of us organized into pursuing
party and started after the butchers
Ouce on their trail We had no diff ,ulty in
following 1t. The murderous quarter had
taken to the open cOuntry west of the
river, but were keeping within con.
venient distancA Of the thick timber
that grows in the valley watsred
by tins stream. They were expecting
pursuit aud hoped to escape by losing
themselves ia this timber, If 1t came to the
worst AS we proceeded the trail fresh
ened and ere long we came across the half.
consumed ruins of the wagon left by the
Renders in their flight. From the drec-
ton they were taking it became evident to
the mind of those acquainted with the
country that they were pointing for thai
paradise If cut thronts located near the
mouth of the Red fork of the Arkansas.
The country hereabouts is bleak aud
iesolate region, infested by horse thieves,
half breed Greeks, Pawnees and Cherokees.
Once there they knew they would be saft
from pursuit. Even the United States
troops nave never been able to penetrate
that tt3TU iacOgnitd. 1t is u safe retrea,
for the border rutfitns and is known TO be
such nil through this section of the ooun
try. This haven for the wicked is dstau,
about 40 miles from the point where
the Y, rdigris river enters IndiaI
Territory. The murderers haC
about 30 miles 10 trave
before reaching the boundary of the ter
ritnry ard they were probably y
miles beyond the line when our scout
caught sight of them, Burdened Ms the!
were with much cumbrou4 baggage. the,
: had not b5en able TO make very grea
speed, but they had used every possibl,
Hort TO put space behind them. 1t wa
about 3 ocock on hot, sultry May after
noon that We came in sight of the party
They saw u aa soon ~ We came iron
cover, and abandoning everything the
broke for the forest. They plunged int
the woods aud scattered We we're clos
n upon their heels, however, ard they di
! not succeed in Guiding us long The oil
. man and his wife and Kate were under III
: rest IN less than an hour. John, Jr., wa
q more fortunate than the other member
a Of the tribe, for he coptrived to evade I
4 for nn hour longer, hut he was at lengt
n run to cover and forced to surrender.
q Every one of them showed fight, bt
with the exception of Kate they all veal
d eued when it came to the scratch III
Al charming border beauty emptied even
# chamber of her revolver into our face
but her aim was bad and she did no sci
Gus damage beyond manning ooe of OF
horses aud clipping lock of hair fro
my temple. The bullet raised a rid
along the skin. the mark of which sho
to this day. She finally succumbed
superior strength, but to the last mai
tanned the same dare devil, reckless d
meanor, Having captured the assassi
the question now arose, "What are we
do with them 2" Some were for TAXI
them back and letting the law take
course The advocates OF this line
, policy were largely in the minorlt
There were those among us whose rel
tives had fallen victims to the oeaC
hammers and knives OF the wretches, a
they would not listen to the suggestions
the conservative element. They thre
entd to do some killing then and there
their demands for instant vengeance We
not regarded. No one would nave uHrr
very strenuous opposition II tn
carried out their threats, but
was thought best TO do the JOB up af
the most approved form obtaining in
courts presided over by Judge Lynn
The prisoners were accordingly arralgr
AID asked what they had to sev in Ii
d, Tense. The Old woman was sul'en {
ugly but the two men showed signs
faltering. Had they been left to thu
selves they would have made full conf
sions beyond a doubt. The amlable X