The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-08-26
count Of its being so terribly mutt

L :
in a systematic manner TO the depth
of five feet. The surface of the soil
was kept separate from the subsoil
and preserved to cover the top. AT
ter the burials the ground was
carefully plowed and narrowed
over
The ninth murder was that of
N an named Jones, whose body was
found in Drum creek some time be
fore the discovery of facts stated
above. He was killed in the same
manner as the others, and hauled to
the creek in Bender's wagon, which
was easy to track as one wheel was
disabled and wabbled. He was
thrust through a hole in the ice, the
ground being frozen so as to pre-
vent digging q grave.
One popularity noticed was that
the bodies were all buried with the
left arm crossed on the breast and
the right arm lying by the side.
The Benders consisted Of four
persons-John Bender, er,, his wife,
son named John, and a daughter
The son and daughter were aged
respectively twenty-five and twenty
years at the time OF the discovery
of the murders John Bender, ST.,
is a stout, burly fellow, with great
shaggy eyebrows. The wife is not
particularly different from other
German wemen of low degree. The
son was thIckset and strong, and
the daughter rather good-looking
With fair complexion, light blue
eyes aud yellow HAIR
When DR.. York was first missing,
Gov. Osborne offered a reward of
$500 for the arrest OF the murderer,
when the blood-curdling discovery
of the atrocities committed by the
Bender family became known the
reward was greatly increased and
augmented from other sources.
Great excitement prevailed through
out the states of Kansas. Missouri
and Nebraska; and every daily pa
per in the country was full of the
terrible affair for weeks afterwards.
People supposed to be members
of the Bender family were seen in
various parts of the United States,
and in many cases arrested, but
proved to be not the parties wanted.
These wretches were all captured
and shot by a party of citizens
shortly after the discovery of their
crimes, when they were fleeing in
the direction of the Indian nation.
A gentleman, who was present,
gives the following graphic account
of the scenes following their cap
ture and death:
"The prisoners were arraigned
and asked what they had to say in
their defense. The old woman was
su lien and ugly, but the two men
showed signs OF faltering. Had
they been left to themselves, they
would have made full confessions
beyond doubt. The Rmiable Kate
perceived this, and, thinking that il
would please the vigilantes toe
much TO hear confessions, she fel
TO cursing her brother and iathel
for their cowardice. Fouler. Ian
guage was never uttered than came
from the lips of this fiend. NJ
term was too vile to apply to he!
relatives. They took 1t sullenly a
first, but soon something of hel
reckless spirit infused them, ant
they TOO joined in the TRADE. The
chorus of blasphemy that went uI
Itrom that hardened lot caused ;
shudder to run through our party
With death staring them in the
face, united in cursing us. and la
menting their inability to do Us
harm Such malignity l never saw
equalled. Even the old woman
cLipped occasionally, and her ap
pearance indicated that she wholly
approved of the family demonstra
ton.
"When charged with the murders
laid at their doors, the answer wa;
a curse, followed by more curses
and then a volley, a fusilade o.
curses and ribald abuse. Our cour
went through with the form pre-
scribed, and then pronounced {
sentence of death. The announce
ment was received with jeers from
the hardened Grimm ais, who haC
determined to brave it out to the
last 1t was decided that the mur
derers should be shot, as it would
take too much time to hang them
The sun was already nearly down
and the shadows of approaching
night were deepening. There OF
the borders of the forest the crue
kille were tied to saplings and
told to prepare for death. One o
our number who had not quite for
gotten his early education, under
took to offer prayer, but the love
~ Kate spit in his face while b,
was addressing the Throne o
Grace, and he quit right in the mid
ole of a sentence and drew off II
disgust. The four died with curse
On their lips, hardened and unre
pentant to the last. There, il tha
lonely, dismal spot, away beyond
the confines of civilization, they
met a righteous retribution, ant
their souls, black with crime, wer
sent to meet the Great Judge
Their executioners treated then
better than they treated their limo
cent victims. They we're kille'
quietly and painlessly, not butch
, cred brutally,
"To be sure not much time wa
wasted in burial; but it was growing
late, and the vigIlantes had lon
ride before them. A. hole, mad
, by the displacement of the root
Of a fallen cottonwood, was mad
a little larger and deeper, and th
. bodies thrown in and hastily Gov
> cred with loose earth, rocks ant
brushwood. This was all ther
was Co the funeral"
Better than Quinine.
For speedy and certain cure Of a
malarial diseases, no medicine has y
been invented equal TO DR.. G. z. Dun
cans celebrated Chill Tonic. It col
tains no arsenic, strychnine or quinn
e in any form; consequently it produc'
e noue of the bad effects which so con
- 4"