The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1880-09-09
THE BLOODY eENDERs.
4 MtR Who Says he Helped 4
Hang Them.

| tf'I Nf'SFN'
The Chicago Times publishes The
following letter from Oswego, Kan
sas, describing the alleged killing o
tho Benders, and written by Que
who claims to have assisted at the
work Of vengeance
"There is no doubt that the Ben.
ders are dead, They arc nvfully
dead. and their bones arc whitoned
by the processes Of nature ere this
speak thus decisively becauye
know whereof i speak. 1t is no,
customary for ono 60 boast of acts OF
lawlessnoss, and it ia not in that
.. split that | enter upon the recital
of the last chapter Of tho bloody
career of tho british Bonlers.
am prudent enough, too, 20, wise to
hedge myself against possible annoy.
auco, aud had 7 not received
your solemn assurance that YOU
would not divulge my name, IL il
not unlikely / should havo left the
writing Of this scrap of history to
o.hor hands,
When search was in-
stitutcd for the body Of DR.. York. in
April, 1873, suspicion was directed
against the Beniors and contrary
to general belief dose watch wa,
kept on tho surveillance, for at the
fret opportunity thoy decaDPoi.
! The report that they took the train
at Thayer, station II few miles
north of Cherryyale, aud won't to
humboldt, from which place thoy
took passage for Texas, is mistake.
They eimply buudlol their goods
into two wagons uui started for
Indian Territory. They did not
proceed, at once TO their destination.
II. indeed, they bad any destination
lm0rkea out, but crossed over g
| Montgomery county aud equattol
near Yordjgris River to swIi. de-
volopmcnts. Tho distance from
their farn was something like
twenty mica. Johu, r. or John.
ST., made daily trips back to th,
vicinity Of Cherry vale aud took
observations. 1t was their intention
TO return If tho excitement should
blDT over, bat ifit continued warm
they would 20 on as originally plan
ned. They knew Of the discovery OF
I their crime within an hour after the
bodies were dug out Of their shallow
graves, and they lost no time in
striking their tcnts. They struck
ont for the west bank Of the river
aod started eonthward post haste
Their hiIht soon became panic.
and to aid to their discontinue one
Of their wagons broke down. Pack
iny what thoy could Of the loni on
t,cir horses they piled up what was
left, set ire to it aud hurried on
4 In tho meantime n vigilance
committee had been formed, This
'uovo wac taken with tho greatest
secresy, and none bat trusty men
were admitted to tho organization.
The utmost circunspection was US.
cd, for. tho reaaOn that in new
community liao this tho doubtful
assistance OF suspicious characters
was thing tO be dreaded. The
vigilantes diI not number moro
than one hundred mou all told, bat
they meant business, as tho sequel
proved Ii was my good or bad
fortune ito bo one of the elect
Scouts wero sout out ia all direct
ions and within forty-cight hours of
the departure of the LEADERS from
their camp IN the next county the
fact was duly reported to us. About
forty Of us Organized into pursue
ing party and started after the
butchers. Once ou their trail we
had no difficulty in following it.,
:. The murderous quartet had taken
to the open country west of the
river, but were keeping within con-
venient distance of the thick timber
that grows in the valloy watered by
this stream. They were expecting
pursuit and hoped to escape by los
ing themselves in this timber, if it
came to the worst. As we proceed
ed the trail fresheued and ere long
we came across the half consumed
ruins Of tho wagon left by the Bend
ers in their flight, From the di-
rection they were taking it became
evident to the mind of those ac-
quainted with the country that they
were pointing for that paradise of
cut throats located near the mouth
of the Red fork Of the Arkansas,
The country hereabouts is bleak
and desolate region, infested by
horse thieves. half-breed Creeks.
Pawnees aud Cherokees. Once
there they knew they would be safe
from pursuit. Even the United
States troops have pever been able
to penetrate that terra iRc01nita
1t is safe retreat for the border
ruffians aud is known TO be such all
though this section of tho country