Connecticut western news., 1880-08-11
THE BENDER MURDERERS.
How the Capture of the Elder Bender and his Wife was Effected.

arrested by Sheriff Gregg at Richland 8 few days ago, and he is now lodged in jail at Fremont. He was with woman travelling eastward on foot. They had stopped at house near there. Soon after their arrival they made inquiries as to whether anything had yet been dis covered of the Bender family, who for merly lived in Kansas.
 Their talk and actions excited suspi- cion, which was further strengthened by their answers to questions asked them. They appeared excited, and told conflicting stories as to who they were and where they were from; said they had lived five or six years among the In- dians; that they had been up in the Niobrara country, and that they were not the Renders. Ingenious question ing was brought to bear on them, and the story finally came out.
 While they were together in jail con- versation was overheard between them on the 27th of July, which was taken down by parties who were concealed near by. The old man, who is apparently over sixty years of age, said to her: "I knew if we came to Kansas that they would hang us before we would be there two hours. We would not stand ghost of show. If I have to die, want to die with you and be buried with you. I am going crazy. I know I have to die. r | l. r o,,4 for Kansas"
 "They would not let you have it. They are afraid of losing their reward, <" she said.
 He continued: "I know you'll give me away, but you cannot save yourself Oh! my first wife. She was good woman. You don't care for me. You mustn't think you can escape by giving me away. Don't you cry"
 Here they were interrupted by some noise, and would say no more. The par ties were afterward separated, and the old man was told that she had been taken to Kansas. He appeared to feel very bad, but said little. She was then questioned and asked to give the whole story, which was finally got out of her, as appears in the answers given to the questions put to her. The old woman said the Renders had to run away from Illinois. They were in the same busi- ness there that they were afterward in in Kansas.
 "I was with the old man, the woman said, "all the time he was with the Renders. I don't know if he had any thing to do with the murders. think he had. The money taken from persons murdered was always divided among the Renders. think my husband never got any of it. The garden was full of graves, and the cellar full of dead bodies. Dr. York's brother was murdered while was there. He was single man, I think about 35 years old. The dining-room oi the house was the room which the sliding trap was under. A person would si down at the table to eat, and the slides were .moved and the person would fal into a deep cellar. I don't know how deep the cellar was. They would kill anybody who would come to the house rich or poor, for fear they might inform on them. They killed some persons tha l had no money at all. We went with thu Renders from the place of the4nlurder t' I the railroad station. I don't know wha town. There they took the train south They would not take us along. The ol'
 man told the Renders that if they woul'
 not give them money he and the old mal
 would tell on them. They didn't sa
 anything to that. I have seen a goo
 many people killed at Bender's house
 My husband was sick at Bender's house
 and was waiting on him. I think ther
 were more than ten persons killed whll
 I was in the house. The Renders take
 freely about these murders in my pres
 ence The old man Bender, Mrs. Der
 der, Kate Bender, and John Bender, Jr
 done the numbering. The old. ma went by the name of John Bender i
 Kansas"
 The old man when he was told ths
 she had confessed by degrees, told h story: "I was only one night at Be1 der's house." he said ''That day young man came from California, an
 stopped at Bender's to get something eat He asked Kate what made tf house smell so. She said it was nothing He said he would not stay over night the house he would go and get peop 7 to search the house, and when the peop came they found some bodies under tl
 house, six or seven of them. When u Renders saw that they were found o1 . they went right off, and thensI starte :. ,. for Illinois. They put two children in ! hole that same night and covered the N with dirt. The man from California WI
 the one that saw these children aliv
 The reason why I came to Kansas tn 5 time was that I was coming from u
 West from Fort Lincoln. They killed man the night was there. He was n '4 very old man. I was notin the roo u where he was killed. It vas dark. o could not see very well. The door of u | room I was in was open. Twas at Be U der's house two and half days, but ]
 longer" l. Here the old man was. closely eros II :: questioned, and he finally Ssid: 1T W l. at the Bender house just sx.weeks. T !, Renders, don't know where they wea lo I went to Jacksonville, ll., traveli o + onfoot, calling myself McGegor. Apo sU four weeks after the Benders left Kans A' I saw Kate Bender between Springfe IL H., and Jacksonville. Sle had mel V clothes on. She had had her hair C J. short. I met her on the load. I kn, =, her the minute I saw her. know of