Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-05
THE BLOODY RENDERS.
HOW the Monsters were DiscOvered
and Appreheuded.


HOW the Monsters were Discovered
and Appreciated.
MIS-. BENnER MAKES FULL CONFESSION OF
fHkiR FEARFUL DEEDS-A FATHER AND NORA Rs
| BtTCHEkED AND THEIR BABIES BURIED ALIVE
special dispatch to the Chicago Tri5Yu,
from Fremont. Neb, Aug. I'd, SayS:-Further
Startling developments were made In the Ben
Ger matter today. Mrs. Bender or Mrs. Me
| Gregor. made full and complete confession q
| the wlose matter, even to the mfnutest defaiIs
TsFardng the butcheries perpetrated on hcJohn
bender farm during 1872 and 1873. She denies
having had any personal hand in the
matter. but says Kate old Johns daughter was
tne leader or all the deyiltry. She went over
ner en,lre history from the time she became
MIS-. Alexander McGregor. She was a widow AT
| the time that she married McGregor alias RpD.
DER. VINO was wtdower with four Children two
OF Wnom NV Were Kate and John, jr. They mi
grated from Missouri TO Labette county, KaS,
ana became John Bender and family She is
under the impression that Kate has been can
tur 1 and, 10 shield herself tells everything
OUT puts the blame on other shoulders She
knows that the Old man viii have 10 90
back TO Kansas, and converses Ia the most mat
ter,ot 1act way regarding the horrible murders
| wnich culmlnatad with the death OF DR.. York.
MIS-. McGregor. or Mrs. Bender, as she Shall be
called, is SIX feet In height. weighs over 2po
| pounds and her face and hands are as dark as
an ihdfans the result OF her residence during
| me past year or SO among the northern tribes OF
SIOUX. Her eyes are blue. and While conyer,S-
| Ing this WOman's face can become pleasant
which can't be said Of her husband in an adj
Joining cell. whose devfltsh face peers from be-
| hind the grated cage at each visitor. She said
she went by the name OF McGregor till the old
| man went TO Kansas, when he changed 1t to
John Bender, and arter about year John
| and Kate came along, and then the devil began
| TO be played"
"What do you mean by that?-
| and all that"
Who was the first person killed by the
family?"
lie was sick nan named Brown. He came
along one afternoon. The house was a good
sized one and on sign was Groceries out
side the door, and SEEM this he stopped We
took him in. and the second night we got him
up TO eat supper, and while seated at the table
john Bender let him into the cellar where Kate
or John Killed him, and the next day they buried
| him in the garden"
| killed." ~ o "''
81 don't quite remember, but not long. Two
| were killed and one OF them. whose name be-
ueve was something like McGrIthy or McGrath
| me So" 'O'0'
do you remember about whole family be-
Eyes, do. There was man and Wife and
| two little girls. They drove up in covered
| spring wagon, and wanted to stay all night.
| Kate Bender said they could stay. 1t was about
| two O'Clock In the afternoon, and while at sun
| per that night they were dropped through the
hole. Kate and the Old man were below, and
| the man fought pretty hard, but they fixed him.
| was behind the curtain that night. but did
| not pull the trap"
what about the children"
"They cried terribly that night, and the next
day man came along and see one of 'em, and
they were killed that night"
"How were they killed?"
They were buried alive. Ole John took one
but finally stopped, and Kate came in and said
the d mined brats were all right now"
'D Do you remember their HameS?-
alt was something like Grackmore or Black
more" Iihe name was Louchore, and but one
OF the children was found.l
"Who was killed next?n
" 1t was DR.. York. ! remember him so we'll
He was Srch pleasant man, with Side-whiskers
and moustache 1t was rainy day when he
came and they got good deal OF money when
killed him with the Ratchet"
You all lett soon after this?"
YES; they GOT skeered, and we all went away.
A1ter waking Few miles some men took US In a
taw nation"
"Wbo were these mem"
who made the house their headquarters and run
of horses left by the dead men,
,' Were any Of these men there during any
81 think so, once but can't quite remember
Some OF the horses were drowned In pond
back Of the house"
what did you mean about Kate killing a
man In bed With herr"
she was one Of the first killed, and she got
him to 60 to bed with her, and In the night
the hole, but got only 81"
You say you did not help them kill any one
How could you help IT."
1T was always thought that there were only
John Bender and wife and John and Kate in the
house. There was another old woman who was
my husbands mother. She helped them do it."
There are many other facts obtained from the
woman. It is almost certainty that she Is the
old woman mentioned by John Bender as the
person who helped Kate to do the killing and
that the Old woman mentioned by Mrs. Bender
is myth.
THE UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR YOUNG BENDER
AND WIFE.
special dispatch to the Chicago Tribune from
Omaha, Neb., August 2, says: Daniel Congdon
returned to Omaha last evening after an unsuc-
cessful search in Iowa for young Bender and
wife. He is the man who gave the Information
Fremont. They asked to eat and sleep at his
house near Schuy Ter, and he turned them over
to bis neighbor, Herndon. After supper at Hern-
this Bender murder now" Herndon said: mo,
not much" Old man Bender said: II used
to know them Benders. stopped at their
nS an an many xs ana ou Ths hef t SRe
children alive" Instead OF saying They
the old man, by slip OF the tongue. said "We.n
Then he went on to describe the canvass wall,
frC an behind which the fatal blow was struck
aid how nice Kate used TO do work. Then he
| talked about the Californian, who came there In
the evening and asked what smelled so. Kate
| by Threatening to have the house searched II
he hadn't Threatened they would all have been
captured In the house The old man said that
he went south with the Benders that night to
the railroad, where he and the Benders parted.
Next day, upon hearing this story, Congdon
got Sherin Gregg. and together they pursued
and captured Bender and his wife as already
stated. Bender claimed his name was Nc
Gregor. Congdon, who had heard that there
were more In the party, secreted himself in the
jail and overheard conversation between the
prisoners confirming the report. On Thursday
alter getting meager description of young
John Bender. Kate, and the other woman. he
came to Omaha. went to the ferry and the fer
lyman told him he had seen such party al IL
O'Clock Thursday, answering the descriptions
except having four or five children. To make
sure about the children, he went back to Ere.
Kate and John had been arrested at Omaha,
and said to the old man. eEow many children
has kate hadfn The old man said four. Said