The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-08-12
A HORRIBLE STORY.

A HORRIBLE STORY.
TIE Woman Arrested 1t Fremont, NsB..
an1 Suppressed ~ He lGrs. John Bender.
6akea Fan Cenfesslsp- sickenine ne.
s4ak.c The Work q the lnhu..n ,Fiends.
=. a Fremont (Neb. special to the Chi
cago Tribune of the Sd says:
Further startling developments were made
In the Bender matter to-day. Mrs. Bender,
or MIS- McGregor, made full and complete
confession OF the whole matter, even to the
Perpetrated ON the John Bender farm during
1879 and 1873 She denies having had any
personal hand In the matter. but says Kate.
Old Johns daughter, was the leader of all the
devfltry. She went over her entire history
McGregor: She was widow at the time she
married McGregor, alias Bender, who was
widOwer with four children, two of whom were
Kate and John, Jf. They migrated from Mis-.
soufi to labette County, Kan, and became
John Bender and family. She is under the Inn
to shield herself, tells everything, but puts
the blame on other shoulders. She knows
that the old man will have to go
Dack 70 Kansas, and cUnverses in the
mEsf ma nnasod way regarding the
death Of DR.. York. In form she strongly res
eembles the noted Mrs Samuel, of Clay Coun-
ty, Mo-, mother of the outlaw James boys,
having the same heavy square face with
massive wide jaw-bones, but in point of cute
ness and intelligence is far inferior to that
noted woman. Mrs. McGregor, or Mrs. Ben
der. as she shall be called, ID six feet III
height; and weighs over two hundred pounds,
and her face and hands are rs dark as an In.
dams, the result of her residence during the
past year or SO among the Northern tribes
OF Sioux: Her eyes are blue, and while con.
versing this woman's face can become pleas
ant, which can't be said of her husband in
an adjoining cell, whose devilish face peers
from behind the grated cage at each visitor
Being asked If she would be called Mrs. Nc
Gregot or Mrs. Bender, she repliedi
The latter will do if you be satisfied, a
you be here to see Mrs. Bender"
You have no objection to giving q little
history Of your lifel"
"Oh, no; for the Sheriff has told me that
am to be free, and not to go to Kansas with
the ole man, and never did kill no one any
way"
':Were you married to Bender in Kansasl'
was widow, and he married me at
Springfield, ILL.,, at the close of the war. l
can't remember what year, but Squire Sedar
tied the knot. His name then was Alexander
McGregor, and he had four children, John
the boys had run off. He was . poor cuss
but we lived about several years, and then
were sent by the county to Dunkirk County,
in Southwest Missouri where sister lived All
this is true.''
"You went by the name of McGregorl"
1--WE did to the name till the ole man went
to Kansas and took up homestead in Lebit
County, believe, when he changed it to John
Bender, and, arter about year, John and
Kate came along, and then the devil began to
be played"
sSVNnu fhnro W efnQ1inS fhiQv3nS and Rt1I.
In, and all that"
"Who was the first person killed by the
familyl''
HE was a sick man named Brown. He
came along one afternoon. The house was
good-sized one, and on q sign was Groceries
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.
was killedf'
II don't quite remember, but not long.
Two were killed, and one of them, whose
name I believe was something like Nc.
Gruthy or McGrath, had good deal Of
money; at least John told me So"
"Do you remember about q whole family
being killedl''
"Yes, do. There was q man and wife
and two little girls. They drove up in q
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 supper that night they were
dropped through De hole. Kate and the old
man were below, and the man fought pretty
hard, but they fixed him. I was behind the
curtain that night, but did not pull the
trap"
"What about the childrena"
"They cried terribly that night and the
'em and they were killed that night"
"How were they killed?''
"They were buried alive. Ole John took
one and Kate took the other. They hollered
awful, but finally stopped, and Kate came in
and said a the cursed brats were all right
"Do you remember their names?"
ut was something Ike Grackmore or
Blackmore." (The name was Louchore, and
but one of the children was found.)
"WhO was killed next?''
1T was DR.. York. remember him so we'll He
was such pleasant man, with side-whiskers
end mustache. 1t was rainy day when he
came, and they. got good deal of money
when they killed him. He fought hard, too,
but Kate killed him with the Ratchet"
"You all left soon after this!''
Eyes; they got 'skeered,' and we all went
took us in wagon, and We drove into the
Cherokee or Ch0ctaw Nation"
Who were these men?''
"They were a part of gang Of horse
thieves who made the house their headquar-
tiers, and run off horses left by the dead
men,"
"Were any Of these men there during any
murders!"
81 think so, once, but can't quite remem-
Der. Some of the horses were drowned in q
pond back of the house."
"You say you did not help them kill any
one How could you help it!''
at was always thought there were only
John Bender and wife and John and Kate in
the house. There was another old woman
them do it."
There are many other facts obtained from
the woman. 1t is almost certainty that
she is the old woman mentioned by John
Bender as the person who helped Kate do the
killing, and that the old woman mentioned
by Mrs. Bender is myth. II these are not
the original Blenders the fact can be easily
proven. Governor st. John, of Kansas, was
notified by the Sheriff here nearly week
ago of the capture, but SO far not word has
been heard in reply. Some persons even now
with the facts before them it is hard to prove
them any one else. John Bender has not adj
mitted to any one that he was John Bender,
as has been telegraphed over the country,
but clings to the assertion that he is Alexan-
der McGregor, and the report that John
Bender, Jr., and Kate crossed the river at
Omaha last week en- route to some point in
Iowa is only credited by county officials.
A Sad Warning to Young Ladies.