The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-19

CHICAGO. August Mrs Bender was
visited in Jail at Fremont by an Omaha re-
porter to whom she said that the first mur-
der ever committed by her and her husband
was in Illinois, on their farm near Jackson
Vile The victim asked for lodging and
supper and on paying for the same in adj
vance exhibited considerable money. While
he was eating supper Bender cut his head
into from behind. and he was dumped into
the cellar through drap- door arranged by
Bender who got his money The corpse
was buried next morning back Of the house
They then went to Indiana, living on the
murdered man money, and then went to
Kansas where Bender's children Jehn and
Kate, by his first wife were living with her
cousin Maggie. They kept resort for
travellers there, and called it Bender's bo
tel They had committed no murder prior
to the old folks arrival. but in course of
time old Bender arranged a trap door, and
then numbering operations began. Kate at
one time had man in bed with her, and
she cut his throat and slept till morning be
side the corpse. His money was divided.
She never in jured horse thieves and cut
throats who came to the house, but enter
taired them we'll in company with her
cousin Maggie. No murders We're commit
ted by the family after they fled from Kan
sas Old Bender has confessed, believing
that the old woman has escaped. His story
tallies with his wife's exactly. He relates
the history Of the whole family and their
crimes.
In 1878 old Bender and his wife and
their son John ard his wife lived near G her
ryvale, Labette County, Kansas. Their
house was about two miles out OF town. 1t
was rude frame structure, standing In lot
of two acres The old woman called herself
medium. She had way of boiling herbs
and roots that were supposed to have
charms and spells about them and she dealt
in incantatiops. She was repulsive IN as
pect-tail, angular and scrawny, with hard,
steel-gray eyes, and thin, ragged gray hair
stragggllng over her temples. The family
seem to have been totally under the inHu-
ence of this ungainly creature. Her word
! with them was law. The Benders ostensl
bIv kept grocery A sign was displayed
in front of their rude dwelling to attract
visitors, but the stock in trade consisted
principally of sort Of cheap VINE. lhere
were only two rooms in the house. One
was dining room and kitchen combined.
In the ether the four Blenders slept.
MANY SUDDEN DIsAPPEARANCEs
In 1878 a number Of persons travelling In
the direction of Cherryvale mysteriously dis
appcared. No traces of them could be
found The first disappearance that at
tracted public attention was that of an old
man ard his granddaughter who left Cher
ryvale in February. 1873. IN twoher
wagon, to go to Fort Scott, but who never
reached that place. All inquiries failed to
elicit clue to their disappearance until,
about the beginning of March, DIR. William
II. York recognized the wagon and team at
Fort Scott. He ascertained that the wagon
had been purchased at the fort from some
nerson who had come from Cherryvale, and
he determined to ferret ont the mystery.
He lef. Fort Scott Oh March 9, and he, too.
disappeared DR.. York was well known w,
and the greatest efforts were made to dis,
cover traces of him. large reward was
offered, rivers were dragged, spots ut Ter
ambush were probed foot by foot, lonesome