Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-08-07
EASTERN DISPATCHES
n BESDERS.
They Confess to o Series Of Horri.
bic Murders, All for Robbery
Family OF Heartless Brutes.

$ZZUO on DIS persou' ha'o auu ooo''
tho old woman says, are full brother and
sister and have four children. They are
in the timber near Avocs, Iowa, and will
soon be captured.
oxAHA, August cod Mrs. Bender
continues to hold receptions in jail and
confess. In her talks she occasionally
throws additional light on the past life
and crimes Of the Bender family. To-
day. among other things. she said that
when she married Bender. alias Nc
Grsgor. at Springfield. Illinois. and his
children, John and Kate, were In Kan
sss, tho first murder committed BY old
Bender and his wife was OF their place
In Illinois. One afternoon q man rode
up to their house and asked to stay ell
night, and she made him pay 10 advance
and be exhibited q large roll OF money.
Her husband had Hxsd Q trap-door. and
when this man was sitting al supper. be
slipped up behind him and split his
head In two with Q Ratchet. The
murdered man was short, thick set.
and had black hair and whiskers.
his chin being shaved. The body
was thrown into the cellar tempo
rsrily, and afterwards buried back
OF the house. She did not get any OF
tho money. The old man must have
got It. They remained on the farm only
a few weeks after that. and moved to
Iowa City and lived on the money OBJ
tanned from the murdered man. After
wards they went to Indiana and lived
there eight months. Then they moved
to Kansas, where Kate and John were
living, and also Maggie. A cousin OF
these three had been keeping o tavern
and called It Bender's Hotel. The old
woman docs not know Of any murders
committed by john, Kate and Maggie
before she and the old man came there.
The old man finally said he would fix q
trap-door like that In Illinois to let men
into the cellar to be chopped to death BY
hsiohsts by Kate and Maggie. The old
woman then described at length the
modus operandi in the various murders.
They always found what customers had
money. She also states that Kate al
lowed men to sleep with her. and then
cut their threats and sleep soundly alter
wards till morning. She told OF one
such case 10 detail. and said the mans
money was divided between them. Kate
had a lover who used to steer men to the
place. Horss.thievss and %cutthroats
used to be entertained by Kate and by
Maggie, but were never harmed. She
then related their adventures during
their flight from Lebette county. A re.
porter, who spent the afternoon with
Mrs. Bender. also called on the old man
who, under the dslusion that his wife
had escaped. told the complete story OF
his life, corroborating the old woman's
confession. He described killing o man
In Illinois and the murders In Kansas
exactly o. the woman told 1t. He makes
NO secret OF being Bender. He gives o
complete history OF Kate. John and
Maggie.
Bender made the following statement:
Nv name Is Alexander McGrsgor; was
born In the State OF New York; lived
there till I married my 6rst wife; when
I married her she had n child, called
William Houck. begotten In adultery.
After being married two weeks, John
Bender. my son, was born. Then moved
TO Illinois, where Kate wal born. Kate
and John were good children, but ran
away when seventeen years old aud
went to Kansas. Ny first vile died In
Illinois OF consumption. After two
years I married my second wife. She
had children. Her name was Nancy
Psasley. Her children all died. / had
no children by my second wife. While
living In the State OF Illinois j commit
ted my first murder. / killed q short.
man, and sent him down
tho cellar, through o trap-door. / got
some money from him. l buried him
back Of the house two rods. The old
woman helped to bury him. / went to
Independence, Iowa, and worked on a
farm, OF my trade, blacksmithing.
Then, after q while. I went to Kansas.
I had heard FROM Kate and John. who
wrote me 10 come on. ] went to Kansas
10 live with John and Kate. Maggie
and her cousin were there. at q place
called Bsnder's Hotel. After being there
q few days I helped John make q trap.
door, the same as I had in Illinois.
The nrst man I killed would not 60
on the trap-door. He and Kate slept
and she killed him with a
butcher : knife. She showed me tho
knife. We buried him near the house.
The only man I ever killed alone In
Kansas was Q peddler. / hit him In the
head with o stone-hammer. / hit him
once. got O good deal Of money from
know how much. / remem-
Der others that were killed. One man
John killed and put him under the ice.
Two little childrsn--both girls-wsre
buried alive. The children were seven
or eight years old. Their parents we
buried the day before. / Used to stand
behind O curtain aud push q trap door.
Kate and Maggie were always down the
CELLAR TO cut the victims throats. i often
heard them whetting their knives. John
and Kate used to sleep together. Lean
der Smith was Hates. lover. Justice
Grsmshaw used to be Magsis's man.
After leaving Kansas we went with the
Indians. Wo thought this spring We
mus. 20 to Illinois to die. / started
with Kate. John, Maggie and four chill
dren. The old woman and l lett them
at Schuyler. They had q team OF old
q bay and one q gray-and
old wagon.
Sheriff Daniel N. Bender. from Kan.
sss, has arrived at Fremont with o
He does not know the
Blenders, and has never seen them BE-
fore.
nn.r..ado in Rad link.