Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-07
DOMESTIC NEWS.

DOMESTIC NEWS.
TEEe Bender Fiends-&Orrifying Eeciials
THE OLD woMAN's STORY.
OMAHA, August 6th.-Old Mrs. Bende
continues to hold receptions in the jail a
Fremont and continues to confess. In he
talks she occasionally throws additional ligh
on the past life and crimes of the Bende
family. To-day, among other things, sh
said that when she married Bender, ALA
McGregor, at Springfield, ILL.,, his children
John and Kate, were in Kansas. The frs
murder committed by old Bender and wifi,
was at their place near Jacksonville, I'll
One afternoon a man rode up to their houst
and asked to stay sill night, and she made
him pay in advance. He exhibited Large
roll OF money. Her husband had fixed 9
trap.door, and when this man was sitting al
supper he stepped up behind him anG
split his head in two with a Ratchet
set, had black hair and whiskers,
his chin being shaved. The body was thrown
into the cellar temporarily, aud afterwards
buried back of the house. She did not get
any of the money. The old man must have
got it, They remained on the farm only a
few weeks after that, and moved to Iowa
City. They lived on the money obtained
from the murdered man. They went to
Indiana. lived there eight months then
moved to Kansas, where Kate and John
IL
three had been keeping tavern, and called
it Bender's Hotel The old woman does rot
know OF any murders committed by John,
Kate and Msogie before she and the old man
came there The old man said he would fix
q trap-door like that in Illinois, to let men
into the cellar to be chopped to death
with hatchets By Kate and Maggie. The
old woman then described at length the
modus operandi of the various murders.
They always found what customers bad
money. She also states that Kate allowed
men to sleep with her and thea cut their
throats aud slept soundly afterwards till
morning. She told of one such case in de-
tail, and said the mans money was divided
between them. Kate had lover who would
steer" men TO the place. Horse thievesand
clt-throats used to be entertained by Katie
and Maggie, but were never harmed. She
then related their adventures during their
flight from Labette county.
Your reporter who spent the afternoon
with Mrs Bender, also called Cd the old man,
who, under the delusion that his wife had
escaped, told the complete story of his life,
eorroborating the old woman's confession.
He describes the killing of the man in Hi
nois and the murders in Kansas exactly as
the woman told it. He makes no secret of
being Bender, and gives a complete history
of Kate, John and Maggie.
CONFESSION OF THE OLD NAN.
OMAHA, August 6sh.-Bender has made the
following statement My name is Alex. Nc
Gregor; was born in the State Of New York
lived there till married to my first wife, who
when married had one child called William
Hcuck, begotten in adultery; after being
married two weeks John Bender, nay sen, was
born; then moved to Illinois, where Kate was
born Kate and John were good children,
but ran away when II years old and went to
Kansas my FIRST wife died in Illinois with
consumption after two years married my
second wife; she had three children her
name was Nancy Peasley the children all
died had 70 children by my second wife
while living IN Illinois I committed my first
murder killed short, dark-hsired man, and
sent him down cellar through trap door
got some money from him; buried him back
of the house two rods; the old woman
helped bury him; went 30 Independence,
Ia; worked on farm at my trade
(blacksmithingl there; after while went to
Kansas F; had heard from Kate and John.
who wrote for me to come on; went to
Kansas TO live with John and Kate; Maggie,
his cousin, was there, at place called Bend
er's Hotel; after being there a few days
helped John make a trap door the same as ]
had in Illinois the first man killed wouldn't
get on the trap door he and Kate slept to-
gether, and she killed him with butcher
knife she showed me the knife we burned
him near the house the only man I ever
killed alone in Kansas was a psddler; hit
him on the back Of the head with stone
hammer; hit him ouce; got good deal of
money from him don't know how much
/ remember others that were killed one
man John killed and put him under the
ica; two little children, both girls, were
buried alive; the children were seven or
eight years old their parents were killed the
day before l used to stand behind a curtain
and push the trap-door; Kate and Maggie
were always down cellar to cut the victims
Threats; / often heard them whetting their
knives J ohm and Kate used to sleep together;
I.eander Smith was Kate's lover; Justice
Grimshaw used to be Maggie's man after
leaving Kansas we went with the Indians
we thought this spring We must GO to Illinois
to die started with old Kate, John, Maggie
and four children; the old woman aud i left
them at Schuyler; they had team of old
horses, one bay and one gray, and an old
wagon.
Sheriff Daniel NJ. Bender, from Kansas,
has arrived from Fremont with requisition.
He does not know the Blenders anil has never
seen them before.
Reception and serenade 10 General Gar
field.
New YORK, August 6th.--A reception and |
serenade was rendered tonight TO General |
Garfield at the headquarters of the Republic |
can National Committee, Fifth avenue,
which turned out to be brilliant success, |
the avenue and surrounding streets being !,
thronged with an enthusiastic crowd The |
rooms of the committee were early thronged |