The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-18
HORRIBLE STORY OF CRIME.
The Deeds of the Bender Family Outdone
In Indiana.
INDIANAPOLIS. March l. 1880.


In Indiana.
INDIANAPOLIS, March l, 1880.
A few days after the arrest of Mrs
Brown and her paramour, Wade, for tht
murder of J. G. T. Brown, the former
husband, which occurred two or three
weeks ago, the neighbors of the victim
began telling strange stories and setting
ahoat rumors of dark deeds that have
long been stihed through fear of the
Browns. Some of these reports coming
to the ear of a Sentinel reporter, he turned
detective, and for the past ten days has
done little else than trace the rumors tc
their source. The details of this work
to the extent of several columns, will ap.
pear in the Sentinel tomorrow, and
should a thorough examination Of the
premises corroborate his staten ents, his
efforts will have been rewarded by the
discovery of crimes as appalling and
atrocious as those of the notorious Ben.
der family of Missouri.
For many years it was suspected that
the home of Brown was the headquarters
of band of desperadoes, who made plum.
dering their principal occupation. These
suspicious were verified year ago by the
arrest and subsequent conviction OIL
Brown and his wife, together with sew.
eral accomplices. But not until the muir
der of Brown did the people of tina!
vicinity become aroused to the fact that
a Bender family had been living in their
midst.
1t is now remembered, however, that
several persons have suddenly disap-
peared within the past five or six years,
and that in each instance they were
known to have money, and that Brown
was indebted to them either in the way
of wages for labor or money borrowed,
One of these was man named Hunter,
a German, who had formerly lived near
Seymour, Indiana. He was an indus
trious, frugal young man, and had about
$500 in bank. About five years ago he
worked for Brown, but at the end of q
year, finding him poor pay, Hunter de.
termined to leave. Brown accompanied
him to the city, ostensibly to pay him,
after which he was never seen or heard
of again. Brown told several different
stories of his whereabouts, and no one
taking any personal interest in the mat
ter, it was never called to the attention
of the officers but it is now recalled
that shortly after his disappearance Mrs.
Browns relatives, the Fletchers, had a
disagreement with the Browns, and hint
ed that they could tell what had become
of Hunter. About that time, too, it is
remembered Brown covered portion OF
his garden with dirt to the depth Of about
eighteen inches, saying that it needed to
be filled up. The Fletchers frequently
referred to this fact in connection with
Hunters disappearance, one of them re-
marking that she could put stick with
in eighteen inches OF his body. Ben.
Fletcher, half-brother of Mrs. Brown,
says that Hunters jewelry and picture
we're seen in Browns house, and that
several letters were received from his
father asking as to his whereabouts.
Shortly after Hunters disappearance,
an old man, whose name is now forgot
ten, began boarding with the Browns.
He came from the gold regions, and had
about him in belt s4OO or $500 in gold.
By some means Brown managed to bor-
row $50 of him, and for the purpose of
getting it back the old man undertook to
board it out. This was the last seen Of
him. Soon after his disappearance
Brown again covered his garden with
fresh dirt, this time to the depth of two
feet, giving the same reason as before.
Nobody taking any interest in the old
man, the matter was never looked into,
although it appears the Fletchers limited
pretty plainly that they could tell, if dis
posed to, what had become of him.
The next victim is supposed to be q
physician, who was known to have $500
or $500. Brown borrowed 5000 or $500
of him, and, becoming alarmed lest it
might never be returned, he made repeat
ed calls at Browns house. Very socn he
suddenly disappeared. A man working
for Brown at the time discovered in the
edge of neighboring wood what ap-
peared to be q new.made grave. He
mentioned the fact incidentally to Brown,
and shortly after the place was covered
with rails, Brown explaining that he had
planted acorns there, and the rails were
to keep the hogs away. This is now be-
lieved to be the grave of the unknown
doctor.
A few months before Browns convic-
tion for robbery, fifteen months ago, DR..
Levi Ritter, an attorney of this city, who
resides in Irvington, about mile from
the Browns, found man lying by the
roadside in the vicinity of their house
with his skull crushed in. He was taken
to the City Hospital in an unconscious
condition, and died in day or two after
ward. 1t was never known who he was,
but at the time it was supposed he had
been robbed in the city and taken out
there to mislead the officers. But in the
light of recent revelations it is believed
he was one of Browns victims.
Several years ago the Browns took q
boy to raise. He refused to participate
in their dark transactions, and, about the
time of Browns trial for robbery, he toe
disappeared. He probably knew toe
much, and went the way of Hunter and
others. How long the list Of victims is
cannot be determined, but, as evidence is
carefully gathered, it becomes more and
more corroborative. In the morning O
number of arrests will be made, on the
strength of what is already known, and
it is likely the County Commissioners
will authorize Browns premises to be
thoroughly examined, that the whole
truth of the terrible crime may be
known.-Cincinnati Gazette.
Some curious, if not instructive,
facts and figures are given to show how
expensive a Congressional funeral is
The funeral of Gustave Schleichler, oi
Texas, cost IS, ,102, of which S313.50 was
expended for gloves and silk scarfs at S
aaak for tha dalonatinn Tho cost of the