Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-18
Are the Blenders Dead?

Story Of one Who Claims to Have Assist
 ed nt the Lynching-RiddIed With
 Rifle Balls Near the Red Fork of the Ar
 kansas.
 The Chicago Times publishes the following letter from Oswego, Kan, describing the all legged killing of the Renders written by one who claims to have assisted at the work of vengeance:
 There is no doubt that the Renders are dead They are awfully dead, and their bones are whitened by the processes of na- ture ere this I speak thus decisively because know whereof speak It is not customary for one to boast of acts of lawlessness, and it is not in that spirit that enter upon the re- cital of the last chapter of the bloody career of the brutish Renders. I am prudent enough, too, to wish to hedge myself against possible annoyance, and had I not received your solemn assurance that you will not di- vulge my name, 1t is not unlikely should leave the writing of this scrap of history to other hands When search was ln- stituted for the body of Dr. York, in April, 1873, suspicion was directed toward the Ben ders, and contrary to the general belief a close watch was kept on them for a while They must have been aware of the survell- lance for at the first opportunity they de camped. The report that they took the train at Thayer, a station @ few miles north of Cherryvale and went to Humboldt, from which place they took passage for Texas, IS a mistake. They simply bundled their goods into two wagons and started for Indian Terri tory. They did not proceed ct once to their destination, if, indeed, they had any destina- tion marked out, but crossed over into Mont gomery county and squatted near the Verdi gris river to await developments. The dis tance from their farm was something like twenty miles. John jr., or John ST., made daily trips back to the vicinity of Cherryvale 4oo ro1e y5yo1 fhnI 1nf to return if the excitement should blow over, but if it continued warm they would go on as originally planned. They knew of the dis covery of their crime within an hour after the bodies were dug out of their shallow graves, and they lost no time in striking their tents. They struck out for the west bank of the river and started southward post haste. Their flight soon became panic, and to add to their discontinue one of their wagons broke down. Packing what they could of the load on their horses they piled up what was left, set fire to it and hurried on.
 PURSUIT AND CAPTURE.
 In the meantime vigilance committee had been formed. This move was taken with the greatest secrecy and none but trusty men were admitted to the organization. The ut most circumspection was used for the reason that in new community like this the doubt fuI assistance of suspicious characters was thing to be dreaded The vigilantes did not number more than one hundred men all told, but they meant business, as the sequel prov ed It was my good or bad fortune to be one of the elect Scouts were sent out in all dl- rections, and within forty-eight hours of the departure of the Renders from their camp in the next county, the fact was duly reported to us.
 About forty of us organized into a pursu- ing party and started after the butchers. Once on their trail, we had no difficulty in
 V-fnfh ho1 fa- ken to the open country west of the river, but were keeping within convenient distance of the thick timber that grows in the valley watered by this stream. They were expect ing pursuit, and hoped to escape by losing themselves in this timber. AS we proceeded tho trail freshened, and ere long we came across the half-consumed ruins of the wagon left by the Renders in their flight From the direction they-were taking, it became evident to the mind of those acquainted with the country that they were pointing for that par adise of cutthroats located near the mouth Of the Red fork of the Arkansas The country hereabonts is bleak and desolate region, 1n- fested by horse thieves, half-breed Creeks, PaYnees and Cherokees. Once there they knew they would be safe from pursuit. Even the United States troops have never been able to penetrate that ter-r0 i7ac0graitG. It is safe retreat for the border ruffans, and is known to ba such all through this section of V. distant about one hundred and forty miles from the point where the Verdigris river en- ters Indian Territory. The murderers had about forty miles to travel before reaching the boundary of the Territory, and they were probably twenty miles beyond the line when our scouts caught sight of them. Burdened as they were with much cumbrous baggage, they had not been able to make very great speed, but they used every possible effort to put space behind them. It was about three o'clock on hot, sultry May afternoon that we came in sight of the party. They saw us as soon as we came from cover, and abandon ing everything they broke for the forest They plunged into the woods and scattered We were close upon their heels, however, and they did not succeed in eluding us long The old man and his wife and Kate were un- der arrest in less than hour. John jr-, was more fortunate than the other members of the tribe, for he contrived to evade us an hour longer, but he was at length run to coy- CT and forced to surrender
 LYNCH LAW.
 Every one of them showed fight; but, with the exception of Kate, they all weakened when it came to the scratch. This charming border beauty emptied every chamber of her revolver into our faces, but her aim was bad and she did no serious damage beyond maim-