Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-08-11

AnO ObAAOA A0AA VI QO00 RQAAOcs III
York's brother was murdered
while l was there. He was a
single man, | think about 30 years
old. The dining room of the house
was the room which the sliding trap
was under. A person would sit down
at the table to eat, and the slides were
moved and the person would fall into
a deep cellar. l don't know how
deep the cellar was. They would kill
anybody then who would come to the
house, rich or poor, for fear they
might inform on them. They killed
some persons that had no money at
ALL"
NO DOUBT OF THE PRISONERS mEN-
TITY.
For a day or two it was doubtful
whether the man was really old Ben
der. There does not seem to be any
doubt OF it now. A man who lived
near him at Cherryvale called at the
Jail. His name is Hoofan, and he
identified the prisoner as old John
Bender.
did you you ever see this face be-
fore2" Hoofan asked. YES replied
the old man, II know you, but | can't
place you" Don't you know the
man who used to herd near your
place in Kansas2" Mr.. HoOhan in
quired. The. old man became excited.
my Godl yes" he answered thew
did you come here?" And so the old
man was led to tell of the crimes that
had been committed. On being told
that he would have to go to Kansas,
he swore that he would not go, sayin
that he would go anywhere else, anG
that he would kill himself before he
would 60 there. Hoohan showed him
a plan of the house and surroundings,
which he acknowledged was correct.
Hoohan then went aud saw the wom-
an. She began laughing when she
saw him. When asked if she knew
him she answered: Yes. l do know
him. How do you do, Mr.. HuffanP"
the nam she was wont to use]. |
never expected to see you any more. |
don't want to talk to you here. We
are captured at last and they will
hang us. You know that that's John
Bender. There's no use denying that
any longer. I'm going to tell the
truth. If that don't ave me from
being hung, I'll have to hang, too. [
ought to have told the truth from the
start. | told him that we would be
caught if we came lack this way on
the main road. We were going back
east. We had a hard time among the
Indians; very seldom saw a white
person." Sheriff Gregg says that the
true Bender is in custody. As to the
woman he is doubtful. He thinks
she is not the original Mrs. Bender,
but that Mrs. Bender was killed and
that this woman is Bender's mistress.
Sheriff Gregg is now engaged in hun
ing up young Bender and his wife.
They have been seen recently, and
officers are on their track. The ex-
element is intense.
MRS. BENDER CoNFEssEs.
Fremont dispatch to Chicago Tribune, Aug. q
Further startling developments were
made in the Bender matter to-day.
Mrs. Bender, or Mrs. McGregor, made
a full and complete confession Of the
whole matter, even to the minutest
details, regarding the butcheries per-
petrated on the John Bender farm in
1872 and 1873. She denies having had
any personal hand in the matter, but
says Kate, old Johns daughter, was
the leader Of all the deviltry. She
went over her entire history from the
time she became Mrs. Alexander Me-
Gregor. She was a widow at time she
married McGregor, alias Bender, who
was a widower with four children, two
of whom were Kate aud John, Jr.
They migrated from Missouri to La
bette county, Kansas, and became
John Bender and family. Being asked
if she would be called Mrs. McGregor
or Mrs. Bender, she replied "lhe
latter will do if you are satisfied, as
you be here to see Mrs. Bender.
Were you married to Bender in Kan
sas2" Il was a widow, and he mar
ried me in Springfield, ILL.,, at the close
Of the war. | can't remember what
year, but Squire Sedar tied the knot.
His name then was Alexander Nc.
Gregor, and he had four children.
John and Kate being Of the number /;
but two of the boys had run off. He
was a poor cuss, but we lived about
several Years and then were sent by
the county to Dunklin county, in
southwest Missouri, where sister lived.
All this is true"
you went by the name of Nc.
GregorP" I'VE did to the name till
the ole man went to Kansas and took
up a homestead in Labette county.
believe, when he changed it to Jonn
Bender, and, after about a year, John
and Kate came along, and the devil
began to be played" What do you
mean by that?" swell, there was
stealin', thievin' and KILN, and all
that" "Who was the first person
killed by the family" He was a sick
man named Brown. He came along
one afternoon. The house was a good,
sized one, ond on a sign was 'Groce-
ries' outside the door, and SEEM this
he stopped. We took him in, and the
second night we got him up to eat
supper, and while seated at the table
John Bender let him into the cellar,
where Kate or John killed him, and
the next day they buried him in the
garden"
"How long after this before any one
else was killed." 81 don't quite re
member, but not long. Two were
killed, and one of them, whose name
| believe was something like Nc
Gruthy or McGrath, had a good deal
Of money, at least John told me So.
DO you remember about a whole