Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-07
Cabs aud Skftthts.
PACK PEpDLERs' STORIES.
AN ADVENTURE IN THE HOUSE OF BEN
DER. THE NOTED KANSAS MURDERER.

AN ADVENTURE IN THE HOUSE OF Benz
DER, THE NOTED KANSAS MURDERER.
Il have been a pack peddler for more
than twenty years." said the old man, as
he whitfield away at his pipe to getit aiight,
land you may suppose | have met with
some stirring adventures. have travelled
a great deal in Missouri. Kansas, Nebras-
IA and Minnesota, and for weeks and
months have been on the alert. not only
to preserve the contents Of my pack, but
to defend my life. My line of trade has
been Yankee notions, with jewelry added.
have had with me at one time as much
as $4,000 worth of gold and silver
watches. ear rings. finger rings, etc. |
have sat on log beside highway in
Kansas and sold $500 worth of stock to
three or four men, and l have disposed of
$50 worth of ladies' jewelry at pioneer
cabin which had neither floors nor parti-
tons.
..On two different occasions ate dinner
at the cabin of old Bender. the Kansas
fiend. On the first occasion the old man
was away, and | saw only two women
about the place. Six months later. when
called again, it was about II O'Clock in
the forenoon Then saw old Bender for
the first time. I have heard him de-
scribed as pleasant-faced old man whom
no one would suspect. but | tell you the
very first look at him put me on my guard.
For the first time in year felt that my
lite was in danger. The same two Stat
ternlv women were about the house, and
there was a young man whom l took to
be old Bender's son. The young man
disappeared soon after | arrived, but
whether he hid in the house or rode of
across the prairie l never knew. Ben
der's women purchased about So worth
of notions, and the old man dickered with
me tor an hour over gold watch. 1t
seems that he had but small stock of
cash, but he offered me personal property
in exchange. He had three or four silver
watches. all of which had been carried
two or three revolvers, two bosom pins
made of Jumps of pure gold, and three or
four pairs of valuable cuff buttons. We
had nearly effected an exchange when he
suddenly decided to leave the matter open
until after dinner.
"Months afterward. when the discover
les of his crimes came out, l thought the
matter over, and could remember Just how
nicely he played me. Without seeming
to interrogate me for information, he
asked how long a trip had made, what
success had met with, who was, where
I lived, and whom knew in that locality
The old murderer was figuring up the
chances of my being missed in case he
put an end to to me, and he had a curiosi-
ty to know beforehand what the harvest
would be. While told you that 1 did
not like his looks, and that had creepy
feeling in his presence. had no idea of
an attempt to murder by daylight and in
the manner he was planning for. l had
trusty revolver and had the courage to
defend myself. Had l met him on the
prairie, or had we been jogging together
along some lonely highway, should have
been prepared to pull my pistol at his first
movement.
'Dinner was announced soon after II
o'clock. took my pack with me into
the dining room, where found the table
set for one. There were three rooms in
the house. The front room was gener-
al sitting-room and office combined
Bender kept sort OF tavern, you know,
and travellers had this front room. The
next room back was the dning-room and
family room combined. There was bed
room leading off. On the walls of this
family room were a few old-fashio1ed
frames. shelf on which stood clock,
and few scant evidences of women's
presence. The back room was the kitch-
en-.
81 had my eyes wide open when l en-
tered that dning-room, and the very first
I thaft ha 70, sot
lengthwise of the room, and that nv
char and plate had been so placed that
my back would be toward the kitchen
door, which was not over five or six feet
away. Had it been at the other end nv
back would have been toward the Office
door. The first move made was to turn
the chair around to the side and sit down.
now faced the bedroom door. and had
the other doors to my right and
| left. while there was no window be-
hind me. The younger woman
was in the room, and she looked at
me in queer, strange way as upset the
arran gements she had perfected Bender
did not look into the room tor two or three
minutes and then retired without speak
| ing. A minute later he passed around
the house and entered the kitchen by the
back door. While could not see him. |
heard him and the woman whispering to.
gether. and | caught the words as spoken
by her:
al tell you he did it himself"
II could not catch a word from him,
and directly he went out and she came in
with the rest of the eatables. Her face
was flushed and her manner very nervous
She put on plate of bread and platter
of meat, and then went out for the coffee
AS she set the cup and saucer on the
board she partly upset the cup and spilled
halt the contents on the table.
Excuse me-I'm sorry" she said, as
showed back to keep the hot liquid from
dripping on my legs.
Never mind-no harm done,n | re
piled.
at was so careless Of me. You had
better change your seat to the end while
sop it up"
''Oh. don't mind. I'm not hungry and
shall eat but few mouthfuls anyway. !
forgot to tell you that preferred water to
coffee"
"But-you-you-"
I'm all right"
She gave me one of the queerest looks
/ ever got, first flushing up and then turn
ing pale. Splitting that coffee was a put
up job to get my back to the kitchen door.
l suspected it then; few months later I
had plenty of horrible proofs. Before the