Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-06-02
THE BENDER FAMILY.
Apparent Light on the Mystery Of
Their Importance.

Ever since the notorious Benders, of
Kansas, disappeared from their home
stead in 1873, leaving their garden in
the condition of private cemetery,
curiosity has been rife as to what became
of them. Many stories have been told,
only to be contradicted, about the family
being living or dead at some place In the
Far West, but the following statement,
published by the st. Louis Globe Demo
crat, has an appearance of plausibiity.
The narrator is Major T. E. Hicks, ex-
pioneer, Kansas free soiler, postmaster
and prospector, and now a justice of the
peace at Americas, Kan. The story was
obtained from an old friend who was
dying, and the ''Colonel" alluded to was
Colonel Yorke, who some years ago
made sensation of national magnitude
by rising in his place in the Kansas
Legislature and making some state
ments, accompanied by show of green
backs, which prevented the reelection
of United States Senator s. G. Pomeroy,
better known as Subsidy POM
"John had been living near where
the Blenders lived at the time of the
murder of DR.. York, and when We
talked of the Blenders I always thought,
from Johns way, that he knew some
thing about what became of them. 1
was mighty curious to find out, and
many's the time I've asked him, John,
what did become of the Benders2 but
he always put me off with one answer.
Each time he would say, The Benders2
The Blenders are all right So, although
II oh he 1arc TO "
for my curiosity was great never
could get any wiser. Well, we pros
pected along until we got to Fort
Yuma, A. T. There John took sick.
It was while John was sick, and not
long before he died, that I quizzed him
again about the Benders. So at last he
told me all about it, and sat there
and made notes in my memorandum
book"
"Was this man an eye witness of
what he told you about ?" asked the
reporter.
Eyes; what he told was from actual
knowledge. He mentioned no names,
but I knew who he meant when he
talked about 'the Colonel You know,
too, the Colonel had traced his
brother from Fort Scott right along up
to the Bender place, and there the trail
ended. Beyond that point he could
find no trace of his brother and no signs
of his horse. The disappearance of the
horse was an important fact in his
mind"
"I've always understood that they
were never able to explain how that
horse was gotten out of that county
without some one knowing something
about it."
''That's true" said the Major. "My
understanding has always been, and 1
think it comes from what John told me,
that DR.. Yorke's horse was killed and
buried in the pond near the Bender
place. Anyway, Johns story was that
there were seven men in the party, and
Colonel Yorke with them, and that the
Colonel had come to the conclusion that
the Blenders knew where his brother
was. He begged and implored of Kate
Bender to tell him what they had done
with his brother, but Kate wouldn't tell.
He offered to take Kate and Mrs. Ben
der back to town and see that no harm
came to them if they would only confess
what had become of his brother. But
Kate wouldn't tell word. Her eyes
flashed and she said, you can't take
me- The old woman whipped out
pair of pistols and said she would tell
nothing. you can't take me- Shewas
overpowered and disarmed in an instant.
for the Colonel wouldn't let there be
any shooting. Don't fire a shot, were
his words. Finding he could learn moth
ing from the two women, he got on his
horse again and went back to town."
"And then what?"
"John said the bodies of the Blenders
could be found, if any one chose to look
for them, in the old, unused well some
three hundred yards northwest of the
Bender house. That's where they were
put. He didn't give me all the details
of the affair, but I remember asking
John Wasn't it an awful british thingT
And he said No, not at all. The only
instruments used were the mallet and
two pound hammer that had been used
by the Blenders in their own murderous
work He said there wasn't q shot
fired; that it was all done decently and
quietly. When it was all over the party
dispersed and went to their homes"
ssHow about the Blenders team and
wagon that was found hitched to fence
near Thayer, some twelve miles or more
from the Bender placer"
s'That team was driven off by one OF
the party, whether to mislead people
who might want to make inquiries by
creating the impressions that the Ben
ders had left the country on the train or
to serve some more convenient purpose.
But at any rate it was the Blenders wag-
on, though, and driven off as have de-
scribed. Whether the party ever told
the Colonel what had occurred I don't
know, but do know that John had al
WAYS contended that the Colonel could
tell something if he only would"