Telegram-herald., 1889-11-07
THE BENDER FAMILY
A Resume Of 9 Twenty Year Old
Sensation.
THEIR HUNly SLlUCHTER House
Ths Methods % Fheir work-Thsir hor-
Fibts Trap Deor --Fae Orchard Plant
"a Nlth Corpse H0p the
Kalltly Nas L1terGltaated-

Fibts trap Deor -Ene Orchard Plant
"A Nlth Corpse H0p the
faaaily Nas Lxtersatasted-
Frasa enc Port wsyus Gna2 D4lly 5azetiei
The Bender family that Ased near
Parsons. Kansas. some tweaiy years
ago. has been brought 70 pubic notice,
- the arrest OF tw0 women in Mchl-
gan, supposed 70 belong 70 that
notorious household. Tn-s family was
composed VI four persons wAo passed
as father, mother. son and daughter,
bat il Is doubtful whether they were al
al related 10 each other except a. mon
sters .n crime. They kept sort OF
slaughter-h0Gse for travellers where the
wayfarer was knocked ia the head n
regular butcher style and bis pockets
and sachel rhed. The discovery or
Their real character, the fight and dis
appearance oI che family. have often
been related. bar though nearly twenty
years have since elapsed n0 member 81
the family has ever been found. As we
remember their history the discovery
OF their nurdeE0us occupation WAS
brought about through the disappear
ance ol a nlau named York, who MAS
{ aceI % their house by hls brother,
Colonel York. >uspc On was fastened
upon the family and they suddenly
decamped. Search at once Wa
lnsttuted on the premises, the
body of Mr.. York WAS found.
and iu the orchard were found
INFERRED the remains OF many other We
TINS. They had an been killed IN the
same way hv crushing IN the back OF
I the skull. The house had evidently
/ been built for the use 10 which
| they had put II. The only parti ton in
I the house was quilt or blanket hung
/ across, and IN the ilOOr close by Il was
I trap door opening into n deep
/ cellar. The guest was gwen char
/ on tins trap door, the back of his head
| resting against or close 10 the quilt
/ partition. The eyecutiOner stood on
/ the other SIDE the curtain with heavy
mallet, one blow delivered through the
curtain and the deed was done, the
victim was dropped TO the cellar. and
his blood, if any flowed, was absorbed
by sort of gravel pit, which con-
stitutcd the bottom Of the cellar
Colonel York WAS a man Of very few
words. lie headed party or pursuit.
They were gone for a short time and
came back. Nothing was ever told by
any of them rs 70 what had happened
but in all the subsequent efforts TO
trace the criminals or follow up sup
posed clews to their whereabouts it
was noticed that Colonel York and his
party never took any lively interest.
The suppOsition is that they overlook
the party and attended to their case
without waiting for judge or jury
Colonel York himself has sand that Il
ever the time came when he was the
sole survivor of that party ne would
tell its story. Several years ago these
facts We're published, together with tho
: story OF an Indian, who asrepresented
rs an eyewitness of the killing of the
Bender family. According to bis story
| they We're all killed outright, and, witt
their entire effects, were burned tC
ashes and buried. The Indian story
seems rather improbable. but that tn
family long since met with the rcwar,
OF their crimes has been regarded 4
? certain. The women lately taken from
8 | Michigan on suspicion of being Mrs
| Bender and Kate, may have been con
! fedcrates, but it Is not likely that an,
2 of the sO-called Benders Will ever b
/ GppD alive