Wichita eagle., 1889-11-26

and who was the only man VINO "nelgh-
bored" with them. A rupe Wa hastily knot
ted about his neck, and he was told to ''con-
fes, and that id quick" In bis fright
the man forgot every word Of Engnzh. BE
was rescued by the officials only after being
hanged three times.
Nine murders were proved on the BenderA
Every vestigs Of the house, stable and or
chard was taken away by relic hunters but
as far as proved the murderers were never
captured. There are men, however, about
Independence, who think they know just
where their bodies were buried. The an
nexed account Of Subsequent events, descrip-
ton of the soens and interview with Brock
mann is from western Wilds," by J. 81.
Beadie, who visited the place soon after the
discovery:
ION the north and east rose those pictur-
esque mounds which 20 Economically diversity
this region. To the south and west the fer
tile prairie, now dotted with cultivated fields
or brilliant with rank gran and flowers,
spread as far as the eye could reach. Be-
tween was . slight depression Of perhaps two
square miles, and in the center Of this happy
valley was the Bs6dsa farm. n1ne spirit OF
murder was there, tt was certainly the love
lest form In which that dread spirit ever
stood revealed.
"No black and blasted heath, no dark wood
or lonely gorge, such as romance makes the
mute accessories Of horrid crime; but the
billowy prairie, rising swell on swell, as if
the undulating ocean, changed to firm set
earth, stood fixed and motionless forever.
The house had stood in the center Of this
vale, two miles from the nearest neighbor.
and commanding view Of all approaches
for that distance. But few weeks had
passed since the murders were discovered,
and yet scarcely q vestige Of house or stable
was left Visitors had carried them away
by sphnters. Even the young trees in the
orchard had been dug up and removed.
1.-THE excavation beneath the house, in
which the mWderers had allowed their vic
TINS to bleed before burial, still bore the hor-
rid signs. The scant rains of summer had
not washed away the blood from its mar
gin. 1t was half full Of purpls water. In
the orchard the graves remained just as left
when the bodies were removed. Nine bodies
were found there, including that Of little
girl who was murdered and buried with her
father. They had been buried in ali sorts of
positions. One man, in a round hole, lay
with his head directly between bis feet. Mr..
Longcor lay with his little daughter between
his limbs.
Besides these nine, three other missing
men were traced to the neighborhood, bring
ing the whole number of victims up to
twelve Other murders have excited the
community, but none with such circum-
stances Of barbarity as these. 1t appeared,
from an examination of the house, that the
victim. when seated at the table, had bis
back against loose curtain which separated
the room in two apartments. Behind this
curtain stood the murderer, and, at con-
venient moment dealt the unsuspecting guest
a deadly blow in the back Of the head with q
huge hammer. He fell back, the trap door
was raised, his throat was cut, and he was
tumbled into the pit to lie till the last drop
of gore had ebbed away. Thence he was
taken at night and buried in the orchard.
And these fends incarnate after this fearful
violation of the rites of hospitality and tho
laws of God and man, went on with their
daily life-ate and drank and slept, and
perhaps rejoiced and made merry, with that
dreadful pool, fast filing with the blood Of
their victims, just beneath their feet.