The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-09
WERE THEY THE BENDERS?
A CoMMERCIAL TRAVELLER's VARY
ING OF DANGER.


at was a strange, you might we'll call 1t n pro-
vidcntial warning Of danger; and | have no
moro doubt that II was the means OF saving my
life than that l am here alive telling you about
It," snid Joe Trlplcy, n commercial traveller,
sitting with several men of his calling in the
smoking room Of u New Yorl; Central car. at
was in 1877, when I was with n 81 ..Iouis firm.
My route lay south rs far as the Rio Grande.
We dealt n good doal in the line Of ranch sup.
plies. and rs western Texas had not been oponcd
mp much by railroads Mt that time l had TO
do most OF my travelling by wagon. and
take pot luck as ] could catch 1t. In this way |
happened TO DO stopping one night u hundred
odd miles west Of San Antonio, vt the house of n
very nice old fellow that had moved In the year
before from Kansas. ] was on my way to San
Patricio, fifty miles further west, and that
fifty miles was tho widest and lonclicst part of
my route. Before l started away in the morn
ing l got my host TO put me up n luncheon, for I
knew | was not likely to get anything decent to
eat in any place I should find on the way.
When IL came to tying up tho luncheon there
was no paper handy. but ut last he hunted up an
old newspaper that he had brought from Kansas.
which served the turn.
"He was so liberal with his grub that, after ]
had taken a snack at noon. there was n good
part OF the luncheon left. or course, l didn't
throw good food away, but tied 1t up again in
the paper. / was travelling alone, with n light
wagon and pair OF ponies, and rcckoned on set
ting to San Patricio nj carly dark: but, with
fifteen miles moro still to go, ono of the ponies
went dead lame and would only limp along at n
walk. ] forced him along q couple OF miles fur
thcr, but then. although believed the pony was
shammins, / saw that Il was no use trying to
get to San Pat. this way, and began to think
what I'd better do next.
"A mile off to the right Of the trail was n lone
ranch-n house and shed and corral. In passing
to and fro in former trips ! had never liked tho
looks of It. There were usually two or three
COWS TO be sccn feeding near it, and sometimes n
pair of mules; and there was a prairie schooner
in the corral. but nobody ever seemed to be going
or coming from the place, and il ] got sight OF
any of the people thorc they were looking at me
from the window, or over the corral wall, or
| round the corner of the house. rs IL they were
afraid to show themselves. But my case was an
urgent one. and l turned off the trail and drove
over TO the house.
AN old man cnme to the door and stood scowl-
ing at inc AS ! drew ncar-a grizzled. unkempt
old fellow with a cold, hard eve, and his look
was furtivc and full OF suspicion. At the wiz
dow ! could see the faces Of women looking ut
me in the same way that the old man did. But,
now that ! had come. / was bound to put the
thing through, and I asked him if he could spare
me a horse to hitch up in place Of my lame pony.
He shook his head. He was as unwilling TO
carry me to san Patricio with his own team.
But ! saw the women Whispering together. and
presently one of them called the old man into
the house. | could hear just enough to know
that they all were talking earnestly together.
He came TO the door again. and his whole man
ncr was changed. He spoke like a German:
"'Come into the house. he said. Wen eat
supper. and then / take you to San Patricio.'
- turned the wagon half round. hitchcd the
ponies TO n fence post. and went into the house.
There were three persons within, the old man.
an old woman. whom l took TO be his wife, and
q you niger woman. who might have been their
daughter. The place was bare and untidy, and
the looks of the people were worse. They were
bad faces all. hard and heavy, but the
eyes had an expression of cunning and
something approaching quickness, and they
| avoided mine whenever our elanccs CHANGED
to meet. l didn't fancy the chances
OF the supper I'd be likely to have
there, but was anxious to get To town that
night and did not want TO offend these people
by refusing their invitation. Then | thought OF
my lun. noon in the wagon. and determined to
bring that III 10 help out Lhc fare. | went ont to
the wagon and got il, ard. before returning.
spent n few minutes there adjusting the har-
ness on one OF the ponies, When I cot back
into the house | noticed a change that had been
made while | WIS out. A canvas Cloth-it
looked like "A wagon covcr-had been draw half
way across the room. along n rope stretched
across, about seven feet above tho floor. which.
from its looks. may have served as n clothes
line. | thought il odd, the putting of this up.
but concluded that il was done TO screen the
f I%Gn9 of the nd house msGe used nfon as q slTSSSPPiinn a no room nsn and
were working about the stove getting supper.
laid the luncheon ON the, table. and, 10 while
it had been wrapped in, 1t was an old Kansas
paper. as have said, and the first thing my eye
fell on was an account OF the Bender family and
the murders they had committed.
i" suppose the hidcous story of this family,s
the whole country with horror some twenty
four or twenty hve years ago. They kept a
practice OF numbering and robhing travellers
Who st9PpGd at their piaSG for Sntertain1mSnt:
got out Of the country in time TO distance pur-
spit. and they never have been brought to pun
gave n description OF each member OF this fam.
lily. and of their method of perpetrating their
victim was at dinner. The table was so ar.
ranged that as he sat 10 eat his back and
across the room. Then he was struck in tho mead
with an axe or hammer from behind the screen.
and an d fS@s 1hs " Of thfis inic qf ,hf fh sn,hSF' / 'ii" looked
up. and. TO my, horror. they were verified in
every detail IN the three persons that We're pre-.
had set the table and placed my chair in such n
position, that when should sill down TO eat. my
head. whenever ! Strengthened up in my chair.
would press against the canvas. And ! should
have gone and sat there. without a suspicion.
tlh'A ~ iOA '''ii " NV lluilC NilllbillhlloIi III
chances that led me to have ana 10 read that old
Kansas paper at the right time.
"Of course. | lost Io time in getting ont OF
that COMPANY, But il didn't do 20 cut and run
In q hurry. The old man had gone ont to the
back % the house.
my horses are getting restless | s'id. 4
think they would be safer il drove them into
tho corral. III just step out and drive them
",suppSr's al ready said the younger wo'
Wait 1--WE minutes ! said. IT won't take
me. any longer. and Of: ! started. The woman
looked a good deal blacker than angry az
walked out of the house. but ] had expected
nothing else.
The thing that would have surprised me
least would have been II bullet in the back AS |
walked toward the wagon. But / cot there safe,
hitchcd the horses. got into The wagon and then.
you may believe. | went some toward the trail.
didn't spare lash or end Of whipsiock as | sent
those ponies along; and AS for The one that had
been limpiug, ] fairly scared the lamcncss out OF
him. hadn't made twenty-five yards Of start
before bang! bang! went the two barrels of u
shotgun behind mo, and fine shot SCATTERED round
thick. Luckily il WAS small shot, and not buck.
shot or slugs. and the only effect IL had was to
pclt the wagon back and hurry the horses pace.