The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-24
MARRIED SEVEN.
Woman Supposed to Be Kate
Bender Has a Record.
She Has Been Married at Least
Seven Times.
CAREER IN COLORADO.
Mrs. Ayers Talks Of the Charge
Against Her.
DIR. Agnes Mckee Wallace Says
Benders Were Killed.
CAREER IN COLORADO.

Fort collins, Colo, july 24--MrS.
Frank Ayers. who. according to the
statement of her husband, Frank
Ayers. is the notorious Kate Bender,
is living at Fort Collins with her
mother and stepfather Mr.. and Mrs
Reed Detectives have been watching
them for several weeks, but no steps
have been taken here looking toward
their arrest.
The woman was married to Ayers
about three years ago, and they lived
at Manhattan, a mining camp, 40 miles
west of here. Mrs. Ayers used to help
Ayers chop wood and haul lumber to
marriage a family of tramp emigrants
came through this section. They
stopped at Manhattan. Their names
were Maddox and they said they came
from Kansas. Mrs. Maddox one day
saw Mrs. Ayers, and exclaimed: That
is Kate Bender" Mrs. Maddox claimed
that she had known the Benders when
they lived in Kansas, and the identity
was positive.
Frank Ayers, 1t is said, became very
much afraid of his wife, and it is said
that when she accompanied him out
upon the ranches he always took along
his Winchester rifle. Mrs. Ayers finally
came to Fort Collins and stopped with
her parents.
Two years ago Frank Ayers, while in
Fort Collins one evening, was supposed
He was badly injured about the head.
1t is now claimed that Ayers was
about to leave for the east, and that
he was followed by his wife, who
struck him down. He was taken to
the Reed residence and nurSed by Mrs
Ayers until his recovery. One year
ago Frank Ayers came to Fort Collins
and, disguised in a SunbOnnet and
calico wrapper, bought a ticket for
Denver, and in Denver another ticket
for Kansas City. He was arrested in
Kansas City, but nothing of a criminal
nature was found against him and he
was discharged.
Nothing more was heard of him in
this part of the country until the re-
cent dispatch from Cherryvale. Kas
Since the publication of that dispatch
Mrs. Ayers and the Reeds have been
considerably worried.
Mrs. Ayers has strenuously denied
Frank Ayers statement. and says that
if she is arrested she will sends for one
of her former husbands, a, Mormon,
named Grant, who lives in Salt Lake
City She states that she came across
was but years old, and she Is over
so years old now. She admits that they
went to the Black Hills and afterward
to Salt Lake, which points coincide
with those made by Ayers in his state
ment in Cherryvale. Mrs Ayers and
the Reeds have been in this part of the
country for ten or fifteen years.
Mrs. Ayers. it is said, has been mar
bands are all living. Twelve years ago
she was married to a saWmin hand
named LAWN in this city LAWN soon
left her. She was married afterward
to Charles Lamont, who was later con-
victed of criminal assault, then to
Frank Ayers.
For a number of years she went by
the name of May Baker. It is said
says. the old man Bender, is living in
Salt Lake. 1t is said Mrs. Ayers re-
ceived a letter from the old man dated
her marriage with LAWN.
Mrs. Ayers is fairly well educated.
and is said to be an artist of some
ability.
RE0UIsITION HASN'T ARRIVED.
Denver, Colo, July 24.-The persons
alleged to be m embers of the Bender
family, for whom, according to dis
patch from Topeka, Governor Stanley
of Kansas has issued requiSition papers
on Governor Orman OF Colorado, are
Mrs. Frank Ayers and her mother,
known as Mrs. Reed, in Fort Collins.
where they reside, and VIII Baker, OF
Longmont. Mrs Ayers was formerly
the wife of Charles Lamont, who is
serving a 14-year term in prison for
criminal assault. After she secured a
divorce from Lamont she married
Frank Ayers. and they lived on adjoin-
ing ranches near Manhattan, a mining
camp, 40 miles from Fort Collins. Two
years ago a. family from Kansas named
through lndl pOELlOu VI
Colorado in prairie schocners camped
at Ayers place. Mrs. Maddox is said
to have exclaimed on coming face to
face with Mrs. Ayers:
ssWhy, you're Kate Bender
The exclamation was made in the
presence of Ayres, who later went to
Kansas, Disgusting himself as a wo-
man so that his wife could not trace
him and at Cherryvale told the officers
of his suspicious regarding his wife's
family. He declares that Mrs. Reed is
in reality Mrs. Bender and that she has
separated from her husband who is
living in Utah, and that VIII Baker is
young Bender.
Mrs. Ayres denies that she is Kate
Bender and declares that she will prove
an alibi. She is about so years of age.
1t is said that Edward L. Burton, a
lawyer of Oswego, Kan, together with
an old resident of Galena. who knew
the Benders are at present in FIT. Col
Inns for the purpose of making a posi-
tive Identification of the persons sus-
pected.
Governor Orman is out Of the city but
his private secretary says that the
requisition papers mentioned in the To-
peka dispatch have not yet been re-
ceived.