Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-10-03

Members of the Noted Family Were
All Tassacred by a Posse Led by
m ola buffalo Hunter-Bodies and
Wagon Burned-Gcene ut Bender
ROadhousc.
L. T. Pierce more familiarly known
as Dee Pierce, one or the oldest and
most reliable Indian scouts of the
Black Hills, has given out story about
the Beuder family Of Kansas, which
goes to show that there is no further
need OF the authorities searching for
the remains Of the family, says dis
patch flom Dcadwood to the st. Louis
GIobe-Dcmocrat Pierce is a reliable
man. and fer the first time he tells
what he knows OF the c%se. He had a
friend in the seventies who was also
well known in the Black Hills, and be-
fore tie friend died he related to
Pierce the incidents relative to the kill
ing OF al of the members of the Ben
der family.
When the York family was killed
t|iA'A Nl4N u h-''N was NlbNCN " bLC
home or the Bcnders, Plerce's friend
was among those from the city of
Cherryv&lc who went out to investi-
gate the conditions of things at the
Bender roadhousc. There were q men
in the party one of the Iaen being an
old buf1;.lo hunter. They found the
house deserted. and in searching the
about which so much has been said
was found to be full of bullet holes,
and dricG blood was on the mattress
They fouAd the trapdoor behind a cur
tain, which led into the cellar, into
which the dead bodies had been thrown
until dark. when they were taken out
into the garden and buried.
The seal ching party next went out
into the garden and commenced look
ing for the spot where the bodies had
been buried. \ wagon rod was used
to probe the ground for a soft place,
and finally Il spot was found that was
soft. After digging down a short ways
the body Ci one Of the York children
was found, and the coRtortons of the
face and body made it look as though
the child had been buried alive. Fif-
teen bodies were found by the party
in the garden, including the Texas cat
tleman, who was supposed to have
been shot in the west room.
The old buffalo man had been look
ing around for the trail of the family,
which had made its escape. The trail
of an old rickety wagon was found, and
the buffalo hunter followed it up all
day, and abort nightfall came upon the
family campc'l near Il creek. The scout
returned to Che party Of Cherryvale
men and reported his end. They agreed
upon going back with the scout and eX-
terminating the whole family. The
posse was divided into three parts and
the Bender family was surrounded.
One of the posse accidentally discharg-
ed his rifle before the proper time,
which gave the warning of danger to
the Benuer people. Iney lmmeulaueIy
prepared for defense. The buffalo
hunter fred at long range at old man
Bender and hit him in the back, killing
him. Another yolley from the posse,
and John and his mother fell dead.
Kate was the last one to be shot. The
posse then went to the scene and piled
the four dead bodies in a heap and
burned them, adding to the fire the
wagon, harness and the camp outfit
Everything that would not burn was
taken to the creek bank and covered
over with dirt.
This IS the story that Doc Pierce
tells for the first time since his friend
conided the facts to him 20 years ago
The story that Kate Bender came tC
the Black Hills several years ago and
made her residence in Deadwood is not
credited there. \ woman did come tC
Deadwood about 10 years ago that had
some resemblance to the famous Kate
SO some of the OH timers say, but it is
not believed that it was she.