The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-07-18
CLAIM RENDERS ARE
LIVING IN COLORADO
Kansas Asked to Pay Reward Of
fsred for Capture Of the
Famous Family.
CATILEMAN FRANK AYREs' STORY
Says He Married Katc Bender In Colo
RADIO Without Knowing Who sho
Was, and Knows Where tho
Whole Tribe Is.

Topeka. July 12.-Frances e. Mccain
Of Joplin. Mo-, lays claim to the re-
ward offered by the state in 1879 for
the arrest Of the notorious Benders.
whose butcheries about that time
shocked the world. Mrs. Mccain, it
seems, called on Attorney General God
ard last fall on the subject for the first
time. She Is the same woman who IN
November, 1889, caused to be arrested
and brought to Kansas from Michigan
two women, who, she alleged, were
the women Of the Bender family. They
were held in custody until April, 1890,
when they were discharged. Mrs. Nc
Cam, In letter to Attorney General
right then and now renews her claim
for the reward.
Mrs. McCann's latest demand no
doubt Is caused by the claim of one
Frank Ayers that he has found the
Benders in Colorado. In April he ap-
peared in Labette county making the
claim and tried to induce the local au-
thorities to send for the persons he
accused. He stayed around Cherryvale,
near the scene Of the crimes, and Os-
wego, the county seat Of Labette coun
ty, until the county board withdrew the
reward Of $4,000. The reward Of So, 900
offered by the state, however, still
stands, and Mrs. Mccain Is Ayers
rival for 1t.
Cattleman Ayres Confident.
Cherryville, AXIS, July 12.-Interest in
the Bender murders, now almost gen.
GRAFTON old, is revived by the appear
ance In this town of Frank Ayres,
cattleman of Manhattan, Col, who not
only declares that he has located the
murderers, but that Kate Bender was
once his wife. Ayres came here late
in March and has been here ever since
trying to induce the authorities Of La
bette county, where the murders occur
red, to cooperate with him and bring
the suspects to Kansas for trial. Thia
town Is in Montgomery county, adjoin-
ing Labette, where the murders We're
committed, but 1t was from here that
the search Of the murderers was insti-
tuted twenty-eight years ago, and
since the most of the witnesses live
here Ayres naturally came here to
make his start.
Ayres says that the family he sus-
poets goes by the name Of Baker in
Colorado, and that he first knew them
in the early '70s when they appeared
In the Black Hills country, where they
lived seventeen years. almost starving.
May Baker who answers, he says. to
the description of Kate Bender went
to Salt Lake City and married a Nor
mon, who deserted her. She married
again and her second husband was sent
to the penitentiary Then Ayres says
she married him on a short acQuaint-
ance at Manhattan, Col, where he flied
a claim and built house for her. All
went we'll, he says until they moved to
the Baker home at Fort Collins. Orig
1nally John Baker, or John Bender, was
with them and afterward drifted back
to Colorado, going to work In O livery
stable at Boulder. More recently he
has gone to Longmont where he has
charge of string Of race horses.
The Earmarks OF Bender.
Ayres says that after he and his wife
moved to Fort Collins his troubles be-
gan. One night his coffee was drugged
and he knew nothing more for fourteen
days. When he recovered conscious
ness he was in the Baker home and
was informed that friend had found
him on the railroad track. He had been
hit in the back Of the head and after
ward taken to the railroad track His
friend took him to the Baker home
where he was nursed by his wife. or al
legged. Kate Bender. Ayres said that
he was placed on the railroad track
with the expectation that a train
would finish him, but that the timely
aid of his friend saved him, and that
the woman nursed him to protect her
self from suspicion. He says that even
after his friend rescued him some OF
his medicines We're poisoned and his
friend threw them away. After his
recovery Ayres says that he made in
Qulry and was convinced that he had
been foully dealt with by his wife
and he deserted her, coming to Kan,
sas City last fall dressed as a woman.
Ills mother owned the Colorado ranch
ana ne sought to trade it for lead land
IN Missouri. He believed that the
ranch had oil beneath it and he sent
d, man out to Colorado to look at it.
Ihis man lived in Labette county
Kansas, when the Bender mnrdeys
We're committed and knew the Renders
upon MS return to Missouri he told
Ayres that he had seen Kate Bender
lie described Kate Baker as the won.
an. and another man who was sent -
colorado returned with the same story,
MANY OF the oldest inha bttants Of
tnls town who were here when the
Ayers's story. Seven men have been
out to Colorado to see the Bakers and
they all come back convinced that thew
are the Benders. Dock" Smith who
went alone. says he Is sure 1t is Kate
Bender, but he is unwilling to 60 on
the witness stand unsupported. Ed
DOCK also believes she Is the woman.
AANs W ouiC DIS BLACK. MnEnQ
Sparks believes the woman Ia Kata
Bender, and is almost certain that a
woman he found at Boulder is Mrs
Fyack. who was Kate Bender's most
intimate friend in Kansas.
Tries to Interest Off1cers.
Ayers has spent much Of his time al
Oswego the county seat Of Labetta
county, and for awhile he Interested
the county attorney, but that office has
since weakened and now Ayers is work
ng with the county commissioner
Tho paid the expenses of the seven
nen who went to Colorado to see the
alleged Benders. So far, however. nc
steps have been taken to obtain a
requisition for the Bakers. The coun-
~ has been at SO much expense to an
prehend suspected ones since the crimes
occurred that the authorities are slow
to act. Ayers went to see Governor
Stanley in April and the governor told
him that the reward Of $500 a head for
the Benders still stands. Ayers, how
ever, can't move until the county COM
missioners give their consent. and
since they have hesitated SO long 81 is
hardly probable that they will act. a
deputy sheriff Of Jasper county. Mo.
who had heard Ayers story, wants to
l