The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-23
Get THE BENDERS
Requisition For Notorious Kan
sas Murderers Issued.
Have Been Identified Near Fort
Collins, Colorado.
OFFICER ON THE WAY.
VIII Bring the Bloody Family
Back to Kansas.
Have a Record of at Least
Eight Murders.
DECOYED TRAVELLERS.
We're Killed While at Table in
Farm House.
Crimes Committed 2S Years
Ago and Family Disappeared.
Frank Ayers, Husband of Kate
Bender, the Informant.
Have a Record of at Least
Eight Murders.
DECOYED TRAVELLERS.
We're Killed While at Table in
Farm House.
Grimes Committed 2S Years
Ago and Family Disappeared.
Frank Ayers, Husband of Kate
Bender, the Informant.

a requisition has been issued from
the governors Office on the governor of
Colorado for the notorious Bender fam
ny.
The complaint is made by Frank
Ayres, a ranchman living near F't- Col
line. Colorado, who claims that he was
married to woman whom he now
thinks is Kate Bender. He claims that
the woman gave him knock out drops
some time last February in hopes
of killing him. To avoid suspicion he
was carried in an unconscious condi-
tion to a nearby railroad track and left
on the rails to be killed by passing
trains. He was found by friends and
rescued. He suspicioned his wife and
began working up the case against
her. He found her family living near
Irt. Collins and he had E. NJ. Dock, v
A. Monyhan and IT. b. Smith from
Cherryvale, Labette county. Kansas, go
to FIT Collins and identify the family
there as John Bender. alias Chas. Read,
Kate Bender, alias Mrs Chas- Read,
John Bender, Jr.. alias William Baker,
Kate Bender, Jr.. alias May Grant, alias
May Ayres-
Governor Stanley placed the requisi-
tion in the hands Of e. l. Barton, a
deputy sheriff from Labette county. on
Saturday. and he left at once for Colo
radO.
The supposed Benders have been
identified by several persons who knew
them 2s years ago in Kansas Ayres
claims that he was married to the
Bender woman for IA months prior to
the attempt to poison him
The following exhibits accompany the
application for a reQuisition:
We. the undersigned, E. NJ. Dock,
V. A. MOnyhan and T. B. Smith, each
being duly sworn doth depOse and say.
That we have been residents Of the
state Of Kansas and in and about the
city Of Cherryvale and Usage township
in the state of Kansas more than 30
years and that we have recently gone
TO F't- Collins, ,Larimer county, Colorado
and other points in said state and have
seen recently the four persons supposed
to comprise and be the 'Benders' and
have been made familiar with the his
tory of the supposed family Of 'Benders'
so far as known and obtaina BILE and
from our remembrance of said family
and the history thereof we are now con-
vinced that they are the persons want
ed in this county for a series of crimes
and murders committed in this county
some q years ago.
I'VE do further swear that we were
neighbors and lived in the vicinity in
which the 'Benders' lived, in this coun-
~ and were acquainted with the
-Benders during their residence in said
county at said time; that from our ac-
Qua1ntance and judgment at this time
and the history of the suspects we
could not now be more certain of the
Identity than we are at this time and
we are convinced that they are the
Blenders In our own minds However
there is VnEGfhflir4- hot
be In error of judgment at this time
and we do not believe that it is Dossi-
bic for anyone to be conscientiously
more certain than we now are from the
limited opportunity and observation
that We have had Of said parties and
we further believe that if said parties
could be further observed and better
opportunities afforded such as could he
had and if the parties We're in CUSTODY
that the question OF Identity could be
settled by US and other parties who
Knew them at that time in a very short
space or time, and we further believe
that the result would be their complete
and satisfactory Identification as the
Bender family and the parties who
committed the crimes as above stated y
Z. NJ. DOCK.
v A MONYHAN,
T. b SMITH.
NJ. E. Sparks also visited Ft Collins
and makes a short affidavit to the effect
that the women he saw in Colorado are
the notorious Bender" women Frank
Ayres makes affidavit to the killing
or William York on the 25th of ADriI
1873, supposedly by the Blenders n
B- f. Deinst makes the following q fl
davtt which accompanied the aDnlica-
tion for the requisition:
b F. Deinst of lawful age heine-
first duly sworn deposes and saws
was well acquainted with John Bender
sr., Kate Bender, Sr., John Bender. r.
and Kate Bender. Jr., who lived in Ia
bette county, Kansas, from the winter
Of 1870 to some time IN the latter parf
of April 1873 They moved to T.abaf+e
county. Kansas, In the winter of 1870
and located on section No I3
and built a house thereon and
cultivated a part of the land
was well acquainted with the
premises during that time and
know that they had the EXCLUSIVE
control OF it from the time thew rnoveS
there in 1870 until they left in 1872
During the time they lived fbara =
number of persons were MISSING anG
traced to that neighborhood. and at tbe
time 1t was believed that they vveys
murdered by someone. Finally soroe
time IN April, 1876. one William n
ork was missing and traced to +be
neighborhood OF the Bender farm vvbsrs
GO was last seen in his lifetime. A de-