The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-20

' about their premises for more than thres
weeks. A systematic search Of ths
premises began on Sunday. May >. In tbs
cellar q saddle was found which was sup.
posed 10 he Dr York's. on March 4 Col
York went To the hour. and an that day
tio secret Of this slaughter house VAS Al
least partially disclosed to tho world.
Mr.. Brooks. an intelligent and perfectly
credible witness. whose account j. con.
hrnied by others. has stated hat when hs
and Col York arrived from Indeperdenc.
on Tuesday moro than two hundred cii..
zens wers gathered at tho Bender hou-r.
Brooks piloted York through the hou~e,
and the two. accompanied by John Gerry,
walked out over = little garden patch on
the south side. IL Is a curious c.fcun,-
stance that II was York who's eve dis
covered a fresh depression la tho cultivated
ground. caused 10y n heavy nins'oIm.
which vas at once takeu 20 be a newly
made grave. Stranger still. "a little es-
cavation proved IL 10 10 the grave OF his
brother. whose remains were soon exposed
Other concealed graves were quickly
discovered In the immediate neighborhood
Three victims were dug up In tho calIar.
Among the identified dead were Dr. York.
Is VI Brown of Howard county. John
Grrary. ". p McCrotty. n = Mckenlis.
g. ". Iangshorc and his little daughter.
n mere child Others could not h. ideuti.
fed. Every one % the victims had been
killed OF stunned by a heavy blow or he
back 81 the head, after which the throat
had been cut.
IL wa the very general theory that each
intended victim. upon his arriva In the
front room. was hy design steereI INTO a
seat Ia which, unconSCiously leaning back.
his head would press againsi ia" cloth
partition setting 81 the back living room
The bulge In the cloth. caused by this most
natural position. clearly lucated he posi-
ton 81 tho head One 81 the Benders.
stationed IN this back room then struck
the guest a savage blow with a heavy ham
mer, two of which implements were found
In the hous" Either killed outright. or
certainly knocked zer-elcss without "A cry
or struggle. the body Wa quickly dropped
through tho trap door into the dirt cellar
under the lean-to kitchen This trap door
was concealed under a table There the
stricken individual. n still alive. was fu-
ished by having his throat cut When
night fell the body waztaken ont and buri,sl
ia The private graveyard g the Binder
II will he scen that The foregoing daie-
and circumstance Completely negative
IN. romapce that Col. lork pursued and
killci all the BendcrS in Indian Territory
That they made good their escaI~ - ia
controvertible They had disappeared not
less IA a three ans perhaps a. long ~ four
weeks before It wa known positively that
DR.. York had bs-n murd"r,Ni
without hesitation hey abandoned their
farm. COWS and lit" stock 81 goosis.
even leaving tho calf aud pigs to starvc
In the pens, jus, a. a rctrcatiug army
destroys its unavailable stores and MIMI
Of war Doubtless they had some
Driving ten miles straight north
To Thayer, a little railroad station, they
boarded q northbound train
Herr. In its turn. ther team Was atan-
honed. remaining tied 10 a hi,ching post a
and a half lsfore u was noticed and
Jared for Now this team was not Identified
- belonging TO Bender until Monday. MAY
The day Brooks was In Independence
with the saddle supposed 10 have teen DR..
forks. which was the day before tolNora,
Brooks. and Gerry ACCIDENTALLY stumbled
upon DR.. lork's grave. This Identification
occurred. according Ia the evidence -
Thayer people, nearly -four weeks after the
abandoned team had been picked up on their
streets. Investigation disclos sd also that
he Benders had bought their railroad
tickets tho day befow the team was found
without snybody In charge. !
But there II little room for cavil. II will
10 noted that the murderers. nv their
,nergy. had secured not lees than three
weeks In which Ia concssl themselves BE-
II was known even TO their n.ighhrrs
hat they were absent from home. ~ even
established that they Ind committed any
rhine.
II must h. clear from this story a. a whole
hat II the Bender had not been -tam-
)eded by AL oyercstiiIsts Of the know ledge
" their last murder p1-ses-@d bv Or York's
'r,ends they could have remained at home
n perfect safety. There was not a shred
u real evidence against them. and they
we're not even suspected in the u~eighboT-
rood after the sulsidence Of the fir, excite
nent over DIR. lork's disappearance Had
hev VESTED easy and Continued tho pursuit
u their daily aVoCatipuS their crimes might
ever have been discovered II was their
and the manner Of IL which revived
and causnd the ~sucCes.ful invest
which followed.
A final suggestion for the benefit ur those
ho periodically end these Blenders. II is
that cit her the father or mother
iii survives. II alive old John Bender
now b. nearly ~ AND his wife Nj.
thev were. but IL Is not likely that
hey wou live 90 such an age. Young
ohm and Kate would now te an old man
nd woman.