Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-08-01
BENDER MURDERS !!
NOTORIOUS KANSAS GANG Lo-
GATED IN COLORADO.
GREAT GRIMES RECALLED
Discovery Made by Frank Ayers, who
Married a paughter-Plenty Hof
Affidavts to Show Whip the sus-
poets are-Old Ways Not tForgotA
ten t.xs 81

Topeka, Kan, July 26.-Requisitiohs
have been issued by Gov. Stanley on
the governor of Colorado for the ar
rest of four persons at Fort Collins,
Colo, who answer the descriptions of
the notorious Bender family The war
rants are for John Bender, Mrs. Benz
der, John Bender, Jr., and Kate BEN
der.
E. L. Burton, George Mcfarland, !.
G. F. Edwards and w. A., Disch, deputy
sheriffs of Labett county, haveleft for
Colorado to arrest the family, and Eek
pect to return to this city by the latter
part OF this week. N, An
The complaint is made BY Frank
Ayres, ranchman living near Foyt
! Collins, Colo, who claims that he waa
married to a woman who he nowi
thinks is Kate Bender. He clain4sN
that the woman gave him ''knockout
drops" some time last February ir8
hopes of killing him to avoid susrfS
cion. He was carried in an uncon-s
scious condition to a nearby railroad
and left on the rails to be killed by
passing trains. He was found by
friends and rescued
He suspected his wife and began
working up the case against her.
Ayres says that the Bender family left
Labett county after their series of
crimes and went to the Black hills,
where they lived for seventeen years.
They then moved to Colorado, where
Ayres met and married Kate two years
ago.
| The county commissioners of Labett
county, who have never given up the
search for the Blenders, sent e. NJ.
Dack, V. A. Monahan, T. B. Smith, and
M. E. Sparks, former neighbors of the
Benders, to Colorado to identity the
Benders. They declared they believed
the persons now in Laramie county
are the members of the notorious Ben
der family and made affidavits to the
effect, which were placed in the hands
of Gov. Stanley. A family suspected,
as the Benders was tried in Labett
county in 1889 and released for want
of evidence.
The Blenders were squatters on land
] in the western part of Labett county,
Kans., which was claimed by rival rail-
way companies. The family lived
apart from t,cir -eigl5ors, aid con-
| sisted of one ca I'm, his wife, and
son and dauCl,er Kate. They kept a
wayside inn, With z calooa attachment.
ten miles west of Galesburg. Here
travellers often put up for the night,
and it was usually the case that they
took lodgings for eternity. At any
rate, the doom of travellers was sealed
the moment they crossed the Bender
threshold, and so numerous became
the disappearances that investigation
followed, and a series of bloody crimes
for gain were unearthed, which stand
without rival in criminal history.
The house was admirably and pur-
posely arranged for the double purpose
of robbery and murder. The front
room was separated from the back by
thin curtain, similar to that placed
over folding DOORS When a man en-
tered whom the family proposed to rob
he was invited to take seat with his
back to the curtain. Sometimes sey-
eral travellers arrived together at the
wayside inn. Then an equal number
of members of the family, /eagen for
blood and booty. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
behind the curtain, and each selecting
a victim, would wait the given signal
and opportune moment to brain the
unsuspecting guest
Eleven bodies were dug up on tie
place after the community became
aroused and drove the Benders out
The house was equipped with death
trap which let victims fall into the
cellar.
The murder which drove the Rem
ders to flight was the killing of DR..
William York of Independence in 1873.
York's brother headed a searching
party, which made things so warm for
the family that it left the country.