The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-28
The tiehita airu eagle Sunday ormmg February %, 1eo4

glance Of warrior. After they had eaten
they all produced pipes and smoked, end
| then all four crawied within the wag-
on. We waited until We felt sure they
were asleep. and then 1 wanted father
to take their mules ana harness and We
would make a dash across the ford and
leave them. But he sair ne. We would
only take what dishes and food they had
left outside, and nothing else: for If we
took their team they would be compelled
to wait there, and in the meantime the
herd might come, and in consequence, we
would miss getting the cattle, which were
of more value to US than the mules. AS
for the harness, it was useless to US at
that time. So we took the dishes, sack
of -four and some sugar and coffee and
stole back to our side of the river. Father
told me to sleep and he would keep
guard, as we did not wish to be caught
mapping if the whites should make a
search for their stolen property In the
morning. But this was an unnecessary
precaution. for just at daybreak l was
awakened by loud outcries, and spring
ing to my feet 1 ran with my father TO
the bank of the river to gaze through a
screen of bushes upon a wildly exciting
scene in the camp of the paleface. The
wagon was surrounded by nearly a score
OF horsemen-white men-part of them
holding guns pointed at the inmates,
while the others dismounted and began
tearing away the canvas cover, uttering
loud shouts the while. While this was
accomplished the four people were seen
crouching in the bottom of the wagon.
They were Immediately seized and
dragged TO the ground, where 1assoos were
thrown around their necks, and they were
jerked toward adjacent trees and we ex-
pected to see them die the dogs death
that the white man deals to the wrong
doors. But chief among the captors
commenced talking in a loud voice and
in a few moments they all gave a savage
yell Of joy and the ropes were taken from
the captives' neck and they were once
again placed in the wagon and tied fast
their hands behind their backs and their
bodies secured to the irons of the wagon
bed. The mules were then attached TO
the vehicle and driven down the stream
A few rods-where you see that quick
and bubbling and boiling-even now as
then. When they got the mules facing
the desired spot. three or four ropes were
tied to the rear axle of the wagon and
the other ends tied to trees on the bank.
They all then gathered around. and, with
wild cries, dashed the mules with their
whips, and the maddened animals sprang
forward with momentum that carried
them nearly to the center of the stream.
Then the ropes attached to the axle be-
came taut and the beasts began to floun-
der and sink. Their violent struggles only
accelerated their fate, and the water in
short time covering their nostrils, they
strangled. The wagon sank less rapidly,
and had the men not taken the precaution
of tying the box to the running gear, it
might have foated. AS it was, after ii
had settled so only the head and shoulders
of the doomed wretches were above the
engulfiing sands. the scene was one that.
Indian though l am, l still shudder to
think of it. The old man, the young man,
and the old woman during the whole time
uttered screams and cries that were ami
mallike in their intensity; while the young
woman never made a moan. but stared at
her murderes with a smile so scornful
and such a light of deadly hatred in her
eyes that it seemed more awful than the
fear-inspired yells OF the others
And thus it went on for fully half an
hour till at last the sand devil drew
down and hid forever the terror-distorted
faces of the three and the fiendish smile
of the otner; and the sand eddied and
gurgled, as if in sentiment of satisfaction,
and the water glided smoothly on as be-
fore.
The stern-faced men cut the ropes
from the trees, mounted their horses and
rode away into the north.
And right there, under that boiling,
twisting sand, the Great Spirit only
knows. how deep lie to this day, the peo-
pie of whom l have told you"
Upon my return home 1 sought out
number of the oldest inhabitants of this
section and found corroborative evidence
that it was at this period, as nearly as
Joe could compete the time. that the no
torious Bender family of murderers were
supposed to have made their escape over
the border from Southern Kansas. and
that their personal appearance and
description of the team they drove at the
time tallies exactly with that given by
the Indian whose story l have told. |
also gained the additional information
that a party Of eighteen or twenty
horsemen followed them. but returned at
the end of three days. stating that they
lost the trail of the Blenders at the
Chicaskia river quicksand crossing So
il is a guesswork when l state posi-
lively that the mysterious disappearance
and fate of the Bender family is at last
completely cleared up.