The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-13
Man on Death Bed Tells of the
Killing of Famous Arch
SIaughterers.
KATE WAS THE LEADER.
SHE WAS THE ONE WHO STIRRED
HER RELATIVES TO MURDER
AND WAS THE LAST TO BE
SHOT BY vIGILANTES.

der family of infamous memory has
been revealed after they fed from the
I blood reeking shanty on the Kansas
prairie They disappeared as complete
ly as IL the earth had swallowed them.
Since that time many rumors of how
they got away to Mexico, to Canada,
to California, to Germany and many
other places have been circulated
Stories of their humiliation by the
sheriff and United States marshals
have been told only to be discredited.
The man who tells the wonderful
story gives nothing from hearsay
nothing from rumor or reasoning, but
his is the recital of an eye witness, of
man who watched the ficnds at work,
who helped to organize the posse
which pursued the fleeing murderers,
and was present, gun in hand, until
Kate Bender, fighting to the last
plunged with bullet in her forehead
across the bodies of her mother, father
and brother.
George Evans Downor, of Downers
Grove. grandson of Pierce Downer,
who founded the settlement in 1888,
told the story, fully believing he is on
his death bed and that it is his duty
to publish the truth to the world.
The story. Gs he tells it g, partly
through his wife and partly in faint
gasps from the sick bed Is as follows
After the war l stayed around home
for time, but the desire for adventure
was so strong in me that l soon broke
away and wandered out to that part Of
Kansas near the borders Of the Chero-
kee Nation, now of course, part of
Oklahoma. l settled In independence,
Kas., took up land and lived by work
ing for the ranchmen. There was not
much law in the land and claims were
kept, life protected, and cattle thieves
punished by vigilance committees.
Il was young at the time, but was
lions of the law and order element for
some years prior to the time of the
Bender crimes. | had had considera-
BILE success in ferreting out criminals
and when people began to disappear
mysteriously on the road from Usage
Mission to Independence | felt great
desire to get to the bottom of the mat
ter. This desire was Increased by the
disappearance Of one of the best
known citizens of that part of the
country, DR.. William H. York, of In
dependence, brother of Senator A.
M. York. The senator instituted a
search, the governor offered a reward
OF $500, and l, with many others, set
myself to find out the murderer
1T was at this time that a friend OF
mine, a lawyer, called me into his Of
flee in Independence to listen to the
story of woman canvasser The wo.
man, who was tall and good looking
wanted to know how she could recov
err possession of some goods that she
had left at the house of the Blenders
She said she had reached their house
in the afternoon and had tried to sell
them some of her goods.
Could Not Refuse.
kate Bender had bought, but had
urged her so cordially to stay with
them through the heat of the day that
she could not refuse. She could see
no reason why she should be so insist
ent on hen staying and felt uneasy al
afternoon. At supper she caught mean
ing smiles between Kate and hel
brother John that terrified her, and tc
cap 1t all after supper they insisted
that she stay all night. That people
living In a little one-room shanty
should ask a chance passerby to stor
over night with them struck her a:
unusual, but she did not have the cou
rage to deny them.
After she had consented Kate Wen
behind the light cloth partition tha
divided the cabin into two rooms Il
wash the supper things, and John. the
brother came in with a big knife anC
began to sharpen it to a feather edge
Reused by this sight to desperate
action, she made an excuse to leav,
the house. 1t was not dark and sh,
Instantly fled for the creek which
flowed near by. She ran until she nc
ticedsthat her absence had been motto
ed at the house and then waded on
In the creek up to her neck Sh,
stayed there for hours while the Ben
ders searched for her They at las
gave up the hunt and she emerged
from her watery hiding place. we
from head to foot and without hat O
shoes, both having been left at tn,
Benders'. She ran all the way t,
Cherryvale, five miles distant, arriy
ing in state of collapse.
I had witnessed them before. bu
decided to make another attempt t,
solve the mystery and soon droppe,
In on them.
Kate posed as medium, and
was her reputation in this regard tina
made SO many people certain that. n,
matter what happened to the rest o
the Benders. she got away. 1t was thi
that made people all over the countr,
insist that she and Mrs. Guinness wer
identical. She used to claim that sh
was controlled by the spirit of an In
dian princess.
when we'll out of sight l stoppe
and waited for night. When / though
1t was safe began to approach tn
house, following the creek. John rod
up as stationed myself as near tn
house as l dared and he and Kat
hald an animated conversation in RI