Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-07-23

| The Blenders returned the goods she
had left and he considered the mat
ter 10 further. But | had been trail
ing man after man who had dlsap
peared IN the last few months and
knew they had all been seen for tnz
last time within a few miles OF tbs
Bender farm, and the WON ans stoTJ
convinced me there was something
wrong there.
shanty in DesoIate Place.
4 had visited them before, but
decided to make another attempt &C
solve the mystery and soon dropped
In on them. A more desolate seen
could hardly be conceived. Except
for their shanty, their little stone
stable, their pretense at an orchard
and the few willows that bordered the
creek, the prairie as far as could be
seen in any direction was unbroken
by tree, house, man or animal
! over the door of the house swung
board sign bearing the word Gro.
| ceries.' There was a window in each
| SIDE Of the house from which trav-
eler could be seen approaching IN
either direction, and window in the
front Of the house next the door.
The building was about 14x24 feet,
divided by a cloth partition. In the
front part were a few shelves bear
ing glass jars of candy, crackers,
| dog leg tobacco, and few other
things to bear out their pretense OF
running a grocery store, a table, n
stove, few chairs, and the famous
bench between the stove and the can
vas partition on which the victims,
as was afterwards learned, were
seated when they were killed.
Trap Door for the Victims.
"a door cut in the partition led over
a trap door in the floor 70 the rear
room, which served both as kitchen
and bedroom. 1t was in this room
that the side windows were so that
the side murderer could look in both
directions just before delivering the
fatal blow through the partition.
When I entered the two chairs
were occupied by the old folks so
that | had to take a seat on the
bench. Old man Bender was 80 years
Old apparently once of MASSIVE
build, but bent almost double with age
and rheumatism He had shifty small
black eyes and gray hair and beard.
He understood English, but spoke lit
tie but mis- native German. | asked
for drink OF water and he called
in German to Kate, who was In tn
kitchen, and she soon appeared with
a large gourd of water.
She was a slender, medium sized
girl with lot of wavy auburn hair,
fresh complexion, frank blue eyes, 4
pleasant manner and distinctly city
air She had a low voice and spoke
without an accent, though with an
utter disregard for grammar. l no
ticed especially that her hands and
arms were particularly well shaped,
and that on her fingers she wore
several rings, apparently valuable,
and like herself entirely out of keep
ing with her surroundings.
Girl Poses as a Medium.
Kate posed as "a medium and IL
was her reputation in this regard
that made so many people certain
that, no matter what happened to the
rest of the Benders, she got away.
1t was this that made people all over
the country insist that she and Mrs.
Guinness We're identical. She used to
claim that she was controlled" by
the spirit of an Indian princess. She
made frequent trips to Kansas City
and st. Louis, often remaining two Or
three weeks at a time and brought
back clothes such as no other girls
in The country possessed. She hau
been engaged to be married to a
young man who came to, see her once
in a while from another part of the
country and had presented her with
a fine horse. 1t was Tumored, how
ever, that they had Quarreled and
q staid but a short time, and was
unable in any way to confirm my sus-
picions. There had been gossip ever
since the Blenders came to that part
of the country about their apparently
contradictory poverty and wealth.
They lived miserably, did but an in
significant business in their store,
and neither raised cattle nor farmeu
enough TO support child. Still they
always seemed to have plenty OF mon
ey. But the old age and apparent
responsibility of the old folks and
Hates fascination and supposed yir-
tue warded oq suspicion.
Suspicion Grows Stronger.
1 dropped in again and found ev-
erything as before. John was away,
as before, and I never did have the
pleasure of meeting that member OF
the family. Kate talked with me, at
first VITA reserve and later with AMI
nation, discussing city and country
life, spiritualism, and other things. l
disagreed with her on a number OF
points and when l did so her eyes
flashed and an expression came into
her face that gave a fellow a sort Of
creepy feeling. l began to understand
how the canvasser felt, but could put
nv finger on nothing definite.
A third time I called, and this
time there was decided, though in
describable change in their demeanor
toward me. Kate was hospitable, but