Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-07-29

a bundle and lantern. They came
straight toward me and ! tell you
didn't feel good The orchard was
between as and they stopped II the
middle of IT, There they buried the
bundle, which | afterward learned con
sisted of clothes of their victims.
which would have been incrimlnat.ag
evidence in case Of a search.
After they had made several trips
and all was quiet l left my retreat
| and FASTENED to CherryvaIe. deter
mined TO act. | informed four other
vigilantes on whom couti depend
and We organized as a con mittee OF
five.
Three Of the party were to make
q wide circuit ana come on the house
from the northeast, while myself and
another were to approach from The
southwest Our plans went wrong
and the party which was 10 make the
circuit failed to do so. As We came
in sight OF the house the Blenders
were loading the last of their house
hold goods into their wagon, and be-
fore we got to the house the wagon
disappeared over the brow of a hill
10 the north, cutting straight across
the prairie. The sun was just set
ting and the scene was as beautiful
as 1 ever saw in that country.
Fleeing Family is Pursued.
We glanced over the place and
found they evidently had made up
their minds to move in a hurry. This
gave US the idea that they must have
been informed of our approach ana
must, therefore, have confederates.
This influenced us after all was over
to keep secret what We had done.
They had lett much of their stuff ana
in the stable was calf tied up and
evidently unfed or watered through
the day
I'VE waited anxiously for our com
rades to arrive; and when they did
come an hour later We set out at full
speed for the fleeing family, firmly
convinced that they were the murder
ers OF DR.. York and all the others
that had disappeared.
The night was dark and we feared
that they might escape Us. but our
/ luck was good We sighted them rae
| ing as fast as they could over the
prairie. and shouted to them The
moon had risen. but frequently was
obseured by heavy clouds, and the
riding was anything but good As
soon as we shouted they opened fire
on US and this determined our course.
There was now no question of taking
them prisoners or giving them
trial There was only one thing to
do and though it has troubled me all
my life. I do not see how We could
have acted differently.
Father and Son Are Slain.
We set our horses going at break,
neck speed and the bullets dew fast
from both sides, The bad light and
the rough going over the billy prairie
made aiming almost impossible but
We were overtaking them rapidly
when shot from the wagon struck
one of our party killing him instantly.
| A moment later the old man who was
! firing from the back of the wagon,
! pitched ont on the prairie dead. and
John jumped and ram He was shot
before he had run a hundred feet
from the wagon.
Kate had be ID driving but at this
she stopped tt wagon short. sprang
ont, cut one Of the horses loose, the
one said 20 have been given her by
her wooer, and sped away on It,
Even had we known that she was the
chief demon Of the family-and we
did not know IL then-we would have
hesitated to fire on a woman, so we
followed her as close as we could. Bu
her horse seemed to BE getting away
from US and we shouted to her that
if she did not stop we would fire.
Kate Fights Like a Tigress
she paid no attent,an, and one OF
our party. taking a desperate chance,
shot her horse under her Ii rolled
over on her and before she could ex
tricate herself we overlook her.
I'VE dismounted and went toward
her, expecting to help her and with
NJ thought of trouble. But my
grief, how she did fight, She fought
tooth and nail like a tigress and we
had to handle her like a bucking
broncho. At last she was firmly tied.
hand and foot, and thrown over the
front OF the saddle Of one Of the men.
When We got back 10 the wagon we
found that the old woman within had
been killed by a bullet The old man
aud John were dead and we found
our own poor comrade stark dead on
the prairie, guarded By his faithful
horse, who stood over him like a
sentinel
Young Woman confesses Murders.
I'VE decided to bury the bodies on
the spot and built FIRE TO work by.
| | shall never forget the terrible scene
that that fire Illuminated Kate
Bender stood between two Of the
men sullenly watching the proceed
ings. Her hair, Ioosened in her race