The Detroit times., 1908-07-14
BENDER FAMILY
FATE TOLD AFTER
IS YEARS
DYING CHICAGO BUSINESS MAN
SAYS he Is ONE or vloILANTEs
WHO KILLED ARcH-MURDER
ERs ON PRAIRIE.

CHICAGO. July 13.-That the In
& famous Bender family. OF Kansas. who.
Ike Mrs. Belle Guinness. murdered
l1efr guests at their lonely home and
buried their bodies on the place, met
lne1r fHte at the hands Of a vigilantes'
committee while fleeing over the prair-
1e from Cherrydale. at last has become
known, after 35 years OF wonder as
60 their disappearance.
IL has remained for a dying man.
3 who was one OF the vigilantes who
shot the four ghouls. to tell the story.
This man has been living the life OF
= respected business man in Chicago
suburb. but felt impelled to impart his
secret as he lay on his deathbed. His
silence through the long years he ex-
planned by saying that the vigilantes
had pledged one another to secrecy.
Here Is portion OF his amazing story:
Il had been trailing man after man
4 who had disappeared In the last few
months and knew they had all been
seen for the last time within q few
4 miles OF the Bender farm.
II had visited them before. but I
decided to make another attempt to
! solve the mystery and soon dropped
In on them. A more desolate scene
( could hardly be conceived. Except
4or their shanty, their little stone sta
bic. their pretense at an orchard, and
\ the few willows that bordered the
& creek, the prairie as far as could be
4 seen In any direction was unbroken
~ tree. house, man or animal.
"A door cut In the partition led over
/ . trapdoor In the floor TO the rear
room, which served both as kitchen
4 and bedroom. II was In this room
that the side windows were so that
4. the murderer could look In both d.
4 rections just before delivering the ia
R tai blow through the partition against
which the victims were decoyed to sit.
when entered the two chairs
X were occupied by the old folks so that
III had to take seat on the bench.
\ Old man Bender was SO years old, APP
parently 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 his native German.
Kate Liked the Occult.
Kate posed as medium and II
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 II was
this that made people all over the
country insist that sne and Mrs. Gun
ness were identical She used to
claim that she was controlled by the
spirit of an Indian princess.
II stayed but a short time. and was
4 unable In any way TO confirm my sus-
picions There had been gossip ever
\ since the Benders came to that part
OF the country about their apparently
: contradictory poverty and wealth.
II dropped in again and found ev-
erything as before. John was away,
IS before. and never did have the
pleasure OF meeting that member Of
the family. Kate talked with me, at
4rst with reserve and later with AMI
nation. discussing city and country
HE, spiritualism. and other things.
"A third time called. and this time
there was decided. though indescrib-
able change in their demeanor toward
me. Kate was hospitable. but the air
o. the old folks betrayed suspicion.
md their glances were anything but
4r1endly. started TO sit In q chair.
but was asked TO sit on the bench. X
had no suspicion about the bench then,
bat ! did feel mighty uncomfortable.
II made my visit brief and felt good
when I was out Of there.
He susplcIons Confirmed.
When well out Of sight stopped
md waited for night When thought
y was safe began to approach the
house. following the creek. John rode
up as | stationed myself as near the
house an I dared and he and Kate
held an animated conversation In the
back yard near the pump. I could
hear them. but as they spoke In Ger. |
man could not understand.
she returned to the house and !
presently the light went out. I felt |
like leaving my uncomfortable posi- |
ton. but az had about given up hope
Of anything happening Kate and John
came from the house with bundle
and lantern. They came straight |
toward me and tell you didn't feel
good. Tho orchard was between US
and they stopped In the middle Of II. |
There they buried the bundle, which
afterward learned consisted OF
clothes Of their victims, which would |
have been discriminating evidence In |
Iu1e Oh ~ SEARCH.
After they had made several trips
& and all was quiet left my retreat
and FASTENED to Cherryvale. deter |
mined to act. Informed four other
vigilantes on whom I could depend
+ and we organized as a committee OF
ave.
We glanced over the place and
found they evidently had made ND
their minds to move In hurry. This
gave as the idea that they must have
been informed Of our approach and
Y must. therefore, have confederates.
This Influenced us after all was over
% keep secret what we had done. They
had left much OF their stun and In
}he stable was calf tied up and evi-
3 lently unfed or watered through the
lay.
"The night was dark and we feared
hat they might escape us. but our
+ mck was good. We sighted them
+ racing as fast as they could over the
crairfe, and shouted to them. The
noon had risen. but frequently was
DDecured by the heavy clouds, and the
Hiding was anything but good. AZ
Doon as we shouted they opened Are
% US, and this determined our course.
We set our horses going at break
(: 1eck speed and the bullets few fast
!; rom both sides. The bad light and
the rough going over the hilly prairie
made aiming almost impossible. but
& ~ were overtahing them rapidly when
shot from the wagon struck one of
car party, killing him instantly. A