The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-05
KATE BENDER AGAIN.
This Time She Is Reported Dead in
California.

Rio Vista, Cal, May 5.-That a wo-
man who lived here for nearly so years
under the name of Mrs. Gavin and SUBJ
sequently that of Mrs. Peters, who died
recently, was really Kate Bender of the
notorious Bender family of Kansas
Inurderers, is a statement made by
Jack Collins, a resident of this place.
The woman was found dead in her home
rear here last Monday evening, having
died a week or ten days before from
natural causes. She had been conduct
ing a resort for several years and late
ly had been living alone.
According to Collins, a friend of the
woman, Mrs. Peters revealed her iden-
tity to him a number of years ago,
while critically i'll and believing that
she was at the point of death. But
she recovered and fearing that Collins,
he says, would make her confession
he would set fire to a hou5eboat in
which Collins lay a victim of a para
lytic stroke.
Collins declares the woman gave him
q detailed account OF many murders
which she and her brothers committed
in the Bender home at Cherryvale, Kan,
in the seventies. Her role, according to
Collins, was to make love to the unfort-
Cnate wayfarers who sought shelter at
the Bender house and lure them to a
corner of a room, where her brothers,
concealed behind a curtain would crush
their skulls with heavy clubs. Rob-
berry was the motive of the crimes
During the investigation of the mur-
ders by detectives, the woman escap-
ed to Chicago, afterward going to New
York, and sailing from there around
Cape Horn to San Francisco. There she
became a trained nurse and married
John Gavin, a whaler. Ten or Is years
later they were divorced and the wo-
man then began life of shame. The
dead woman was 76 years of age. A
reward of 5000 was at one time Offer
ed for the capture of Kate Bender.
Story of the Benders.
Kansas City, Mo-, May SIT is not
known how many murders the notori-
Gus Bender family committed while
living in the early '70's in Labette
county, Kan. The family consisted Of
William Bender, so years of age, his
wife, aged 55 years, Kate, % years and
John %. Kate and John were children
of William Bender by a former wife.
Kate Bender professed to be a mag
netic healer. The Bender house was
situated on the main highway between
Independence Kan, and the Usage
mission. The Benders kept a little
store supplied with food for man and
beast, but it is said to have been a
decoy for weary travellers, rather than
anything else. The Benders lived in a
frame house about 20 feet long and IL
feet wide. The one room was divided
by canvas partition drawn tightly over
upright scantlings. This partition was
the death trap. The victim was decoy-
&c to a seat near the canvas Kate
behind the canvas. would render the
victim senseless with a hammer. If the
blow was not fatal the old man fol-
lowed with blows on the temple. Then
the throat was cut. After the BODY was
robbed it was thrown into the cellar
through a blind door, After the
family fled nine bodies were found on
the place.
The murder of DR.. York, of Independ-
ence, led to the undoing of the mur-
derers. His brother, A. NJ York, OF
Fort Scott, instituted a search and
found the nine bodies on the Bender
place. including that of his brother.
The fate of the Bender family has
never been definitely known. At vari-
Gus times persons who have claimed to
have been members of a posse that
pursued the family have given out
statements. Some have said that the
entire family was killed. Others have
stated that Kate escaped.