Year: 1877

Narrative by One OF the Men Who


Lynched Them.


A Western paper contains an account
of the fate of the Bender family, whose
deeds of crime in Kansas and mysterious
disappearance created such great SEN
sation few years ago. 1t seems that
tramp who was sleeping in q haystack
back of the Benders' house was awak-
ened at midnight, and looking out he
saw three persons evidently at work Dig
ging at short distance from him, but it
was 30 dark that he could not distinguish
them nor make out what they were bury
ing. The next day he told this circum-
stance to neighboring farmer, who i'm
mediately organized a party of twelve
and started for the home of the Benders,
but when they arrived there it was de-
serted. The party found the wagon
tr, cks of the fleeing inmates, and imme-
diately started in pursuit.


The track of the Bender wagon could
be seen leading to the southwest. The
horsemen followed at full speed. Just
before sunset the pursuers came in sight
of the fugitives. They had evidently
urged their teams on with all speed pos
sible, as they were good forty-five miles
from their tavern, and their animals ap-
peared well used up. AS the pursuit
came in sight of their game they gave
yell, and charged down upon them. The
moment the Benders caught sight of
their pursuers, the greatest CONSERVATION
appeared to seize upon them. John
Bender, who was walking by the side of
the wagon, run forward to the haed
team, as though to unhitch them, but
was evidently recalled by the old man,
who handed him out an old-fashioned
smooth-bore Yaeger rifle. With this
weapon he fred harmless shot ut the
advancing horsemen, and then drew a
navy revolver and reached his hand into
the wagon for another. Before he had
time to draw it forth, however, shot
from one OF the farmers laid him out
ifeless on the prairie, the ball entering
his left breast and piercing the heart.


Old man Bender stood up in the
wagon, and, striking down the cover,
yelled of his horses in German and flour
ished revolver over his head. The
pursuers wished to capture him alive, If
possible but did not like to approach
too close to the old mans revolver. As
they were going down roll in the prai-
rie one of the lead horses fell, and Kate,
springing out of the wagon, went to the
fallen animal IS if to get it up. But in
stead Of raising the fallen beast, she cut
loose its mate, and, mounting it, was en-
deavoring to make her escape on its
back. At this the old man seemed crazy
with anger, and fred his revolver at her.
He did not hit her, however, but the
horse springing forward caught leg in
the breeching of its fallen mate, and
went down with Kate under him. The
old man having emptied his revolver. the
pursuers closed in on him and beat him
down with their gun barrels, though he
and his wife fought like tigers to the
last. After they had tied Bender and
his wife they got the girl out from under
the horse and found that she had leg
broken in the fall. Kate cursed them,
cursed her fatherand mother, and seemed
in red-hot vial Of wrath.


The party moved over to ''run" and
camped for the night. Old Bender re-
fused TO say word in English, but both
he and his wife cursed their captors in
German. Kate Bender seemed to think
their captors knew everything, and while
she would not answer questions, she
made no concealment of the awful work
that had been carried Oh at the tavern,
and asserted frequently that they had
killed over 100 person. She said she
had done most of the throat cutting
herself; that John WAS afraid; that he
or the old woman did well enough to
knock their victims on the head, but they
appeared to be afraid of them after they
were down.


When asked why they killed 80 many
(referring to her assertion of having
killed 100 persons), she replied that the
old people (meaning her parents) liked
the money, but she liked to see the
blood: She was lying on the groundun-
bound, her broken limb preventing her
escape. One Of the men happened to
sit down near her, when, quick as
thought, she jerked his revolver from
his belt and tired at nm. Inc Dali
missed him and entered the feshy part
OF the thigh OF man named Love.
Before she could fire again she was
shot, one of the balls passing through
her head.


The old couple looked on with appar-
ent Indifference upon the terrible scene,
and when spoken to would make no
reply, save to give utterance to maledic-
tions upon their pursuers.


1he farmers held long consultation
as to the disposal Of their prisoners. A
bond Of sworn secrecy was entered into,
and SO the old man and his wife were
both shot. They made no appeal to
mercy, but died cursing. The following
morning their effects were divided up
among their captors. The bodies were
buried on the spot.