Year: 1877

ing of the Renders, just after their murders were discovered

 The moment h e Renders caught sight of their pursuers the greatest consternatiOn appeared 10 seize upon them. John Ben der. who was walking by the side of the wagon, ran forward to the lead team, as though to unhitch them, but was evidently recalled by the old man, who handed him out an old fashioned smooth bore Yaeger rife. With this weapon he fired a harmless shot at the advancing horsemen, and then drew a navy revolver and reached his hand into the wagon for an- other. Before he had time to draw it forth, however, a shot from one of the farmers laid him out lifeless on the prairie, the ball entering his left breast and piercing the heart.

 Old man Bender stood up in his wagon, and striking down the cover, yelled at his horses in German and fiourished a revolver over his head. As they were go- ing down roll in the prairie one of their lead horses fell, and Kate, springing out of the wagon. went to the fallen animal as if to get it up. But instead of rising the fallen beast she cut loose its mate, mounting it, was en. deavouring to make her escape on its back. At this the old man seemed craZed with anger, and fired his revolver at her. He did not hit her, however, but the horse springing forward caught a leg in the breeching of its fallen mate, and went down with Kate under him. The old man having emptied his revolver, the pur- surers 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 th ey got the girl out from under the horse, and found that she had a leg broken in the fall. DutrOit said Kate acted like a very devil. She cursed them, cursed her fa- ther and mother. and seemed a red hot vial of wrath.

 Kate Bender seemed to think their captors knew everything and while she would not answer questions, she made no con cealment of the hellish work that had been carried on at the tavern, and asserted frequently that they had killed over one hundred per sons. 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 had killed so many (referring to her assertions of one hundred 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 ground unbound, 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 fired at him. The ball missed him and entered the fieshy part of the thigh of a man named L9ve. Before she could fire again she was shot one of the balls pass. ing through her head.

 The old couple looked on with apparent indifference upon the terrible scene, and when spoken 10 would make no reply, save to give utterance 10 maledictions upon their pursuers.

 The farmers held long consul tation as 10 the disposal Of thei- prisoners. A bond of sworn se- crecy was entered into, and so the old man ard his wife were both shot. They made no appeal to mercy, bat died cursing. The following morning their effects were divided up among their captOrs. The bodies were buried on the spot.