For years, sightings of Ma Bender and Kate were reported, and in 1889, two women were extradited from Michigan on the charge. However, there were no bodies in the hole. Kate was a self-proclaimed healer and psychic, gave lectures on spiritualism, and conducted sances. [5], Detectives following wagon tracks discovered the Benders' wagon, abandoned with a starving team of horses with one of the mares lame, just outside the city limits of Thayer, 12mi (19km) north of the inn. Standing over six feet tall, John was a giant of a man who, because of his piercing black eyes set deeply under huge bushy brows, earned him the nickname of old beetle-browed John. His ruddy face, mostly covered by a heavy beard, sullen expression, and long hair often led to him being described as a wild and wooly-looking man.. was harry hibbs married; waterloo central railway wedding. He takes Satchel to a quirky (to say the least) boardinghouse, owned by feuding, deaf, elderly sisters. However, some of those men, who frequently carried large sums of cash with the intention of settling, buying stock, or purchasing a claim, began to go missing. In the winter of 1872, George Newton Longcor left Independence, Kansas with his infant daughter Mary Ann to resettle in Iowa; they were never seen again. One of the families was John BenderSr. and John BenderJr., who registered 160 acres (65ha) of land located adjacent to the Great Osage Trail, which was then the only open road for traveling farther west. Buried in the apple orchard. He steps out of his car, gun drawn, and discovers the filling station attendants body in a doorway. This tugs his heartstrings, inspiring him to leave the boardinghouse in search of some kind of birthday treat for his ward. In total, 12 men "of bad repute in general" would be arrested, including Brockman. [18], According to a news report from contemporary media, an unnamed man from Kansas City, who had investigated the Bender Family's house and the rumors of their deaths numerous times, claimed that The Kelly Family were in fact the Benders. $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. Mrs. Monroe now admitted she had married a Mr. Shearer in 1872 and claimed she had previously denied it, as she did not want the court to know that her name was Shearer at that time and that she had a conviction for manslaughter. In 1884, it was reported that John Flickinger had committed suicide in Lake Michigan. Upon further investigation, Captain James B. Hey babe, nice melon mounds. Ten bodies were found in the Benders apple orchard, including Dr. York and the people he had been searching for Mr. Loncher and his daughter, just seven or eight years old. Speaking English fluently with a German accent, he was said to have been social, but he was prone to laughing aimlessly, which led many people to think of him as a half-wit. why i quit civil engineering; goo goo gaga family net worth; how to make homemade biscuits without baking powder; mellon mounds kansas murders Though many wanted to relocate the building, it had become a controversy in Cherryvale, with locals objecting to the town being known for the Bender atrocities. Along with her desire for fame, she also craved wealth and position. Kate then became abusive toward them, and shortly afterward the Bender men emerged from behind the cloth. [5], When York repeated the claim, Elvira became enraged, said the woman was a witch who had cursed her coffee, and ordered the men to leave her house, revealing for the first time that "her sense of the English language" was much better than was let on. His family was from the Cherryvale, Kansas area, and the story involves a group of men that found the Benders and were in a gunfight with them, one of whom was a judge that lost part of his ear in the gun battle. Both knew of his travel plans, and when he failed to return home, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. Prairie Ghosts, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK). Though most of us know of Dodge Citys wicked ways, the deadly gunfight of the Daltons in Coffeyville, and the many outlaws and gunfighters who spent time in the Sunflower State, few are aware of a family of mass murderers, living a supposed quiet life near the small town of Cherryvale. 620-336-3576. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. Finally, the men physically moved the entire cabin to the side and began to search beneath, but no bodies were found there either. All but one had their heads bashed with a hammer and throats cut, and newspapers reported that all were "indecently mutilated. [7], They then probed the ground around the cabin with a metal rod, especially in the disturbed soil of the vegetable garden and orchard, where Dr. York's body was found later that evening, buried face down with his feet barely below the surface. A decade after the gruesome killings, nothing was left of the cabin and outbuildings on the property. The legend was debunked on June 8, 1966, when an EF-5 twister churned its way across the city, cutting a diagonal swath of destruction from S.W. One of the women would cut the victim's throat to ensure death, and the body was then dropped through the trap door. The Benders then stripped him of his clothes and went to bury him when the man suddenly awoke. The next morning, another eight bodies were found in seven of the nine suspected graves, while one was found in the well, along with a number of body parts. In the 19th century, Kansas was a bloody place, especially before the Civil War, as " Free-Soilers " and slavery advocates "duked" it out for control of the new territory. By 1873, reports of missing people who had passed through the area had become so common that travelers began to avoid the trail. Another of Mrs. Monroe's daughters, Mary Gardei, later provided an affidavit claiming that her mother (then Almira Shearer), under the name of Almira Marks, was actually serving two years in the Detroit House of Corrections in 1872 for the manslaughter of her daughter-in-law, Emily Mark. As word of the grisly murders spread, more and more travelers came forward to tell their own stories of a narrow escape, including one gentleman named William Pickering. Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. It would make for a fun season of the show that's for sure. A beautiful girl of about 23, she was quick to laugh and talk to strangers. Though the pair were jailed, the case was dropped for lack of evidence. Mellon family - Wikipedia The diggers were astounded to find what would become known as one of Americas first mass murder burial grounds as body after body was uncovered. The Benders tried to help by admitting that Dr. York had stopped at their place but convinced the search party that he had left and was probably waylaid by Indians. Secretly, the four made a living through murder and robbery., Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. This historical marker was erected by Kansas State Historical Society and Kansas Department of Transportation. Contemporary newspapers reported his name as either "George W. Longcor" or "George Loncher," while Mary Ann is similarly reported as being either eight years old or 18 months old. However, by the time the men arrived at the Benders cabin very early the next morning, they found them gone. The men then physically lifted the cabin and moved it to the side to dig under it, but no bodies were found. Discover something new every day from News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment and more! McCrotty, and John Geary, as well as an unidentified male and female. About 75 people attended the gathering, including both Bender men. Satchel tries looking for Rabbi, but a short conversation with the hospital man and a glimpse of the preacher and his mother folding a flag in their underwear (night wear?) His son chose a narrow piece of land just north of his fathers; however, he never lived on his claim nor made any improvements. John and his raw-boned wife spoke with such guttural accents that few people could understand them. On deer antler shedding, pocket gopher mounds, eagle breeding and murders of crows (that's the name of a flock of crows) Does that mean that Satchel has just landed in Oz now? The Carr brothers were convicted of capital murder in a crime spree in Wichita in 2000 that included robbery, rape, forced sex and four fatal shootings in a snow-covered soccer field. Kate soon gained notoriety as a self-proclaimed healer and spiritualist. Season 4 Episode 22 (1961) of the TV series, Season 1, episode 15 (2006) of the TV series, The "Hitchcock's Birds, Hope Diamond, Phineas Gang" episode of the Travel Channel's show, The Bender Family is mentioned in episode 94 of the podcast, The story was recounted on Investigation Discovery's, The metal pioneers Macabre have a song about the Benders, who are said to be of Norwegian ancestry -. mellon mounds kansas murders - indutecma.com But if your not from Kansas it's a fairly obscure story. The property was located directly on the Osage Mission-Independence Trail that operated from Independence to Fort Scott. In tonight's episode, there's a plaque at the Barton Arms, the hotel Rabbi and Satchel stay at. The women's identities were later confirmed by two Osage township witnesses from a tintype photograph. Eventually, she married and went by the name of Sara Eliza Davis. Leona Laurie is a Senior Contributor for Geek Girl Authority and co-host of the Marvel-Us podcast. Body found in Drum Creek with a crushed skull and throat cut. Cherryvale, Kansas Museum No one ever claimed the $3,000 reward ($67,858 as of 2023), however. By the time a deputy from Cherryvale arrived, identification was impossible due to decomposition. Shortly thereafter, the family disappeared. I believe I read this year that the land where the house once stood got sold to someone. Cherryvale, Kansas Museum by Kathy Alexander. Though he reached Fort Scott unscathed and started to return to Independence on March 8, he never reached home. A crude sign was hung above the front door that advertised Groceries to the many travelers along the Osage Trail. Keeping mostly to themselves, the Benders appeared to simply be struggling homesteaders who worked hard to earn their living like the other area pioneers. She maintained carnal relations with her brother, and boldly proclaimed her right to do so in the following words found in her lecture manuscript: "Shall we confine ourselves to a single love, and deny our natures their proper sway?Even though it be a brother's passion for his own sister, I say it should not be smothered. Bloody Benders - The Forgotten Story of a Family of Pioneer Kansas After last weeks sincere entry into all-out war, as well as the deaths of several key players, one might have hoped to watch the action in Kansas City escalate. Many innocent men under suspicion were also run out of the county by these committees.[5]. A mysterious murder site has a new owner. He's - Kansas Reflector Bit by bit, the story of the Benders was pieced together. Allegedly, while working at the Bender Inn, she earned her keep as a prostitute, adding an additional amount to the travelers bill for the privilege of laying with her. Nothing like this sickening series of crimes had ever been recorded in the whole history of the country.. Satchel walks down the road with his dog. Bloody Benders - Wikipedia They broke up the stone slab floor with sledgehammers, but found no bodies, and determined that the smell was from blood that had soaked into the soil. They were never caugnt. Several weeks after the discovery of the bodies, Addison Roach and his son-in-law, William Buxton, were arrested as accessories. In its first three days of opening, it attracted more than 2,000 visitors. [1] The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son JohnJr. and daughter Kate. [2], Two men who had traveled to the inn to experience Kate Bender's psychic powers stayed for dinner, but had refused to sit at the table next to the cloth, instead preferring to eat their meal at the main shop counter. So provocative was the Bender family tale that the Bender Museum was created in Cherryvale in 1961. The desk clerk who shows them to their room warns them that the sisters dont care for colored people, a refrain echoed repeatedly through this episode. "[8] A Roman Catholic prayer book was found in the house with notes inside written in German, which were later translated. The reason theyre heading toward Liberal is that Rabbi spent enough time there at some point to have stashed $5000 in a feed store in case he needed it. A message requesting positive identification was sent to Cherryvale, but the suspect severed his foot to escape his leg irons and bled to death. Location. FARGO Recap: (S04E09) East/West - Geek Girl Authority hunzaguides.com Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa The sensational tales and rumors of the Benders continued well into the 20th century, but what happened to them remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the Old West. The breastbone had been driven in. The Mellons are believed to have killed over a dozen people, including a child. [1][2][3], The area was already widely known for "horse thieves and villains, and vigilance committees often "arrested" some for the disappearances, only for them to be later released by the authorities.

One10 Marketing Layoffs, Vintage Original Bowie Knife, Role Of Teacher In Traditional Classroom, Articles M