Dr. William York had visited the Benders Inn several times. Kate and Ma planted a combined garden and had some fruit trees. Wichita, Kan., The Kan-Okla Publishing Company [©1913], 2 preliminary leaves, [7]-173 pages illustrations (including portraits, plan) 21 cm. Price New from Used from Hardcover "Please retry" $53.94 — $53.94: Paperback "Please retry" $43.94 — $39.95: Hardcover $53.94 1 Used from $53.94 So in 1871 the Benders settled in Labette County, Southeast Kansas, which is along the Osage trail. Holmes was America’s first serial killer (see my article here for more). “Dear Sir :—Yours just received. For many of those travelers, the Bender’s home would be their final resting place. They were known as the Benders, and their family was responsible for the death of at least 11 people before they completely disappeared. The 162-acre tract of cropland known as the “Bender … The subject field is required. The E-mail Address(es) you entered is(are) not in a valid format. Bender Cabin near Cherryvale, Kansas. While Bender mythology holds that John and Kate were brother and sister, contemporary newspapers reported that several of the Benders' neighbors have stated that they claimed to be married, possibly a … Realizing the Benders had probably murdered his brother; Colonel York snuck out the front door and rode into town to get help. The Benders kept up their murdering spree for over 18 months. In 1992, Fern Morrow Wood, a Cherryvale teacher, wrote The Benders, Keepers of the Devil's Inn. Learn more ››. Colonel York decided to stay overnight and look for his brother the following day. In 1870, a group of homesteaders moved into the plains of Kansas. Search parties—some legally sanctioned, some not—had little luck. (Wichita: Kan-Okla Publishing, 1913.). The Benders had obviously noticed Colonial York’s disappearance and left in the middle of night. Kansas Gov. (not yet rated) The author has been featured as an on-camera talking head in two documentaries about the Bloody Benders and portrayed Kate in an episode of Sunflower Journeys by KTWU public television that won a regional Emmy Award in 2010. WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online. It was rumored that he returned so often because of Kate. Mental Floss points out that it’s unclear exactly how they met: by John T. James, attorney for the defense in the trial of the "Bender women" at Oswego, Labette County, in 1889-1890; the complete story; facts, not fiction. It was on this land that the Benders, John Bender Sr, his wife, son John Jr, and their daughter Kate chose to set up housekeeping. One of these families was the Benders, comprised of John Bender, Sr.; his wife, Almira; son, John, Jr.; and daughter, Kate. (A historical marker located in Morehead in Montgomery County, Kansas.) In the following few days of searching nine more bodies were discovered along with bits and pieces of headless remains. You can easily create a free account. Laura Ingalls wrote and spoke about the Benders on many occasions. The Benders were an immigrant family who came to the area from Germany. Publication date 1913 Topics Bender Family, Kansas, crime Publisher Kansas-Oklahoma Publishing Co. Collection opensource Language English. The Kansas site where the Bender family, dubbed the 'Bloody Benders', lured travelers to their deaths will be sold off to the highest bidder by an Indiana … Marker Name: The Bloody Benders Marker Type: Rest Area Marker text: Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family--John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate--who settled here in 1871. Can heal all sorts of disorders: Can cure blindness, fits, deafness and all such diseases. The Benders’ cabin was demolished long ago, and the precise location of the home and its garden are not known. While only 10 bodies were found it is believed the Benders killed over 21 people during their reign of terror in Kansas. Though stories abound, to this day no one knows for certain what became of the "bloody Benders." The Benders were an immigrant family who came to the area from Germany. They created an inn that they would use to lure victims where they would kill and rob them before burying their bodies in their garden. The Benders were the only ones out of this group who made themselves known to the locals in town, as the other families either eventually moved away or simply kept to themselves. The Benders, consisting of John Sr. (or Pa), Ma, John Jr., and Kate, were one of a group of Spiritualist families who had moved to an area outside of Cherryvale, Kansas. Export to EndNote / Reference Manager(non-Latin). Thomas A. Osborn followed this up in mid-May 1873 with a $2,000 reward for the apprehension of the foursome. Secretly, the four made a living through murder and robbery. (Wichita: Kan-Okla Publishing, 1913.). The diner, overnight guest, or séance participant who appeared to have a large amount of money was placed in this position. You may send this item to up to five recipients. While Kate distracted them, John Jr or John Sr would take a sledgehammer and kill them with a powerful blow. The body was placed in the cellar until it could be buried in the garden or orchard. The Benders in Kansas, Unknown Binding – January 1, 1913 by John T James (Author) See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. The danger in staying at the Benders came if the visitor was seated with his or her back to the canvas curtain that separated the Inn from the Benders living area. Create lists, bibliographies and reviews: Your request to send this item has been completed. They were surprised to find the Inn abandoned. “Bender” is a thriller about a real-life Kansas family, the Benders, America’s first serial-killing family (what a title to proclaim). The name field is required. “Cherryvale, Kansas, June 14, 1910. As the story goes, the Benders family set up a restaurant and were suspected of murdering some of their diners. Cherryvale, KS. So interesting was the atrocities committed by the Bender family that in May of 1961 a museum was established in Cherryvale for the Kansas State-Wide Centennial Celebration. York searched the cellar and noticed dried blood everywhere. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the best Tube Bending & Fabricating in Kansas City, MO. When he opened it he saw his brother’s wife and daughter’s photo inside. This is a fascinating part of Kansas history, but such a poorly organized and written book. This “store” was only about 100 yards from the well traveled Osage Trail. Shortly after the Civil War, Osage Indian land was opened up to settlers. This time he told his brother, Colonel York, that he was going to visit at the Benders. Please enter the subject. Pa, Ma, Kate and John Bender, or the “Bloody Benders” as they became known, were a group of people who lived as a family on the Osage Trail in 1870’s Kansas. Reports stated that one child was apparently buried alive with her father. The Benders denied seeing Dr York. But morbid mementos of the crime may still … The original house and Inn was nothing more than a shell in 1886 with curiosity seekers carting off bits and pieces. Wood, Fern Morrow. An exact replica of the Bender Inn was built with antiques and household items. Ed York offered a $1,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the Benders. McCarthy and Stalin – Political Brothers? Jun 14, 2015 - The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who owned an inn and small general store in Labette County of southeastern Kansas from 1871 to 1873. The Benders bought 160 acres of land beside the Great Osage Trail of Labette County, Kansas, and built a cabin, a barn, and a well there. Separate up to five addresses with commas (,). Colonel York quickly organized a search party of 75 men who searched the area for Dr. York, and in March 1873 tracked him to the Bender Inn. The Benders in Kansas. OCLC Number: 7609017: Description: 2 preliminary leaves, [7]-173 pages illustrations (including portraits, plan) 21 cm: Responsibility: by John T. James, attorney for the defense in the trial of the "Bender women" at Oswego, Labette County, in 1889-1890; the complete story; facts, not fiction. Digging began and the Colonial ‘s brother was found buried, head downward. Editor’s Note: The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas, between 1871 and 1873. Please select Ok if you would like to proceed with this request anyway. 2,855 likes. Shortly after the Civil War, Osage Indian land was opened up to settlers. Bender Inn the day after the grave digging began On the side of the road near Cherryvale, Kansas a marker stands recognizing the gruesome murders that occurred in that tiny town from 1871 to 1873. Please enter your name. You may have already requested this item. The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who murdered at least 20 unsuspecting travelers in their small Kansas home and then vanishing without a trace. 1871.... high on a prairie in southeast Kansas remain the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family - John, his wife , … Some features of WorldCat will not be available. Elizabeth York, wife of Edward York, donated the knife shown here to the Kansas Museum of History (view a close-up of the knife blade ). In the early 1870s near a little Kansas town called Cherryvale, a mysterious German family committed a string of murders. During the frantic search for the fearsome foursome, several of their acquaintances were falsely arrested. John Jr also started killing people on the trail before they arrived at the Inn. A piece of land where Kansas’ first known serial killers murdered at least 11 people in the 1870s is up for auction. 1992. Worse to it, the Benders are forever a part of the purity of Americana. On the side of the road near Cherryvale, Kansas a marker stands recognizing the gruesome murders that occurred in that tiny town from 1871 to 1873. Eventually, the father, John Bender Sr., turned the house into an inn to give weary travelers a place a to rest. The hunt for the Benders took on a life of its own. I often tried to find out from him what became of the Benders, but he only gave me a knowing look and said he guessed they would not bother anyone else. Looking around the sheriff and local men didn’t find anything until Colonial York noticed a strange indentation in the ground. The Bloody Benders. Kate, the Benders young daughter, was lively and very beautiful. When his brother didn’t return in a normal amount of time, Colonel York rode to the Inn to inquiry about his brother. Residence, 14 miles East of Independence, on the road from Independence to Osage Mission one and one half smiles South East of Nornhead Station. The Benders of Kansas by John T. James. The Benders, Keepers of the Devil’s Inn. Worldhistory.us - For those who want to understand the History, not just to read it. In the spring of 1873, Dr York returned to the Benders. The Bloody Benders of Kansas – From the Dusty Archives One of the most prolific falsehoods in the annals of true crime is that H.H. Your Web browser is not enabled for JavaScript. Copyright © 2001-2021 OCLC. 0 with reviews - Be the first. It is the first and only comprehensive story of the Bloody Benders; a terrible chapter in the annuals of crime on this lonely prairie Inn in the southeast Kansas. Please re-enter recipient e-mail address(es). What the Benders didn’t realize was that their latest victim came from a prominent family — Dr. York’s two brothers were Colonel Ed York and Alexander M. York, a member of the Kansas State Senate. The Bender family and what happened to them is still a mystery to this day. In 1870,the Ingalls family, made famous by the books by Laura Ingalls and the long running TV series LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, lived in Independence, Kansas. Kansas' governor even issued a $2,000 reward for the family's apprehension, but to no avail. A chronicle of the 1873 Bender murders in Kansas and the subsequent 1889 trial of the suspected Bender women. However one victim who came up missing did cause alarm. Please enter the message. When he returned the next morning he brought the sheriff and several local men. A Kansas historical marker stands nearby telling the story of a family of killers — the Bloody Benders — who ran a tavern on the land in the years after the Civil War. She also advertised herself as a ‘Spiritualist” and posted the following information on posters around town. Would you also like to submit a review for this item? Large search parties were organized to search for the Benders with rewards offered by Alexander York, another of Dr. York’s brothers and the Governor of Kansas. The unique answer to that question is that one day when looking for a group name, the men stumbled across a newspaper clipping that told of a family in Southeastern Kansas with the last name of Benders. She not only worked in her parents Inn but it has been rumored that for extra money her services would carry over into the night. It covers the on-going investigation into the Bloody Benders. The Bender family is thought to be the first serial killer family in America. While in his bedroom later he noticed a locket under his bed. In 1870, five families of “spiritualists” settled in western Labette County, about seven miles northeast of where Cherryvale would be platted a year later. The "Bloody Benders" were a German family of four that settled a claim in southeastern Kansas in Labette County in 1871, according to the Kansas Historical Society (KHS). Kate soon gained notoriety as a self-proclaimed healer and spiritualist. It so happened that my father-in-law’s farm joins the Bender farm and he helped to locate the bodies of the victims. The Benders built a three-sided stone and sod barn that measured 16 x 20 foot that contained an Inn, grocery store, and living quarters. Why the United States Entered World War I, 123rd Machine Gun Battalion in the Meuse-Argonne, Northern Military Advantages in the Civil War, The Year Before America Entered the Great War. The Benders built a small house on the Osage Trail in Labette County, Kansas. Then, they divided the cabin into two rooms with a canvas wagon-cover and used the front half as an inn for travelers and a general store. It takes only a moment of reflection to realise that many gunslingers both preceded Holmes and superceded his body count. The E-mail message field is required. They opened up a little general store which had been frequented by travelers, and as a sort of rest area for men traveling through the area. Please choose whether or not you want other users to be able to see on your profile that this library is a favorite of yours. Because the land was available to all and everyone, most newcomers were accepted at their face value and no questions were asked. The Inn had a steady stream of visitors. Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family ~~ John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate ~~ who settled here in 1871. All rights reserved. Tube Bending Fabricating in Kansas City on YP.com. There were some early indications that the Benders were a little strange. No one ever came forward to accept the reward money and no trace of the Benders was ever discovered. I think I have figured out the story of the Benders and their horrible murders, but this book didn't really clarify much. The E-mail Address(es) field is required. I thought it would be something more like IN COLD BLOOD, but sadly, it was not even close! Later on the local townspeople complained that the museum sullied the name of Cherryvale and the museum was sold and moved to another site. The family of four disappeared before they could be arrested. Nearly a dozen travelers who stopped at their small inn were murdered, and their bodies later found buried on the Benders’ property. Kansas Governor Thomas A. Osborn offered a $500 reward for the apprehension of each of the Benders or $2,000 total, to which Col. Alexander York added another $1,000. Don't have an account? With mail being so slow and the trail so treacherous many of the missing people were not missed for months. They planted a vegetable garden and an apple orchard, as well. Please enter recipient e-mail address(es).
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