For years, sightings of Ma Bender and Kate were reported, and in 1889, two women were extradited from Michigan on the charge. Yeah! [1][3] On April 3, Colonel York returned to the inn with armed men after being informed that a woman had fled from the inn after Elvira Bender had threatened her with knives. According to the May 23, 1873 edition of The Emporia News, he was identified with the name of William Bender. Photo courtesy of the BCA. When a traveler was seated at the table, his head was outlined against the curtain. What little he did speak was so guttural that it was usually unintelligible. melon mounds liberal kansascrank arm length calculator sheldon browncrank arm length calculator sheldon brown 2023 Geek Girl Authority. They set up an inn, lured people into staying, then either hit them with a hammer or cut there throats with a knife before burying them in an apple orchard. 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. "[8] A Roman Catholic prayer book was found in the house with notes inside written in German, which were later translated. [5][6], Around the same time, neighboring communities began to make accusations that the Osage community was responsible for the disappearances, and Osage township arranged a meeting in the Harmony Grove schoolhouse. If not accosted by road agents, travelers also had to be concerned about Indian attacks. was harry hibbs married; waterloo central railway wedding. FARGO Recap: (S04E09) East/West - Geek Girl Authority The real one reads as follows: Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family--John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate--who settled here in 1871. 1) May 1871: Mr. Jones. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. 1315) December 1872: Various body parts. In The Wizard of Oz, things are in black and white in Kansas and turn color after the Cyclone drops Dorothy and Toto in Oz. 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. So yeah, kind of obscure. Rabbi retreats to take cover behind his vehicle, and Calamita catches him with a bullet in the arm before hes in the clear, making it difficult to return fire. Suspect charged in 2001 state park killing | MPR News The Benders remained silent when most of the attendees volunteered to have their premises searched. 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. Of the family, Pa Bender was found to have been a man named John Flickinger, from either Germany or Holland. Kansas Historical Society Historical Markers - hmdb.org Cherryvale, Kansas Museum From these depths allegedly came the souls of those murdered on the site, wandering about the property and making moaning sounds that passersby could hear. While popular retelling of the story holds that John Jr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported . "The Bender Family Some New Light on Their Mysterious Disappearance". why i quit civil engineering; goo goo gaga family net worth; how to make homemade biscuits without baking powder; noah hester restaurant; Many stories say that one vigilante group actually caught the Benders and shot all of them but Kate, whom they burned alive. He pointed out that both families' modus operandi, family unit numbers and other evidence proved that they are one and the same. In the end, the artifacts, including the hammers, photos, and newspaper clippings, were placed in the Cherryvale Museum and can still be seen today at 215 East 4th Street. They werent even a true family the only ones related were Ma and Kate Bender. Advertisement Coins. [7] Brockman would be arrested again 23 years later for the rape and murder of his own 18-year-old daughter.[8]. By the time a deputy from Cherryvale arrived, identification was impossible due to decomposition. The body would then be buried in the garden behind the house during the night. They were never found and later I formed my own conclusions why. Southeast Kansas, in particular, was known as a rough area. He has a white man in his trunk, an informant who has helped him track Calamita to the Liberal, Kansas, area. Also in residence on the east is a hero of Wounded Knee (as if there was such a thing) and his niece, a minor girl whos relationship to the old man is likely not familial. The for the guy who discovered Pluto? She was 20 at the time of her death. Eventually, she married and went by the name of Sara Eliza Davis. In her lectures she publicly declared that murder might be a dictation for good; that in what the world might deem villainy, her soul might read bravery, nobility, and humanity. The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son John Jr. and daughter Kate. melon mounds kansas murders. [1], One detective later claimed that he had traced the pair to the border, where he had found that JohnJr. had died of apoplexy. When he refused to sit with his back to the canvas because of its disgusting stains, Pickering said that Kate Bender threatened him with a knife, so he fled the premises. Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. So provocative was the Bender family tale that the Bender Museum was created in Cherryvale in 1961. Prying it open, the men found a six-foot-deep hole filled with clotted blood, causing a terrible odor. If this really is Oz, then Satchel is Dorothy and Rabbit is Toto. However, by the time the men arrived at the Benders cabin very early the next morning, they found them gone. Buried in the apple orchard. As more and more travelers disappeared, suspicion began to center on the Benders. mellon mounds kansas murders - hss.ge 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.. In Rabbis absence, Satchel discovers a Jack Russel terrier hiding in the wardrobe in his room. Mrs. Almira Griffith) and Mrs. Sarah Eliza Davis had been arrested in Niles, Michigan (often misreported as Detroit) several weeks earlier for larceny. When neighboring communities started to make slanderous insinuations, the Osage Township called a meeting held at the Harmony Grove schoolhouse in March to see what, if anything, could be done. It is in Morehead in Montgomery County Kansas. A roadside sign now marks their murderous exploits. "[20][21] Some have cast doubt on the story, saying that Laura would have been only 4 when her family moved away from the area, and that the Benders were exposed in 1873, two years after the Ingalls family left. rpp program apartments newport news. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. [2] The elder Benders did not leave the train at Humboldt, but instead continued north to Kansas City, where it is believed they purchased tickets for St. Louis, Missouri.[1]. Bloody Benders - Wikipedia Also a great song by Macabre about the Benders: https://youtu.be/NJpbxpbI8FA. All four had crushed skulls and throats cut. [11] Whether John Flickinger was really John Bender is unknown. That is a Kansas historical society sign. Of the discovery of her remains, the Kansas City Times reported: The little girl was probably eight years of age and had long, sunny hair and some traces of beauty on a countenance that was not yet entirely disfigured by decay. Touch for map. THE KANSAS MURDER TRILOGY by Melvin Litton offers three stand-alone novels that spring from the heartland and mark three pivotal moments in our nation's life: the fall of Saigon and the loss of faith in the post-war construct, 1975; the brink of the Space Age and Civil Rights era, 1960; and the Great Depression, 1934. the mellon family kansas. 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. John and his raw-boned wife spoke with such guttural accents that few people could understand them. John Bender, Sr. chose a 160-acre section on the western slopes of the mounds that continue to bear their name today. 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. 1. Their room is assigned based on Rabbis political and New Testament leanings, which place them in the west wing. Donald, his wife Karen and their three kids live a nice, comfortable life. A cult-like group, the families, chose from several available claims and began to make their homes. mellon mounds kansas murdersduskull evolution arceus. are enough to drive him back into his own room, where he bars the door with a chair and falls asleep again with gun in his hand. His habit of laughing aimlessly led to him being described as a half-wit, though many afterward believed this was simply a ruse to disguise his clever nature. Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. The Benders are believed to have killed about a dozen people, including one child. The victim was then dispatched from behind with a hammer, the body was dropped into a basement pit, later to be buried in an orchard. Kansas murderers list | Murderpedia Yet another group claimed to have killed the Benders during a gunfight and buried their bodies on the prairie. (In case you wondered after reading that, like I did, what year The Mulligan Concern arrived in Kansas City, it was 1920. As Calamita advances on him, Rabbi tries to grip his gun well enough to shoot. So weird, this last weekend I was just reading about the Benders due to a similar encounter in Red Dead Redemption 2. Phone: 620-624-3885 Fax: 620-626-7629 Manager: Nora Rubio Email: Email Mead Lumber of Liberal Hours: Cemetery. While there is no definitive number, estimates report that the Benders killed at least a dozen travelers before their crimes were discovered. With the exception of McKenzie and York,[17] who were buried in Independence; the Longcors, who were buried in Montgomery County; and McCrotty, who was buried in Parsons, Kansas, none of the other bodies were claimed, and they were reburied at the base of a small hill 1 mile (1.6km) southeast of the Benders' orchard, one of several at the location now known as "The Benders Mounds". The search of the cabin resulted in the recovery of three hammers: a shoe hammer, a claw hammer, and a sledgehammer that appeared to match indentations in some of the skulls. 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). . State Senator Alexander York offered a $1,000 ($22,619 as of 2023) reward for the family's arrest. It would make for a fun season of the show that's for sure. They return to their room, where Rabbi informs Satchel that theyll be leaving that night as he counts his money. betty crocker net worth 2020; vietnamese culture relationships; pastillas para dormir durante el embarazo; what does modern fit mean in men's shirts? 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. 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 -. I have heard my grandfather tell of this story since I was a boy and Grandpa swears that this is the real story of what happened to the Benders. Hey babe, nice melon mounds. The probing continued until midnight, with another nine suspected grave sites marked before the men were satisfied they had found them all and retired for the night. Elvira allegedly could not understand English, while the younger Benders denied the claim. She watches (and recaps) a lot of TV, sees every Marvel movie on opening night and reads voraciously. If you live in that town in Kansas today, oh yeah you know about it. One arm was broken. Many innocent men under suspicion were also run out of the county by these committees.[5]. 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. Nice, in all my research on serial killers, I can't name many examples of a full family of murderers, and two of them were female, another rarity. The men then physically lifted the cabin and moved it to the side to dig under it, but no bodies were found. By the way, said clerk is a Colored. He returns his attention to Rabbi, who has noticed something behind the Italian: a bona fide Wizard of Oz tornado. Along with an old episode of Death Valley Days. [9], More than a dozen bullet holes were found in the roof and sides of the cabin. This tugs his heartstrings, inspiring him to leave the boardinghouse in search of some kind of birthday treat for his ward. I'd need to check but my gut feeling is that its real. The discussion began regarding the ten people who were reported missing, including a well-known Independence physician named Dr. William H. York. melon mounds liberal kansas Telling the story of his near-death, Jesse quickly retold it to a nearby doctor and judge, who formed a vigilante group to go after the Benders. Kate was purportedly Elvira's fifth daughter. Secretly, the four made a living through murder and robbery., Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. John was prone to laughing aimlessly, which led many to consider him a "half-wit." $10 (2023: $226), a, 8-9) December 1872: George Newton Longcor and his 18-month-old daughter, Mary Ann. Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy's bribery of state legislators in his bid for re-election. Once Kansas declared itself with the Union and the Civil War began, the bloody battles continued. Uncovered: Unsolved Kansas Murders Seventy-five locals attended the meeting, including Colonel York and both John BenderSr. and John BenderJr. After discussing the disappearances, including that of William York, they agreed to obtain a warrant to search every homestead between Big Hill Creek and Drum Creek. A message requesting positive identification was sent to Cherryvale, but the suspect severed his foot to escape his leg irons and bled to death. [7], A Kansas newspaper reported that the crowd was so incensed after finding the bodies that a friend of the Benders named Brockman, who was among the onlookers, was hanged from a beam in the inn until unconscious, revived, interrogated, then hanged again. About 75 people attended the gathering, including both Bender men. Will this theme continue next week? They were not pursued, as lawmen following outlaws into this region often never returned. Shortly thereafter, the family disappeared. The family, John and Elvira and their two children John Jr. and Kate, ultimately settled down near Cherryvale city on a 160-acre property, intending to run an inn. According to a breathless Daily Mail report, nursery-school teacher Inessa Tarverdiyeva and her husband, dentist Roman Podkopayev, were behind "a six-year reign of terror including at least 30. According to the 1870 census, George and his wife, Mary Jane, were neighbors of. The book "Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier", by Susan Jonusas, published in 2022. Both knew of his travel plans, and when he failed to return home, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. As they make their way up to the top floor, they peer in the open rooms of the other tenants. 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. It was speculated that she had been strangled or buried alive. melon mounds liberal kansas Their story is unresolved, and remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the old West. After opening the trap, the party found clotted blood on the floor of the empty room underneath, 6 feet (1.8m) deep and 7 feet (2.1m) square at the top by 3 feet (0.9m) square at the bottom. Fargo: The True Story - Image Journal One may have been Jack Bogart, whose horse was purchased from a friend of the Benders after he went missing in 1872. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/washingtonhistor0014unse The CAashington Historical . [19], The Ingalls family, made famous in the books and television series Little House on the Prairie, lived near Independence, and Laura Ingalls Wilder mentioned the Bender family in her writing and speeches. As they enter the location, named The Barton Arms, the clerk eventually gives Rabbi keys for the west side, though she lets him know that the sisters don't care much for Coloreds. York reached Fort Scott, and on March 9 began the return journey to Independence, but never arrived. Originally scheduled for February 1890, the trial was held over to May. ia904708.us.archive.org This unnamed man was one of the many who made the mistake of stopping at the Bender Inn. Their murders were carried out by use of a canvas curtain that divided the house into two rooms. Site of 1870s 'Bloody Benders' serial killings is for sale | The 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. Yep that's the one from a book I have. The Bender family, more well known as the Bloody Benders, were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas, United States, from May 1871 to December 1872. The wall wherein he hid his cash is gone, and he knows with certainty that the brothers found it. In the winter of 1872, Mr. Loncher and his daughter had left Independence for Iowa but were never heard from again. Finally, unsolved murders in Shawnee County, Kansas, can be found among these lists. read the excerpt from part 1 of the odyssey While popular retelling of the story holds that JohnJr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported that several of the Benders' neighbors had stated that they claimed to be married, possibly in a common law marriage. No one ever claimed the $3,000 reward ($67,858 as of 2023), however. John Bender, Jr. was actually a man named John Gebhardt. A beautiful girl of about 23, she was quick to laugh and talk to strangers. Fargo recap: The future is now! - yahoo.com Fargo has won multiple Emmy Awards and Golden Globes Awards for outstanding work in television. Graves of the many who the Benders killed. The body of a young girl was found with no injuries sufficient to cause death. However, there were no bodies in the hole. Several groups of vigilantes were formed to search for the Benders. Donald's family owns successful McDonald's franchises in their home town of Phoenix, Arizona. [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. [18], A historical marker describing the Benders' crimes is located in the rest area at the junction of U.S. Route 400 and U.S. Route 169 north of Cherryvale. hunzaguides.com Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa When his father (my great grandfather), Frank Smalley, was a boy, he was hiding in the hayloft of the family barn when he overheard a group of men below talking and laughing. [1][2] Although some of the victims were wealthy, others carried little of value on them, and it was surmised that the Benders had killed them simply for the sheer thrill. John Bender, Sr. was from either Germany, Norway, or the Netherlands and may have been born John Flickinger. At her hearing, Mrs. Monroe denied any knowledge of Shearer or the manslaughter charge and remained incarcerated with her daughter. On deer antler shedding, pocket gopher mounds, eagle breeding and sdsu basketball recruiting 2021vice president internal student council. The Mellon family is a wealthy and influential American family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. William Pickering said that when he had refused to sit near the wagon cloth because of the stains on it, Kate Bender had threatened him with a knife, whereupon he fled the premises. It said the plaque was erected by the Kansas City historical society. White Settlers Buried the Truth About the Midwest's Mysterious Mound Records of the incarceration back up this affidavit. I wouldn't have imagined a crazier hotel story other than H H Holmes and The Murder Castle. Calamita notices him and shoots twice out the window. He then cautiously looks through a window, where he sees Calamita standing over a wounded Omie, gun drawn. $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. Kate then became abusive toward them, and shortly afterward the Bender men emerged from behind the cloth. The Bloody Benders: What Happened to this Family of Killers? Carrie Nelson was beaten to death during an apparent robbery at Blue Mounds State Park in May 2001. what is the best response to an active shooter event Hell the first album from the Smiths included a song about the Moors Murderers. Elvira and Kate Bender also planted a 2-acre (0.81ha) vegetable garden and apple orchard north of the cabin. NEW YORK The Occupy Wall Street movement has close to $300,000, as well as storage space loaded with donated supplies in lower Manhattan. Keeping mostly to themselves, the Benders appeared to simply be struggling homesteaders who worked hard to earn their living like the other area pioneers. He steps out of his car, gun drawn, and discovers the filling station attendants body in a doorway. Fortunately, Omie appears behind Calamita and gets him with his last bullet. [citation needed], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}372056N 952910W / 37.349N 95.486W / 37.349; -95.486, According to one of the myths that has grown around the murders, after dinner, Colonel York was sitting in the front room when he noticed a gold, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "The Bloody Benders Serial Killers of Kansas", "The Bloody Benders, Kansas, ca. The filling station attendant tells Omie that this is the only place for gas for miles, and that if Calamita hasnt been through yet, he definitely will. For all these deaths, the Benders gained only about $4,600, two teams of horses and wagons, a pony, and a saddle. The men with York were convinced the Benders and a neighboring family, the Roaches, were guilty and wanted to hang them all, but York insisted that evidence must be found.