With the victim's back to the curtain, Kate would distract the guest while John Bender or his son came from behind the curtain and struck the guest on the right side of the skull with a hammer. When the Benders opened their store and inn in 1871, many travelers would stop for a meal or supplies. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. Before York left, Kate asked him to return alone the following Friday night, and she would use her clairvoyant abilities to help him find his brother. Though most were led to believe John and Kate were sister and brother, others said that they sometimes passed as man and wife. An American Indian legend claimed any twister approaching Topeka from the southwest would have its tail clipped off by Burnett's Mound, a sacred burial ground. 23) February 1872: Two unidentified men found on the prairie in February 1872 with crushed skulls and throats cut. "[7], Word of the murders spread quickly, and more than three thousand people, including reporters from as far away as New York City and Chicago, visited the site. Good info. In addition to the museum, southeast Kansas may be the only place where a state historical marker celebrates mass murder. Graves of the many who the Benders killed. 1. I'd need to check but my gut feeling is that its real. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Benders. The next day, Rabbi goes back to the appliance store and recovers his remaining cash from the brothers at gunpoint. These include the 2012 murder of Quan Donnell, the 1996 murder of Michelle Hutchinson, the 2013 murder of Juan Solis, and the 2016 murder of Robert Williams, among countless others. A crude sign was hung above the front door that advertised Groceries to the many travelers along the Osage Trail. My grandfather, who is approaching 80 years old, is always full of great stories, but he assured me that his father, who passed this on to him, knew what happened. On May 17th, Governor Thomas Osborn added to that amount by offering a $2,000 reward for the apprehension of all four. So yeah, kind of obscure. 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. Though her beauty and social skills gained popularity with the locals, her actions began to cause them to say she was satanic. It was to be this diminutive Bender family member that would take most of the blame for what was soon to be found out about this infamous family. According to contemporary newspapers, Elvira was born Almira Hill Mark (often misreported as "Meik") in the Adirondack Mountains; she married Simon Mark, with whom she claimed to have had 12 children. Along with an old episode of Death Valley Days. ", In May 1871, the body of a man named Jones, whose skull had been crushed and throat cut, was discovered in Drum Creek. John Bender, Jr. was a tall, slender man of about 25 who was handsome with auburn hair and a mustache. 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. Elvira was rumored to have murdered several husbands, but none of these rumors was ever proven. Secretly, the four made a living through murder and robbery., Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son John Jr. and daughter Kate. 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. Deputy Sheriff Dick, along with Mrs. McCann, escorted the pair to Oswego, Kansas, where seven members of a 13-member panel confirmed the identification and committed them for trial. No documentation or definitive proof of their relationships to one another, or where they were born, has ever been found. After following a fresh trail of wagon tracks, a search party found that the Benders had gone to the town of nearby Thayer, some twelve miles to the north. (AP) - A man already in prison . Later she married William Stephen Griffith. I used to have their Dahmer album way back. I remember that song. Elvira and Kate Bender also planted a 2-acre (0.81ha) vegetable garden and apple orchard north of the cabin. The Mellon family is a wealthy and influential American family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Colonel York, leading a company of some 50 men, questioned every traveler along the trail and visited all the area homesteads. Their murders were carried out by use of a canvas curtain that divided the house into two rooms. ?," "big slaughter day, Jan eighth", and "hell departed. Advertisement Coins. He has a white man in his trunk, an informant who has helped him track Calamita to the Liberal, Kansas, area. Mrs. Davis claimed that Mrs. Monroe was Elvira Bender, but that she herself was not Kate, but her sister Sarah; she later signed an affidavit to that effect, while Monroe continued to deny the identification and in turn accused Sarah Eliza of being the real Kate Bender. Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy's bribery of state legislators in his bid for re-election. It said the plaque was erected by the Kansas City historical society. East/West is a cunningly timed bottle episode. melon mounds liberal kansascrank arm length calculator sheldon browncrank arm length calculator sheldon brown She was 20 at the time of her death. The men then physically lifted the cabin and moved it to the side to dig under it, but no bodies were found. The group is believed to be one of the first serial killer families in America. 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. In 1884, it was reported that John Flickinger had committed suicide in Lake Michigan. If this really is Oz, then Satchel is Dorothy and Rabbit is Toto. When friends and family began to look for them, they could trace them as far as the Big Hill Country of southeast Kansas before finding no trace of the lost traveler. . Yeah! 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. The Bender cabin was destroyed by souvenir hunters who took everything, including the bricks that lined the cellar and the stones lining the well.[1][2]. 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. They admitted Dr. York had stayed with them and suggested the possibility that he had run into trouble with Indians. The "Bloody Benders" were a German family of four that settled a claim in southeastern Kansas in Labette County. 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. I haven't heard Macabre in years. 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?) Although the elder Benders kept to themselves, Kate and her brother regularly attended Sunday school in nearby Harmony Grove. For all these deaths, the Benders gained only about $4,600, two teams of horses and wagons, a pony, and a saddle. The body of a young girl was found with no injuries sufficient to cause death. Everywhere Satchel and Rabbi appear together, someone calls out the color of Satchels skin and questions their connection. Bloody Benders - The Forgotten Story of a Family of Pioneer Kansas Serial Killers By: Justin Nobel | Date: Sat, November 16th, 2013 The Bender family lived in southeastern Kansas and murdered pioneers headed west during the late 1800s. It declares, THE FUTURE IS NOW.. Elvira allegedly could not understand English, while the younger Benders denied the claim. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. East/West may *look* like a detour into surrealist Midcentury Italian cinema when it opens, but the minute the wind starts blowing through black and white Kansas you know where you are. Several days later, the Benders team and wagon were found a short distance away, and the horses nearly starved. A trap door, nailed shut, was discovered on the cabin floor. The Benders are believed to have killed about a dozen people, including one child. Subreddit for the FX original TV series, Fargo. Meanwhile, Ma and Pa Bender continued on the train north to Kansas City, where it was believed they transferred to a train headed to St. Louis. I believe I read this year that the land where the house once stood got sold to someone. 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. They werent even a true family the only ones related were Ma and Kate Bender. A roadside sign now marks their murderous exploits. Another group claimed they had caught the Benders while escaping to the south and lynched them before throwing their bodies into the Verdigris River. She also conducted sances and gave lectures on spiritualism, for which she gained notoriety for advocating free love. Mrs. Almira Griffith) and Mrs. Sarah Eliza Davis had been arrested in Niles, Michigan (often misreported as Detroit) several weeks earlier for larceny. sdsu basketball recruiting 2021vice president internal student council. At this point the customers felt uneasy and decided to leave, a move that almost certainly saved their lives. John and his raw-boned wife spoke with such guttural accents that few people could understand them. That is a Kansas historical society sign. 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. All Rights Reserved. She also claimed to possess psychic powers, including communicating with the dead. They purchased tickets on the northbound Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Train to Humboldt. Donald, his wife Karen and their three kids live a nice, comfortable life. Secretly, the four made a living through murder and robbery. Bender Property Digging, sketch in Harpers Weekly, June 7, 1873. Originally scheduled for February 1890, the trial was held over to May. In the winter of 1872, Mr. Loncher and his daughter had left Independence for Iowa but were never heard from again. She is fun enough. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. [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. RELATED: Missed the last episode? 620-336-3576. 1315) December 1872: Various body parts. Each season of Fargo stands alone - you can watch them all out of order and still be able to understand what's going on. It says this home used to be run by the infamous Mellon Family, who lured travelers in before killing them with a hammer. Yet another group claimed to have killed the Benders during a gunfight and buried their bodies on the prairie. Also, sleep with one eye open. In tonight's episode, there's a plaque at the Barton Arms, the hotel Rabbi and Satchel stay at. It also brings to mind Lester Nygards murder weapon in season one. [1][2] A knife with a four-inch tapered blade was reportedly found hidden in a mantel clock in the Bender house by Colonel York. 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. Phone: 620-624-3885 Fax: 620-626-7629 Manager: Nora Rubio Email: Email Mead Lumber of Liberal Hours: Cemetery. Rabbi has a tailor-made response for each situation, but the active reminder of reality for black Americans in 1950 definitely adds to the tension of the episode. Thanks for putting this up I knew the story sounded familiar..the was on an episode of Lore. Much folklore and legend surrounds the Benders, making it difficult to separate fact from fiction. 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. Calamita notices him and shoots twice out the window. Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. Elvira Bender, who also allegedly spoke little English, was 55 years old and so unfriendly that her neighbors took to calling her a "she-devil.". A decade after the gruesome killings, nothing was left of the cabin and outbuildings on the property. [1] The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son JohnJr. and daughter Kate. that when a guest stayed at the Benders' bed and breakfast inn, the hosts would give the guest a seat of honor at the table that was positioned over a trap door into the cellar. Although stories abound, the ultimate fate of the murderous Bender family is uncertain. In mid-October, Deputy Sheriff LeRoy Dick, the Osage Township trustee who had headed the search of the Bender property, arrived in Michigan and arrested the couple on October 30, following their release on the larceny charges. Born July 30, 1848," "John Gebhardt came to America on July 1 18? Kate soon gained notoriety as a self-proclaimed healer and spiritualist. The only thing remaining an empty hole that had once been the cellar. She mentioned stopping at the inn, as well as recounting the rumors of the murders spreading through their community. 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. In retaliation, the vigilantes killed all of the members of the Bender family, buried them where they died, and took the wagon to town, where they left it. On October 31, 1889, it was reported that a Mrs. Almira Monroe (a.k.a. The discussion began regarding the ten people who were reported missing, including a well-known Independence physician named Dr. William H. York. Upon further investigation, Captain James B. The parts did not belong to any of the other victims found and are believed to belong to at least three additional victims. What a uniquely weird unsolved mystery. [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. Because some of the travelers were carrying nothing of value, it was widely speculated that the Benders killed simply for the bloody thrill of it. [5], Three days after the township meeting, Billy Tole was driving cattle past the Bender property when he noticed that the inn was abandoned and the farm animals were unfed. [2], Testimony from people who had stayed at the Benders' inn and managed to escape before they could be killed appeared to support the presumed execution method of the Benders. Whenever he is asked a question about himself, Satchels response is that he is hungry. melon mounds liberal kansaspython list memory allocationpython list memory allocation The burial site was christened Hells Half-Acre, and another brother of Dr. York, a lawyer and State Senator residing in Independence offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the Bender familys arrest. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper are especially concentrated in sunflower seeds. The house sits alone in a barren landscape composed of post-harvest fields coated halfheartedly with snow. THE MELLON MOUNDS. The 162-acre tract of cropland known as the "Bender Farm" will be sold off to. In Rabbis absence, Satchel discovers a Jack Russel terrier hiding in the wardrobe in his room. But if your not from Kansas it's a fairly obscure story. About 75 people attended the gathering, including both Bender men. 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. 12) December 1872: Abigail Roberts. ", "Old Mrs. Bender was a dirty old Dutch crone. Next to their room is a hospital man, an obese white man with bandages all over him and some kind of skin condition that makes him look monstrous to the passing child. The township trustee called for volunteers, and several hundred turned out to form a search party that included Colonel York. kansas historical marker the mellon mounds Orchard Park Police Blotter 2021 , Fran Mccaffery Daughter , How Much Does Bronny Average? On deer antler shedding, pocket gopher mounds, eagle breeding and murders of crows (that's the name of a flock of crows) The Benders used the smaller room at the rear for living quarters, while the front room was converted into a "general store" where a few dry goods were sold. Buried in the apple orchard. All four had crushed skulls and throats cut. So provocative was the Bender family tale that the Bender Museum was created in Cherryvale in 1961. Both knew of William's travel plans and, when he failed to return, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. 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. Shortly after theyve settled, Rabbi leaves Satchel alone with his usual goodbye of, If I dont come back, Im dead or in jail. He drives into Liberal to see about the money he left behind, only to discover that the feed store was sold at auction and has been converted to an appliance store by a pair of brothers. Another group claimed they had caught the Benders and lynched them before throwing their bodies into the Verdigris River. Relocating to Independence from, 7) December 1872: Johnny Boyle. Cherryvale Museum The book "All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas", by Camilla Bruce, published in 2022. A number of researchers question the ready acceptance of the affidavit's authenticity and suggest that the county was unwilling to accept the expense of boarding the two women for an extended period. [1][11][12][13][14][15][16], By including the recovered body parts not matched to the bodies found, the finds are speculated to represent the remains of more than 20 victims. Across the hall from them, on the east side of the building, is an Old Testament preacher and his mother (whom the resident gabby salesman- west- mistakes for the preachers wife). When attempts were made to relocate the museum it became a point of controversy, some locals objecting to the town being known for the Bender murders. 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 -. It isnt a kill shot, though, and Calamita whips around to put Omie down. The petite auburn-haired beauty desired notoriety and often advocated free love and justification for murder in her lectures. 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. When the party arrived at the inn they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. The women's identities were later confirmed by two Osage township witnesses from a tintype photograph. Look for these with their cute sunflowers. It first seems like Rabbi might escape, but ultimately he raises his hands in surrender and flies up into the clouds. At a fork of the Fall and Verdigris Rivers, they found the Benders with their wagon backed up against a fallen tree with canvas over it for shelter. In 1967, three of the Bender hammers were gifted to the museum by the Dick family. 2023 Geek Girl Authority. On March 28, 1873, Colonel York arrived at the Benders' inn with a Mr. Johnson, explaining to them that his brother had gone missing and asked if they had seen him. 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. This is blatantly a reference to the Bender Family, a family of serial killers from late 1800s Kansas. Find links to our programs, locations, partners, staff members, and communications. In the end, it was Kate who was primarily blamed for the numerous bloody murders that, even at her young age, was the inspiration for the crimes. 2014. mellon mounds kansas murders. Marker is in this post office area: Cherryvale KS 67335, United States of America. Their story is unresolved, and remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the old West. Allegedly, the pair then fled to a tough outlaw colony along the border of Texas and New Mexico. The family includes Andrew Mellon, one of the longest-serving U.S. Treasury Secretaries, along with prominent members in the judicial, banking, financial, business, and political professions, as well as a famous recluse, Cordelia Scaife May . The fate of the family remains unknown, with theories ranging from a lynching of the family to a successful escape. $10 (2023: $226), a, 8-9) December 1872: George Newton Longcor and his 18-month-old daughter, Mary Ann. They were never found and later I formed my own conclusions why. When the men arrived at the property, they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. Dismembered parts of several other victims were also discovered but could never be identified. 18701873", Sheriff Saves the Neck of a Man Who Murdered His Own Daughter, "Dr William H. York (1840-1873) - Find a Grave", "The Bloody Benders: 140-year-old crime scene still fascinates today", "Selective Omissions, or, What Laura Ingalls Wilder left out of LITTLE HOUSE", "Little House on the Prairie, serial killers, and the nature of memoir", "They Bite: Anthony Boucher's Weirder Western", "Hitchcock's Birds, Hope Diamond, Phineas Gage", "One Red Dead Redemption 2 Side Quest Is Based On An Actual Serial Killer", 1873 map of Bender claim in Osage township of Labette County, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bloody_Benders&oldid=1142480623, "The old man was a repulsive, hideous brute, without a redeeming trait, dirty, profane and ill-tempered. The texts read "Johannah Bender. 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. 11) December 1872: Red Smith. Kate's popularity became a large attraction for the Benders' inn. They return to their room, where Rabbi informs Satchel that theyll be leaving that night as he counts his money. Premium Powerups . A message requesting positive identification was sent to Cherryvale, but the suspect severed his foot to escape his leg irons and bled to death. A Catholic priest said he fled when he saw one of the Bender men concealing a large hammer. The Bloody Benders - Serial Killers of Kansas Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. After the Benders escape, one detective, who had closely followed all the leads, said that he had traced Gebhardt to the outlaw country along the Texas/New Mexico border, where he had found that the criminal had died of apoplexy. Fortunately, Rabbi returns in time to shut down the likely police shooting and receives a warning from the officer about keeping his colored boy out of sight in a town like that. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. 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. Kate then became abusive toward them, and shortly afterward the Bender men emerged from behind the cloth. One weird oversight. betty crocker net worth 2020; vietnamese culture relationships; pastillas para dormir durante el embarazo; what does modern fit mean in men's shirts? Fortunately, Omie appears behind Calamita and gets him with his last bullet. Later, Satchel awakens to find that hes fallen asleep and doesnt know where his friend has gone. 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. Ma Bender was born Almira Meik in the Adirondacks and married as a teenager to a man named George Griffith. When he pulls into the drive, he spots Calamitas empty car at the pump immediately. After Colonel Yorks visit and the meeting at the Harmony Grove schoolhouse, the Bender family fled. From those who knew them and have written about the Benders:[4], She professed to be a medium of spiritualism, and delivered lectures on that subject. Eyewitness testimony was given that Mrs. Monroe was Elvira Bender. So weird, this last weekend I was just reading about the Benders due to a similar encounter in Red Dead Redemption 2. "[8] A Roman Catholic prayer book was found in the house with notes inside written in German, which were later translated. It is in Morehead in Montgomery County Kansas. The Benders were not what they appeared. 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. Though he allegedly committed suicide in 1884 in Lake Michigan, others believed that Ma and Kate murdered him because he had fled Cherryvale with all the cash and valuables they had taken from their victims. The violence at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999 was the watershed event which led to the creation of our current day active shooter response programs. Attempts to capture the bloodthirsty family were immediately made by both law officers and vigilantes alike. All of the bizarre characters in the house sit around the table, except the hospital man and his companion, and the table (like the whole house) is split into two meals, two styles of dcor and two serving staffs in accordance with the sisters feud. [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. It is conjectured[by whom?] Many of these minerals play a vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme secretion, hormone production, as well as in the regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities. Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family--John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate--who settled here in 1871. the mellon mounds kansas murders Blakeslee, 75, became intrigued by Etzanoa after scholars at UC Berkeley retranslated in 2013 the often muddled Spanish accounts of their forays into what is now Kansas . Somehow, he escaped, appearing naked in the middle of the night at Jesse Smalleys doorstep. [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. barry mcguigan, daughter funeral; mellon mounds kansas murders We are, in fact, in Kansas. 20) May 1873: Dr William York. . In February 1872, the bodies of two men were found with the same injuries as Jones. These hammers were given to the Bender Museum in 1967 by the son of LeRoy Dick, the Osage Township trustee who headed the search of the Bender property. CHERRYVALE The chain of low hills known as the Bender Mounds extends in a diagonal seven miles northeast of here, islands of limestone and scrubby trees over level fields where this time of year soybeans have just been harvested. The body would then be buried in the garden behind the house during the night. It was reported at the time that Kate was into free love, telling fortunes, and being a little too close to her brother. While popular retelling of the story holds that John Jr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported . Yep that's the one from a book I have. 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). One may have been Jack Bogart, whose horse was purchased from a friend of the Benders after he went missing in 1872. $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. Immigrating from Germany, John Bender, Sr. was 60 years old when he arrived in the area; his wife was about 55. He does not deliver his usual parting words to Satchel. 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. "[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. 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.

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