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. Also one of the victims was the neighbor of the person who wrote Little House on the Prarie. The body would then be buried in the garden behind the house during the night. [1] The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son JohnJr. and daughter Kate. Location. $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. All had been involved in disposing of the victims' stolen goods with Mit Cherry, a member of the vigilance committee, implicated for forging a letter from one of the victims, informing the man's wife that he had arrived safely at his destination in Illinois. Then Kate would begin to charm the men with her social skills, flirting, or revealing her psychic gifts. As the men gave their full attention to the alluring Kate, Pa and John Bender, hiding behind the canvas, would strike the unsuspecting traveler in the skull with a hammer. , Fedmyster Google Doc , Gladiator Lucilla Character Analysis , Fran Mccaffery Daughter , The Ranches At Royal Pines Livingston Tx , Crooked Stick Golf Club Membership Cost , Mart Bus Fitchburg To Gardner . She also claimed to possess psychic powers, including communicating with the dead. Though no one ever collected the rewards offered, rumors of several parties who had captured and killed the Benders began to fly. Those most often reporting glowing apparitions on the property were those who came to the site in search of some long-lost souvenir of the grisly murders. Yep that's the one from a book I have. Though he reached Fort Scott unscathed and started to return to Independence on March 8, he never reached home. 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. York had two brothers: Ed York living in Fort Scott, and Colonel Alexander M. York, a Civil War veteran, lawyer, and member of the Kansas State Senate from Independence who, in November 1872, had been instrumental in exposing U.S. Once Kansas declared itself with the Union and the Civil War began, the bloody battles continued. 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. 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. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 16:54. [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. In honor of the Kansas state-wide Centennial Celebration, an exact replica of the Bender cabin was built that housed antiques and household items. Other corpses found in the area and the many mysterious disappearances of other lonely travelers led the locals to believe that the Benders killed more than 20 people. The 4th United States Colored Infantry, 1863-1866, A History of the Ninth New Jersey Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War, How . John Bender, Sr. chose a 160-acre section on the western slopes of the mounds that continue to bear their name today. Satchel decides to keep her, without asking anyone in the building whose she is, and Rabbis only objection to this when he meets her is that she makes noise. Once in the cellar, the body would be stripped and later buried somewhere on the property, often in the orchard. 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. 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?) [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. The women's identities were later confirmed by two Osage township witnesses from a tintype photograph. did phineas and ferb die in a car accident. 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. 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. The Bender artifacts were eventually given to the Cherryvale Museum, where they remain in a wall-mounted display case. Calamita notices him and shoots twice out the window. Markers of the Kansas state historical markers program administered by the Kansas Historical Society and Kansas Department of Transportation. Last night, I listened to a story from my grandfather, Emerson Smalley, about the Benders and their supposed end. Only a few days later, the homestead was found abandoned, and the search party began to discover the grisly remains of the bodies. [7], A bad odor was noticed and traced to a trap door underneath a bed, nailed shut. Attempts to capture the bloodthirsty family were immediately made by both law officers and vigilantes alike. Thanks for putting this up I knew the story sounded familiar..the was on an episode of Lore. No one ever claimed the $3,000 reward ($67,858 as of 2023), however. [18] The hammers were displayed at the Bender Museum in Cherryvale, Kansas from 1967 to 1978, when the site was acquired for a fire station. A crude sign was hung above the front door that advertised Groceries to the many travelers along the Osage Trail. 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. Colonel A.M. York, leading a contingency of some 50 men, began questioning every traveler along the trail and stopping at the area homesteads. In 1884, it was reported that John Flickinger had committed suicide in Lake Michigan. This tugs his heartstrings, inspiring him to leave the boardinghouse in search of some kind of birthday treat for his ward. Game got that right. 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. Each season of Fargo stands alone - you can watch them all out of order and still be able to understand what's going on. Also, sleep with one eye open. "[8] A Roman Catholic prayer book was found in the house with notes inside written in German, which were later translated. 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. Fortunately, Omie appears behind Calamita and gets him with his last bullet. 620-336-3576. 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. 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. The old Bender property was haunted, and the rumors of the locals began to fly. 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. All Rights Reserved. The lonely hills meander across what is now U.S. Highway 400, where travelers whoosh by in comfort at 65 mph. Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. I haven't heard Macabre in years. [11] Whether John Flickinger was really John Bender is unknown. Benders Mounds Cemetery Labette County , Kansas , USA - *Estimated location First Name Middle Name Last Name (s) Search this cemetery More search options Search tips About Photos 0 Map About No location information available Add Location Cemetery ID: 2728705 Members have Contributed 6 Memorials 100% photographed Leona Laurie is a Senior Contributor for Geek Girl Authority and co-host of the Marvel-Us podcast. Their murders were carried out by use of a canvas curtain that divided the house into two rooms. Elvira was rumored to have murdered several husbands, but none of these rumors was ever proven. By the time a deputy from Cherryvale arrived, identification was impossible due to decomposition. 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. The Mellons are believed to have killed over a dozen people, including a child. In the spring of 1873, Dr. York took it upon himself to look for the Lonchers, stopping at the homesteads along the trail to ask questions. [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. I'd need to check but my gut feeling is that its real. Donald, his wife Karen and their three kids live a nice, comfortable life. The group is believed to be one of the first serial killer families in America. 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. [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. Yet another claimed to have killed the Benders during a gunfight and buried their bodies on the prairie. Legends of America founder Kathy Weiser-Alexander hams it up for Discovery Channel producers for the show Evil Kin, episode 2, season 2, The Bloody Benders, original air date August 12. 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. While not actually on the old Bender property, the marker sits on the high prairie about a mile northwest of Bender Mounds at the US-400 and US-169 interchange at the Montgomery County Rest area, north of Cherryvale. Buried in the apple orchard. In addition to the museum, southeast Kansas may be the only place where a state historical marker celebrates mass murder. The Mellon family is a wealthy and influential American family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Several weeks after the discovery of the bodies, Addison Roach and his son-in-law, William Buxton, were arrested as accessories. He takes Satchel to a quirky (to say the least) boardinghouse, owned by feuding, deaf, elderly sisters. Gabe Gibson, Effingham, Illinois, as told to him by his grandfather, Emerson Smalley, January 2011. 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. In total, 12 men "of bad repute in general" would be arrested, including Brockman. She soon found the lecture circuit profitable by distributing circulars that proclaimed her skills, including supernatural powers and the ability to cure illnesses and infirmities. 5) December 1872: W.F. read the excerpt from part 1 of the odyssey While popular retelling of the story holds that John Jr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported . According to the May 23, 1873 edition of The Emporia News, he was identified with the name of William Bender. 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. allah y hafdek traduction; markel annual meeting 2022; community action partnership appointment line; July 3, 2022 mellon mounds kansas murdersdcs vsn modsdcs vsn mods The next day, Rabbi goes back to the appliance store and recovers his remaining cash from the brothers at gunpoint. betty crocker net worth 2020; vietnamese culture relationships; pastillas para dormir durante el embarazo; what does modern fit mean in men's shirts? A piece of land where Kansas' first known serial killers murdered at least 11 people in the 1870s is up for auction. The man further elaborated that all the stories of the latter's capture were made up, supposedly by a group of Confederates, who have also helped the Benders dispose of the murdered victims' horses and wagons. Will this theme continue next week? 6) December 1872: Henry McKenzie. A cult-like group, the families, chose from several available claims and began to make their homes. Phone: 620-624-3885 Fax: 620-626-7629 Manager: Nora Rubio Email: Email Mead Lumber of Liberal Hours: Cemetery. There is a LOT to unpack in the latest episode of Fargo, some of which will likely be easier when we see what happens next. Relocating to Independence from, 7) December 1872: Johnny Boyle. This is blatantly a reference to the Bender Family, a family of serial killers from late 1800s Kansas. 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. The house sits alone in a barren landscape composed of post-harvest fields coated halfheartedly with snow. Prying it open, the men found a six-foot-deep hole filled with clotted blood, causing a terrible odor. When the vigilantegroup approached, the Benders fired on them, at which time, the judge lost part of his ear to a flying bullet. The Benders were undoubtedly surprised to find that the man wasnt dead. When he wakes alone again in the morning, Satchel takes Rabbit for a walk down the lane to where a man has finished building a cryptic billboard featuring a white man in a suit and hat smiling expectantly in front of a ranch style house. 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. The "Bloody Benders" were a German family of four that settled a claim in southeastern Kansas in Labette County. The Benders are believed to have killed about a dozen people, including one child., Although stories abound, the ultimate fate of the murderous Bender family is uncertain. [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. 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. [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. [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. ", In May 1871, the body of a man named Jones, whose skull had been crushed and throat cut, was discovered in Drum Creek. A pity, it has quite a few quirks. John BenderJr. was around 25 years old and handsome, with auburn hair and a mustache, and spoke English fluently with a German accent. At her hearing, Mrs. Monroe denied any knowledge of Shearer or the manslaughter charge and remained incarcerated with her daughter. Colonel York agreed that this was possible and remained for dinner. When the visitors stopped for a meal, they were seated at a table with their backs to the large canvas separating the inn from the living quarters. "[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. Nothing like this sickening series of crimes had ever been recorded in the whole history of the country.. She watches (and recaps) a lot of TV, sees every Marvel movie on opening night and reads voraciously. A decade after the gruesome killings, nothing was left of the cabin and outbuildings on the property. One arm was broken. Colonel York, leading a company of some 50 men, questioned every traveler along the trail and visited all the area homesteads. melon mounds kansas murders. Both knew of his travel plans, and when he failed to return home, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. The two were known to have had a relationship, and further tales abounded that when Kate became pregnant, they would simply bash in the babys head once it was born. Quickly, the scavengers were frightened away by the dead souls to spread their ghostly tales. Daughter Kate was the friendliest of the bunch, speaking good English with just a slight accent and bore cultivated social skills. Menu 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. KANSAS HISTORICAL MARKER THE MELLON MOUNDS On this spot stood the Mellon Mounds, named for the infamous Mellon family, who lured unsuspecting travelers into their home, fed them and then dispatched them with a hammer. A message requesting positive identification was sent to Cherryvale, but the suspect severed his foot to escape his leg irons and bled to death. In its first three days of opening, it attracted more than 2,000 visitors. About 75 people attended the gathering, including both Bender men. Carrie Nelson was beaten to death during an apparent robbery at Blue Mounds State Park in May 2001. 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. Yep the Abberdeens are very clearly based on the Benders, specifically Kate and John Jr. One vigilante group claimed to have shot down the men and Ma Bender and burned Kate alive as the witch they believed her to be. Though most were led to believe John and Kate were sister and brother, others said that they sometimes passed as man and wife. 0 coins. The petite auburn-haired beauty desired notoriety and often advocated free love and justification for murder in her lectures. 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. 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. Some of the Benders' neighbors claimed that John and Kate were not brother and sister, but actually husband and wife. 1619) December 1872: During the search, the bodies of four unidentified males were found in Drum Creek and the surrounds. The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son John Jr. and daughter Kate. 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. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/washingtonhistor0014unse The CAashington Historical . When the war was over, pioneers began to head westward along the many trails through Kansas; murder and mayhem persisted as hardened men from the battlefields, grown used to the violence, continued their violent ways along the overland trails in the many cow towns. RELATED: Missed the last episode? All but one had their heads bashed with a hammer and throats cut, and newspapers reported that all were "indecently mutilated. In the first season, Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman), daughter of former state trooper, now diner owner, Lou Solverson (Carradine), must overcome the good-natured goofery of her department as she tracks the unparalleled malevolence of Loren Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton), who in serpent-like fashion enters the ear of persecuted loser Lester . This one would make a great show/movie, but we keep seeing remakes and reboots. 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. "The Bender Family Some New Light on Their Mysterious Disappearance". . 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". mellon mounds kansas murders. was harry hibbs married; waterloo central railway wedding. They buried their victims in a neighboring orchard, unbeknownst to the townspeople. When the men arrived at the property, they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. Franks father, Jesse P. Smalley, and several men were joking with a local judge, teasing him about his missing ear. The little store carried a few supplies such as powder, shot, groceries, liquor, and tobacco, sold meals, and provided a safe overnight resting place to the strangers along the road. Hell the first album from the Smiths included a song about the Moors Murderers. The parts did not belong to any of the other victims found and are believed to belong to at least three additional victims. $38 (2023: $860) and a wagon with a team of horses missing. More gruesomely, though the little girls body was found to have multiple injuries, none of them would have caused death, and it was speculated that the poor lass may have been buried alive. 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. barry mcguigan, daughter funeral; mellon mounds kansas murders 215 East 4th Street Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. From Howard County, Kansas. 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 property was located directly on the Osage Mission-Independence Trail that operated from Independence to Fort Scott. As more and more travelers vanished, suspicion began to circle the Mellons. When a traveler was seated at the table, his head was outlined against the curtain. . Rabbi makes his way to the filling station in search of a cupcake or candy bar. Discover something new every day from News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment and more! Ransom, the trains conductor, said that John, Jr., and Kate disembarked at Chanute and took the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad train south to the Red River country near Dennison, Texas, which was then the terminus of the railroad. 2014. The owner of the Drum Creek claim was suspected, but no action was taken. Continuing, they began to dig around the cabin, especially in an area the Benders had utilized as a vegetable garden and orchard. The breastbone had been driven in. By 1873, reports of missing people who had passed through the area had become so common that travelers began to avoid the trail. 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. The family soon built a small one-room framed cabin, a barn, and a corral and dug a well. On this spot stood the Mellon Mounds, named for the infamous Mellon family, who lured unsuspecting travelers into their home, fed them and then dispatched them with a hammer. Kate soon gained notoriety as a self-proclaimed healer and spiritualist. After bearing him a dozen children, including Kate, Mr. Griffith suddenly died; some said of a bad place on his head, resembling a dent that might be made with a hammer. Donald's family owns successful McDonald's franchises in their home town of Phoenix, Arizona. In 1937 she gave a speech at a book fair which was later transcribed and printed in the September 1978 Saturday Evening Post and in the 1988 book A Little House Sampler. That is a Kansas historical society sign. 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. John Bender, Jr. was a tall, slender man of about 25 who was handsome with auburn hair and a mustache. It says this home used to be run by the infamous Mellon Family, who lured travelers in before killing them with a hammer. A terrible smell inside the abandoned inn also met them. We are, in fact, in Kansas. If not accosted by road agents, travelers also had to be concerned about Indian attacks. She learns something new about herself every time she watches an episode of Wonder Woman. The corpse was that of Dr. William H. York, his skull bludgeoned and his throat cut from ear to ear. This unnamed man was one of the many who made the mistake of stopping at the Bender Inn. Calamita is swept up into the funnel, along with the filling station and the bodies littering its floors. January 23, 2021. A roadside sign now marks their murderous exploits. [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. The texts read "Johannah Bender. 20) May 1873: Dr William York. Marker is on the grounds of the rest area located northeast of the intersection of US Highways 189 and 400, about three miles south of Morehead. Several groups of vigilantes were formed to search for the Benders. No documentation or definitive proof of their relationships to one another, or where they were born, has ever been found.