tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post667349017630925013..comments2024-03-09T15:02:20.201-05:00Comments on Murder by Gaslight: The Bloody BendersRobert Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-85810851718833927862021-03-15T14:13:37.374-04:002021-03-15T14:13:37.374-04:00I have done extensive research on the Benders. Wha...I have done extensive research on the Benders. What really puzzles me is the total lack of artifacts. A famous magazine writer from New York traveled to Labette County to do a piece on the Benders in June 1873 (The bodies in the orchard were discovered in early May, 1873). His comment upon arrival at the site was that all that remained were a small hole for the well and a larger one for the cellar full of water. Every stick of wood, stones for the foundation, and even the barn and well were gone. Today only a few artifacts remain. The three killing hammers are in the Cherryvale Museum, one of the stones for the entryway is in the Parsons Museum, and the killing knife was donated by Ed York's wife to the Kansas State Historical Society. We know that the 8 day clock, 3 books: 2 bibles and a catechism (Catholic). A photographer took pictures of the clock and the knife and later sold these as post cards. No idea where the clock and books ended up. I haven't been able to locate even the postcard.<br /><br />I forgot to respond to the post about the Bender name. After searching Ellis Island records trying to see if I could see when these Benders immigrated. Bender is a very common surname in Germany. A point of irony,when the two ladies were extradited from Michigan the Labette County Sheriff was Frank Bender, no relation.Tim Grillothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11367687630570380717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-62832247411754172522021-03-15T13:51:52.085-04:002021-03-15T13:51:52.085-04:00The two letters were written but over time they we...The two letters were written but over time they were rewritten or typed rather than written. The most common belief is that they were caught and lynched soon after the discovery of the bodies. There are many different versions of this ending and even one that they killed everybody but Kate and let her loose with a warning. The fact that nobody came forward for the rewards offered casts some doubt on these versions. Also if you total up the number of versions that someone's great, great gpa was part of the posse that caught and lynched them half of Labette County was on the posse. The three best theories are: 1) A posse caught and lynched them, 2) They escaped and eventually made their way into the badlands of Western Texas and Eastern New Mexico, or 3) A more recent theory that Kate and John Jr. made their way eventually to Littleton, Colorado, buying a bar then a hotel and became wealthy citizens arguably from all the money they stole during their murdering spree. There are graves there of Katie Bender and Joseph Bender, husband and wife. This last theory was supported by some evidence from a Pinkerton detective who was following their trail. Over the years there were a number of false identifications and even one that a mother and her daughter were extradited to Labette County to be tried as Ma and Kate. The elder woman had a solid alibi because she was incarcerated in the Detroit Dept of Corrections from Dec 1871 until Feb or March of 1873 for performing illegal abortions. She also spoke perfect English and Ma Bender did not. She probably could speak and understand English better than she let on but the only one of the 4 who spoke without an accent was Kate. Joseph Bender from Colorado spoke with a slight German accent. Tim Grillothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11367687630570380717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-12222844611767949172015-12-21T16:46:54.719-05:002015-12-21T16:46:54.719-05:00I had a cousin, Ernestine Yancey Donahue who is no...I had a cousin, Ernestine Yancey Donahue who is now deceased ," who told this to me in 1981 in a letter:<br />" (December, 1981) Some years back, my cousin Jack Gutherie, said that his grandfather Gutherie told him that a group of people living near the Benders lynched the Benders and weighted their bodies and threw them in the river. I had also read a story in the Houston, Texas, paper written by an old man saying that he was with the lynching party that killed the Benders and threw their bodies in the river. These two stories make me believe that is what happened to them, all other stories I had read state there was never any record as to what happened to the Benders." She had also told me that my great great grandfather, Ambrose Yancey, almost stopped to stay for the night at the Benders on his way to Independence, KS, but decided that he thought he could make it to Independence before nightfall and went on.<br />~Earth Angel~https://www.blogger.com/profile/11759902572729409425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-91838685449227725142015-07-07T01:52:54.488-04:002015-07-07T01:52:54.488-04:00Just curious who currently owns the house?Just curious who currently owns the house?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14618689809634520077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-68637206335839437352015-05-06T18:21:13.527-04:002015-05-06T18:21:13.527-04:00I finally see the source of the confusion. The add...I finally see the source of the confusion. The address at the top of each letter is where it was mailed FROM, both letters were mailed TO Samuel Duke in San Francisco. They were never mailed to each other. That they were written on the same date is a coincidence, but not a very big one.Robert Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-57320043125682130162015-05-06T14:15:06.738-04:002015-05-06T14:15:06.738-04:00Yikes, I've angered you.
According to Mr. Du...Yikes, I've angered you. <br /><br />According to Mr. Duke, these letters were in response to letters he sent directly to these police chiefs from his home in San Francisco, so I assume they belong to his estate or have been lost to history. I am not saying that they are factual - they are hearsay two layers deep - but they were taken from a respected book that I have found to be accurate on other cases, They do not prove anything, as I say in the post "The true fate of the Bender family remains a mystery."<br /><br />I think it is interesting that you attack my sources when the VAST majority of history websites do not provide any sources at all. If you are in a position to teach children, please tell them not to trust anything without documented sources and if sources are given, get the information from there. After all, this is just a blog post. Don't trust my words, look it up yourself.<br /><br />I apologize if I repeat myself; please feel free do ignore my duplications.Robert Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-61237149431226398162015-05-05T21:10:19.413-04:002015-05-05T21:10:19.413-04:00I really don't care about the book. Samuel Duk...I really don't care about the book. Samuel Duke may as well just made up those letters, Robert. And yes you COULD id their authenticity, first, you cite through every god damn place that Mr. Duke could've gotten them from, possibly got to the museum in Cherryvale??? The fact that the letters were written on the same day, tells me that they are fakes. For your information, buddie, IF they were actually real, the distance between Independance and Cherryvale is so great, it would take one or two days to be delivered. The only reason I can come up with is that Mr. Kramer wrote his in the morning, it was delivered the same day and the response was written very late at night, and delivered the very next morning, they are fakes. And there is a huge differance if someone wants it to be really correct cuz some kids at school are calling her/him a total idiot who can't cite info correctly! Also they probably want an A because there presentation is worth a 100 points. (No joke) So, I would suggest having solid information, not a type of information that has a possibility of being a fake! Your just satisfied with having "solid" information, wrote back in 1910. People never got the real facts in the early 1900's... >:( By the way, stop repeating yourself, thats freaking annoying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-74759138106033463462015-04-30T07:42:59.102-04:002015-04-30T07:42:59.102-04:00The letters are taken verbatim from a well-known b...The letters are taken verbatim from a well-known book written in 1910 by Samuel Duke, former San Francisco police captain. I obviously have no way to verify their authenticity. The fact that they were in response to letters that were probably written on the same day increases the likelihood that they would be answered on the same day - I don't see any special significance here. Having read the whole book, I am satisfied with Mr. Duke's honesty. The letters may have been edited, but they were not created out of whole cloth.Robert Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-51135707393804274122015-04-29T21:15:51.513-04:002015-04-29T21:15:51.513-04:00Um... When the letters are dated the same DATE, do...Um... When the letters are dated the same DATE, does that mean they live in the same town? It does look like fakes because of the EXACT same date. Its a good website here, but that little bit of info is kind of worrying..... :I #confuzzled Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-44082238850608815832013-11-12T13:11:27.200-05:002013-11-12T13:11:27.200-05:00That is interesting. Is her account available on-l...That is interesting. Is her account available on-line?Robert Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-75665225316960847892013-11-11T16:06:55.589-05:002013-11-11T16:06:55.589-05:00I realize this was posted a while ago but had to c...I realize this was posted a while ago but had to comment. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote an interesting account of the Benders. Her father, Charles Ingalls was a member of the vigilante group.Grandma Walks!https://www.blogger.com/profile/11842894117266032088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-17435172091209064682013-08-06T12:02:12.676-04:002013-08-06T12:02:12.676-04:00In spite of what those police chiefs said, I think...In spite of what those police chiefs said, I think they probably got away. Research might be difficult because they would have changed their name. There were a number of unsubstantiated rumors that will probably add more mystery than clarity.Robert Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-79031493955364654402013-08-04T19:42:35.811-04:002013-08-04T19:42:35.811-04:00In your honest opinion do u feel that they were ca...In your honest opinion do u feel that they were captured or did they get away? I am interested because I am apart of a Bender family that was raised in central Missouri. I am interested in knowing if its a possibility that we are related to them. I am going to do some more research but i am very interested in this possibility. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15219413579846987506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-30551138110840369292013-06-06T07:35:35.821-04:002013-06-06T07:35:35.821-04:00Thank you Bacall, I appreciate it. I have added hi...Thank you Bacall, I appreciate it. I have added historycnfidential.com to my blogroll as well.Robert Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-39910523613457754792013-06-02T14:19:18.986-04:002013-06-02T14:19:18.986-04:00Really love your blog! I am a history buff, and a ...Really love your blog! I am a history buff, and a wannabe sleuth :D and have always had an interest in old crime cases in America. I have read many books on several famous cases, but have never heard of this one. Almost sounds like a classic movie I've seen, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." I do believe this family did not get away. The town seemed at ease too soon after the crime. Scary story indeed. I will add your link on my blog http://historyconfidential.com as I think many of my visitors will find your blog quite interesting. Bacallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06218751211069541507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-57575874816425114912013-02-01T21:52:57.134-05:002013-02-01T21:52:57.134-05:00That was an inspiring bit of information I did not...That was an inspiring bit of information I did not know, so thank you for that, and that is very eeiry. Uhm and it is a little weird being so close to the mound, do you hear noises and things like that?? Do you hear screams or whatnot, or in fact see the ghosts of them??Briana Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07962621656120578167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-39599153841700863572012-10-29T12:59:23.950-04:002012-10-29T12:59:23.950-04:00The letters were printed in the book _Celebrated C...The letters were printed in the book _Celebrated Criminal Cases of America_ by Thomas S. Duke, published in 1910. Duke, himself, was a former police captain in San Francisco. Though it is possible that they were edited, I don't believe he made them up out of whole cloth.Robert Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11008320767930927490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-66812171739334745332012-10-28T23:55:57.869-04:002012-10-28T23:55:57.869-04:00Aren't the two letters from the chiefs of poli...Aren't the two letters from the chiefs of police uncannily similar? The wording of both seem out of character for the time and entirely too much alike.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-31136976863730828082011-08-13T11:23:37.189-04:002011-08-13T11:23:37.189-04:00Thank you Tracy. I like to use as many sources as ...Thank you Tracy. I like to use as many sources as possible in a case like this - with a lot of legends that don't always agree with each other.Robert Wilhelmhttp://www.murderbygaslight.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8906786397374372561.post-43456993160057347232011-08-12T15:41:12.722-04:002011-08-12T15:41:12.722-04:00Thanks for using my site; KANSAS MEDIOCRITY. Much ...Thanks for using my site; KANSAS MEDIOCRITY. Much of my info was from the Kansas Historical Society. I live just a few miles from Bender's Mound.Tracyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18173036763676907212noreply@blogger.com