[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. 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. The owner of the Drum Creek claim was suspected, but no action was taken. All but one had their heads bashed with a hammer and throats cut, and newspapers reported that all were "indecently mutilated. Born July 30, 1848," "John Gebhardt came to America on July 1 18? 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. melon mounds kansas murders. ", "Young Bender, seen when excited, recalled the grave-robbing hyena at once to mind. 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. The Benders are believed to have killed about a dozen people, including one child. Finally, the men physically moved the entire cabin to the side and began to search beneath, but no bodies were found there either. 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. Subreddit for the FX original TV series, Fargo. Johnny Boyles body was found in the well. did phineas and ferb die in a car accident. 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. Continuing, they began to dig around the cabin, especially in an area the Benders had utilized as a vegetable garden and orchard. 23) February 1872: Two unidentified men found on the prairie in February 1872 with crushed skulls and throats cut. The Bloody Benders - Serial Killers of Kansas Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022. kansas historical marker the mellon mounds Orchard Park Police Blotter 2021 , Fran Mccaffery Daughter , How Much Does Bronny Average? According to the 1870 census, George and his wife, Mary Jane, were neighbors of. 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. The petite auburn-haired beauty desired notoriety and often advocated free love and justification for murder in her lectures. Bender Property Digging, sketch in Harpers Weekly, June 7, 1873. The Vicious Harpes First AmericanSerial Killers, The Bloody Benders Site of 1870s 'Bloody Benders' serial killings is for sale | The She advocated "free love," and denounced all social regulations for the promotion of purity and the prevention of carnality, which she called "miserable requirements of self-constituted society." With the full realization that there was a major problem in their township, the group decided to search every farmstead between Big Hill Creek and Drum Creek. mellon mounds kansas murders - lavamusic.is In addition to the museum, southeast Kansas may be the only place where a state historical marker celebrates mass murder. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. This historical marker was erected by Kansas State Historical Society and Kansas Department of Transportation. 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. The museum remained a popular tourist destination until it closed in 1978 when a fire station was built. When the party arrived at the inn they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. John and his raw-boned wife spoke with such guttural accents that few people could understand them. but many still live in fear of their bloody hammer. Does that mean that Satchel has just landed in Oz now? I wouldn't have imagined a crazier hotel story other than H H Holmes and The Murder Castle. The 162-acre tract of cropland known as the "Bender Farm" will be sold off to. 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 . 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. Though the pair were jailed, the case was dropped for lack of evidence. Donald's family owns successful McDonald's franchises in their home town of Phoenix, Arizona. [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. 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. Gabe Gibson, Effingham, Illinois, as told to him by his grandfather, Emerson Smalley, January 2011. The affidavits and other papers are missing from the file in LaBette County, so further examination is impossible. 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. 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. Props to Noah Hawley for referencing a lot of forgotten crimes, from Jane Toppan, the Kansas City Massacre, and now the Bloody Benders. Fargo recap: The future is now! - yahoo.com In the spring of 1873, Longcor's former neighbor, Dr. William Henry York, went looking for them and questioned homesteaders along the trail. what is the best response to an active shooter event However, there were no bodies in the hole. About 75 people attended the gathering, including both Bender men. He has a white man in his trunk, an informant who has helped him track Calamita to the Liberal, Kansas, area. Even with her clairvoyant abilities, Kate attempted to search for the missing doctor to throw any suspicion off herself. Location. mellon mounds kansas murders - indutecma.com All Rights Reserved. Much folklore and legend surrounds the Benders, making it difficult to separate fact from fiction. Tole reported the fact to the township trustee, but due to inclement weather, several days lapsed before the abandonment could be investigated. Kate was purportedly Elvira's fifth daughter. However, as more time passed, the disappearances became more frequent, and by the spring of 1873, the region had become strife with rumors, and travelers began to avoid the trail. [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. In 1870, five families of spiritualists settled in western Labette County, about seven miles northeast of where Cherryvale would be platted a year later. what happened to johnny rodriguez country singervice president internal student council. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 16:54. 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. 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. betty crocker net worth 2020; vietnamese culture relationships; pastillas para dormir durante el embarazo; what does modern fit mean in men's shirts? This unnamed man was one of the many who made the mistake of stopping at the Bender Inn. Today, Smalley descendants continue to live in the Neodosha and Cherryvale area. , 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 . Although stories abound, the ultimate fate of the murderous Bender family is uncertain. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Benders. [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. 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. As the haunting legend continued, people began to say that Kate Bender had returned to the property, doomed to roam the very land where she had committed so many atrocities. Carrie Nelson was beaten to death during an apparent robbery at Blue Mounds State Park in May 2001. This is blatantly a reference to the Bender Family, a family of serial killers from late 1800s Kansas. Four other bodies with crushed skulls and slit throats were also found outside the property in Drum Creek and on the surrounding prairie. However, some of those men, who frequently carried large sums of cash with the intention of settling, buying stock, or purchasing a claim, began to go missing. Several days later, the Benders team and wagon were found a short distance away, and the horses nearly starved. 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. 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. The texts read "Johannah Bender. John BenderJr. was around 25 years old and handsome, with auburn hair and a mustache, and spoke English fluently with a German accent. Anyway just had to mention this, bizarre crimes and female killers are my specialty and outside appearing in Red Dead 2, the Bloody Benders don't get a lot of attention. 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. 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. Once Kansas declared itself with the Union and the Civil War began, the bloody battles continued. Cherryvale, Kansas Museum This tugs his heartstrings, inspiring him to leave the boardinghouse in search of some kind of birthday treat for his ward. barry mcguigan, daughter funeral; mellon mounds kansas murders Dr. York had two brothers, one living in Fort Scott and the other in Independence. The group is believed to be one of the first serial killer families in America. She mentioned stopping at the inn, as well as recounting the rumors of the murders spreading through their community. The front section also contained the kitchen and dining table, where travelers could stop for a meal or even spend the night. 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. [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. After the third hanging, they released him and he staggered home "as one who was drunken or deranged. 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. It first seems like Rabbi might escape, but ultimately he raises his hands in surrender and flies up into the clouds. Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. The right knee had been wrenched from its socket, and the leg doubled up under the body. 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. York reached Fort Scott, and on March 9 began the return journey to Independence, but never arrived. He steps out of his car, gun drawn, and discovers the filling station attendants body in a doorway. 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. Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History, Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., December 18, 2011, The Bloody Benders. It says this home used to be run by the infamous Mellon Family, who lured travelers in before killing them with a hammer. allah y hafdek traduction; markel annual meeting 2022; community action partnership appointment line; July 3, 2022 mellon mounds kansas murdersdcs vsn modsdcs vsn mods 5) December 1872: W.F. The media speculated that some of the victims had attempted to fight back after being hit with the hammer. Instead, we downshift hard into the side story ofSatchel (Rodney L Jones III) andRabbi (Ben Whishaw) on the lam, withConstant Calamita (Gaetano Bruno) on their tail. Colonel A.M. York, leading a contingency of some 50 men, began questioning every traveler along the trail and stopping at the area homesteads. Her husband and son were said to have feared her as she ran the household with an iron hand. 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. Often two women traveling together were accused of being Kate Bender and her mother.[10]. Satchel asks to keep Rabbit, and Rabbi refuses until he learns that its the boys birthday. Hunza Guides is Pakistan's top mountain destination management company offering full board tours, trekking and expeditions services in Pakistan. And everything is in color! 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. She and her brother John often attended Sunday School nearby Harmony Grove and were readily accepted in the community. A terrible smell inside the abandoned inn also met them. They werent even a true family the only ones related were Ma and Kate Bender. 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. On May 17th, Governor Thomas Osborn added to that amount by offering a $2,000 reward for the apprehension of all four. All four had crushed skulls and throats cut. 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 Benders remained silent when most of the attendees volunteered to have their premises searched. At Chanute, JohnJr. and Kate left the train and caught the MK&T train south to the terminus in Red River County near Denison, Texas. 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 Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. Hey babe, nice melon mounds. His son chose a narrow piece of land just north of his fathers; however, he never lived on his claim nor made any improvements. He takes Satchel to a quirky (to say the least) boardinghouse, owned by feuding, deaf, elderly sisters. 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. He then cautiously looks through a window, where he sees Calamita standing over a wounded Omie, gun drawn. If you live in that town in Kansas today, oh yeah you know about it. 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. A mysterious murder site has a new owner. He's - Kansas Reflector They return to their room, where Rabbi informs Satchel that theyll be leaving that night as he counts his money. On deer antler shedding, pocket gopher mounds, eagle breeding and murders of crows (that's the name of a flock of crows) 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. 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 declares, THE FUTURE IS NOW.. Markers of the Kansas state historical markers program administered by the Kansas Historical Society and Kansas Department of Transportation. For years, sightings of Ma Bender and Kate were reported, and in 1889, two women were extradited from Michigan on the charge. By 1873, reports of missing people who had passed through the area had become so common that travelers began to avoid the trail. 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. NEW YORK The Occupy Wall Street movement has close to $300,000, as well as storage space loaded with donated supplies in lower Manhattan. 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. Catch up here! 6) December 1872: Henry McKenzie. 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. Also, sleep with one eye open. A cult-like group, the families, chose from several available claims and began to make their homes. ", "Kate proclaimed herself responsible to no one save herself.". They purchased tickets on the northbound Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Train to Humboldt. rpp program apartments newport news. Both knew of his travel plans, and when he failed to return home, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. 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. A place to discuss Lawrence Kansas happenings and news. melon mounds liberal kansas "[8] A Roman Catholic prayer book was found in the house with notes inside written in German, which were later translated. Ma Bender and Kate would then rifle the body for money, pushing him through the trap door into the hole below the cabin, where Kate would slit his throat. The Six Most Terrifying Serial Killer Families In History - Gizmodo These first few missing travelers did not raise an overall alarm in the area as it was not uncommon for men to continue their journey westward during those days. On October 31, 1889, it was reported that a Mrs. Almira Monroe (a.k.a. As the boy listened, the men continued to talk, relating the tale of how the judge had lost his ear. The story of the Benders' escape spread, and the search continued on and off for the next 50 years. The plaque in the show refers to fictional murderers--the Mellons--while the reference implicit in that is to their real-life inspiration, the Benders. The notorious "Bloody Benders" were a German immigrant family who owned both a general store and small inn in the early 1870s in Labette County. Inside the wooden cabin, the area was partitioned with a large canvas, creating living quarters in the back and a small inn and store in the front. melon mounds liberal kansascrank arm length calculator sheldon browncrank arm length calculator sheldon brown why i quit civil engineering; goo goo gaga family net worth; how to make homemade biscuits without baking powder; noah hester restaurant; She also claimed to possess psychic powers, including communicating with the dead. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Though many wanted to relocate the building, it had become a controversy in Cherryvale, with locals objecting to the town being known for the Bender atrocities. A Look at Fargo- Season 4, Episode 9: "East/West" - What Else is on Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy's bribery of state legislators in his bid for re-election. Shortly thereafter, the family disappeared. Despite the lack of identification, the man's skull was displayed as that of "Pa Bender" in a Salmon saloon until Prohibition forced its closure in 1920 and the skull disappeared. So weird, this last weekend I was just reading about the Benders due to a similar encounter in Red Dead Redemption 2. Though he reached Fort Scott unscathed and started to return to Independence on March 8, he never reached home. The family soon built a small one-room framed cabin, a barn, and a corral and dug a well. Mellon family - Wikipedia East/West is a cunningly timed bottle episode. 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.. He leaves Satchel in the car with Rabbit while hes doing this, and the boy is approached by a nervous policeman who prepares to draw his weapon as he asks Satchel to leave the car. They broker an arrangement wherein Omie and his captive paint the building in exchange for being allowed to lie in wait. The book "All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas", by Camilla Bruce, published in 2022. Find links to our programs, locations, partners, staff members, and communications. Like others, he was hit over the head as he sat at the table. They admitted Dr. York had stayed with them and suggested the possibility that he had run into trouble with Indians. The old Bender property was haunted, and the rumors of the locals began to fly. In the winter of 1872, Mr. Loncher and his daughter had left Independence for Iowa but were never heard from again. One of these families was the Benders, comprised of John Bender, Sr.; his wife, Almira; son, John, Jr.; and daughter, Kate. However, by the time the men arrived at the Benders cabin very early the next morning, they found them gone. THE LAST SKYWALKER Pays Tribute to the Ben Solo Legacy, Lynne Ramsay Tapped to Direct THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON, WANDAVISION Finale Recap: (S01E09) The Series Finale, WANDAVISION Recap: (S01E08) Previously On, WANDAVISION Recap: (S01E07) Breaking the Fourth Wall. 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. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. But if your not from Kansas it's a fairly obscure story. What little he did speak was so guttural that it was usually unintelligible. 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. Once in the cellar, the body would be stripped and later buried somewhere on the property, often in the orchard. Their downfall was the murder of a father and daughter named Loncher, and Dr. William York, who had come looking for the missing pair. There is a lot of weird details, like the two children, Kate and John Jr Bender possibly being husband and wife, or the parents Elvira and John Sir being two nobodies who merely said they were family. In the spring of 1894, the victims bodies were discovered, sending the town into hysteria. Mrs. Monroe now admitted she had married a Mr. Shearer in 1872 and claimed she had previously denied it, as she did not want the court to know that her name was Shearer at that time and that she had a conviction for manslaughter. melon mounds kansas murders Tole reported the news to Leroy F Dick, the Township Trustee, and a search party was soon formed, which included Dr. Yorks brother, Colonel A.M. York, of Fort Scott. Though no one ever collected the rewards offered, rumors of several parties who had captured and killed the Benders began to fly. John Bender, Sr. was from either Germany, Norway, or the Netherlands and may have been born John Flickinger. [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.

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