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. Calamita notices him and shoots twice out the window. The Benders family, of German descent, was one of the families who moved to the outskirts of Kansas. 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). [9], More than a dozen bullet holes were found in the roof and sides of the cabin. 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. 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. 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. It says this home used to be run by the infamous Mellon Family, who lured travelers in before killing them with a hammer. ?," "big slaughter day, Jan eighth", and "hell departed. The search of the cabin resulted in the recovery of three hammers: a shoe hammer, a claw hammer, and a sledgehammer that appeared to match indentations in some of the skulls. At this point the customers felt uneasy and decided to leave, a move that almost certainly saved their lives. Just after the Civil War ended, the United States government moved the Osage Indians from Labette County in southeast Kansas to the new Indian Territory in what would later become the state of Oklahoma. 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". It says this home used to be run by the infamous Mellon Family, who lured travelers in before killing them with a hammer. In 1923 it was donated to the Kansas Museum of History by York's wife but is not on display; still bearing reddish-brown stains on the blade, it can be seen upon request. [1], One detective later claimed that he had traced the pair to the border, where he had found that JohnJr. had died of apoplexy. 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 vacated land was then made available to homesteaders, who, for the most part, were a group of hard-working pioneers farming the areas softly rolling hills and windswept prairies. 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. We are, in fact, in Kansas. Hey babe, nice melon mounds. [7], A bad odor was noticed and traced to a trap door underneath a bed, nailed shut. At her hearing, Mrs. Monroe denied any knowledge of Shearer or the manslaughter charge and remained incarcerated with her daughter. [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. It was reported at the time that Kate was into free love, telling fortunes, and being a little too close to her brother. They werent even a true family the only ones related were Ma and Kate Bender. Discover something new every day from News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment and more! Elvira was rumored to have murdered several husbands, but none of these rumors was ever proven. Several days later, the Benders team and wagon were found a short distance away, and the horses nearly starved. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. The "Bloody Benders" were a German family of four that settled a claim in southeastern Kansas in Labette County. The Benders remained silent when most of the attendees volunteered to have their premises searched. As the boy listened, the men continued to talk, relating the tale of how the judge had lost his ear. Originally scheduled for February 1890, the trial was held over to May. 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. (In case you wondered after reading that, like I did, what year The Mulligan Concern arrived in Kansas City, it was 1920. Though the tales of what happened to the Benders can only be speculated as to their accuracy, the fact that ten bodies were found on the property is not disputed. She alleged that her father, "Pa Ingalls," joined in a vigilante hunt for the killers, and when he spoke of later searches for them she recalled, "At such times Pa always said in a strange tone of finality, 'They will never be found.' The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. [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. was harry hibbs married; waterloo central railway wedding. [5][18] However, none of these tales were confirmed, nor were bodies found, so most thought that the Benders had managed to escape. Eventually, she married and went by the name of Sara Eliza Davis. The desk clerk who shows them to their room warns them that the sisters dont care for colored people, a refrain echoed repeatedly through this episode. 620-336-3576. Many stories say that one vigilante group actually caught the Benders and shot all of them but Kate, whom they burned alive. It was a story about the infamous Benders and about one man who got away. 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. 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. A roadside sign now marks their murderous exploits. Some of the Benders' neighbors claimed that John and Kate were not brother and sister, but actually husband and wife. A pity, it has quite a few quirks. Find links to our programs, locations, partners, staff members, and communications. He does not deliver his usual parting words to Satchel. When the party arrived at the inn they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. mellon mounds kansas murders. She also claimed to possess psychic powers, including communicating with the dead. He then cautiously looks through a window, where he sees Calamita standing over a wounded Omie, gun drawn. Hell the first album from the Smiths included a song about the Moors Murderers. According to the Pittsburgh Dispatch, the daughter of one of the Benders' victims, Mrs. Frances E. McCann, had reported the pair to authorities in early October after tracking them down. The lonely hills meander across what is now U.S. Highway 400, where travelers whoosh by in comfort at 65 mph. They buried their victims in a neighboring orchard, unbeknownst to the townspeople. The real one reads as follows: Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family--John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate--who settled here in 1871. The discussion began regarding the ten people who were reported missing, including a well-known Independence physician named Dr. William H. York. Mrs. McCann's story came from dreams about her father's murder, which she discussed with Sarah Eliza. 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. He returns his attention to Rabbi, who has noticed something behind the Italian: a bona fide Wizard of Oz tornado. The parts did not belong to any of the other victims found and are believed to belong to at least three additional victims. He takes Satchel to a quirky (to say the least) boardinghouse, owned by feuding, deaf, elderly sisters. Hes connected to a medical machine and has a hovering attendant with goggles on, ministering to him with a hypodermic needle. Though the pair were jailed, the case was dropped for lack of evidence. It isnt a kill shot, though, and Calamita whips around to put Omie down. $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. flower arranging classes northern virginia. [11] Whether John Flickinger was really John Bender is unknown. Elvira allegedly could not understand English, while the younger Benders denied the claim. Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. literally thought of red dead redemption 2 when i saw this episode, and saw that scene. According to the May 23, 1873 edition of The Emporia News, he was identified with the name of William Bender. 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. Relocating to Independence from, 7) December 1872: Johnny Boyle. Leona Laurie is a Senior Contributor for Geek Girl Authority and co-host of the Marvel-Us podcast. Donald, his wife Karen and their three kids live a nice, comfortable life. As more and more travelers vanished, suspicion began to circle the Mellons. In the winter of 1872, Mr. Loncher and his daughter had left Independence for Iowa but were never heard from again. Their murders were carried out by use of a canvas curtain that divided the house into two rooms. Buried in the apple orchard. They were not pursued, as lawmen following outlaws into this region often never returned. NEW YORK The Occupy Wall Street movement has close to $300,000, as well as storage space loaded with donated supplies in lower Manhattan.