Volume 15 , Issue 34

The Bender Family

We did a Google search for "Kate Bender" and found the following The Bender Family, Photos at Murderpedia.

If you scroll down the page, there is an ad (published 18 June 1872) for Prof. Miss Kate Bender. Kate was suppose to have some sort of healing powers, and could heal all sorts of diseases; cure blindness, fits, deafness and all such diseases. Also, Deaf and Dumbness. How true was it, or was it just a ploy to entice gullible, wealthy travelers to stop by so they could rob and murder?

The Bender's family residence was 14 miles East of Independence, on the road from Independence to Osage Mission, one and one half miles South East of Norahead Station.

The website link above also shows a location map of the Bender claim, in Osage Township, Labette county, Kansas, 1873, T31S, R17E. It looks like Old Man Bender and the Bender Inn was located in Sec. 13, T31S, R17E, between Ed Erns and Silas Tole, north of US highway 160 a couple of sections. The Bender Inn was 17 miles south to Independence, and 20 miles to St. Paul.

There is also a picture of the Bender house where the Bender family murdered and buried their victims, in LaBette county, Kansas. And other sketches of how they enticed travelers in and killed them. The Bender killing method, it was speculated, if a guest appeared to be wealthy, The Benders would give him a seat of honor at the table which was positioned over a trap door that led down into the cellar. The travelers badk to the curtain. Kate would distract the guest, while John Bender or his son would come from behind the curtain and strike the traveler on the righthand side of the skull with a hammer. The victim's throat was then cut by one of the women to ensure his death. The body was then dropped through the trap door. Once in the cellar, the body would be stripped and later buried somewhere on the property, often in the orchard. More than a dozen bullet holes were found i the roof and sides of the room, possibly indicating that some of the victims had attempted to fight back after being hit with the hammer.

The Bender family consisted of a family of five spiritualists that settled in western Labette county, in 1871, a few miles northeast of the area in which the town of Cherryvale would be founded in 1872. There was John "Pa" Bender, SR., "Ma" Bender, son John Jr., and daughter Kate. Both John Jr. and Kate were adults when the family settled in Labette county, Kansas. Pa and John Jr. went there before Ma and Kate. The men diligently constructed a cabin and barn and dug a well. When the buildings were almost finished in the fall of 1871, the male Benders sent word to Ma and Kate to travel to the area. Their home cabin was partitioned into the Bender home in back and a combination inn, grocery store, and restaurant in front. Kate placed a sign reading "Groceries" above the cabin's front door. It was located in a lonely section of the Osage Trail, the bender business appeared to offer a place to die and sleep for weary travelers. The Benders would run the establishment from the winter of 1871 through the spring of 1873. Ma and Kate planted a garden and orchard on the property, often cultivating vegetables and fruit trees.

Ma Bender was heavyset, unfriendly, claiming she could be used in spells. Neighbors sometimes derided her as a she-devil. John Jr. was tall, slender, and handsome, and friendly but sometimes burst out laughing for no apparent reason so some people called him a halfwit. Kate was the most outgoing of the Benders, calling herself a psychic and spiritual healer, she also gave lectures on spiritualism and conducted seances. The Benders distributed notices advertising her supposed supernatural talents. She sometimes lectured on spiritualism. Some viewed her occult interests as satanic.

Governor's Proclamation

Scrolling further down the page of "The Bender Family" site we find a "governor's Proclamation." Offering $2,000 reward, State of Kansas, Executive Department. It read as follows:

"Whereas, several atrocious murders have been recently committed in Labette county, Kansas,under circumstances which fasten, beyond doubt, the commissions of these crimes upon a family known as the Bender family, consisting of:

"John Bender, about 60 years of age, five feet eight or nine inches in height, German, speaks but little English, dark complexion, no whiskers, and sparely built;

"Mrs. Bender, about 50 years of age, rather heavy set, blue eyes, brown hair, German, speaks broken English;

"John Bender, Jr., alias John Gebardt, five feet eight or nine inches in height, slightly built, gray eyes with brownish tint, brown hair, light mustache, no whiskers, about 27 years of age, speaks English with German accent;

"Kate Bender, about 24 years of age, dark hair and eyes, good looking, well formed, rather bold in appearance, fluent talker, speaks good English with very little German accent;

"And whereas, said persons are at large and fugitives from justice, no therefore, I, Thomas A. Osborn, Governor of the State of Kansas, in pursuance of law, do hereby offer a reward of five hounded dollars for the apprehension and delivery to the sheriff of Labette county, Kansas, of each of the persons above named.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and caused the great seal of the state to be affixed. Done at Topeka, this 17th day of May, 1873.

Thomas A. Osborn, Governor.

By the Governor: W. H. Smallwood, Secretary of State."

There are also pictures, drawings of the men standing near the site of the graves that were excavated on the Bender claim, behind the Bender farm, in Labette county, Kansas. The Bender family operated a remote road house on a farm near Cherryvale, Kansas. Several travelers disappeared, and local residents became suspicious of the benders. A search of the property revealed eleven bodies buried in the yard and all of them died of injuries consistent with blows tot he head. The Bender family member escaped and were never found.

The Kansas Historical Society had this concerning Kate Bender and the "Bloody Benders."   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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