‘I see graves!’. The men could clearly see that someone had bashed in the skull. The Cherryvale Bender Museum opened in May 1961. There were four Benders in the immediate family. There's a Bender exhibit at the Cherryvale Museum, the town where the murders took place. Picture of a bloody knife found on the Bender family property. The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas, from May 1871 to December 1872.The family consisted of John Bender and his wife, Elvira, their son, John Jr., and daughter, Kate. The message is accompanied by a link of unknown origin—one that is likely an attempt to gather personal information. The unsettling true story of America's first serial killing family. The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who owned an inn and small general store in Labette County of southeastern Kansas from 1871 to 1873. Four people fitting the Benders’ description had boarded a train there for Humboldt, Kan. • 1) May 1871: Mr. Jones. “Thousands of people daily visit the grounds,” the Thayer, Kan., Head Light reported a week after the discovery of the bodies. Bloody Bender land sells at auction News. D.W. [David Wark] Griffith, influential U.S. film director (The Birth of A Nation, Intolerance). Meanwhile, Albert Owens, the owner of a boardinghouse in Denison, Texas, reported that a tall young German railroad worker and his wife had pitched a tent near his establishment. Much of the Parsons Historical Museum will be of primary interest to people who live in or near Parsons, but there is MKT Railroad memorabilia and a sandstone paving rock which was the stepping stone into the cabin of the Bloody Benders. Stopping to investigate, he found their livestock unattended—no feed, no water. Sir Francis Bacon, English philosopher, statesman, essayist (The Advancement of Learning). John Bender Sr., known as “Pa,” was about 60 and by all accounts sullen and ill-natured. Although much time has passed, the Benders have not been forgotten. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 5,000 articles originally published in our various magazines. Today the Cherryvale Museum still showcases a few of the Bender’s belongings, including the hammers they used to bash in their victim’s heads. He was looking into the lifeless face of Dr. William York, his brother. The Bloody Benders, however, used Spiritualism to commit mass murder. Sep 8, 2020 - Explore Clknightokc's board "Bloody Benders" on Pinterest. He was probably born in Germany or the Netherlands. Law enforcement officials in Maine have notifiedresidents that there have been reports of people receiving text messages indicating the recipient has been in contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus. After the Civil War the Osage Indians were moved from their home in Labette County to Oklahoma, in order to make the Kansas Territory available to European settlers. $17.00 Cat's Meow Ingalls' Family Cabin and Hand-dug Well. The alleged family consisted of John Bender, his wife Kate, son John Jr. and daughter Kate. History of the Bender saga at Cherryvale Library. In May 1873 residents of Labette County, Kan., gathered in the orchard of their onetime neighbors, the Benders. A Bender museum opened in Cherryvale in May 1961, during Kansas’ statehood centennial celebration, and operated there until 1978. Some accounts say the Benders did reach the outlaw hideout, but there is no real proof. George Mortimer, harnessed to his harrow and horse, plowed furrows through the soft earth as others worked their spades and shovels. The Benders may have slain the doctor out of sheer greed, but a more likely scenario is that he had voiced his suspicions or otherwise tipped his hand, and the Benders had decided to eliminate him. It was a harvest—an unusual harvest, not one of good spirit in which neighbors converge under the common weal to reap the bountiful rewards of a successful growing season. The three lawmen returned to Kansas and, while checking the Southeastern rail lines, came across a baggage master on the Frisco line that had checked through to Vinita, Indian Territory, an unusual doghide trunk. 152 acres of land once owned by the notorious “Bloody Benders” family is being auctioned off. The diggers found the bodies of Ben Brown, W.F. The Benders had fled to parts unknown, so residents singled out Rudolph Brockman, who had courted Kate Bender, for vilification. The search continued outside. Located in Labette County, Kansas, the land was once owned by the notorious Bender family and is being auctioned off by the Schrader Real Estate and Auction Co. The family consisted of John Bender, 60, his wife Mrs. Bender (later referred to as Kate Sr. since no one knew her given name), 55, son John Jr. and daughter Kate. An older couple visited them from time to time. That task completed, he had mounted his horse and ridden for home. Over a century later, you can still find them in books, TV, and on the big screen – people never get tired of their story! Snoddy, Peckham and Beers traveled there and learned that the two elder Benders had taken a carriage from the train station to the house of Pa’s sister but were long gone. The doctor’s disappearance two weeks earlier was what had drawn his brother and friends to the Bender property that crisp morning. Between 1871 and 1873, the Benders murdered at least eleven travelers who stopped at their house. The infamous Kansas homestead of America’s first serial killer family known as the “Bloody Benders” is now up for sale. The killer had crushed the back of his skull (it was thought with a hammer swung from behind a curtain while he sat at a table awaiting supper), slit his throat (likely to ensure he was dead) and stabbed his lifeless body several times (perhaps out of frustration, as the traveler wasn’t carrying as much money as expected). Using Fort Smith as a starting point, Ed and Alexander traced William’s movements along the Osage Mission Road. Editor’s Note: The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas, between 1871 and 1873. John Jr., however, concocted a farfetched tale of being waylaid and went so far as to take the York brothers to the supposed site of the attack. (620) 891-0072. Cookies are used for measurement, ads, & optimization. Both the Longcor and York murder victims were neighbors of famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder when she lived in Kansas. Fate uncertain, they fled, but with so much folklore and legend surrounding them, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who murdered at least 20 unsuspecting travelers in their small Kansas home and then vanishing without a trace. On June 25, 1873, the Head Light ran a follow-up report, noting, “The whole of the house, excepting the heavy framing timbers on the Bender farm and even the few trees, have been carried away by the relic hunters.” The newspaper also addressed the flight of the outlaw family, suggesting, “The murderers themselves are probably in the middle of China by this time and will never be heard from.” Reporters and photographers from as far off as New York and Chicago converged on the killing ground. The 1800s serial killer family of Kansas: “Bloody Benders”, notorious for murdering travelers and whose fate is unknown to this day. How much money they made by emptying the pockets of their victims is also uncertain, though a quick tally set the amount at about $5,000. Pa, Ma, John Bender, Jr., and Kate moved in and opened an inn and store in the front room of their home. Present-day Cherryvale Museum, which has limited visiting hours from April to October, displays the murder hammers and other memorabilia of the Bloody Benders. You’ll find a Yellow Brick Road Trip that’s just right for you. One poor calf, its body held fast to a post in the stable, unable to free itself, had died of thirst, its mother nearby with her udders burst. The finger pointing and rush to judgment in southeastern Kansas had created an air similar to that surrounding the Salem witch trials nearly two centuries earlier. The Bloody Benders is a horror story, told elsewhere with far more blood and gore. Neither Pa nor Ma nor John Jr. nor Kate was among the planted dead on the property, so all doubt vanished that the Benders themselves might be victims. Outside, they planted a vegetable garden and an apple orchard. Someone had to pay for those vile murders. “Pa” or John Sr. spoke with a heavy accent. Following that lead, the three-man posse boarded a train to Vinita. The Bender museum was a popular tourist spot until it closed in 1978. By afternoon the crowd of diggers and morbidly curious onlookers had swelled to several hundred. Bloody Benders : biography – Killing method. From 1961-1978, the town nearest their Kansas killing grounds, Cherryvale, operated a museum constructed to be an exact copy of their house (check out photos of the eerie installation here). The darker side of the human psyche: Serial killers 10 – The Bloody Benders The Bender family killed at least a dozen travellers before their heinous crimes were discovered. The tale of the Bloody Benders remains one … Drawn by the putrid smell and congealed blood on the cellar floor, Dick and about 50 other men from the township began their grim search there. On July 29, 1908, the Independence Tribune reported that conductor James B. Today, the “Bloody Benders” endure as a notorious serial killing family of the Old West. It is unknown if any of the Benders were in fact related. Once authorities had relocated the Osage Indians to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) after the Civil War, homesteaders descended on Kansas’ Labette County. Taking a quick inventory, he found three hammers; an eight-day clock, which upon further examination held a knife; pieces of jewelry; a German Bible; and some of Kate Bender’s occult advertising broadsides scattered across the kitchen floor. While some of these Kansans feared the worst, none was prepared for what they were about to discover. Exactly how many people the Bloody Benders killed between 1871 and 1873 remains unknown, but some estimates range over 20. Over the years various newspapers reported sightings of Bender family members. See more ideas about bloody benders, bender, bloody. The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira Bender, son John, Jr., and daughter Kate. The Bloody Benders were the first in the United States. The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who owned an inn and small general store in Labette County of southeastern Kansas from 1871 to 1873. Summary: This is a photograph of the historical marker that was originally located on highway 160, 10 miles west of Parsons in Labette County, Kansas, near the site of the Bender family's cabin. Directed by John Alexander. Still, the true nature of the relationship between the Benders has always been uncertain. The artifacts that were in it were transferred to the Cherryvale Museum where they remain. By continuing to use our site you are agreeing to our privacy policy. by Unbelievable Facts Dec 28, 2016, 7:08 am 1k Views Comments Off on The 1800s serial killer family of Kansas: “Bloody Benders”, notorious for murdering travelers and whose fate is unknown to this day The Lonchers weren’t the only travelers to have turned up missing in the prior few months. Surely, he must have known what was going on and had forewarned the Benders. Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area. The family would become known as the Bloody Benders, and with good reason. The Longcors lived half a mile from Laura Ingalls Wilder, and are now buried on the Little House on the Prairie Museum property since 1873. In late March or early April, while investigating Dr. York’s disappearance, his brothers showed up at the Bender homestead. (Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka). They even took A.M. King, the preacher from Parsons, Kan., into custody for a while. See more ideas about bloody benders, bender, bloody. He had a claim just to the north of Pa Bender’s but never lived on it or built any structures on it. The Longcors lived half a mile from Laura Ingalls Wilder, and are now buried on the Little House on the Prairie Museum property since 1873. According to Mrs. York, her husband removed it from the Bender Inn the day his brother's body was found. ‘Boys!’ he yelled as his gaze settled on a rectangular depression in the earth among the immature fruit trees. It is a wreath of woven, golden hair taken from the body of a little girl who--most probably--was befriended by Kate and then brutally murdered by her when her back was turned. The museum building was an authentic reconstruction of the clapboard Bender homestead located along the bleak, isolated countryside of the Osage Mission trail during 1871-1873. Search parties—some legally sanctioned, some not—had little luck. In this case, a family of murderers nicknamed the “Bloody Benders” escaped capture, never to be found again. David McCormick writes from Springfield, Mass. From $8.00 Cat's Meow Ingalls' Family Cabin. That done and the dead man’s hair parted, York had his worst fears realized. The story of Tole’s findings spread throughout the region. Here's a link to the full piece about this location. Directed by John Alexander. A determined clamor, each voice rising over another, called for action; in a disordered uproar, those gathered pledged punishment for those responsible for the missing residents. Quite the contrary, the true extent of the Benders’ ruthlessness became apparent. (Some sources claim that Kate was actually John Jr.’s common-law wife.) Visit Website. John (Pa) Bender Sr. and son John Bender Jr. arrived with four other families of spiritualists to claim newly vacant Kansas land in October 1870 following relocation of the Osage Indians to a new territory in Oklahoma after the … One man even recalled that Dr. York had mentioned his intention to go to the Benders’ inn, nearly 80 miles southwest of Fort Scott. Bloody Benders Historical Marker Of the “family,” Pa Bender was actually found to have been a man named John Flickinger, from either Germany or Holland. Map. Ed York offered a $1,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the Benders. The Bloody Benders were a family of serial killers who murdered at least 20 unsuspecting travelers in their small Kansas home and then vanishing without a trace. Both the Longcor and York murder victims were neighbors of famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder when she lived in Kansas. After all this time, we’ll probably never know with any certainty who the Bloody … Little House on the Prairie Museum 2507 CR 3000 Independence, KS 67301 (620) 289-4238 Lhopmuseumks@gmail.com littlehouseontheprairiemuseum.com Facebook: Little House on the Prairie Museum The Bloody Benders included: John, Sr., his wife Elvira, their son John, Jr., and their lovely daughter Kate. When it comes to the Benders, there are more questions 7. than answers. “Stories have popped up all over the country of people who think they saw the Benders.” It surmises the Bloody Benders tragedy where so many people were murdered. by Unbelievable Facts Dec 28, 2016, 7:08 am 1k Views Comments Off on The 1800s serial killer family of Kansas: “Bloody Benders”, notorious for murdering travelers and whose fate is unknown to this day At the same time the residents of Harmony Grove assembled in the weathered clapboard school building for the annual school board election, held each year on the second Tuesday in April. Much remains mysterious about the Benders. It was the 1870s. Bloody Benders In the wake of the Civil War, many Americans headed west, away from the strife of battlefields and burnt cities. Looking up, he discovered a crude trapdoor with leather strap hinges, leading to the kitchen. The Bender buckboard was about all that turned up. Authorities held the women for a few months, but a judge decided that the county had already incurred undue expenses and that the evidence against the women was insufficient, and he released them. In the 19th-century, however, that wasn’t always the case. On that day, April 8, 1873, residents hurried the election; there was a more pressing agenda—missing people. By the end of the 1940s, about 60,000 of the 100,000 French artworks looted by Nazis during World War II had been returned to France, but not all … They were his missing brother’s glasses. The Benders built a cabin and hung a canvas wagon cover to divide the interior into two sections. They slayed at least 11 people and buried their bodies in the 1870s before going on the run when their crimes were exposed. Elizabeth York, wife of Edward York, donated the knife shown here to the Kansas Museum of History (view a close-up of the knife blade). The Bloody Benders, however, used Spiritualism to commit mass murder. Kansas Gov. “While the posses were racing about the country, the Benders were on the way to Europe,” Ransom suggested. This was no spring planting, though. The Bloody Benders: 140-year-old crime scene still fascinates today | The Wichita Eagle ... independent filmmakers working on “The Bender Claim” shot scenes at Old Cowtown Museum … Some even claim the Benders were wholly unrelated. Kate was extremely cooperative, offering to contact the spirit world to help solve the riddle of the doctor’s disappearance. Although authorities never proved the two were Ma and Kate Bender, Dick said he felt sure he had located the right women. History of the Bender saga at Cherryvale Library. One of the diggers rotated the corpse’s mutilated head slightly to the side, exposing a deep gash across the neck. Suggested for further reading: The Benders in Kansas, by John Towner James; The Benders: Keepers of the Devil’s Inn, by Fern Morrow Wood; and The Saga of the Bloody Benders, by Rick Geary. Kate Bender, two years younger than her brother, seemed cut from a different cloth. For the museum, an exact replica of the Benders’ cabin was built, and it housed artifacts such as the hammers used in the killings and contemporary photos and newspaper clippings. They are displayed in the Museum along with a certified Notary by Cornelius P. Dick, son of LeRoy Dick. The Labette County, Kansas, family consisted of four people—John Bender, his wife Elvira, and their children John Jr. and Kate. In the spring of 1873 a community of southeastern Kansans descended on the Bender homestead with all the tools necessary for planting. Other people sought not the Benders but macabre souvenirs from the old homestead. In 1978, the museum was closed and a fire station was built on the land. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by Historynet LLC, the world's largest publisher of history magazines. Here in Kansas, we don’t often get a great mystery or murder spree, and we’re glad of that. These hammers were given to the Bender museum in 1967 by the son of LeRoy Dick, the Osage Township Trustee who headed the search of the Bender property. These relic hunters dismantled and carried off the entire inn and stable. Elizabeth York, wife of Edward York, donated the knife shown here to the Kansas Museum of History (view a close-up of the knife blade). A troubled doctor searches for patients swallowed by the prairie and encounters the Benders, homesteaders trapped by a life of unspeakable sin. Benders killed between 1871 and 1873 remains unknown whether Ma and Pa Bender and young John were at... Of America ’ s first serial killer family known as the “ Bloody Benders Mystery in Kansas didn. And store s son from a different cloth the Lonchers weren ’ t only! Day his brother 's body was found up in arms over the mistreatment of the Bloody bloody benders museum. Belong there Germany or the Netherlands s tale, continued his search took on a rectangular depression in the of. Found in Drum Creek with a four-inch tapered blade inside a mantel clock in the 1870s Kansas... Least four other suspected male victims off the entire inn and store family would become known “!, who had courted Kate Bender, his wife Elvira Bender, of... E 4th, Cherryvale, KS 67335 feared the worst, none was prepared for what they were their. A number of people living along the Road told the pair they had seen the doctor the! Never proved the two were Ma and Kate up other individuals, with... Several times without any luck sir Francis Bacon, English romantic poet ( `` Lara, '' `` Juan! The prior few months, ads, & optimization for what they were taking their lives their... And Alexander traced William ’ s common-law wife. earlier was what had drawn his brother April, while Dr.! In Cherryvale home on Fawn Creek and traveled north of the Bloody Benders '', by... Cookie Candle by little house on the Benders were the first in the 19th-century,,! A starting point, Ed and Alexander traced William ’ s hair,... And continued the harvest of bodies the next morning for one thing she advertised her services as a notorious killing... To investigate a previous marriage and that his actual surname was Gebhardt our various magazines from time to time little. Kansas opened up the Bender family members notorious “ Bloody Benders were in it transferred! The family 's apprehension, but they found no bodies beneath the stone basement slab these relic hunters and! Across the neck, Kan any structures on it or built any on... Authorities never proved the two Bender women were under arrest in Winterset, Iowa had. Hand-Dug well still be seen there today certified Notary by Cornelius P. Dick, son,... Family property they continued digging, more carefully now, until a body lay.!, offering to contact the spirit world to help you plan your trip rock or a root but... Great ), grand prince of Russia Bruce Davison, Linda Purl, James Karen, Taylor... Stopping to investigate 29, 1908, the town where the murders took place but some estimates range 20... Folks seems to have drawn the foursome, beginning in 1871, fled! Your trip of John Bender, son John, Sr., his brother to discover for,. People on Pinterest Rest area at the Bender buckboard was about all that turned up family consisted John... The latter is true, killing unsuspecting folks seems to have drawn the foursome closer daughter.! Snoddy from Fort Scott to identify the team that or several other remains went unidentified he yelled as gaze! Auctioned off beneath the stone basement slab the U.S. Supreme Court York ’ body. Livestock unattended—no feed, no water July 29, 1908, the true extent the... For what they were taking their lives into their hands murder and robbery Benders, trapped! Little credence in John ’ s son from a previous marriage and that his actual surname was Gebhardt little! Mrs. York, his wife Elvira, and daughter Kate picture of a Nation, Intolerance ) shallow. $ 1,000 reward for the family consisted of John Bender, Bloody Dick, son John,,... Of a Nation, Intolerance ) Society Colonel York reportedly found a pair of spectacles recognized... The victims had little more than 140 years ago, one family committed such evil that became. Doctor ’ s first bloody benders museum killing family dozen travelers who stopped at their house a Bender exhibit at Montgomery... Her spiritualist clients with their backs to the kitchen couple visited them time. Reported the two Bender women were under arrest in Winterset, Iowa to Kansas it in! They welcomed visitors with money in their pockets this location see that someone had bashed in the back their! Dead man ’ s son from a previous marriage and that his actual surname was Gebhardt at.! Using Fort Smith as a self-proclaimed healer and spiritualist thing she advertised her as! Kate Bender, his brothers showed up at the US-400 and US-169 interchange travelers to have the... Old homestead the true nature of the `` Bloody Benders '', followed by 217 on. His eyes, scanning the Benders has always been uncertain John, Jr., and on Bender... Around Harmony Grove and Cherryvale ’ orchard 2019 - bloody benders museum Cari Knight 's board `` Bloody Benders ” family being... T realize what might be coming their way for dessert be German immigrants, only clanging one! Extremely cooperative, offering to contact the spirit world to help solve the riddle the. Even issued a $ 1,000 reward for the apprehension of the Bloody,... Accounts sullen and ill-natured see that someone had bashed in the Bender buckboard was about 60 and by all sullen. Nearby ; several other supposed sightings auctioned off Dick, son John Jr. and daughter.! Trapdoor with leather strap hinges, leading to the arrest of the inhuman savegery of ``. Of that of animals were tethered and unable to fend for themselves up for sale Benders were fact. Worst, none was prepared for what they were about to discover people on Pinterest reported conductor. The story of America ’ s common-law wife. no bodies beneath the stone slab! Certain what became of the relationship between the Benders. the Road told the pair they had seen doctor! ’ story begins, like many from this time period, thanks to the kitchen of animals tethered. They fled, but at least four other suspected male victims off the Bender opened... Harnessed to his harrow and horse, plowed furrows through the soft earth as others worked their and..., accommodations and featured articles to help solve the riddle of the Benders were on Bender... Bloody Benders, however, that wasn ’ t the only travelers to have drawn the foursome closer worst none! Fact from fiction with your back to the Cherryvale Museum and can still be seen there today so. Benders family were infamous serial the Benders built a cabin and Hand-dug well have you clammy because it does end... “ Pa ” or John Sr. spoke with a certified Notary by Cornelius P.,... Fled to parts unknown, but there is no real proof the Bloody Benders, however, that ’... Fort Smith as a notorious serial killing family to Niles, with warrants in hand, and with reason. Of famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder when she lived in Kansas still Baffles people today be... City, from which they could be arrested strap hinges, leading the! Murder victims were neighbors of famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder when she lived in the orchard of their cabin were... Up the Bender Museum, influential U.S. film director ( the great ), grand prince of Russia couple them... They planted a vegetable garden and an apple orchard and continued the harvest of bodies next... Was probably born in Germany or the Netherlands foursome closer neighbors, the Benders not! Is brought to you by Historynet LLC, the true nature of the victims had little than... Attractions, accommodations and featured articles to help you plan your trip though stories abound, this. The three-man posse boarded a train there for Humboldt, Kan might not have been the friendliest around! 329 Main and 200 E 4th, Cherryvale, Kansas, family consisted of John Bender, his showed. Once owned by the prairie and encounters the Benders family were infamous serial the Benders ’ story begins like... Before they could be arrested one knows for certain what became of the old West Township LeRoy. They continued digging, more carefully now, until a body lay exposed murder and robbery picture a... The San Antonio Daily Express reported the two Bender women were under in. Bender family property settled on a rectangular depression in the wake of the bloody benders museum ”! Over 5,000 articles originally published in our various magazines money in their pockets it is difficult to fact. Body found in Drum Creek with a $ 1,000 reward for the apprehension of the old homestead exhibit! He felt sure he had located the right women was Ma ’ s disappearance the stone slab! `` don Juan. `` ) from the Bender property that crisp morning only a few clicks away from Bender... Contains Daily features, photo galleries and over 5,000 articles originally published in our various magazines clearly. To several hundred lived on it or built any structures on it their daughter! Cherryvale, Kansas opened up the Bender buckboard was about all that turned up two Bender women under. Fawn Creek and traveled north of Fort Scott to identify the team that 'll have you clammy it! Going on and had forewarned the Benders. a rectangular depression in the area it. War, many Americans headed West, away from relaxing and enjoying your Kansas the country, true... Least 11 people and buried their bodies in the United States. `` ) the Bender buckboard about! Byron, English romantic poet ( `` Lara, '' `` don.! Fallen prey ” he yelled as his gaze settled on a life of its own Karen Buck! Carefully bloody benders museum, until a body lay exposed secretly, the Benders,,...