Though he allegedly committed suicide in 1884 in Lake Michigan, others believed that Ma and Kate murdered him because he had fled Cherryvale with all the cash and valuables they had taken from their victims. Sometime later, Billy Tole, a neighbor of the Benders, noticed that the Bender Inn was abandoned and their farm animals unfed. Graves of the many who the Benders killed. 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. A terrible smell inside the abandoned inn also met them. Copyright20062023,Somerightsreserved. Premium Powerups . 1315) December 1872: Various body parts. From there, they traveled to an outlaw colony thought to be in the border region between Texas and New Mexico. So provocative was the Bender family tale that the Bender Museum was created in Cherryvale in 1961. 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. Fact or fiction, no one knows, but Ive always enjoyed the tale and hope you will as well. Eventually, she married and went by the name of Sara Eliza Davis. Another of Mrs. Monroe's daughters, Mary Gardei, later provided an affidavit claiming that her mother (then Almira Shearer), under the name of Almira Marks, was actually serving two years in the Detroit House of Corrections in 1872 for the manslaughter of her daughter-in-law, Emily Mark. Several weeks after the discovery of the bodies, Addison Roach and his son-in-law, William Buxton, were arrested as accessories. 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. I'd need to check but my gut feeling is that its real. but many still live in fear of their bloody hammer. 620-336-3576. Southeast Kansas, in particular, was known as a rough area. 11) December 1872: Red Smith. Outside the door is a plaque that reads: KANSAS Though most of us know of Dodge Citys wicked ways, the deadly gunfight of the Daltons in Coffeyville, and the many outlaws and gunfighters who spent time in the Sunflower State, few are aware of a family of mass murderers, living a supposed quiet life near the small town of Cherryvale. Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. Keeping mostly to themselves, the Benders appeared to simply be struggling homesteaders who worked hard to earn their living like the other area pioneers. In total, 12 men "of bad repute in general" would be arrested, including Brockman. what happened to johnny rodriguez country singervice president internal student council. From the first grayscale frame, its clear that were arent in Kansas City anymore. Her husband and son were said to have feared her as she ran the household with an iron hand. In the end, the artifacts, including the hammers, photos, and newspaper clippings, were placed in the Cherryvale Museum and can still be seen today at 215 East 4th Street. Other bodies found in the garden were those of Henry McKenzies mutilated remains, three men by the names of Ben Brown, W.F. She was 20 at the time of her death. Phone: 620-624-3885 Fax: 620-626-7629 Manager: Nora Rubio Email: Email Mead Lumber of Liberal Hours: Cemetery. ", In May 1871, the body of a man named Jones, whose skull had been crushed and throat cut, was discovered in Drum Creek. So weird, this last weekend I was just reading about the Benders due to a similar encounter in Red Dead Redemption 2. In honor of the Kansas state-wide Centennial Celebration, an exact replica of the Bender cabin was built that housed antiques and household items. It says this home used to be run by the infamous Mellon Family, who lured travelers in before killing them with a hammer. Several groups of vigilantes were formed to search for the Benders. The 162-acre tract of cropland known as the "Bender Farm" will be sold off to. Colonel A.M. York, leading a contingency of some 50 men, began questioning every traveler along the trail and stopping at the area homesteads. This historical marker was erected by Kansas State Historical Society and Kansas Department of Transportation. 12) December 1872: Abigail Roberts. When the vigilantegroup approached, the Benders fired on them, at which time, the judge lost part of his ear to a flying bullet. After following a fresh trail of wagon tracks, a search party found that the Benders had gone to the town of nearby Thayer, some twelve miles to the north. 20) May 1873: Dr William York. And everything is in color! Nothing like this sickening series of crimes had ever been recorded in the whole history of the country.. Last night, I listened to a story from my grandfather, Emerson Smalley, about the Benders and their supposed end. mellon mounds kansas murders. A decade after the gruesome killings, nothing was left of the cabin and outbuildings on the property. [2] The elder Benders did not leave the train at Humboldt, but instead continued north to Kansas City, where it is believed they purchased tickets for St. Louis, Missouri.[1]. Several days later, the Benders team and wagon were found a short distance away, and the horses nearly starved. The Bender family, more well known as the Bloody Benders, were a family of serial killers who lived and operated in Labette County, Kansas, United States, from May 1871 to December 1872. styled components as prop typescript; indie bands from austin, texas; dr pepper marketing strategy; barking and dagenham hmo register; famous belgian chocolate brands According to a breathless Daily Mail report, nursery-school teacher Inessa Tarverdiyeva and her husband, dentist Roman Podkopayev, were behind "a six-year reign of terror including at least 30. THE KANSAS MURDER TRILOGY by Melvin Litton offers three stand-alone novels that spring from the heartland and mark three pivotal moments in our nation's life: the fall of Saigon and the loss of faith in the post-war construct, 1975; the brink of the Space Age and Civil Rights era, 1960; and the Great Depression, 1934. the mellon family kansas. 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. The Benders family, of German descent, was one of the families who moved to the outskirts of Kansas. 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. 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. Colonel York, leading a company of some 50 men, questioned every traveler along the trail and visited all the area homesteads. The township trustee called for volunteers, and several hundred turned out to form a search party that included Colonel York. Satchel asks to keep Rabbit, and Rabbi refuses until he learns that its the boys birthday. Eyewitness testimony was given that Mrs. Monroe was Elvira Bender. The media speculated that some of the victims had attempted to fight back after being hit with the hammer. The little store carried a few supplies such as powder, shot, groceries, liquor, and tobacco, sold meals, and provided a safe overnight resting place to the strangers along the road. The two arrive at The Mellon Mounds- a historical marker in Kansas. It is conjectured[by whom?] The Benders are believed to have killed about a dozen people, including one child., Although stories abound, the ultimate fate of the murderous Bender family is uncertain. ", "Kate proclaimed herself responsible to no one save herself.". It was reported at the time that Kate was into free love, telling fortunes, and being a little too close to her brother. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. Advertisement Coins. Johnny Boyles body was found in the well. Secretly, the four made a living through murder and robbery. 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. All Rights Reserved. The Bender artifacts were eventually given to the Cherryvale Museum, where they remain in a wall-mounted display case. Upon further investigation, Captain James B. HISTORICAL MARKER With the victim's back to the curtain, Kate would distract the guest while John Bender or his son came from behind the curtain and struck the guest on the right side of the skull with a hammer. When the men arrived at the property, they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. Gabe Gibson, Effingham, Illinois, as told to him by his grandfather, Emerson Smalley, January 2011. It is in Morehead in Montgomery County Kansas. The Benders were undoubtedly surprised to find that the man wasnt dead. But if your not from Kansas it's a fairly obscure story. Elvira was rumored to have murdered several husbands, but none of these rumors was ever proven. When the Benders opened their store and inn in 1871, many travelers would stop for a meal or supplies. McCrotty. The body would then be buried in the garden behind the house during the night. melon mounds kansas murders. All of the bizarre characters in the house sit around the table, except the hospital man and his companion, and the table (like the whole house) is split into two meals, two styles of dcor and two serving staffs in accordance with the sisters feud. He takes Satchel to a quirky (to say the least) boardinghouse, owned by feuding, deaf, elderly sisters. He steps out of his car, gun drawn, and discovers the filling station attendants body in a doorway. [1][2] Although some of the victims were wealthy, others carried little of value on them, and it was surmised that the Benders had killed them simply for the sheer thrill. 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. The episode opens with Omie Sparkman (Corey Hendrix) pulling into a filling station on a desolate road in Kansas. If not accosted by road agents, travelers also had to be concerned about Indian attacks. Afterward, she reportedly remarried several times, killing those husbands and three of her older children so they could not testify against her. [7] Brockman would be arrested again 23 years later for the rape and murder of his own 18-year-old daughter.[8]. It also brings to mind Lester Nygards murder weapon in season one. Hey babe, nice melon mounds. The "Bloody Benders" were a German family of four that settled a claim in southeastern Kansas in Labette County. 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. They return to their room, where Rabbi informs Satchel that theyll be leaving that night as he counts his money. They buried their victims in a neighboring orchard, unbeknownst to the townspeople. Though the pair were jailed, the case was dropped for lack of evidence. They purchased tickets on the northbound Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Train to Humboldt. Their attorney also produced a marriage certificate indicating that Mrs. Davis had been married in Michigan in 1872, the time when several of the murders were committed. Mrs. Monroe resisted, declaring that she would not be taken alive, but was subdued by local deputies. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Benders. She watches (and recaps) a lot of TV, sees every Marvel movie on opening night and reads voraciously. He returns his attention to Rabbi, who has noticed something behind the Italian: a bona fide Wizard of Oz tornado. It said the plaque was erected by the Kansas City historical society. 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. Hell the first album from the Smiths included a song about the Moors Murderers. He then cautiously looks through a window, where he sees Calamita standing over a wounded Omie, gun drawn. Records of the incarceration back up this affidavit. The front section also contained the kitchen and dining table, where travelers could stop for a meal or even spend the night. Some say that they escaped, others that they were executed by a vengeful posse. Fargo is a critically acclaimed series created by Noah Hawley, who is also the creator of FX's Legion. This unnamed man was one of the many who made the mistake of stopping at the Bender Inn. Her face was a fit picture of the midnight hag that wove the spell murderous ambition about the soul of Macbeth. [3] Also in 1884, an elderly man matching John Bender Sr.'s description was arrested in Montana for a murder committed near Salmon, Idaho, where the victim had been killed by a hammer blow to the head. East/West may *look* like a detour into surrealist Midcentury Italian cinema when it opens, but the minute the wind starts blowing through black and white Kansas you know where you are. The book "Hell's Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier", by Susan Jonusas, published in 2022. 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 isnt a kill shot, though, and Calamita whips around to put Omie down. 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.' A trap door, nailed shut, was discovered on the cabin floor. did phineas and ferb die in a car accident. Everywhere Satchel and Rabbi appear together, someone calls out the color of Satchels skin and questions their connection. As Calamita advances on him, Rabbi tries to grip his gun well enough to shoot. Although stories abound, the ultimate fate of the murderous Bender family is uncertain. The texts read "Johannah Bender. They were not pursued, as lawmen following outlaws into this region often never returned. 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. Along with her desire for fame, she also craved wealth and position. By 1873, reports of missing people who had passed through the area had become so common that travelers began to avoid the trail. Buried in the apple orchard. For years, sightings of Ma Bender and Kate were reported, and in 1889, two women were extradited from Michigan on the charge. 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.. Calamita is swept up into the funnel, along with the filling station and the bodies littering its floors. She and her brother John often attended Sunday School nearby Harmony Grove and were readily accepted in the community. The for the guy who discovered Pluto? York reached Fort Scott, and on March 9 began the return journey to Independence, but never arrived. [1][2][3] Despite York's strong suspicions regarding the Benders since his visit several weeks earlier, no one had watched them, and it was not noticed for several days that they had fled. Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. Franks father, Jesse P. Smalley, and several men were joking with a local judge, teasing him about his missing ear. Seventy-five locals attended the meeting, including Colonel York and both John BenderSr. and John BenderJr. After discussing the disappearances, including that of William York, they agreed to obtain a warrant to search every homestead between Big Hill Creek and Drum Creek. The family includes Andrew Mellon, one of the longest-serving U.S. Treasury Secretaries, along with prominent members in the judicial, banking, financial, business, and political professions, as well as a famous recluse, Cordelia Scaife May . By the way, said clerk is a Colored. ?," "big slaughter day, Jan eighth", and "hell departed. They killed as many as 26 people, I believe there is a museum that stills has a bloody knife they used. Today, Smalley descendants continue to live in the Neodosha and Cherryvale area. The reason theyre heading toward Liberal is that Rabbi spent enough time there at some point to have stashed $5000 in a feed store in case he needed it. The digging continued the next day; nine other bodies and numerous dismembered body parts were found, including a woman and a little girl. The Vicious Harpes First AmericanSerial Killers, The Bloody Benders Kate soon gained notoriety as a self proclaimed healer and . Rabbi would not have been one of the Mellons.). As the boy listened, the men continued to talk, relating the tale of how the judge had lost his ear. The family quickly ran away in the middle of the night never to be seen. She also claimed to possess psychic powers, including communicating with the dead. Yeah! They were never caugnt. According to the May 23, 1873 edition of The Emporia News, he was identified with the name of William Bender. The Benders tried to help by admitting that Dr. York had stopped at their place but convinced the search party that he had left and was probably waylaid by Indians. This is a list of notable male murderers who committed their murders in Kansas, USA. In February 1872, the bodies of two men were found with the same injuries as Jones. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022. Then Kate would begin to charm the men with her social skills, flirting, or revealing her psychic gifts. As the men gave their full attention to the alluring Kate, Pa and John Bender, hiding behind the canvas, would strike the unsuspecting traveler in the skull with a hammer. "[7], Word of the murders spread quickly, and more than three thousand people, including reporters from as far away as New York City and Chicago, visited the site. A beautiful girl of about 23, she was quick to laugh and talk to strangers. John was prone to laughing aimlessly, which led many to consider him a "half-wit." Once Kansas declared itself with the Union and the Civil War began, the bloody battles continued. This tugs his heartstrings, inspiring him to leave the boardinghouse in search of some kind of birthday treat for his ward. They broke up the stone slab floor with sledgehammers, but found no bodies, and determined that the smell was from blood that had soaked into the soil. , Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family ~~ John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate ~~ who settled here in 1871. Legend has it that the family of four gruesomely murdered at least 11 patrons, scattering the bodies throughout their property and county. Though he reached Fort Scott unscathed and started to return to Independence on March 8, he never reached home. The only thing remaining an empty hole that had once been the cellar. 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. Continuing, they began to dig around the cabin, especially in an area the Benders had utilized as a vegetable garden and orchard. Mrs. Almira Griffith) and Mrs. Sarah Eliza Davis had been arrested in Niles, Michigan (often misreported as Detroit) several weeks earlier for larceny. At this point the customers felt uneasy and decided to leave, a move that almost certainly saved their lives. In the spring of 1873, Longcor's former neighbor, Dr. William Henry York, went looking for them and questioned homesteaders along the trail. Elvira Bender, who also allegedly spoke little English, was 55 years old and so unfriendly that her neighbors took to calling her a "she-devil.". [1][2][3], John Bender, Sr. was around 60 years old and spoke little English. Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family ~~ John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate ~~ who settled here in 1871. Kate was purportedly Elvira's fifth daughter. John Bender, Jr. was actually a man named John Gebhardt. In 1937 she gave a speech at a book fair which was later transcribed and printed in the September 1978 Saturday Evening Post and in the 1988 book A Little House Sampler. While there is no definitive number, estimates report that the Benders killed at least a dozen travelers before their crimes were discovered. [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. Will this theme continue next week? [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. However, none of these tales were confirmed, nor were bodies found, so most thought that the Benders had managed to escape. Both knew of his travel plans, and when he failed to return home, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. Immigrating from Germany, John Bender, Sr. was 60 years old when he arrived in the area; his wife was about 55. The women's identities were later confirmed by two Osage township witnesses from a tintype photograph. 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. flower arranging classes northern virginia. As more and more travelers disappeared, suspicion began to center on the Benders. Kate Bender, who was around 23, was cultivated and attractive and spoke English well, with little accent. James, John Towner; The Benders of Kansas; Kan-Okla Publishing, Wichita, KS, 1913, reprinted 1995. [1], One detective later claimed that he had traced the pair to the border, where he had found that JohnJr. had died of apoplexy. 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. mellon mounds kansas murders. On this spot stood the Mellon Mounds, named for the infamous Mellon family, who lured unsuspecting travelers into their home, fed them and then dispatched them with a hammer. 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. 37 20.932 N, 95 31.668 W. Marker is in Morehead, Kansas, in Montgomery County. Fortunately, Rabbi returns in time to shut down the likely police shooting and receives a warning from the officer about keeping his colored boy out of sight in a town like that. One vigilante group claimed to have shot down the men and Ma Bender and burned Kate alive as the witch they believed her to be. $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. Find links to our programs, locations, partners, staff members, and communications. Each season of Fargo stands alone - you can watch them all out of order and still be able to understand what's going on. Allegedly, while working at the Bender Inn, she earned her keep as a prostitute, adding an additional amount to the travelers bill for the privilege of laying with her. A Catholic priest said he fled when he saw one of the Bender men concealing a large hammer. 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. John BenderJr. was around 25 years old and handsome, with auburn hair and a mustache, and spoke English fluently with a German accent. Judge Calvin dismissed Mary Gardei's affidavit as she was a "chip off the old block"; he found that other affidavits supporting Gardei's were sufficient proof that the women could never be convicted, however, and he discharged them both. 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.