When attempts were made to relocate the museum it became a point of controversy, some locals objecting to the town being known for the Bender murders. In tonight's episode, there's a plaque at the Barton Arms, the hotel Rabbi and Satchel stay at. This unnamed man was one of the many who made the mistake of stopping at the Bender Inn. In February 1872, the bodies of two men were found with the same injuries as Jones. While there is no definitive number, estimates report that the Benders killed at least a dozen travelers before their crimes were discovered. And Donald Mellon is your typical doting daddy, a clean-cut family man his girls admire and adore. [18], A historical marker describing the Benders' crimes is located in the rest area at the junction of U.S. Route 400 and U.S. Route 169 north of Cherryvale. ", In May 1871, the body of a man named Jones, whose skull had been crushed and throat cut, was discovered in Drum Creek. Though most were led to believe John and Kate were sister and brother, others said that they sometimes passed as man and wife. It would make for a fun season of the show that's for sure. 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. Also a great song by Macabre about the Benders: https://youtu.be/NJpbxpbI8FA. Of the discovery of her remains, the Kansas City Times reported: The little girl was probably eight years of age and had long, sunny hair and some traces of beauty on a countenance that was not yet entirely disfigured by decay. ASSOCIATED PRESS. but many still live in fear of their bloody hammer. Discover something new every day from News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment and more! Prairie Ghosts, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK). ", "Kate proclaimed herself responsible to no one save herself.". Today, Smalley descendants continue to live in the Neodosha and Cherryvale area. KANSAS HISTORICAL MARKER THE MELLON MOUNDS 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. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. So yeah, kind of obscure. Location. Even with her clairvoyant abilities, Kate attempted to search for the missing doctor to throw any suspicion off herself. When the men arrived at the property, they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. 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. . [5][18] $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. She and her brother John often attended Sunday School nearby Harmony Grove and were readily accepted in the community. Mrs. McCann's story came from dreams about her father's murder, which she discussed with Sarah Eliza. betty crocker net worth 2020; vietnamese culture relationships; pastillas para dormir durante el embarazo; what does modern fit mean in men's shirts? Carrie Nelson was beaten to death during an apparent robbery at Blue Mounds State Park in May 2001. Many of these minerals play a vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme secretion, hormone production, as well as in the regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities. [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]. Menu Next to their room is a hospital man, an obese white man with bandages all over him and some kind of skin condition that makes him look monstrous to the passing child. In total, 12 men "of bad repute in general" would be arrested, including Brockman. A place to discuss Lawrence Kansas happenings and news. As Calamita advances on him, Rabbi tries to grip his gun well enough to shoot. 1) May 1871: Mr. Jones. Cherryvale Museum Attempts to capture the bloodthirsty family were immediately made by both law officers and vigilantes alike. When a traveler was seated at the table, his head was outlined against the curtain. Kansas Muskmelon, 2 g. $2.75 Out of Stock Item #52106 (Orange flesh) 90 days. The parts did not belong to any of the other victims found and are believed to belong to at least three additional victims. Does that mean that Satchel has just landed in Oz now? sdsu basketball recruiting 2021vice president internal student council. 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. So provocative was the Bender family tale that the Bender Museum was created in Cherryvale in 1961. 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. The affidavits and other papers are missing from the file in LaBette County, so further examination is impossible. 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. Buried in the apple orchard. While popular retelling of the story holds that John Jr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported . Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. (In case you wondered after reading that, like I did, what year The Mulligan Concern arrived in Kansas City, it was 1920. The Bender artifacts were eventually given to the Cherryvale Museum, where they remain in a wall-mounted display case. Of the family, Pa Bender was found to have been a man named John Flickinger, from either Germany or Holland. 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. 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. While popular retelling of the story holds that John Jr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported . rpp program apartments newport news. Much folklore and legend surrounds the Benders, making it difficult to separate fact from fiction. It takes an English sentence and breaks it into words to determine if it is a phrase or a clause. I remember that song. In 1967, three of the Bender hammers were gifted to the museum by the Dick family. 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 petite auburn-haired beauty desired notoriety and often advocated free love and justification for murder in her lectures. Cherryvale, Kansas Museum 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. 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.. Guess well have to wait to find out . McCrotty, and John Geary, as well as an unidentified male and female. Her tag says her name is Rabbit. Dismembered parts of several other victims were also discovered but could never be identified. The book "All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas", by Camilla Bruce, published in 2022. In Rabbis absence, Satchel discovers a Jack Russel terrier hiding in the wardrobe in his room. The victim was then dispatched from behind with a hammer, the body was dropped into a basement pit, later to be buried in an orchard. 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. Immigrating from Germany, John Bender, Sr. was 60 years old when he arrived in the area; his wife was about 55. Elvira allegedly could not understand English, while the younger Benders denied the claim. No documentation or definitive proof of their relationships to one another, or where they were born, has ever been found. 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. The two arrive at The Mellon Mounds- a historical marker in Kansas. 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. Home TV & Streaming Recaps & Reviews FARGO Recap: (S04E09) East/West, Posted by Leona Laurie | Nov 16, 2020 | Recaps & Reviews, TV & Streaming | 0. It also brings to mind Lester Nygards murder weapon in season one. 20) May 1873: Dr William York. 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. Serial killer music is a genre unto itself. 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. Kate was a self-proclaimed healer and psychic, gave lectures on spiritualism, and conducted sances. The texts read "Johannah Bender. 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. From Howard County, Kansas. The family soon built a small one-room framed cabin, a barn, and a corral and dug a well. 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. Once in the cellar, the body would be stripped and later buried somewhere on the property, often in the orchard. They set up an inn, lured people into staying, then either hit them with a hammer or cut there throats with a knife before burying them in an apple orchard. Is Rabbi really dead? On deer antler shedding, pocket gopher mounds, eagle breeding and murders of crows (that's the name of a flock of crows) Fortunately, Omie appears behind Calamita and gets him with his last bullet. 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. 2023 Geek Girl Authority. 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.". Some believe justice came to them in the end. Also one of the victims was the neighbor of the person who wrote Little House on the Prarie. One arm was broken. Thanks for putting this up I knew the story sounded familiar..the was on an episode of Lore. Outside the door is a plaque that reads: KANSAS A message requesting positive identification was sent to Cherryvale, but the suspect severed his foot to escape his leg irons and bled to death. A roadside sign now marks their murderous exploits. John Bender, Sr. was from either Germany, Norway, or the Netherlands and may have been born John Flickinger. barry mcguigan, daughter funeral; mellon mounds kansas murders was harry hibbs married; waterloo central railway wedding. She maintained carnal relations with her brother, and boldly proclaimed her right to do so in the following words found in her lecture manuscript: "Shall we confine ourselves to a single love, and deny our natures their proper sway?Even though it be a brother's passion for his own sister, I say it should not be smothered. 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. As the boy listened, the men continued to talk, relating the tale of how the judge had lost his ear. 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". Both knew of William's travel plans and, when he failed to return, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. Both knew of his travel plans, and when he failed to return home, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. Mrs. Davis claimed that Mrs. Monroe was Elvira Bender, but that she herself was not Kate, but her sister Sarah; she later signed an affidavit to that effect, while Monroe continued to deny the identification and in turn accused Sarah Eliza of being the real Kate Bender. Phone: 620-624-3885 Fax: 620-626-7629 Manager: Nora Rubio Email: Email Mead Lumber of Liberal Hours: Cemetery. literally thought of red dead redemption 2 when i saw this episode, and saw that scene. There is a LOT to unpack in the latest episode of Fargo, some of which will likely be easier when we see what happens next. While the two women were certainly criminals and liars, as their own defense attorney admitted, the charges were weak and many people doubted their identification as the Benders. Their murders were carried out by use of a canvas curtain that divided the house into two rooms. Continuing, they began to dig around the cabin, especially in an area the Benders had utilized as a vegetable garden and orchard. I have heard my grandfather tell of this story since I was a boy and Grandpa swears that this is the real story of what happened to the Benders. [1][3] On April 3, Colonel York returned to the inn with armed men after being informed that a woman had fled from the inn after Elvira Bender had threatened her with knives. 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. 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. 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. $38 (2023: $860) and a wagon with a team of horses missing. 0 coins. He finally gets to eat that evening at a bizarre dinner of fish sticks and potatoes. Last night, I listened to a story from my grandfather, Emerson Smalley, about the Benders and their supposed end. They werent even a true family the only ones related were Ma and Kate Bender. 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. They were not pursued, as lawmen following outlaws into this region often never returned. 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. The Mellons are believed to have killed over a dozen people, including a child. Hes connected to a medical machine and has a hovering attendant with goggles on, ministering to him with a hypodermic needle. Finally, unsolved murders in Shawnee County, Kansas, can be found among these lists. Premium Powerups . The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. Daughter Kate was the friendliest of the bunch, speaking good English with just a slight accent and bore cultivated social skills. Each season of Fargo stands alone - you can watch them all out of order and still be able to understand what's going on. Rewind one day, to Rabbi and Satchel driving past the same station. 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 . When neighboring communities started to make slanderous insinuations, the Osage Township called a meeting held at the Harmony Grove schoolhouse in March to see what, if anything, could be done. [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. The Benders then stripped him of his clothes and went to bury him when the man suddenly awoke. The Mellon family is a wealthy and influential American family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The township trustee called for volunteers, and several hundred turned out to form a search party that included Colonel York. Advertisement Coins. In the spring of 1873, Dr. York took it upon himself to look for the Lonchers, stopping at the homesteads along the trail to ask questions. I wouldn't have imagined a crazier hotel story other than H H Holmes and The Murder Castle. A pity, it has quite a few quirks. [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. Historical Weather. As Active Shooter incidents have increased, employers are tasked with training employees on how to escape, hide, or fight. [1] The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son JohnJr. and daughter Kate. [1][2] A knife with a four-inch tapered blade was reportedly found hidden in a mantel clock in the Bender house by Colonel York. mellon mounds kansas murders. "[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. It first seems like Rabbi might escape, but ultimately he raises his hands in surrender and flies up into the clouds. Eventually, she married and went by the name of Sara Eliza Davis. 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. Somehow, he escaped, appearing naked in the middle of the night at Jesse Smalleys doorstep. The Benders were widely believed to be German immigrants. Marker is on the grounds of the rest area located northeast of the intersection of US Highways 189 and 400, about three miles south of Morehead. Good info. Although the elder Benders kept to themselves, Kate and her brother regularly attended Sunday school in nearby Harmony Grove. Sunflower seeds are incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. Located on a main road, the Benders sold meals and supplies to travelers. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. In 1884, it was reported that John Flickinger had committed suicide in Lake Michigan. They then began to follow a wagon trail left by the Benders that took them down as far south as Tulsa, Oklahoma, before circling back into Kansas. Subreddit for the FX original TV series, Fargo. Elvira was rumored to have murdered several husbands, but none of these rumors was ever proven. 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. Relocating to Independence from, 7) December 1872: Johnny Boyle. All four had crushed skulls and throats cut. , Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family ~~ John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate ~~ who settled here in 1871. 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. On May 17th, Governor Thomas Osborn added to that amount by offering a $2,000 reward for the apprehension of all four. 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. Kate Bender, who was around 23, was cultivated and attractive and spoke English well, with little accent. 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. 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. 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." Buried in the apple orchard. A decade after the gruesome killings, nothing was left of the cabin and outbuildings on the property. 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. [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. [7] Brockman would be arrested again 23 years later for the rape and murder of his own 18-year-old daughter.[8]. 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. 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. They broker an arrangement wherein Omie and his captive paint the building in exchange for being allowed to lie in wait. Everywhere Satchel and Rabbi appear together, someone calls out the color of Satchels skin and questions their connection. He has a white man in his trunk, an informant who has helped him track Calamita to the Liberal, Kansas, area. She is fun enough. They buried their victims in a neighboring orchard, unbeknownst to the townspeople. They purchased tickets on the northbound Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Train to Humboldt. 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 . Yep that's the one from a book I have. 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. John was prone to laughing aimlessly, which led many to consider him a "half-wit." Kate's popularity became a large attraction for the Benders' inn. I used to have their Dahmer album way back. Finally, the men physically moved the entire cabin to the side and began to search beneath, but no bodies were found there either. Donald's family owns successful McDonald's franchises in their home town of Phoenix, Arizona. [1][11][12][13][14][15][16], By including the recovered body parts not matched to the bodies found, the finds are speculated to represent the remains of more than 20 victims. They were never caugnt. 37 20.932 N, 95 31.668 W. Marker is in Morehead, Kansas, in Montgomery County. Find links to our programs, locations, partners, staff members, and communications. [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. A terrible smell inside the abandoned inn also met them. The 4th United States Colored Infantry, 1863-1866, A History of the Ninth New Jersey Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War, How . The front section also contained the kitchen and dining table, where travelers could stop for a meal or even spend the night. Rounding out the boardinghouse crew (west side) is a young man on his way to make it rich on the Texas oil fields. melon mounds liberal kansaspython list memory allocationpython list memory allocation Thomas Jefferson was one of the first to excavate into a Native American burial mound, citing the disappearance of the "noble" Indianscaused by violence and the corruption of the encroaching white. 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. 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. The captive makes a run for it, and Omie shoots him dead and drags his body out of sight. The Bloody Benders - Serial Killers of Kansas Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. When he pulls into the drive, he spots Calamitas empty car at the pump immediately. So weird, this last weekend I was just reading about the Benders due to a similar encounter in Red Dead Redemption 2. When he refused to sit with his back to the canvas because of its disgusting stains, Pickering said that Kate Bender threatened him with a knife, so he fled the premises. A beautiful girl of about 23, she was quick to laugh and talk to strangers. 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. 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. The fate of the family remains unknown, with theories ranging from a lynching of the family to a successful escape. That is a Kansas historical society sign. After a cabin, a barn with a corral, and a well were built, in the fall of 1871, Elvira Bender and daughter Kate arrived, and the cabin was divided into two rooms by a canvas wagon-cover. Records of the incarceration back up this affidavit. Allegedly, the pair then fled to a tough outlaw colony along the border of Texas and New Mexico. From the first grayscale frame, its clear that were arent in Kansas City anymore. Photo courtesy of the BCA. In the 19th century, Kansas was a bloody place, especially before the Civil War, as " Free-Soilers " and slavery advocates "duked" it out for control of the new territory. Legend has it that the family of four gruesomely murdered at least 11 patrons, scattering the bodies throughout their property and county. 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. The Benders were undoubtedly surprised to find that the man wasnt dead. It is in Morehead in Montgomery County Kansas. The women's identities were later confirmed by two Osage township witnesses from a tintype photograph. read the excerpt from part 1 of the odyssey Some say that they escaped, others that they were executed by a vengeful posse. 11) December 1872: Red Smith. A crude sign was hung above the front door that advertised Groceries to the many travelers along the Osage Trail. Game got that right. 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. The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son John Jr. and daughter Kate. 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. 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.

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mellon mounds kansas murders