The next morning, another eight bodies were found in seven of the nine suspected graves, while one was found in the well, along with a number of body parts. . the mellon mounds kansas murders - tech4society.group Menu Dr. York had two brothers, one living in Fort Scott and the other in Independence. She and her brother John often attended Sunday School nearby Harmony Grove and were readily accepted in the community. 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. As more and more travelers vanished, suspicion began to circle the Mellons. 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. Thanks for putting this up I knew the story sounded familiar..the was on an episode of Lore. Mrs. Bender, a heavyset woman, was so unfriendly and had such sinister eyes that her neighbors began to call her a she-devil. To add to her fierce look, Ma Bender claimed to be a medium who could speak with the dead and boiled herbs and roots that she declared could be used to cast charms or wicked spells. It says this home used to be run by the infamous Mellon Family, who lured travelers in before killing them with a hammer. Although the elder Benders kept to themselves, Kate and her brother regularly attended Sunday school in nearby Harmony Grove. Contemporary newspapers reported his name as either "George W. Longcor" or "George Loncher," while Mary Ann is similarly reported as being either eight years old or 18 months old. They purchased tickets on the northbound Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Train to Humboldt. 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. [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. Season 4 Episode 22 (1961) of the TV series, Season 1, episode 15 (2006) of the TV series, The "Hitchcock's Birds, Hope Diamond, Phineas Gang" episode of the Travel Channel's show, The Bender Family is mentioned in episode 94 of the podcast, The story was recounted on Investigation Discovery's, The metal pioneers Macabre have a song about the Benders, who are said to be of Norwegian ancestry -. 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. Tole reported the fact to the township trustee, but due to inclement weather, several days lapsed before the abandonment could be investigated. John was prone to laughing aimlessly, which led many to consider him a "half-wit." 2014. Both knew of William's travel plans and, when he failed to return, an all-out search began for the missing doctor. All four had crushed skulls and throats cut. hunzaguides.com Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa I believe I read this year that the land where the house once stood got sold to someone. (In case you wondered after reading that, like I did, what year The Mulligan Concern arrived in Kansas City, it was 1920. Elvira allegedly could not understand English, while the younger Benders denied the claim. At a fork of the Fall and Verdigris Rivers, they found the Benders with their wagon backed up against a fallen tree with canvas over it for shelter. Bloody Benders - Wikipedia Born July 30, 1848," "John Gebhardt came to America on July 1 18? Their murders were carried out by use of a canvas curtain that divided the house into two rooms. Satchel decides to keep her, without asking anyone in the building whose she is, and Rabbis only objection to this when he meets her is that she makes noise. The breastbone had been driven in. The old Bender property was haunted, and the rumors of the locals began to fly. McCrotty. She soon found the lecture circuit profitable by distributing circulars that proclaimed her skills, including supernatural powers and the ability to cure illnesses and infirmities. 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. Instead, we downshift hard into the side story ofSatchel (Rodney L Jones III) andRabbi (Ben Whishaw) on the lam, withConstant Calamita (Gaetano Bruno) on their tail. [7], A bad odor was noticed and traced to a trap door underneath a bed, nailed shut. In February 1872, the bodies of two men were found with the same injuries as Jones. Immigrating from Germany, John Bender, Sr. was 60 years old when he arrived in the area; his wife was about 55. After the Benders escape, one detective, who had closely followed all the leads, said that he had traced Gebhardt to the outlaw country along the Texas/New Mexico border, where he had found that the criminal had died of apoplexy. My grandfather, who is approaching 80 years old, is always full of great stories, but he assured me that his father, who passed this on to him, knew what happened. This one would make a great show/movie, but we keep seeing remakes and reboots. Sunflower seeds are incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. Cherryvale Museum Benders Mounds Cemetery Labette County , Kansas , USA - *Estimated location First Name Middle Name Last Name (s) Search this cemetery More search options Search tips About Photos 0 Map About No location information available Add Location Cemetery ID: 2728705 Members have Contributed 6 Memorials 100% photographed 620-336-3576. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/washingtonhistor0014unse The CAashington Historical . 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. Although stories abound, the ultimate fate of the murderous Bender family is uncertain. On May 17, Kansas Governor Thomas A. Osborn offered a $2,000 ($45,239 as of 2023) reward for the apprehension of all four. Uncovered: Unsolved Kansas Murders All but one had their heads bashed with a hammer and throats cut, and newspapers reported that all were "indecently mutilated. 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.' betty crocker net worth 2020; vietnamese culture relationships; pastillas para dormir durante el embarazo; what does modern fit mean in men's shirts? It first seems like Rabbi might escape, but ultimately he raises his hands in surrender and flies up into the clouds. In 1884, it was reported that John Flickinger had committed suicide in Lake Michigan. In total, 12 men "of bad repute in general" would be arrested, including Brockman. A self-proclaimed healer and psychic, she distributed flyers advertising her supernatural powers and her ability to cure illnesses. 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 episode opens with Omie Sparkman (Corey Hendrix) pulling into a filling station on a desolate road in Kansas. [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]. [18], According to a news report from contemporary media, an unnamed man from Kansas City, who had investigated the Bender Family's house and the rumors of their deaths numerous times, claimed that The Kelly Family were in fact the Benders. While popular retelling of the story holds that John Jr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported . The Benders were widely believed to be German immigrants. It would make for a fun season of the show that's for sure. John Bender, Jr. was actually a man named John Gebhardt. 1315) December 1872: Various body parts. HISTORICAL MARKER 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. Also, sleep with one eye open. Kate soon gained notoriety as a self proclaimed healer and spiritualist. When friends and family began to look for them, they could trace them as far as the Big Hill Country of southeast Kansas before finding no trace of the lost traveler. [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. Some of the Benders' neighbors claimed that John and Kate were not brother and sister, but actually husband and wife. He returns his attention to Rabbi, who has noticed something behind the Italian: a bona fide Wizard of Oz tornado. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 16:54. [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. RELATED: Missed the last episode? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Benders. They disappeared in the spring of 1873, shortly before inquisitive neighbors discovered the victims' bodies. . Daughter Kate was the friendliest of the bunch, speaking good English with just a slight accent and bore cultivated social skills. 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. melon mounds liberal kansas Franks father, Jesse P. Smalley, and several men were joking with a local judge, teasing him about his missing ear. The affidavits and other papers are missing from the file in LaBette County, so further examination is impossible. A decade after the gruesome killings, nothing was left of the cabin and outbuildings on the property. The Bloody Benders: What Happened to this Family of Killers? I remember that song. Eventually, she married and went by the name of Sara Eliza Davis. The probing continued until midnight, with another nine suspected grave sites marked before the men were satisfied they had found them all and retired for the night. 1) May 1871: Mr. Jones. 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. While popular retelling of the story holds that John Jr. and Kate were siblings, contemporary newspapers reported . Allegedly, the pair then fled to a tough outlaw colony along the border of Texas and New Mexico. The museum remained a popular tourist destination until it closed in 1978 when a fire station was built. 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. ia904708.us.archive.org 1. The Bender cabin was destroyed by souvenir hunters who took everything, including the bricks that lined the cellar and the stones lining the well.[1][2]. Also in residence on the east is a hero of Wounded Knee (as if there was such a thing) and his niece, a minor girl whos relationship to the old man is likely not familial. 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. In the winter of 1872, Mr. Loncher and his daughter had left Independence for Iowa but were never heard from again. Many innocent men under suspicion were also run out of the county by these committees.[5]. They buried their victims in a neighboring orchard, unbeknownst to the townspeople. kansas historical marker the mellon mounds It was reported at the time that Kate was into free love, telling fortunes, and being a little too close to her brother. rpp program apartments newport news. 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. Records of the incarceration back up this affidavit. , Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family ~~ John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate ~~ who settled here in 1871. One weird oversight. barry mcguigan, daughter funeral; mellon mounds kansas murders The plaque was created for the show. 6) December 1872: Henry McKenzie. John Bender, Sr. was from either Germany, Norway, or the Netherlands and may have been born John Flickinger. At the site of a freshly stirred depression in the earth, they found the first body, buried head downward with its feet scarcely covered. 12) December 1872: Abigail Roberts. Their story is unresolved, and remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the old West. The Benders then stripped him of his clothes and went to bury him when the man suddenly awoke. Hunza Guides is Pakistan's top mountain destination management company offering full board tours, trekking and expeditions services in Pakistan. Hes connected to a medical machine and has a hovering attendant with goggles on, ministering to him with a hypodermic needle. John and his raw-boned wife spoke with such guttural accents that few people could understand them. 1619) December 1872: During the search, the bodies of four unidentified males were found in Drum Creek and the surrounds. Though he reached Fort Scott unscathed and started to return to Independence on March 8, he never reached home. [11] Whether John Flickinger was really John Bender is unknown. Bug ID: JDK-8141210 Very slow loading of JavaScript file - Bug Database Buried in the apple orchard. [2], Testimony from people who had stayed at the Benders' inn and managed to escape before they could be killed appeared to support the presumed execution method of the Benders. "[20][21] Some have cast doubt on the story, saying that Laura would have been only 4 when her family moved away from the area, and that the Benders were exposed in 1873, two years after the Ingalls family left. Today, Smalley descendants continue to live in the Neodosha and Cherryvale area. A trap door, nailed shut, was discovered on the cabin floor. This is blatantly a reference to the Bender Family, a family of serial killers from late 1800s Kansas. 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. melon mounds kansas murders 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). Fargo has won multiple Emmy Awards and Golden Globes Awards for outstanding work in television. Calamita notices him and shoots twice out the window. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Benders. I used to have their Dahmer album way back. melon mounds liberal kansas Game got that right. The Bender artifacts were eventually given to the Cherryvale Museum, where they remain in a wall-mounted display case. Secretly, the four made a living through murder and robbery. In the spring of 1873, Longcor's former neighbor, Dr. William Henry York, went looking for them and questioned homesteaders along the trail. In Rabbis absence, Satchel discovers a Jack Russel terrier hiding in the wardrobe in his room. 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. Keeping mostly to themselves, the Benders appeared to simply be struggling homesteaders who worked hard to earn their living like the other area pioneers. A number of researchers question the ready acceptance of the affidavit's authenticity and suggest that the county was unwilling to accept the expense of boarding the two women for an extended period. While not actually on the old Bender property, the marker sits on the high prairie about a mile northwest of Bender Mounds at the US-400 and US-169 interchange at the Montgomery County Rest area, north of Cherryvale. ", "Old Mrs. Bender was a dirty old Dutch crone. Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022. 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. mellon mounds kansas murders - lavamusic.is why i quit civil engineering; goo goo gaga family net worth; how to make homemade biscuits without baking powder; noah hester restaurant; 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. The family consisted of John Bender, his wife Elvira and their son John Jr. and daughter Kate. A Look at Fargo- Season 4, Episode 9: "East/West" - What Else is on The women's identities were later confirmed by two Osage township witnesses from a tintype photograph. Originally scheduled for February 1890, the trial was held over to May. The fate of the family remains unknown, with theories ranging from a lynching of the family to a successful escape. Shortly after theyve settled, Rabbi leaves Satchel alone with his usual goodbye of, If I dont come back, Im dead or in jail. He drives into Liberal to see about the money he left behind, only to discover that the feed store was sold at auction and has been converted to an appliance store by a pair of brothers. He steps out of his car, gun drawn, and discovers the filling station attendants body in a doorway. Subreddit for the FX original TV series, Fargo. At this point the customers felt uneasy and decided to leave, a move that almost certainly saved their lives. The owner of the Drum Creek claim was suspected, but no action was taken. As more and more travelers disappeared, suspicion began to center on the Benders. Four other bodies with crushed skulls and slit throats were also found outside the property in Drum Creek and on the surrounding prairie. Near here are the Bender Mounds, named for the infamous Bender family ~~ John, his wife, son, and daughter Kate ~~ who settled here in 1871. As Active Shooter incidents have increased, employers are tasked with training employees on how to escape, hide, or fight. Site of 1870s 'Bloody Benders' serial killings is for sale | The 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. One arm was broken. When the men arrived at the property, they found the cabin empty of food, clothing, and personal possessions. 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). After Colonel Yorks visit and the meeting at the Harmony Grove schoolhouse, the Bender family fled. She also claimed to possess psychic powers, including communicating with the dead. Carrie Nelson was beaten to death during an apparent robbery at Blue Mounds State Park in May 2001. He pointed out that both families' modus operandi, family unit numbers and other evidence proved that they are one and the same. After the third hanging, they released him and he staggered home "as one who was drunken or deranged. And everything is in color! [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. So yeah, kind of obscure. Mrs. McCann's story came from dreams about her father's murder, which she discussed with Sarah Eliza. 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. White Settlers Buried the Truth About the Midwest's Mysterious Mound For all these deaths, the Benders gained only about $4,600, two teams of horses and wagons, a pony, and a saddle. Elvira and Kate Bender also planted a 2-acre (0.81ha) vegetable garden and apple orchard north of the cabin. $2,000 (2023: $45,239) missing. They broker an arrangement wherein Omie and his captive paint the building in exchange for being allowed to lie in wait. The group is believed to be one of the first serial killer families in America. the mellon mounds kansas murders - segiteknoloji.com [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. Photo courtesy of the BCA. Whenever he is asked a question about himself, Satchels response is that he is hungry. At her hearing, Mrs. Monroe denied any knowledge of Shearer or the manslaughter charge and remained incarcerated with her daughter. The Vicious Harpes First AmericanSerial Killers, The Bloody Benders Cherryvale, Kansas Museum Finally, the men physically moved the entire cabin to the side and began to search beneath, but no bodies were found there either. In its first three days of opening, it attracted more than 2,000 visitors. This unnamed man was one of the many who made the mistake of stopping at the Bender Inn. 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. 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. A place to discuss Lawrence Kansas happenings and news. Somehow, he escaped, appearing naked in the middle of the night at Jesse Smalleys doorstep. The Six Most Terrifying Serial Killer Families In History - Gizmodo Relocating to Independence from, 7) December 1872: Johnny Boyle. I haven't heard Macabre in years. The only thing remaining an empty hole that had once been the cellar. However, there were no bodies in the hole. Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy's bribery of state legislators in his bid for re-election. melon mounds liberal kansaspython list memory allocationpython list memory allocation sdsu basketball recruiting 2021 - boztepeyapi.net RELATED: Keep up with our Fargo Season Four recaps here! Meanwhile, Ma and Pa Bender continued on the train north to Kansas City, where it was believed they transferred to a train headed to St. Louis. Advertisement Coins. Location. It takes an English sentence and breaks it into words to determine if it is a phrase or a clause. The Benders were undoubtedly surprised to find that the man wasnt dead. The Bloody Benders - Serial Killers of Kansas Bender Mounds, Kansas by Kathy Alexander. The petite auburn-haired beauty desired notoriety and often advocated free love and justification for murder in her lectures. The 162-acre tract of cropland known as the "Bender Farm" will be sold off to. Satchel tries looking for Rabbi, but a short conversation with the hospital man and a glimpse of the preacher and his mother folding a flag in their underwear (night wear?) 23) February 1872: Two unidentified men found on the prairie in February 1872 with crushed skulls and throats cut. Buried in the apple orchard. The Benders used the smaller room at the rear for living quarters, while the front room was converted into a "general store" where a few dry goods were sold. [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. 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. 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. By 1873, reports of missing people who had passed through the area had become so common that travelers began to avoid the trail.