Murder by the Bloody Benders When justice changed all

Kansas 1870, The Benders were thought to be immigrants and they wanted new lives and fortunes. Ma and Pa spoke mostly German. The Bender family built a one room house near the Osage trail, the front was a public inn and a store. The Benders attend church and Town meetings.

Investigates revealed that none of the Benders were really named Benders. Pa was born John Flickinger around 1810 in either Germany or the Netherlands. Ma's first husband was named Griffith. Thomas Gebhart and Joanna (Kate) were in there twenties and they were not brother and sister they were husband and wife.

The Benders would have the guest of honor sit down and after a few minutes the guest would be hit in the back of the head with a hammer then his/her throat would be slit and then there body would be dropped into the trapdoor into the cellar. The amount that was stolen by the Benders ranged from $40 to $2600 along with some horses and wagons. Travelers were murdered for their money. The Benders would steal what ever they had after they had killed them.

Labette County became concerned over the inordinate numbers of missing people. Dr. William York was on an investigation to find George Loncher and his baby infant daughter. Dr. William York found the Benders little inn and asked them if they knew any thing about George Lonchers disappearance they said no and offered him if he wanted to stay the night. Dr. William York returned to the Benders for a second night after he told his brother about the inn. Dr. William York never returned home again

After Dr. William York disappeared his younger brother Colonel York went to find his older brother. Colonel went to the Benders inn to see if they've seen his brother but when he asked the Benders they just lied to Colonel about his brothers disappearance. The Benders offered if he want to stay because he look tired from running around looking for his brother so Colonel accept the offer. Colonel was shock what he saw under the bed and after what he saw under the bed he saw the Benders digging a hole for another victim they killed Colonel left the inn to go to the nearest town.

York convinced the sheriff to send a contingent. When the sheriff and the town got to the Benders inn they started to dig and there were no bodies found that day. Ten bodies were found on the Benders farm before nightfall seven more bodies were found. Dr. William York's skull had been crushed and his throat had been cut. News soon spread about the Bloody Benders. Pictures revealed nine murdered corpses. After hindered-forty years we will probably never know what really happened to the Bloody Benders the stories claimed that the ghosts of the Benders victims haunted the ruins of the house. Some of these spirits still wander the area to this today.

Credits:

Created with images by el cajon yacht club - "THOR's hammer and Opinel knife DSC_2439" • Todd Huffman - "Wands For Sale" • charlemagne - "moritzburg castle germany" • rich701 - "military medical wagon 1" • qimono - "philatelist stamp collection stamp" • BarelyFitz - "holes" • mistykari - "Skull"

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