1939-09-20 — Page 15

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 20, 1939.

TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE.

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THE MYSTERIOUS BENDER. FAMILY

BY VINCENT TOWNE

During the Autumn of 1873 and the following Winter and Spring, many persons mysteriously vanished between Osage Mission and Independence, Kan- They disappeared as completely as if the earth had yawned and swal- lowed them up. Wide search was in- stituted, but no clue as to their fate could be obtained, and the news soon spread far and wide that a reign of terror was raging in that lonely part of the country.

One early morning that Autumn, John Boyd, a carpenter, bade his young bride goodby and started to walk from Independence to Parsons, where he

He Happened on the Murder Farm

As no one appear-

had obtained work. His heart-broken them to his barn. wife never saw or heard from himed to claim them, he advertised them again. One Langnor, a widower, of as strays. Independence, started but soon after- ward in his wagon to take his little girl to her grandmother near Fort Scott, and both he and the child.dis- appeared, although the team was found tied in a grove 40 miles from home.

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About the same time, a man living in a little valley in the mystery ridden area happened to ride up to the house of a family named Bender, where he found a dead calf lying with a halter about its neck. It had starved death. Going to the house, he deserted and news of the found it

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What become of the Benders was never known. Many persons believed to have been members of the murder family were arrested in various parts of the country, but always succeeded in proving an alibi. About the begin- ning of the century a woman alleged to have been Kate Bender was taken from Michigan to Kansas, locked up in jail for four months, tried and ac- quitted, whereupon she sued the coun- ty for false imprisonment.

In the of 1910, it Spring

that the

was

pro-

|104,000 ENROL IN H.K. SCHOOLS

The maximum enrolment in all classes of schools in the Colony reached a record figure of 104,134 pupils, an increase of 17,141 over the previous year, states the an- nual report for 1938 of the Director of Education.

This increase is attributed to the unsettled "conditions in China caused by the Sino-Japanese conflict.

Of this total. number, 34,341 were girls.

Some 8,794 girls received secondary education in 15 schools maintained and aided by the Government.

Ninety girls from local schools en- tered for the Matriculation Examina-

tion but only 49 passed. Of the 176 Hong Kong School Certificate Exam- girls. from 10 schools who took the ination 150 passed; 14 with honours.

The number of private schools of last year registration at the end was 1,080, an increased of 50 the previous year.

Pupils enrolled in these

over

private

· About the same time a man named MacKenzie was returning afoot from flight of the Benders -the same per- Independence to his home in Neosho sons who had deserted their team at County, when

--was immediately reported announced as mysteriously Thayer Then there was a farmer to Colonel Yorke, who forthwith be-prietor of a resort in Reo. Vista, Ca schools numbered 82,030, compared vanished. named Brown, who started home gan an investigation of the premises. had made an ane-mortem confession from Neosho County the following In ten days he found the body of his that she was no other than Kate Ben- Autumn, but who never got there. brother, which, with eight other der.

But there have been so many He had just collected a sum of money corpses, lay buried in deep, narrow conflicting stories of this kind that and had bought a new team, which graves which had been systematically little credence would now be given to also vanished. During that Winter, at dug on the Bender farm.

any identification lacking the seal of different times and places, two naked

The top soil had been removed and

positive proof. bodies were found in Cherry Creek, kept separate from the underlying which runs through the same neigh-clay and there had been care to re-

bourhood.

•

These victims had been killed by a blow on the right temple, evidently inflicted by a hammer. They were never identified. Finally, In the Spring that followed, Dr. A. M. Yorke, a prominent citizen of Fort Scott, started out on a visit to his brother in Independence. Next morning he was met and recognised about eight farmhouse, miles beyond a certain where he had spent the night. That was the last known of him. The brother, Colonel Yorke, whom he was about to visit, happened to be a man of wealth. He set about to solve the mystery and started a house-to-house inspection of the entire community.

turn the bottom layer before adding the top. Colonel Yorke found these graves by patiently probing the earth with a rod. He knew that if the clay had not been disturbed the rod would So wherever stop upon reaching it.

this probe would penetrate deep into the earth, he dug with the results mentioned. Practically all of the vic- tims had been

L.M.S. ALTER REGISTRY

LONDON, TO-DAY, ALL VESSELS OF THE LONDON killed in the same MIDLAND AND SCOTTISH RAIL- manner as had those found in the WAY, PLYING BETWEEN BRITAIN nearby creek. In the right temple AND EIRE, ARE TO SAIL UNDER was a hole about an inch in diameter, THE RED ENSIGN. where a hammer had evidently crush- ed through the skull, and the throat was cut two-thirds around into the neck bone.

Investigating the cellar, Colonel Yorke Was

This step has been taken to settle the dispute with the crews,, who re- fused to sail under the Eire flag as their dependents would get no com- pensation in case of death or injury 2 almost sickened by as the result of enemy action.-Reu- stench caused by vast quantities of blood. But the most sensational dis- covery was made in the rooms above. Here the arrangement of the furniture and other appointments revealed the modus operandi of the murderers to have been as follows:

He offered liberal rewards for in- formation bearing upon his brother's disappearance, but his search had about proved futlle, when one morn- ing two men and two women drove into Thayer, Neosho County, in a two- horse wagon. They unhitched the horses, tied them to the back of the wagon in which was some hay, and then going to the depot took the early house in some way had entered the train north, buying tickets for Hum-front room, he had been invited to sit boldt. The horses remained until upon a certain bench, While sitting nearly starved, when a farmer took

Kitty

18-10

* by the ball bradiçate, Inc.)

The mentally akatohy girl-friend thinks à Jitterbug is a pest that keeps coming back to torment one who is trying to relax,

As each victim lured to the Bender

upon this, his head naturally rested against a canvas partition, through which the slayer crushed his head with a hammer found in the back room. After sinking to the floor, the body would be pulled back until the head came over a trapdoor leading to the cellor. Here, as revealed by bloodstains, the throat would be 'cut. Then the body was rolled up in an old tent cloth and carried outside for disposal.

ter.

SCOT SENT TO HOUSE OF DETENTION

Angus MacLeod, 26, unemployed Scot, was committed to the House of Detention by Mr. R. Edwards at the Central Magistracy this morning, when charged with being a vagrant in the Colony.

Detective Sergeant Loughlin pro- secuted.

NEW SOUTH AFRICAN COMMISSIONER

London, To-day, Mr. C. T. te Water, who resigned his post as South African High Com- missioner in London, is remaining in England for several weeks to settle his private affairs before leaving for South Africa.

Mr. S. F. Waterson, the new Un- ion High Commissioner, assumed his post yesterday.-Reuter.

NO HOME LEAGUE SOCCER ON SATURDAY

London, Today.

The corpse of the little Lagnor girl was discovered among the others.

Meanwhile the Benders had fled- no one knew whither. They had come to the neighbourhood only about a year before and had taken up 160 acres in the lonely valley. Indeed, they had so located their house that every highroad in the neighbourhood radiated to their place. The house was a little shack about 14 by 24 feet, and the front room was fitted up as a small store, which is believed to have been only a decoy for wayfarers. The family consisted of William Bender, 80 years old; his wife, aged 55; their daughter, Kate, 25, and a son, John, 23. Kate who had steel gray eyes and a wealth of yellow hair, posed as a magnetic healer, and her role was to flirt with passers-by, lure them into the house and see that they were seated beside her on the bench against the canvas partition, through which they were murdered. The European · soldiers are alleged to family were all Germans. · Indeed, the have thrown stones and smashed father could speak no English. He was windows of the ground floor of No. morose and sullen. He paid no atten- | 10, Jordan Road at 6 a.m. last Satur- tion to travellers who entered his place, day morning.

There will be no competitive foot- ball on Saturday. Clubs are waiting for a clarifying statement from Football Association.

the

The biggest problem is restricting attendances.

.

Over 30 friendlies have been ar“ ranged for Saturday.—Reuter.

THIEF SENTENCED

Sentence of four months' hard labour was imposed on Ng Pui Sang 22, unemployed, by Mr. R. Edwards at the Central Magistracy this morn- ing, for stealing $300 in Chinese cur- rency from a Chinese in Des Voeux Road Central yesterday.

Defendant was recommended banishment.

Deanna

Grown up...smartor ...lovelier than ever!

Deanna DURBIN

New

Helios GREY - PARRISH

3SMART GIRLS GROW UP

Robert CUMMINGS Charles WINNINGER William LUNDIGAN

SEK RINGS THE SONGS TEN ARKED TO HAVE HIM SINGI "The Last Rean of Sussman" "Invitation in The Bagen: "Because"="La Explusen”

Préfaced by 10KMPASZERĦAL - HENRY EASTER Production

A LEW TESTERDAL PICTURE

FRIDAY

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for

ALHAMBRA

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