The family would become known as the Bloody Benders, and with good reason. The diggers would harvest the bodies of other unwary travelers who had fallen prey. The cold-blooded Benders, with the brutal efficiency of predatory animals, claimed many victims in the early 1870s in Osage Township, Labette County, Kan. York’s body was just the tip of the iceberg. York had mentioned his intention to go to the Benders’ inn, nearly 80 miles southwest of Fort Scott. A number of people living along the road told the pair they had seen the doctor. Using Fort Smith as a starting point, Ed and Alexander traced William’s movements along the Osage Mission Road. When the doctor didn’t show up, his brothers, Ed York and Kansas Sen. That task completed, he had mounted his horse and ridden for home. York had left his home on Fawn Creek and traveled north of Fort Scott to identify the team. It seems the doctor had sold the Lonchers a wagon and team that soon turned up deserted, with no sign of or word from father or daughter. York there was an even earlier disappearance-that of a man named George Loncher and his daughter in the winter of 1872. The doctor’s disappearance two weeks earlier was what had drawn his brother and friends to the Bender property that crisp morning. He was looking into the lifeless face of Dr. That done and the dead man’s hair parted, York had his worst fears realized. The men severed the head in order to wash the face clean. A sinking feeling hit York, but neither he nor anyone else could make an immediate identification-dirt and dried blood obscured the face, and the body was too decomposed to be moved. There were gasps the killer had knocked the poor fellow unconscious and then cut his throat. One of the diggers rotated the corpse’s mutilated head slightly to the side, exposing a deep gash across the neck. The men could clearly see that someone had bashed in the skull. ![]() They continued digging, more carefully now, until a body lay exposed. Before long their tools made contact with something hard-not a rock or a root, but something that didn’t belong there. Some began to dig feverishly, their shovels and spades clanging against one another. “I see graves!” The other men quickly converged on the hollow. “Boys!” he yelled as his gaze settled on a rectangular depression in the earth among the immature fruit trees. With hand to forehead, Ed York shaded his eyes, scanning the Benders’ orchard. While some of these Kansans feared the worst, none was prepared for what they were about to discover. It was a harvest-an unusual harvest, not one of good spirit in which neighbors converge under the common weal to reap the bountiful rewards of a successful growing season. George Mortimer, harnessed to his harrow and horse, plowed furrows through the soft earth as others worked their spades and shovels. In the spring of 1873 a community of southeastern Kansans descended on the Bender homestead with all the tools necessary for planting. ![]() The odd Kansas foursome ran an inn that proved deadly to travelers for years before suspicious neighbors did some digging in the family’s apple orchard and learned the gruesome facts This Earth Day, see the top trending searches around sustainability and discover how our work at Google is helping people make more sustainable choices.'The Bloody Benders': America's First Serial-Killer Family Close Go here to learn more about climate change and other ways you can take action.Īround the world, people are increasingly searching for ways to be more sustainable. how we get around: walking or riding a bike instead of driving, when possibleĪcting now and together to live more sustainably is necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change.how/what we consume: practicing a plant-based diet or opting for plant-based options when possible.at home: opting to air dry laundry instead of using the dryer.On this day, people all over the globe honor the achievements of the environmental movement and consider areas where further climate justice is needed.Īs depicted today’s Doodle (which is made from real leaves) there’s a spectrum of actions we can take in our day-to-day that can add up to make a real difference. Today’s annual Earth Day Doodle highlights how individuals and communities can work together in big and small ways to take action against climate change.
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