The Bender killing method

It was speculated that if a guest appeared to be wealthy, the Benders would give him a seat
of honor at the table which was positioned over a trap door that led down into the cellar,
with his back to the curtain.

Kate would distract the guest, while John Bender or his son would come from behind the
curtain and strike the guest on the right hand side of the skull with a hammer. The
victim's throat was then cut by one of the women to ensure his death. The body was
 then dropped through the trap door.

Once in the cellar, the body would be stripped and later buried somewhere on the property,
often in the orchard. More than a dozen bullet holes were found in the roof and sides of
the room, possibly indicating that some of the victims had attempted to fight back after
being hit with the hammer.

The Bender hammers

A photograph of Governor's Osborn's proclamation giving a $2,000 reward
on the capture of the Bender family.

This is a stereographic photo of the Bender house where the Bender family murdered
and buried their victims, Labette County, Kansas.

This is a stereographic photo of the excavated grave of a victim of the Bender murders.
The grave was found under a trap door at the Bender house, Labette County, Kansas.

This is a stereographic photo of two men sitting by the excavated grave
of Bender murder victim Dr. York, Labette County, Kansas.

A photograph showing a large group of men looking at the graves of those murdered
by the Bender family, Labette County, Kansas.

This photograph shows the graves found behind the Bender farm, Labette County, Kansas.
The Bender family operated a remote road house on a farm near Cherryvale, Kansas. When
several travelers disappeared, local residents became suspicious of the Benders. A search
of the property revealed eleven bodies buried in the yard and all of them died of injuries
 consistent with blows to the head. The Bender family members escaped
and were never found.