Adrian Zink - Wicked Kansas

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Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.com

Copyright 2019 by Adrian Zink

All rights reserved

First published 2019

E-book edition 2019

ISBN 978.1.43966.850.4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019948152

print edition ISBN 978.1.4671.4388.2

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

I dedicate this book to all the people out there who enjoy hearing and telling great stories. Life is richer and less monotonous with people like you around.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Amelia Earhart soared into international fame as a trailblazing aviator and icon. Dwight D. Eisenhower led millions of soldiers as the supreme Allied commander in World War II and later served as the thirty-fourth president of the United States. Walter P. Chrysler founded of one of the Big Three U.S. automobile manufacturers. What all of these Kansans have in common are the positive contributions they gave to the world and their lofty places in nearly every Kansas history book. Its not wrong that we should look up to such people and mention their influence on our modern world. The constant lionization of people like them serves to highlight the positive aspects of a place like Kansas, but it also leads to the question, What about the not-so-great people?

The world isnt all made up of saints. If it were, we wouldnt need police, prisons, locks on our homes and cars and warnings to our children about stranger danger. Though we all intrinsically know that, we dont see the rotten side of humanity very often in history books about Kansas. Of course, we have plenty of discussion about John Brown, but he was a very important historical figure to the preCivil War hostilities of the territory. No mention of him would be a massive oversight. What about other less heralded people who were justwicked? Where do we put them in our history books?

I came across the inspiration for this book by accident while working on my first book, Hidden History of Kansas. I noticed that the more Kansas history I read, the more sordid murderers, con artists and just plain bad people I kept coming across in the old accounts, diaries and newspapers. I included some of their stories in that book, covering outlaws like the Dalton Gang and Bonnie and Clyde. I did not, however, focus too much of my attention on the underbelly of humanity. I decided to let those stories pile up on the side for a later work, and now they have a proper home in Wicked Kansas.

Wickedness can be defined in a number of ways depending on who you are talking to. It is similar to the word evil or the term morally wrong to some people. To others, it could be someone who is simply extremely unpleasant or who intends to inflict harm on others. The word could also indicate a more lighthearted soul inhabited with a playful mischievousness in them. In this work, the term is used loosely and can mean every one of those and more. Its up to the reader to determine just how wicked these characters are as you take this journey down the seedier side of Kansas history. Its a place inhabited by drunken killers, pimps, escaped convicts, drug kingpins, petty thieves, quack doctors, serial killers and just plain rotten characters. I hope you enjoy the rubbernecking as much as I have.

I owe special thanks to my editor, Lindsey Givens, who has helped me stay focused and confident on this sophomore effort of mine. I would also like to thank Lauren Gray at the Kansas Historical Society for her expertise in helping me select and scan the right images for this work. A big thanks is also due to Jonathan Trackwell, who was my first reader and helped me smooth out my prose. My copyeditor, Hayley Behal, also kept my writing consistent, and I much appreciate her advice! Lastly, Id like to give special recognition to Mike Nieken at Arcadia Publishing. Mike was instrumental in helping me every step of the way with my sales of the first book. This work was a true collaboration, and I couldnt have done it alone.

MURDERERS, GUNFIGHTERS AND SERIAL KILLERS

THE BLOODY BENDERS: SERIAL KILLERS ON THE HIGH PRAIRIE

In 1865after the traumatic early years of Kansass history with the border violence and the subsequent Civil Warthe state opened up for eager settlers to the now-peaceful land. The Homestead Act of 1862 drove waves upon waves of settlers to the state, with 160 acres provided to anyone willing to work the land for five years. Southeastern Kansas was also open for settlement now, as the Osage Indians moved to the Indian Territory in what is now the Oklahoma Panhandle. Many hardy homesteaders from Northern Europe came to tame the land, including a family who would become notorious in state lore: The Benders.

Two German immigrants, a middle-aged father and mid-twenties son, John Bender Sr. and John Bender Jr. came down the Osage Traila rough wagon trail cutting southwest from Fort Scott to Independence. Seeing an opportunity to stake a claim in this area, they decided to purchase land right on the trail in Labette County, northeast of Cherryvale. They set to work building their own home, which included lumber from Fort Scott for the frame and sandstone blocks for the foundation in the newly dug cellar under the house, as well as a stable, pens, a corral and a well. By the spring of 1871, they were ready to send for the women of the family, Ma Bender and sister Kate, who was twenty.

Sketch of John Bender Sr. between 187079. Courtesy of Kansas Historical Society.

With large numbers of travelers passing through the trail on the way to Indian Territory, Texas and beyond, there was ample opportunity to make money by selling general goods. The grocery supplied food, tools, clothing, blankets, tobacco and pretty much anything else you would find in a general store at the time. The Bender familys one-room home was divided between grocery and living quarters by a simple canvas curtain draped across the middle of the room. Ma Bender would cook meals, and sister Kate would serve them.

The Benders, meanwhile, attended church with their neighbors, and the young adults were seen as quite outgoing.

Ma and Pa didnt speak much, but locals described Kate as a vivacious spiritualist who held men entranced with her beauty.

Kate even worked for a time as a waitress at the Cherryvale Hotel. She promoted herself all over the neighboring counties as a healer, which was not uncommon in those days. Some travelers and fellow churchgoers were standoffish about her palm reading and numerology practices, finding them wicked and abominable. John Jr. was agreeable enough, but often giggled when he spoke, giving off the impression that he was simple, in the lingo of that era.

Many men who traveled alone would spend the night here, sleeping on a simple straw mattress on the floor, and they were often spellbound by Kate Benders claims of psychic and healing abilities. The house was a welcome refuge to travelers wary of highway bandits, Native Americans or severe weather, so its understandable why it would be an appealing stop for anyone. Over time, though, travelers coming through the area began to mysteriously disappear.

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