The San Francisco call. [volume], August 28, 1897, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
volume l4xJKft.^Nfr. 89.
AWAIT THE
GOLD-LADEN
PORTLAND
Much Speculation as to the
Amount of Treasure
on Board.
IT IS BELIEVED THE STEAMER
WAS DETAINED.
Meanwhile All Kinds of Stories Flow In
Concerning the Fortunes Made on
the Klondike — Riches of
Copper River.
SEATTLE, Wash., Aug. 27.— The people ,
of the Puget Sound country know noth- :
ing more about the whereabouts of the
steamer Portland to-day than they did j
one- week ago. She may be oilt in the |
' Pacific, she may be at St. Michael and j
site may be on the bottom of the sea.
Newspaper men are on the lookout for
her; rumors about her coming are put
into circulation every few hours, but to
night she is still so far away that no one
can see her wno is inside the straits. For
a "time the interest in her coming aied
away, but there has been so much talk of
late as to the probable amount she will j
bring down that every is wishing she j
would return soon, just to settle the dis- |
pute as to the amount of the cargo.
E. F. Cassel, president of the Juneau
Chamber of Commerce, who is in this !
city, says he is anxious that only the !
truth shall be told, but asserts that his in- ,
formation, which he considers reliable, is j
to tne effect that the Portland will have
over three tons of gold. He claims that J
he bad a lonic talk, just before leaving Ju- !
: eaa, with Archie Scheip, who came I
overland from Dawson City. Scheip posi- j
meiy 'ass-erie-i t...it the Portland would ;
have over three tons of 1 gold aboard. j
Scbelp is credited with the statement that
it took him over two hours to get bis sack
of gold from the big pile on the dock at
Dawson City it measured one-fourth of a
cord. Cassel says that other letters which
he has received from Dawson City are to
the same effect.
The Juneau Miner of August '21 pub
lishes a statement made by Scheip 10 the
effect that the Portland ha» over three .
. tons of gold aboard, at least he says it :
< was on the doca ready to be shipped down '
the river on the steamer which was to j
connect with the Portland.
W. H. Skillings is the architect who de- j
signed me Washington State building at |
the World's Fair. He is now at Skaguay, j
- and writing Irom that point under date of i
August 19 says:
"Jack Day, the Dawson mail-carrier, j
has just arrived with the regular mail.
. Day made a quick trip. Day purchased a |
claim beiore he left Dawson from a man
who was compelled to leave the country
on account of sickness. He paid $4500 for
it and it will make him independently
wealthy. The man was so sick he could !
not work it. Day says it seems funny j
that the papers make so much fuss over I
Jack Lippy down below. Why, in Daw
eon fie was hardly a factor. There were |
many who nad much better claims and !
more money. Day is going to take his
wile in wild him the next trip. Day told
me that from what he knew of people who
bad gone down the river to come to the
States on the Portland the vessel would
■bring out not less than $3,000,000."
'Nevertheless, passengers on schooner
Fred E. Sander, from Dawson City, say
that these stories of great fortunes com
ing down on the Portland are not true.
They say that she will have $1,000,000— j
probably not that much. Ail of the spare j
gold is "being reinvested, they say, in the j
new mines, and miners who are not doing
that are holding on to it, so that they will !
be able to pay good wages this winter to j
plenty of men. Then when spring comes j
they will be in fine condition for the clean- j
up. It remains for the steamer Portland
to decide the question which is just now I
exciting the world. Hundreds of miners j
who went north to Skaguay and Dyea j
were grubstaked, and the people back of
them are feeling much better to-day over
the letters from the north. The miners
seem to be getting over much more rap
" idly than was for a time predicted they
would. Of course, hundreds still remain
on this side of the mountains and will not
get over until spring, but those who went
a little earlier and who had money to pay
packing rates seem to be making prog-
ress. A dozen different letters received
to-day state that miners are fast getting j
over Cnilcoot. One may hear both good !
and bad reports concerning White Pass.
W. J. Henderson, formerly a merchant
of this city, who is now stationed at
Juneau, writes to this city of the condi
tion of affairs at White Pass. He saye
that the pass is all right, and that men
are getting over it every day. He states:
WHEN WILL THE PORTLAND ARRIVE?
"PORT TOWNSEND, Wash., Aug. 27.— The steamer Portland was not in sight off
' Cape Flattery at 5 o'clock this evening. The weather at the cape is clear and a ten
-1 ftiile wind is blowing. The belief is growing that the Portland was delayed at St.
\ Michael on account of the failure of the river boats to reach there. The opinion is
% expressed by many that the Portland will not reach Seattle before August 31. This
opinion is bared on the assumption that it will take her ten days to discharge at St.
Michael and also that the river boats have been delayed. The Portland probably arrived
.' at St. Michael about August 7, as she was at Dutch Harbor August 2, and the run
. from there north is about five days. If ten days were required to discharge her sail
* ing date would probably be August 17, and allowing fourteen days for the passage she
. could cot reach here before August 3L
The San Francisco Call
l "I consumed two days in making the
[ trip over White Pass and return. I went
as far as Lake Bennet. The trail was in
! good condition and I met plenty of people
| who were going over it freely. They had
| horses, nnil seemed to be experiencing no
j great diffi* ulties. There are some swampy
j places, which could be fixed up, and the
pass would then be much better. The
men 1 met on the trail were in good spirits
and all told me that they expected to get
over all right. There was plenty of lum
ber along the trail, to be used in placing
it in good condition. There ate about
j fifteen miles of tents on botli sides of tne
j trail from Skaguay to the foot of summit.
I It is not hard to reach the summit. I
J wish to advise the public not to bring
boats north with them. Not a single boat
has gone over either pass. They are used
1 in and about Dyea and Skaguay, but you
, cannot get them over the trails. If the
! boats on the lake can handle the crowd
and the weather continues to be fairly fine,
' most all of those on White Pass will get
! over before winter.
"'ihe sawmill is refusing to sell lumber, j
| but will build you a boat for $110 which j
j will carry 2000 pounds of outfits and pro- |
I visions. 1 came back by way of Lake
Linderraann and Chilcoot Pass. The trip
is a very hard one, and it is marvelous to
me how men can climb the rocks with
anything on their backs. Nevertheless, a
great number are getting over. No one
need be worried ; if the men up there
have staying qualities, they will get over
ail right. They tell me up there that the
river and lakes do not freeze over before
j October 10. I will add that White Pass
; will be a good winter pass. A person can
i sleigh for eighteen miles up the river.
1 Then one encounters three miles of very
j high grade. Then you get over the sum
mit, and after that you have a chain of
I lakes and rivers to White Horse Rapids
j without a break between."
T. T. Albretch, a former well-known
! contractor of this city, writes from Juneau
j that he believes hundreds of American
miners will not enter the Canadian terri
j tory, but will work in Alaska goldfields.
He says:
"I have organized a company; we will
build our uoats at Juneau, go down the
coast for 200 miles to Yakatta River, then
up the river as far as possible, then tramp
i it the balance of the way to the South
Fork of Copper River. There is gold in
. that river and plenty of it Every letter
! which reaches here confirms that story.
j I have talked with many, and ali say that
! Copper River will prove a fortune to every
\ man who goes there
a
YET GOING NORTHWARD.
But Many of the Fortune-Hunters
Will Not Rsach the Goldfields
This Winter.
SEATTLE, Wash.. Aug. 27.— The rush
to the north has not ceased. To-day the
steamer City of Topeka left for Juneau.
j Sne bad aboard fifty passengers, most of
j whom are bound for the goldfields. But
the rush for this year is about over. Seve
; ral more steamers are booked to go and
i will have a number of passengers, but
' those who have the fever are pretty well
j convinced that to start now will probably
( mean that this side of the mountains will
i be their home until next spring.
E. F. CasselJ of Juneau said to-day that
i the proposed Alaska railroad will surely
be a go. He said:
"It will follow the Taku River route
and the scheme will involve the building
of ninety miles of railroad. All the bad
places in the Yukon now encountered Will
be avoided on this route, as it follows a
different arm of the river. The prelimi
nary surve- is now being made by civil
engineers on the ground, and I under
stand that people who are interested in
j the Pennsylvania Railroad Company are
| back of this scheme. When the road is
j finished a person will go to Dawson from
j Juneau in five days and ride all the way.
But the road cannot be equipped in time
to take care of any part of next year's
traffic.
"The Dalton trail involves a pack of 300
miles overland, which . for the present
shuts thaw out of consideration. The per
SAN FRANCISCO. SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST £8 1897.
VIEW OF THE YUKON RIVER Where It Is Crossed by the International Boundary Line.
The view is from a high hill on the south bank of the river, nearly opposite Chief I
Johns Village. The direction of the line is indicated by the white line through the !
picture, a little to the right of the center. It cuts the little steamer on the river be
tween the pilot-house and the bow, and crosses the hemispherical hill some distance
beyond, just at tbe apex. To the left is Alaska, and to the right the Northwest Terri- |
tory of the Dominion of Canada. Th» little stern-wheel steamer on the river, bound
from St. Michael, near the mouth, to Dawson, has completed 1563 miles of her jour- '
ney, and has eighty-six vet to make. The Yukon at this point is rather narrow, being
about 1280 feet wide in winter and 1400 in spring. Jast below it widens to 2000 feet
and more.
By the treaty between Great Britain and Russia— February. 1825— it was agreed
that the boundary line between their American possessions should follow the 141 st de
gree of meridian from a point thirty miles from the sea on the south ip the Arctic
Ocean. The southern end of this meridianal boundary was determined : by Messrs.
Turner and McGratlan in 1892 fer the United States and Mr. Ogilivie for Canada to be
on the western slope of Mount St. Elias, while Point Demarcation on the Arctic has
been settled upon as its northern terminus. Not until very lately, however, bus there
been any determination of points on its course through the interior, the nature of the
country making the work one of great difficulty and hardships, Mr. Ogiivie of the
Canadian survey having his ears frozen in 1896 while at work near the Doint shown
in the picture, and John H. Turner of the American survey, some time before, under
went such exposure while going over the course of the line to the north as resulted in
Ins death. . . ,-;*"".:•-
The growing importance of the mining interests and the increase of , population
manent improvement on White Pass can
not begin until the snow leaves next
spring.- When it is finished it will be, too
late to catch the crowd involved in the
spring rush', so it remains that of the
thousands who will' seen the goldfields in
the spring a great majority will go by the
way of Chilcoot."
DRAWS A DARK PICTURE.
Banker Wasson Writes of the Diffi
culty of Going Overland to the
Klondike.
PORT TOW NSEND, Wash., Aug. 27.—
Banker and ex-Collector oi Customs An
drew Wasson, who left here with a party
of seven for the Klondike, via "Skaguay,
writes back to his wife from Skaguay as
follows:
"There are about 3000 men and 1500
horses here, making up the most forlorn
lot that you ever saw. About ball of them
have given up and the other half either
curse or cry. Taking it all together, I
never saw such a condition of affairs. At
Dyea there are nearly as many as here,
and lam told they are in the same con
dition. God only knows what will be
come of those headed this way, for none
but those with horses will get through.
"I do not believe that one in a hundred
will get through. Many have started out,
but just as many have returned footsore
and disheartened. Outfits can be bought
here for a song. Flour in any quantity is
offered at*so cents* a sack, while at' Lake
Bennet it sells for $20 per hundred, from
which you may > judge the cost of trans
portation. Forty cents per pound is the
freight rate Irom here, and they are charg
ing 50. cents at' Chilcoot. Reports come
that the trail can be crossed, but that each
train 13 liable to lose many horses. Pack
animals are selling for.' from $150 to $200
each.' There is a constant stream of peo
ple between here and Dyea,' each crowd
believing the other place is the best. I
firmly. believe that freight will-advance to
$1 per pound- before this crowd ,is half
started: ■ The authorities should stop the
tide of immigration that is coming. this
way. :It is suicidal to a prospector 'to
come at this time,' for the blockade' here
will be followed by one on the' trail. lam
firmly convinced, that even after. the trail
Is opened to traffic the crush of horses will
be even greater on the mountain than the
crush ot men here. \ It is discouraging to
see the pitiful-' condition 'of » thousands
here. One here without horses is as help
less a- a child. I never saw so many men
weaken." •' "'-■ * - . ' •
NARROW-GAUGE ROAD.
Rail Communication to Be Estab
lished to the Head of Lake
Teslin.
SEATTLE, Wash., Aug. 27.— Duncan
McKinnon, the leading merchant of Fort
Wrangel, arrived in Seattle to-day, hav
ing come down from Alaska . on the
steamer City of Topeka, accompanied by
his family, who stopped to visit ■in Vic
toria.
Mr. McKinnon is an active participant
in the excitement of the north and a firm
believer in the eventual popularity of. the
Stickeen River route to the interior. His
belief is confirmed by the activity which
the Canadian Government and Canadian
individuals are taking in the opening of
the trail. The last Dominion Parliament
appropriated $1,500,000 for a preliminary
opening of the trail, and the money was
placed in the bands of Captain Calbraith,
with instructions to proceed with ' the
work. .
Captain Calbraith reported the fund in
sufficient, and ; Premier Laurier advanced
$1,500,000 more, relying upon Parliament
to reimburse him. The trail was opened
Continued on Second Page.
(From a photograph by Mr. Ogiivie, the Dominion Land Surveyor.)
HAVE SIGNED
THE TREATY
And Now the Alliance
Between Nicholas and
Faure Is On.
Germans Surprised and Cha
grined by the New
Arrangement.
Dec'ared a Tandem Bicycle Alli
ance In Which Russia Steers In
the Pathway of Peace.
LONDON, Ewe., Aug. 27.— The Times'
| Paris correspondent declares that a defi
nite treaty has been signed on the deck of
the French cruiser Pothuau.
It is stated that the toasts pioposed at
the banquet on the cruiser were drawn up
tit Wednesday's conferences, thus enabling
M. Hanotatix, the French 'Foreign 'Min
ister,* to renounce his intention of remain
ing in ' Russia for a few, days after Presi
dent Faure's departure
The Czar presented M. Faure 'with two
masterpieces of Russian art — a green agate
Byzantino vase and a red agate desk, or
namented, both mounted in gold. .
The - Czarowitz, the : Grand Duchess
Xenia and the Grand Dukes Nicholas and
Alexander wired their compliments to
President Faure from Abbustuiumen.
PARIS. France, . Aug. 27.— Nothing is
known as to when the terms of the alli
ance between France; and Russia will be
announced:' but it is rumored that they
will not be published yet. : r ;l-
The German press illy, conceals its sur
prise and chagrin at the conclusion of the
treaty under an assumed nonchalance
and with :th assertion that makes no
difference, all the Czar will not sanction
any scheme fe."~ French revenge upon
Germany. '/.',
The Austrian press likewise endeavors
to minimize. the importance of the treaty.
The Pester Lloyd declares that it is a
"Tandem bicycle alliance, in which Rus
sia steers in the pathway of peace."
The Oninione oi Rome refuses to believe
that any change has taken place in the
European statu*) quo unles-j the terms of
the alliance are published proving the
change. : ; - ..' . . ■ , ■_ -.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Aug. 27. —
It was semi-oflicialJy announced to-day
that conferences between the French and
Russian Ministers of Foreign Affairs were
held first in the presence of the Czar and
afterward in the. presence of . President
Faure.'* It is added that results are most
satisfactory for ; the interests -.,; of France
and Russia and for the peace of the world.
PUTSCH ASH paixctess WED.
Another Tie ; Between Norway, Sweden
and hen mark.
COPENHAGEN/ Denmark, Aug. 27.—
Princess' Ingelioger Charlotte. Frederica,
second daughter, of ..Crown t Prince Ci ris
tian of Denmark, was married at 2 o'clock
to-day in the palace' chapel i here to Prince
Charles, Duke of Westgoterland, third son
of King Oscar II of Norway and Sweden,
in the presence of a brilliant assemblage
of members of , the Danish and Swedish
royal families, the Dowager Empress of
along Forty Mile and other place* cut by or near the boundary made its accurate
determination and marking in those places a matter of necessity, so as to settle the
question of governmental jurisdiction.
The whole length of the line from Mount St Elias to the Arctic Ocean is about
660 miles. The point shown in the picture is nearly half way between the two, being
335 miles from the southern end and 325 from the notbern. The point where ii
crosses the Porcupine River lßs miles north of this place and near the Rampart
house has been lately determined.
The main work, however, of the surveyors on both sides has been to determine
the course of the Yukon south. Independent observation* differ but little a lew
rods— as to where it crosses the river and from there south to where it crosses Sixty
mile Creek.
For five miles north of the river and seven miles to the south a broad way has
been cleared along the line and its course marked by cairns and posts, so as to make
it readily known. The cairns and po*ts are continued on south across the bills and
valleys until the streams tributary to Forty-mile River are reached, when the way is
again cutout and distinctly marked. Forty-mile River is crossed twenty-five miles
south of the Yukon crossing and twenty-three miles above its mouth. From there
the marking is continued on to Sixty-mile Creek, and in lime will be pushed on south
across the White River to Mount St. Elias. This marking out was done by Mr.. Ouil
vie for the Canadian Government, the negotiations , for a joint survey having failed.
The American surveys differ but little, as said before, from Mr. Ocilvio's, and bis
line, well marked so far as run, is generally accepted by the miners as the right
boundary. . . : . ,- .'. ■.-.-.
. **. ■■■;■■ ..' . . - ' ' ■- . i • ■ 1 - ■ .........
Russia and g the Princess of ' Wales. The
cny was profusely- decorated in honor -of
the young couple and the people accorded
them an enthusiastic 3 reception.^ The
Princess was born in 1878 and the Prince
was born in 1861.
BERING SEA COMMISSION.
The Case Is C pened by Hon. F. Peter
son on Behalf of the British
Government at Halifax.
HALIFAX. Nova Scotia.. Aug. 27.—
The Bering Sea Commission resumed its
session to-day. The argument was opened
by Hon. F. Peterson on behalf of the
British Government. The ground taken
by Mr. Peterson was that the United
Sates did not seize the property of the
sealers for its intrinsic value, but to pre
vent the carrying on of the sealing busi
ness by such vessels. This, it was claimed,
was done in the face of promises given by
the United States Government that a re
currence of the seizures of 1886 would not
be repeated. This promise had not been
observed. He further claimed on bahalf
of his Government reimbursement for all
damages arising from loss by prospective
catches.
Tnis latter contention is strongly dis
puted by the United States representa
tive?. Both sides have cited many cases
on this point, and the latter part of Mr.
Peterson's address was wholly taken up in
establishing this point.
Promotions in the British Arm<i.
LONDON, Ekg., Aug. 27. The Queen
has approved i-f the appointment of Gen
eral Sir Evelyn Wood, quartermaster-gen
eral, to succeed General Sir Redvers Buller
as adjutant-general, the. appointment to
go into effect in October. General Sir
George Stewart .White will succeed; Ge
neral Wood as quarierraaster-general. uV
Surrendered to th- Germans,
ZANZIBAR, Aug. 27.— King Mwangab
left Ugandas City July : 6 to organize a
rising at Budda against the Government.
The King's forces were defeated July 20
by the D.-puty. Commissioner, Major Tar
nay. The King escaped to German terri
tory and surrendered to the Germans, who
are detaining him. '
Ravage* of the J'lftfjiie.
BOMBAY; India, Aug. 27. — Advices
from Poonah stale that t. c ravages of the
bubonic plague, are increasing seriously
and the ' Ki-'feee bazaar has - been- closed
entirely. Professer Haffkine is inoculat
ing the people at Kirkee with; the pre
ventive virus." The segregation hospital
is full. ■
To Honor Histnarck.
' BERLIN, Germany, : Aug. 27.— A new
first-class cruiser, which is to be launched
next month, is to be christened the Bis
marck. This is interpreted as being an
indication that better relations exist, be
tween the ex-Chancellor and Emperor
William. ...'..".. . •-.. .-■«■'•<*••..-...
A Wreath on myeror Frederick's Tomb.
POTSDAM, ; Germany, Aug. 27.— The
King of Siam, who arrived here yester
day evening and who was received with
every mark •of honor by Emperor Wil
liam, placed a wreath of flowers this morn
ing upon .the : tomb of the late Emperor
Frederick of Germ
Sounding . Greece as to Tier Resources.
LONDON. Eng., Aug. 27.— powers
have asked Greece: the amount she is able
to pay- as the first installment of the
Turkish indemnity and to mention the
revenues she can assign to guarantee the
whole amount. ;, „ ... - '
Cretans' Tire on J>J vnd Pnshn
', ;CANEAi Crete, v Aug. 27.— relations
between the Turks and the insurgents are
greatly strained. Djevad Pasha, the Turk
ish commander,, was fired on to-day while
going to visit the insurgent camp and was
forced to return.
ASSAILED BY
THE AFRIDIS
Village of Lan Captured
and Burned by the.
Tribesmen.
After Sharp Fighting the
Forces of General Biggs
Rout the Enemy.
Now tha Indian Government Will
Send an Expedition Against
the Natives.
LONDON, Eng., Aug. 27.— A special
from Simla says -hat the Daulatzai tribe
of Afridis, nearKohal, descended from the
bills ( in strong . force , during Thursday
night and. attacked and captured the vil
lage of Lin, setting tire to the buildings,
nearly all of whi h were destroyed. Gen
eral Riggs, commanding the force at
Kohat, having heard of the Afridis.'
plans, had prepared' a force on Friday
morning and attacked the enemy. After
sharp fighting the Afridis were driven
back to the hills with heavy losses. The
British loss consisted if one Sepoy killed
and a native officer aud two Sepoys
wounded. ' * vjV,:
■ A special dispatch from Bombay says
that the mad Mollab of Haddah command
ed the Afridis who have just captured the
British \ forts . in the Khyber Pass, which,
the dispatch adds, the natives will • now
keep sealed up.
SIMLA, India, Aug. -< 27.— upper
Swat tribes on the right bank of the river
have, paid a fine of 20,000 rupees for revolt
ing against the Government.
General ' Blood's column returned to
Thana yesterday. All is quiet at Sfiabk
dar. .'*"'' „': I ■''■'-'
; It is believed at Simla that the Orkazaris
are not sufficiently in earnest to attack
British posts on the Samania range. ' "'*
The Government has decided to send an
expedition in large force against the
A rid is. " ' •■' • ' ■' { .*-'.-;'*J;*.' .'^'-
Dynntniters Heading for (o>i'tantlnople.
'. CONSTANTINOPLE, Turkey, Aug. 27.
The Turkish Embassador, .at Vienna,
Mahmotid Nedim' Bey, telegraphs that -a
number of persons are proceeding to Con
stantinople to cause bomb explosions.
"*li r is ; .annom c;d 'that; there will be
eleven Armenians "implicated in recent
bomb outrages here. . Oi this number one
has i committed suicide and eight have
been arrested. _ ■
A -left rnouons'Co minrj.
■ MANAGUA, Nicaragua, 5 Aug. '27.-—
Lewis Corn, secretary of the legation of
the Greater Republic of Central America,
and Rudolph esor, airent of the Nica
raguan Canal Company, have started for
Washington. .J. D. Rodriguez, the Min
ister of the Grenter Republic of Central
America^' will follow them to Washington
in a lew days. '.7V/-' ''./■"/."•
Big' French Loan to Be' Floated.
LONDON, England, • Au:. 27. — The
Financial News says the French Cabinet
is considering the \ floating of a loan of
£60,000.000 in. 2J^. J per cent bonds, partly
for the redemption of the floating debt
and partly for the reconstruction of the
French navy. ; -
PRItTET FIVE CENTS.
SLEW TWO
NOTORIOUS
BENDERS
Father and Daughter
Shot Down by a Citi
zens' Posse.
REVEALED BY DYING
CONFESSION.
Clearing of the Mystery Con
nected With the Kansas
Murderers.
THIRTY PERSONS KILLED IN
THEIR DEN.
When the Pursuers Overtook the
Fleeing: Family They Spared
Only Mrs. Bender.
WICHITA, Ka*s., Aug. 27.— Another
chapter has just been added to the grew
some story of the Bender family, whose
home in Montgomery County, over twenty
years ago, was the scene of upward of
thirty murders, by the deathbed confes
sion of Captain Carroll, who declares that
tie was a member of a citizens' posse lhat
followed the Bender family after their
flight a,nd killed two of them. The fate of
tne Benders has heretofore been veiled in
mysiery.
Captain Carroll made the confession two
years ago to W. H. Coon of Denver, and
yesterday Mr. . Coon communicated the
facts for the first time to Judge Webb
of Atchison. The home of the Benders
was in Montgomery County, not far from
Independence,, and travelers passing
through that new country frequently put
up there.
The house was small and an addition
was built. Between the two downstairs
rooms was a partition made of thick cloth
tacked to the studding. Along this parti
tion a rude bench was constructed, and
unwary travelers would sit there and rest
their heads against the cloth partition.
Kate Bender, the daughter, in the adjoin
ing room, would then take a large ax and
strike the stranger a terrible blow on the
head. The victim would then be thrown
through a trapdoor into a deep hole
dug for the purpose and his pockets
rifled. After taking all the money and
valuables from the pockets the stranger
would be buried in the garden.' j .V
The whole family, William Bender, the
father, Mrs. Bender, Kate, the daughter,
and John, the son, were engaged in the
horrible business of robbery and murder,
and on account of their quiet inoffensive
appearance the cunning with which they
covered up their tracks and the newness of
the country, they managed to escape de
tection or even suspicion for several years.
The murder of Dr. York In 1873 was the
crime that led to their undoing. - Dr. Yoric
stopped there over night while en route to
the home of bis brother, and that was the
last time he was ever seen alive. Owing
to nis prominence and the nearness of hi 3
relatives a thorough seprch was made.
The Benders did not deny that he stopped
there, but claimed that I c had traveled
on. Suspicion was directed toward them,
however, and they fled the country the
following night. John Bender was after
ward arrested in Texas, but cheated the
gallows by committing suicide.
The citizens of Montgomery County be
gan to search the Bender premises, and
they found that the yard was full of bodies
in various stages of decomposition, all
with skulls crushed by blows from an ax
and with their throats cv». The whole
county was startled with the revelation,
and the best detectives in the land ex
hausted every possible means of finding
the fugitives, but only John Bender was
ever captured.
Captain Carroll confessed that a band of
citizens, sworn to eternal secrecy, followed
the Benders and filled the old man and
Kate full of lead, but let Mrs. Bender go,
with a warning never to return on pain of
death.
He said that Kate and her mother stood
by and stoically watched the men riddle
the body of William Bender with bullets,
and then, when Kate's tern came, she
stepped out like a tragedy queen and said:
"Blaze away." She wa3 shot down like a
dog, but when it came to shooting tho
mother, the hearts of the posse men failed
them and they allowed her to go. The
bodies were carefully buried and the
graves concealed.
The township in which the Benders
lived seems to have inherited a curse, for
in addition to ihe Bender murders the
following are among the violent deaths
that have since occurred :• John Hallifer,
shot and killed his wifo and himself;
Wesley Rat liff, committed suicide; John
.Geary killed by James Parks. The
Bender farm is tenantless and covered
with weeds, and the house is believed to
be haunted by the ghosts of the Bender
victims. ."..■.*.*- -- . ' • -^
SEEK I.\ _ AX IjXIiIZK&TASniXQ.
Union Pacific Reorganizes Before the
j*:torney-Grn'ral.
• WASHINGTON, D. C, Aug. 27.—
Ch'auncey M. Depew, General Fitzgerald,
W. S. Price, J. H. Schiff of New York and
Marvin Hughett of Chicago, members of
the Union Pacific reorganization com
mittee,^ had a consultation to-day with
Attorney - General McKenna relative to
the decrees recently entered in the
U nited States courts for the foreclosure
sale of the Union Pacific to satisfy the
first mortgage and the Government's
second mortgages. Some portions of the
decrees were not satisfactory to the
Government, and the '■ reorganization
committee , came before the : Attorney"
General in their/desire to reach a satis
factory understanding with the Govern
ment and thereby obviate further delay.