Comments on: Mass murdering restauranteurs, the Benders

Mass murdering restauranteurs, the Benders

sleepy pete — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:43:42 -0800

The Benders were a family of German immigrants who opened a store and restaurant in the newly formed state of Kansas in the late 19th century. Led by the spiritualist Kate, they also were some of the United States first serial killers.

Here's another site on the Benders, from the hotel that houses what's left of the Bender museum in Cherryvale, just watch out for the red background. As an added bonus, you can use this very cool historic newspaper search from the Library of Congress (as posted by cog_nate) to read news stories about what happened to the Benders. Here's a hint: several people were wrongfully arrested, but the Benders were never captured. Also, most believe they weren't even a family. They were liars and murderers!

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:46:33 -0800

Brings new meaning to "On a bender..."

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:54:44 -0800

notthedamanrobot? Oh well. Here's a site dedicated to their great-great grand delinquent, and cutie, John.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:57:57 -0800

In William Gibson's newest book one of the characters talks about "Heresy of the Free Spirit" who supposedly were a bunch of fornicators and cannibals. But I don't know how accurate Gibson's character's description actually is.

By: marxchivist

marxchivist — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:58:34 -0800

Coolposthanks!

By: doctorschlock

doctorschlock — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:01:59 -0800

Back in the day...when you ate out..you where taking your life into your own hands. Bad Boy H. H. Holmes was the king of them all.

By: Artw

Artw — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:02:49 -0800

Awesome post!

By: bstreep

bstreep — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:12:48 -0800

Isn't there a comic book covering these events?

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:21:25 -0800

Cool post sleepy pete. I love weird Americana.

By: amyms

amyms — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:25:58 -0800

Great post, sleepy pete! I had heard stories about the "Butchering Benders" but never in this much detail.

By: davejay

davejay — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:27:33 -0800

Good post. Never heard of these folks, and I'm from the midwest.

By: blueberry

blueberry — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:36:00 -0800

Isn't there a comic book covering these events? posted by bstreep at 2:12 PM on September 25 Yep, A Treasury of Victorian Murder: The Bloody Benders by Rick Geary. (Multnomah County Library link for Portlanders)

By: sleepy pete

sleepy pete — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:37:59 -0800

I actually grew up near the site where the Benders lived (still known as Bender's Mound), where the state of Kansas has thoughtfully erected a historical marker along Highway US 160. There's nothing to look at except a large hill, but what a weird historical marker.

By: sleepy pete

sleepy pete — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:47:19 -0800

Thanks, blueberry. I just placed a hold on it.

By: Roman Graves

Roman Graves — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:58:57 -0800

Awesome post, and equally awesome comment blueberry. I can't believe I've never heard this before.

By: cenoxo

cenoxo — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:05:27 -0800

The Kansas State Historical Society has more details, along with photos of the dug-up graves, a knife from the Benders' house, and a Wanted poster.

By: pxe2000

pxe2000 — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:16:09 -0800

Am I wrong for wondering if the Benders used some of their corpses for dishes in their restaurant? Something about those two fields together reminds me of Sweeney Todd.

By: Curry

Curry — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:17:40 -0800

What's the matter with Kansas?

By: blueberry

blueberry — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:22:17 -0800

By the way, Rick Geary has some other books in the same true-crime area: The Borden Tragedy (mcl), The Beast of Chicago (mcl), The Case of Madeleine Smith (mcl), The Murder of Abraham Lincoln (mcl), The Mystery of Mary Rogers (mcl), and Jack the Ripper (mcl).

By: Roman Graves

Roman Graves — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:35:55 -0800

And The Fatal Bullet. I must have them all!

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:48:18 -0800

but nobody who speaks german could be a bad person!

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:01:56 -0800

How nice, our own sort of Sawney Bean family. I mean, sure a cannibal family is ok, but there's no cannibal family like an incestuous cannibal family (Gives a whole 'nother meaning to the term 'hairy tree')

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:15:36 -0800

Katie Bender, as she was sometimes called, engages the unfortunate stranger in flirtatious conversation at the iron cooking and heating stove while she prepares to serve up her main course, DEATH.

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:28:08 -0800

The Benders were a family of German immigrants... Oh, man, what a great name for a band. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome ... A Family of German Immigrants!

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:45:58 -0800

Here's my impression of a German immigrant: *ahem* Gutenmorgen, bin ich ein deutscher einwanderer.

By: annieb

annieb — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:49:27 -0800

Great post, and now it's leading to even more interesting reading. Thanks!

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:47:38 -0800

Fantastic post. Thanks.

By: porpoise

porpoise — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:59:18 -0800

Restauranteurs killing passing travellers was a phenomenon (and frequently fictionalized) in medieval China - and yes, the remains were used to prepare food for future guests.

By: Riverine

Riverine — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:22:02 -0800

It makes me twitch, the way he keeps writing "The Bender's" as the plural, the "first serial killers" link. Is this really a published book? How ignorant.

By: stupidsexyFlanders

stupidsexyFlanders — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:58:34 -0800

Kate a self- proclaimed healer and spiritualist and reported to be a beautiful, voluptuous girl with tigerish grace I'd hit it. THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

By: DamnYouSerpico

DamnYouSerpico — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:04:45 -0800

america has a crazy history that mostly goes untold. I love these facts, nice post.

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:22:42 -0800

Come to think of it ... No shit, I actually had a phys ed teacher in grammar school in the 70's named Mr. Bender. You don't suppose ... ?

By: Roman Graves

Roman Graves — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:30:33 -0800

The first and last link give totally different accounts of how the Benders were found out. Also, I'm not clear on how the last link can provide so much information about such a mysterious and never-caught group of people. How do they know they weren't really family, or exactly who Ma Bender was?

By: rougy

rougy — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:00:55 -0800

Thanks. I think the fact that they were never found is the scariest aspect of all.

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:37:14 -0800

ZMT, that's weird, so did I. Did you go to Linda Mar Elementary?

By: Foosnark

Foosnark — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:07:41 -0800

Hmmm, I know a Bender too. Wonder if she's related? Heh.

By: LilBucner

LilBucner — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:15:46 -0800

Their original family name was shortened at Ellis Island. It was originally Bender Bending Rodriguez.

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:12:08 -0800

doctor_negative No; Rockaway Valley elementary in NJ.