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Governor George Anthony compiled this series of correspondence on crime and criminals, specifically the Bender case, from letters received while in office from 1877-1879. The Bender family operated a remote road house 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, all of them dead from severe blows to the head. The Bender family members escaped and were never found. A complete transcription is available by clicking "Text Version" below.
Creator: Kansas. Governor (1877-1879: Anthony)
Date: 1877-1878
Item Number: 220439
Call Number: Governor's Office, Anthony, Correspondence Received-Subject File, Box 3, Folder 15
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 220439
Collections - State Archives - Governor's Records - Anthony, George Tobey
Date - 1870s - 1877
Date - 1870s - 1878
Government and Politics - Crime and Punishment - Crime - Murder
Government and Politics - State Government - Governors - Anthony, George Tobey
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Correspondence
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Letter
People - Notable Kansans - Anthony, George Tobey, 1824-1896
People - Notable Kansans - Bender family, 1869-1872
Places - Cities and towns - Cherryvale
Places - Counties - Montgomery
Type of Material - Unpublished documents - Government records - Correspondence
Type of Material - Unpublished documents - Letters
https://www.kansasmemory.gov/item/220439