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Book ReviewsThe Benders: Keepers of the Devils Inn |
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Book: The Benders: Keepers of the Devils Inn
Written by: Fern M. Wood |
Publisher: Fern Morrow Wood
Average Customer Rating: 5 / 5
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The first serial murders in the U.S. have quite a story!
Rating:
5 / 5
The "Benders" had a small, wayside inn near Cherryvale, Kansas. As travelers would stop by for a bite to eat, they would be seated in front of a curtain behind which "Kate Bender" would smack them on the head with a hammer. They would be robbed and their bodies would be dropped through a trap door in the inn floor. Later the bodies would be buried in the back yard. The travelers would just "disappear" and their families were unable to find them. About 50 people were killed before people started getting suspicious. The Benders discovered that they were under suspicion, and fled before they were caught. Local citizens unearthed the bodies and tried to find them but they were never caught. No one knows where they originally came from, or where they ever went. They are the first serial murders in the United States. It's been a few years since I read the book, but it is very interesting - and the original hammers are still on display at the Cherryvale Museum. There used to be a "Bender Museum" in Cherryvale with a display set-up with manequins just like the inn has been described. The museum has a bunch of information that has been collected over the years and Fern Wood serves on the Museum Board. The museum is only open on Sunday afternoons during warm weather. For further information contact the Cherryvale Chamber of Commerce. There have been several books written about the subject over the years, but this is the only book written that is still in print.
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