Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1901 — EQUALS BENDER FAMILY DEEDS. [ARTICLE]

EQUALS BENDER FAMILY DEEDS.

Murderer War.! of Pluma, S. D., Had No Partner in Crime. The deeds of the Bender family of Kansas are not much worse than those that are being unearthed against the murderer W. H. Ward, of Pluma, S. D., who was captured Saturday near Devil’s Tower, fifty miles northwest of Deadwood. Ward waq single-handed in his cunning deals, blit his work was effective in every case. The world may neve? know what method was used in the making away of Kirk Shephard, but there is no doubt that he was killed and the body concealed. Frank Neuenfeldt, the young miner who was killed in September, 1899, had been working several months for Ward and died from the effects of what Ward said was a cave-in after the blast. The death was not investigated and the old man's story was believed, investigation of the old tunnel since shows that not enough dirt had fallen to cause death. Ward owed him back money for wages. The searching parties that have been ransacking Ward’s cabin and premises have found wagon loads of rubbish which has. no special value, but has been accumulated evdently by a half-crazy man. The house is cut up into a number of rooms, with side, rear and front entrances, which would permit of eajy hiding of crime or of stolen property. The old man always had an aversion to strangers coming into his house. Nobody will ever know how many persons Ward has made away with. There are numerous stories afloat about sudden disappearances in of the country, dating several years back, and other crimes may be unearthed. It is known for a certainty that he ha,s killed three men in cold blood.