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The Resource Hell's half acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier, Susan Jonusas

Hell's half acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier, Susan Jonusas

Creator
Author
Summary
In 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders, one among the thousands relocating farther west in search of land and opportunity after the Civil War, were capable of operating "a human slaughter pen" appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and whether justice ever caught up to them is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. Set against the backdrop of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre explores the environment capable of allowing such horrors to take place. Drawing on extensive original archival material, Susan Jonusas introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, many of whom have been previously missing from the story. Among them are the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail, and the fugitives that helped the murderers escape. Hell's Half-Acre is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact and an entire family of criminals can slip through a community's fingers, only to reappear in the most unexpected of places
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
xxii, 345 pages
Isbn
9781398501812
Instance
Label
Hell's half acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier
Title
Hell's half acre
Title remainder
the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier
Statement of responsibility
Susan Jonusas
Title variation
  • Hell's 1/2 acre
  • Hell's half acre
Title variation remainder
the untold story of America's first serial killers
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
In 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders. The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders, one among the thousands relocating farther west in search of land and opportunity after the Civil War, were capable of operating "a human slaughter pen" appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and whether justice ever caught up to them is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. Set against the backdrop of postbellum America, Hell's Half-Acre explores the environment capable of allowing such horrors to take place. Drawing on extensive original archival material, Susan Jonusas introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, many of whom have been previously missing from the story. Among them are the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail, and the fugitives that helped the murderers escape. Hell's Half-Acre is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact and an entire family of criminals can slip through a community's fingers, only to reappear in the most unexpected of places
Biography type
contains biographical information
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Jonusas, Susan
Dewey number
364.1523
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • maps
Index
index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Bender family
  • Serial murderers
  • Pioneers
  • Frontier and pioneer life
  • Kansas
Label
Hell's half acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier, Susan Jonusas
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier.
Content category
  • text
  • still image
  • cartographic image
Content type code
  • txt
  • sti
  • cri
Content type MARC source
  • rdacontent.
  • rdacontent.
  • rdacontent.
Dimensions
24 cm.
Extent
xxii, 345 pages
Isbn
9781398501812
Isbn Type
(pbk.)
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia.
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps
Specific material designation
regular print
Label
Hell's half acre : the untold story of the Benders, a serial killer family on the American frontier, Susan Jonusas
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier.
Content category
  • text
  • still image
  • cartographic image
Content type code
  • txt
  • sti
  • cri
Content type MARC source
  • rdacontent.
  • rdacontent.
  • rdacontent.
Dimensions
24 cm.
Extent
xxii, 345 pages
Isbn
9781398501812
Isbn Type
(pbk.)
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia.
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps
Specific material designation
regular print

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