The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-02
Ended William S. Benton's
Life at Juarez,
Mexico
WASHINGTON
HAS THE FACTS
! But Examination on the Elk
humed Body Will Be Con-
Quoted, Nevertheless

Washington, March 2.-William )
Benton, the British subject slain al
Juarez, Mexico, was unarmed and wa:
shot to death in Villas office, pistol bull
let's through the stomach ending his life
according to conclusive information which
has reached officials here. While nc
statement to this effect was forthcom.
ing Saturday, slackening of official inter.
est in the proposed post mertem on Ben
tons body was evident, the belief being
that the examination would be useful
only in that it might serve to supple
ment the evidence of timid witnesses who
possibly would withdraw otherwise their
oral statements.
Benton carried no arms when he APP
preached Villas Office in Juarez, accord
ing to information. He spent two hours
waiting for the interview that ended IN
his death, walking back and forth in
front of the office building. He was
shot through the stomach after he en-
tered the office and received other wounds
afterward, although the first was NOR
tai. The post-mortem, it is said, may
serve to confirm the character of the
wounds, though the probable state of
the body in tropical climate III days
after death may defeat even this pur-
pose.
General instructions as to the method
of examination to be pursued were IS
sued Saturday by the state and war de-
partments to their representatives at 81
Paso. 1t is realized that local condi-
tions must determine details, and only
broad lines were drawn in the directions.
II was not known Saturday exactly
when the commission would start for
Chihuahua, as that will depend largely
upon the availability of the special trains
which Villa has promised to provide for
the transportation of the party. Secre-
tary Garrison early in the day author
lied Gen. Scott, in command of the post
at FL Paso, to detail two army surgeons
to make medical examination of the
body, and Acting Secretary Moore of the
state department said it had been left
to the collector of customs and the
United States district attorney at Ell
Paso to select two representatives of the
state department. These representatives,
1T was said, probably would be chosen
outside of the consular service.
The examination of the body is to be
conducted entirely by the United States
authorities, the British view being that
the responsibility rests upon the state
department. which has undertaken to
get at all the facts just as it would in
the case of an American citizens murder.
The British ambassador has taken fire.
quent opportunity to make evident the
satisfaction which his government felt
- 6 h. e@a{ ~ ont
in this matter, adding another tribute
Saturday to the activity which has
marked the prosecution of the inquiry
ever since the first demand was made
upon Villa for access to the body of Ben
ton. Sir Cecil Spring Rice spent an hour
with Acting Secretary John Bassett
Moore going over the details of the case
so far as they have developed, after
wards reporting its status to the for
eign office. Rumors that tentative eff
forts have been made by the eonstitu-
tionalists to placate the British govern
ment by the offer of money indemnity
to the widow prove to be groundless.
At any rate, it is certain that no such
proposition has been made to any respon-
sible persons and it is known that it
would not be entertained if made. There
fore, it is believed that when the facts
connected with the killing of Benton are
fully developed, unless the United States
government feels called upon to demand
PREPARATION, the British government may
simply docket this case and place it on
file to be presented to the, future gov
eminent of Mexico for settlement when
the day of reckoning comes.
No answer has yet been returned to
the latest query from Gov Colquitt of
Texas to whom he could address re-
QUESTION for the surrender of federals |
who killed Vergara, the Texas ranch
man.