The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-22
BENTON NOTABLE
FIGURE IN MEXICO
Friend Of Slain BritOn Tells Of
His Work for the State
Of Durango.
CALLS VILLA A COWARD
Engineer Says Man Was Killed
Because He Tried to
Save His Cattle.

William Petit. a mining engineer. who
spent twelve years In Mexico managing
and returned to this country when the
unsettled condition Of Mexican affairs
brought financial trouble to foreign in
vestors In its wake. told last night of
william s. Benton, the British subject
who was killed In Juare4 Tuesday night.
Mr.. Petit knew Mr.. Benton for many
years. The engineer II living at 3tl West
! l20th street
Benton was one OF the strongest. finest
men I ever knew" Mr.. Petit said last
night. HE actually made the town OF
Inde. In the State OF Durango, brought In
foreign capital and by his own efforts
changed the whole district from n condi-
ton OF poverty to one Of prosperity.
AS for his death, 1 received word from
friends a few days ago that Benton was
going to see Villa and ask for permits
sion to drive his remaining cattle-a lit
tie less than 1000 In all-across the
border to the United States and sell them
He had had some 5000 cattle on his
$4,000 acre ranch when the present revo-
luton started villas men had stolen
something like 1000 OF them and Benton
wanted to save what he could by bring
ing the rest over the border.
Villa. of course, wouldn't allow this.
for Villas sole strength. as Ia the case
with all the Mexican leaders. is the oppor-
tunty he gives his followers to loot. villa
will not permit any cattle 20 leave the
country because he needs them to feed
his army and keep II loyal. You can't
drive n thousand head Of cattle many
miles surr.p;itiously. so Benton went di-
rect to Villa and asked for permission 20
save the small remainder of his fortunes.
Rldlrulcs Rebel Charre.
"vrla comes from the same district
as Benton. and they had known each
other for many years. The talk that
Benton tried to kill villa is all rot A
man doesn't gc into the middle OF an
army camp alore and try to kill the com
mander in chief That IL nonsense"
benton went there to get perm! sslon
TO move his cattle. and knowing Benton
as I did l don't doubt that he had words
with villa when the latter refused his
request. villa Ia coward and l
pr. sumo hs shot Benton down at the
Scotchmans first show OF standing up
for his rights and then called court
martial to vindicate his action. lie
could get all sorts of ahidavits in a few
minutes from his men regarding a court
martial or anything else-they wouldn't
dare to refuse.
AS for Ben.on's being armed at the
time--every white man l know In Mexico
IL he didn't But the idea that he wen;
20 villa to Kill him Is nonsense. and l
don't believe that II he had a revolver
IN his pocket he ever drew II against
villa.
Benton was about So years old. He
went to Mexico from .cotland around
tws nty-Sve years ago. He went to lnde
about 1894. bought the Caballo silver
m.a,s ana started to work them. Then
he discovered gold at indie and interested
Barring Bros. of London. Al,cgsther he
brought at least 100000 OF foreign
capital into the district. A large mill was
built and the property paid fairly we'll.
Benton sold out his interest to the Bar
ing interests in 1904 and bought Los
Remedies ranch In the foothills behind
chihuahua.
when Benton hrst went TO hide there
weren't ever 5000 people In the whole
district; there were 20. 900 when the war
Stated. He made at least twenty towns
people wealthy and his enter prise gave
work to the laboring class and made trade
for the merchants.
showed Great Ent~rprise.
He imported Hereford stock and
crossed 1t with the native cattle and I'M
proved the breed. His enterprise in this
respect alone entitled him to the graft
tude Of the whole district. But Villas
men drove of the cattle.
"Benton's widow. Maxima, "a Mexican.
is splendid woman. She Is a daughter
OF ranch owner OF means and eloped
with Benton. She has been living In
chihuahua city recently because Il wasn't
safe for woman to stay on the ranch"
1T wasn't necessary" Mr. Petit went
on. "for President Wilson to intervene to
prevent the loss OF life and property by
foreigners In Mexico. All he had to do
at the beginning OF the present war was to
.A.sA
troops on the border and serve not c. on
all factions that the min tie tile property
or person OF a white man was touched
there would be real trouble. The Mexi-
cans OF all factions would have left all
foreigners alone as II they h d he plague
Now. however, the situation has changed
and something more than a mere ultima
tum will be necessary ultimately.
Predicts More TrOubIe.
The present difficulty In which villa
has got himself by killing Benton will
blow over. but villa or somebody else,
emboldened by the inactivity OF the
United States, will kill some other for
eigner and then another until the United
States will be compelled to act.
at IL nonsense to say that II would
take 100000 men to pacify the country.
II wouldn't take more than 10000. Let
an American army OF this size take the
clties-it wouldn't be hard or expensive
In lives--then organise a mounted police
force OF 10000 men to take care OF the
rest of the country. Most OF the mounted
force could be drawn from the Mex cans
themselves-nine out OF ten Mexicans are
law abiding people, who want only a
chance to earn IA living In peace. Put
Americans In as officers OF this mounted
force. ard have a nucleus OF Americans in |
the rank and file to teach the Mexican
recruits and keep thein In line Give the
mounted policemen the power TO act on
their own initiative-the more red tape
there 10 tho less a Mexican outlaw re-
spects a governing force.
DIamcs Personal Ambition.
IAN these wars are merely the result
Of the ambition of individual leaders Two
or three leaders may combine against the
Government. as they are doing against