El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-25
VILLA BLAGKENs
BEHT0N'5 NAME
Continued from Page y

Continued from Page y
Dassador Spring-Rice revealed the
ines along which the consul will
work in making his independent in
Nesugauon of the case. He asked
tliaI zen Hugh /. Scott be requested
20 use ms influence with Villa to get
keiInlsSiOn Tor an examination Of
BcntOn's body. and that every effort
De made to have the body exhumed
ana q careful medical examination
-il-1e Ply american surgeons He also
IelueSted Ihat proof of BentOn's ma
Icnallly be forwarded to the embassy
~ " asnlnglon az once. In answer,
9L1s; Benton telegraphed that the
deed to Los Remedies ranch contained
me statement made before notary,
tEaL Benton was an English subject /
villa Refuses Body.
una mas refused permission for the
IDSCay OF Eenton to be taken out Of
AeAlco- villa notified the state de-
partment through George c. Caroth-
ers tuesday night that ne would not /
surrender the body at this time but !
would deliver it to relatives later.
With an additional explanation Of the 1
affair to the United States govern /
menL The refusal was received by 1
Wlre from Villa by the vice consul :
and was forwarded at once to the |
slate department at Washington AT /
tne same time Mr.. CarOthers sent |
reply 10 villa reiterating the original !
ccommendaIOn-nO demand has vet
Deen made-that the body be de-
uEered TO relatives at once. With
S ms message went a copy of the state
oepartnent dispatch in which the
original recommendation was uaJS
Do Not Believe Villas Statement.
NelJner Bentons relatives nor any
o. his friends believe the story which /
was sent out from Villas headquar-
LtlS IN Cnlhuahua that BentOn's body
was taken to Chihuahua on Villas
tram, given a fine funeral and
christian BURIAL in the national Gem
eleIy at Chihuahua with flowers and /
The Mysterious Women.
Inc 4SlerlOuS woman In the case
Is said to be the mother of Domingo
tIoress better known locally as
coyote who was reported executed
IN JuareZ. Mrs. Flores is reported TO
nave been the witness to the killing
o. benton and IS reported to have said
Ihat his body was wrapped in a red
blanket and buried in the rear Of the
Ocnoa house, where Villa made his
headquarters.
Mrs. Flores cannot be located on
either side Of the river and has not
been seen since. A search for her /
has been made on both sides of the
RIVER, and it is now feared that she
has been taken to Chihuahua to pre-
vent her telling what happened at !
the time of the killing. The other !
witness. said to be a constitutional (
ist' officer who was in the room st
the time, cannot be found He is
SAID TO have revealed the burial place
Z
Benton was killed
Juarez Officials Silent.
Juarez military officials had no COM
ment 70 make Wednesday on statement
maze by FlIla that the Doey was buried
IN the national cemetery at chihuahua
and would be exhumed for examination
5y BenUOns relatives, or representa-
uves Of the American or English gov
ernments. but would not be allowed to
be brought to the border
The state government in Chf171aT71a
Is pllng Up evidence to show that Ben
ton was an undesirable citizen and
q particular enemy to Villa, accord
ing TO official messages received To-
oay at military headquarters in Juarez
state officials telegraphed that many
witnesses are Uestlfylng as to the char
acler Of Benton before a court of in
curry IN Chihuahua. MeXicaDs who
have resided for years in the nefghbor-
mood Of Benton's hacienda near Santa
Hsabel, Chin, have come to the state
capital to offer testimony in the case,
the rebels claim.
Blackening BentOn's Character.
Lhelr testimony, given under oath (
and upon the condition that they v7ouId
be punished if it were found untrue 1
has placed Benton in bad light
worse even than the evidence against
him at the court martial in Juarez
last week according to Official mes
5ages from Chihuahua to military
headquarters in Juarez The Witnesses
have sworn that Benton was a dan
serous element; that he had been a
virtual despot for many years in the
Village Of Santa ROsalia de Cuevas.
hat the residents Of the village. had
suffered much through his actions.
hat he has always been an enemy to
he "COnstitutioualist' cause. and es
'ecialy TO PanchO Villa, although
MA the rebels say, had never meddIed
n his affairs.
Copies of exact testimony offered bv
ne Witnesses are being prepared and l
7iu be sent to Juarez These Wit
esses declare, according to the com
lunicatlons from chihuahua that
very inhabitant Of the village Of SAM
Rosalla de Cuevas, where Benton
eslQed many years viii testify re-
arding the hardships they underwent
trough actions Of the dead Scotch
ian.
Despite the discouragements which
1ey have encountered, consul I'd
ards and Mr.. Carothers have been
Orking night and day in attemDts TO
irry out their instructions from
'ashington. CarOthers may leave in
few days for the south to be nres-
1T at the expected battle for the
secession Of TOrreOn.
1t was reported at Juarez that Ven
iti2no Carranza was due at Nogales
day Cabrera expects to meet him
May COnfiscate Property.
l2umors which can not be confirmed,
I'VE it that villa is considering the
nfiscauon Of the. property Of Amer
ans and other foreigners who at
nded the mass meeting in Ell oaso
ST Friday night to protest against
q sOcaled execution of Benton. The
liable mining property Of one Amer
an in particular was mentioned He
IS active IN organizing the meeting
n OutspOken in asserting that the
ne for silence under abuse had
ded