The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-02-25

csstav 6such has met fate similar
TO Benton'E.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2i.-with
promise received tonight By Secre-
tary Bryan from General Francisco
villa that the body OF William :.
Benton. British subject soon would
be exhumed and turned over to Amer
lean officials for examination. the
Washington government considered
that the hrst important step had been
! accomplished in its investigation or
the recent execution at Juarez which
has focused the eyes OF the world
anew on the Mexican situation.
Villas message came to Consular
Agent Carothers at Juarez. and as
translated IL said Benton's body
would be delivered. But not at this
time. This was accepted by Mr..
Bryan as a promise that the body
would be turned over as soon as the
constitutional leader could arrange
il.
From the character OF the wounds
discovered on Benton's body. physi-
clans will be able TO say whether
Benton was killed by a pistol shot as
his friends claim or by firing squad
as villa asserts. II is generally ad-
mitted in official circles that such an
examination will be OF great value IN
Z either Affirming or disproving an TN
portant point in the general expM.
nation of the affair made by villa.
Developments Many.
Developments were many in the
situation that has arisen out OF the
killing of Benton. Secretary Bryan
asked American consular representa-
likes at Nogales to confer with Gen
eral Carranza about the affair The
secretary talked with Acting Chair
man Shively of the senate foreign re-
| lations committee and then at length
4 with President Wilson. The Incl.
/ dent was fully discussed at a cabinet
/ meeting. Sir Cecil Spring-Rice. the
| British ambassador. later called on
/ secretary Bryan and arranged for
| visit or British Consul Perceval to
| III Paso 10 supplement the American
4 inquiry, though not To interfere with
| ". The secretary then conferred
I again tonight with the president at
the White House.
=. News of the hanging OF Clemento
Nersara, an American citizen. by
! Mexican fedeTals near Nuevo Laredo.
Mexico. directed attention to the Hu-
/ erta government on the SUBJECT of
protection for foreigners Represen-
tauons in behalf of Nergara had been
made by the state department some
time ago. but no information about
1 MS whereabouts or the reported ex-
ecution had been received here TO.
/ night
, CaIinent officers indicated clearly
[ lhdt official judgment of the Benton
incident would not be hasty and that
( the American government was care
| lully occupied just now in gathering
tne tacts. Details OF the character
OF the American Investigation were
not officially known here until the
publcation Of dispatches from Lon
! don today giving the tetX of Secre-
'arS Bryan's message TO the British
ambassador
Far Reaching Inquiry.
The fact that the United States
mad instructed its Consuls to have the
body eNhumcd and examined. and to
employ legal assistance and examine
witnesses indicated the far reaching
nature OF the inquiry.
IN addition 10 this Secretary BRYAN
announced that communication had
been telegraphed for presentation 10
General Carranza by an American
consul asking the ConstitutionaIist
,oulhandcr IN chief for more informa-
ton about the Benton incident. The
| secretary denied that this took tho
lortn OF any general representations
ABOUT foreigners. saying IL was CON
/ Hned entirely to the Benton incident
IN some quarters the sending OF "A
communication to Carranza about
/ q technical recognition OF Carranza's
jurisdiction or Villa, but Secretary
! bryan tonight stated positively that
ne regarded to-day's message as sim
4 llar 10 others which previously have
: been presented by American consuIs
I 10 larranza and de faCtO authorities
/ IN Mexico. Dealings with the de facto
oficers m the north Mr.. BRYAN re
CARDS as no different from the infor-
I lntl relations at Mexico City with the
unrecognized lIuerta government
Developments In Few Days.
! pon the receipt Of Information
from Carranza and the progress Of
: the inquiries al JuaroZ. both by the
American consuls and the British con
SUI az VI Paso. the Developments of
/ tho next few days seem 10 hinge
secretary Bryan did not know to
nirht lust when the body of BENTON
would bo given up by Villa
] incidentally. tho British ambaaea.
+ dor iolcgraphed Mrs Brnfon IN tho
O body was producodb the coueiifu
/ tionalist lnd 30 De- probable that D.
immediately viii ho turned over tp
I th" widow she should immodiateI,
nav" competent rur~cona cvamIno .f
I Army surgeons here say tho condI
iion of tho wound viii establish al
fcoutinued on Page Hinsl