Evening journal., 1914-02-27
OF
BENTON WILL
Be EXHUMED
Villa, However, Refuses IA
Turn Body Over to Widow
or Permit Autopsy
BRYAN BELIEVES THE
SITUATION IS CLEARING
BY JoHN =. NEvIN

staff Correspondent Of the United Press
WASHINGTON, Feb 27.-The state
Department today received telegram
from Consul Letcher AZ Chihuahua City
saying that Villa had consented 10 an
American army surgeon accompanying
Mrs. Benton 80 that city 10 view BEN
tons body. Villa maintained his orioi-
ual determination not to turn the BODY
over 10 tho American government and
he viii not permit an autopav Be-
cause OF the fact Tint tho bod, has beeu
buried twelve days. officials here eers
doubtful whether on inspection of a
would show tcrv much IN the decoms
posed condition in which n must BE-
The arrangements for examining tho
body win be put % tho hrods Of Gem
cral Hugh Scott at tl paso Who wiil
designate an army SURGEON for that ppt.
pose. British Consul pcuc,ai Who IS
now with General Scott az IN paso Nil
be- offered the opportnit, of accompany
ing the doctor who win cNuminc he
hody. But whether hc win do 30 81
moi win be lcft TO hi. discretion
u s understood That ia addi,on 10
the regular army surgeon another Amer.
lean. preferably physiciam Nll Wow
nentons body. l'lo State Departments
has mo information as TO whom VlH
Intends TO permit the disiutcrment OF
under what circumstance
The action OF Villa In finally CON
senting to An inspection of Benton's
] body very materially cleared The
air, Secretary OF State Bryan
seemed very much more hope
!ul when no attended The cnbinct
meeting That international complica-
tions would yet be- avoided n is be-
lieyod that the secretary has received
reply 10 his message sent to Car
rama warning the letter that con-
tinuation OF villas high handed tao
ties would seriously ondangcr the
, Constiiutionalist cause
The secretary refused 10 say
whether he had such reply but
Constitutionalist sources here claim
10 have Information 20 this effect
Thes intimate that Carranzn has
again made IL plain that he Will per-
/ aonally take steps 90 prevent a re-
currence Of "Villialsm, in Northern
/ Mexico IN the future
IN explaining that he believed the
entire BENTON mystery would soon
hr cleared up. secretary Of state
faid General Villas offer. made
through Consul letcher. seems per-
fectly frank re saws positively that
Alr. Bnntons body ie buried ia tho
National cemetery AZ Chlhuahua City
He offered 10 furnish special
/ train 10 convey Mrs. Benton. two rep
rcsentatiyes of this and two repre-
sentatiyes OF the British government.
all OF whom may be physicians II
deemed desirable The party win be
taken direct TO the cemetery where
tho body viii be disinterred and every
opportunity furnished for is exam
! ination and Identification We have
directed Consul Lctcher 10 notify
! General villa of thiS governments ac-
ceptancc of the offer Wo have also
notified the British ambassador of
what we have done and are doing.
Details for the visit 10 tho cemetery
are now being worked out. General
Scott viii select the American sur
geons and the body viii probably ba
examined IN the very near future.
The mystery surrounding the fate
of Gustay Bauch seemed even more
| mpenetrable today. following "a re-
port received from Consul Edwards
az Juarez. Edwards positively says
not only Is Bauch not a prisoner IN
a Juarez Jail. but he has incontest-
able proof that the German-American
has not been ia Juarez since Febru-
airy is. AZ that time, the court-mar
tial which was 10 try him on charges
Of being a spy had been ordered n
assemble. villa has since stated that
he knew nothing whatever about the
Bauch case other information con
veyed TO Consul Edwards was that
Continued on Page Thirtsen.