Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-02-27
TRIED To KILL VILLA
RECORD IN CASE or BENTON
LAYS EXECUTION TO HIS DE-
FiANcE OF MEXICAN.
ACTION IN U. S. SENATE.
Statesmen Hear That Englishman's
Death Was Like Dog's-8ryan
Starts 0uiz-Great Britain Re-
quests Information on Murder.

Juarez, Feb. 24-William S. Ben
toms resistance to General Villas bar
ring him frsm Mexico brought on the
execution of the British subject and
owner of a 100,000-acre ranch in chi
huahua, according to the record OF the
court martial that condemned Benton
to death. 1t was charged that he tried
to murder Villa while resisting the
generals decree.
The official record was revealed on
Saturday. 1t opens with the statement
that an extraordinary council OF war
was convened at Ais o'clock last
Tuesday by Col Fidel Avila. The
council convened a court-mart1al, OF
which Maj Jesus Rodriguez was presl-
dent. There were four other judges.
Villa" continues the report, states
that because Benton was a foreigner
his property has not been confiscated,
but he must remain out of the coun-
try because he was an element de-
struc i've of the peace and prosperity
of the country.
"The accused answered in harsh and
violent terms and asserted that no hui
man power could keep him out OF
Mexico or cause him to desert his
property to further depredations.
''Then he said he was as good
man as Villa and at the same moment
he drew pistol from his hip pocket.
But the general was ready and jumped
for him and struck, at the same
time the persons present leaped on
him that he might not make an at
tempt on the life of General Villa"
The record gives Benton's testimony
indirectly as follows:
"He said he came at 10 or IL O'Clock
in the morning to see General villa
and inform him that revolutionists or
at times parties of bandits had done
much damage to his ranch. destroying
property and stealing cattle. He had
come to tell Villa of these things, but
the general accused him of being
friendly to the federals, and suggested
that the rebels buy the ranch, as the
witness was not wanted in Mexico.
''The witness told General Villa that
he was unjust and several other
things that annoyed the general, but
witness had no intention of harming
the general or anyone else. He said
he had nothing to do with Huerta or
the red fiaggers and was Indifferent
to the politics of the country. This
was all he had to say"
Washington, Feb. 24.-Secretary
Bryan has ordered a far-reaching In
vestigation of the killing of William 5.
Benton He announced that until all
the facts had been gathered from all
available sources no opinion would be
expressed by the state department.
All information received will be trans
,mitted to the British government.
A telegram from r. N. Dudley of Ell
Paso, Tex. to Senator Fall, declaring
Benton was murdered like dog.
was xeod in. the senate on Saturday at
the request of Senator Fall. He also
had read telegram from the Ell Paso
mass meeting which had denounced
the administrations handling of the
Mexican situation.
London, Feb. 24-The British gov
eminent has not taken any action
in regard to the execution of William
S. Benton beyond instructing> Sir Ce-
Gil Spring Rice, ambassador at Wash
ington, to obtain from Secretary Bry-
an all possible information on the at
fair.