Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-02-26
Friends DisbeIisve villas Story Of
. Court Martial
MADE THE RECORD PUBLIC
Rebel OFFICER Says He Saw Body
Kicked from the Rear Door
OF General Villas
Headquarters

the court martial OF William s
Benton, made public at Juarez. as
serted that the Scotchman was pres
emit; that he was represented by q
rebel officer as attorney, and wai
permitted to testify, and that the
session was public.
He was executed for attempted
armed violence against General VII
la, the record declares. and was
found guilty of giving aid and COM
fort to the enemy by giving them
cattle and forage, and by giving
them information.
Benton's friends on this side OF
the Rio Grande received the report
with sneers. They pointed to their
knowledge Of many years that he
guarded against possible serious re-
suits Of his high spirit and temper
by never carrying pistol. The
statements that Benton was allowed
to testify and that the proceedings
were public, carried no conviction
to the men who assert that their
friend was deliberately murdered.
Ell Paso, Feb. 23.--WillIam Ben
tons body lies under a pile of sta
BILE refuse in the corral back of
Villas headquarters in Juarez,
Mexican officer telephoned to Mrs.
Benton in Ell Paso.
This Official says he saw the body I
kicked out of the rear door of
Villas headquarters in the old Ochoa
House.
He says he heard the shots. look
ed up as me was passing and saw the
body roll from the door. 1t was
carried to the horse corral of adobe
blocks in the rear of the lot, where
Il was buried, where 1t could not be
easily found.
This is in contradiction to the
-eport that Villa gave American
Consul Edwards Thursday night,
when he told him that the body was
buried in the municipal burying
ground.
Washington, Feb. 23.--Secretary
Bryan received word from Consul ,
Edwards at Juarez today that Gus /,
ave Bauch, the German-American .
umored last night to have been ex-
cuted by General villa, was alive
nd had been removed to Chihuahua :
here American Consul Letcher had :,
cen informed to intercede for him.
Chihuahua, Mexico, Feb. "a
eneral Villas story of the killing >,
William s. Benton, told to re- :,
'rters here, differs only little from ),
10 official statement given out J.
lturday at Juarez. =
The Juarez statement given out =,
'clared than when Benton reached -,
r his hip pocket Villa knocked him -
,wn with a blow of the fist. Villa =,
Id that when Benton made this q,
ove he poked his own pistol into %
'nton's stomach and then turned
m over to the guards. ~
Villa insisted that Benton came
take his life and referred to Ben
MS mission concerning the welfare
his ranch as "pretext" to gain "a.
mittance. 4.
According to Villa, Benton, after 80
, verdict of the court martial, "a.
lfessed his guilt and declined to ~,
for mercy. He merely requested Ia,
It his property be turned over to
widow.
Villa contradicted his official re-
It to the American consul at Jua-
. that Gustave Bauch, German w.
lerican, accused Of being a spy, q,
been brought to chihuahua. Ia
la said he knew nothing of him. -
london, Feb. 24.-"The pacifica- -
4 OF Mexico is an object we hon :
" desire to see accomplished,
1t is impossible to effect it by
fish Intervention. We do not at -
Ipt to make any attempt OF that
racter, which would be both flu
and impolitic."
his is the attitude of the British
sign office as outlined in the
Sc of commons by Francis Dyke
and, parliamentary under secre-
I for foreign affairs, after full
sideration of the series of vic
Izations Of British subjects in
leo, eliminating in the removal
q ~ ~w...