The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-02-22
1ecuted for Attempting to Take Ny Life Declares Villa
Rebel Account Of Trial
BENTON ALLOWED TO TESTIFY
Death Ordered by Court

| Gen. villa Following this. the general
ordered MIN arrested, giving him into the
charge Of the military commander.
relieving the arrest investigations
were started TO see what part the prisoner
had taken In the struggle now going on
IN the republic, and IL was found that
ne was known to be a sworn enemy of
our cause. aiding the Federal army. not
only morally. but materially.
was beside Cen Villa when this took
place. and am firmly convinced that II
there had not been a body OF official.
and friends near the general, it would
nave been possible for the stranger 10
assassinate him. swear that this declar-
alton Is the truth PIT.
Following this Senior Engineer Farai.
was questioned as to what he knew re-
garding the incident. He replied as fol-
lows: AZ"
Ihls morning. at an inopportIne
moment. stranger entered the apart
ments occupied by Gen Villa .rI,-
posed 1t was the William Benton vbo
" now present He was talking with the
general about some matter Of which /
TOOK no notice until he became violently
eNSlteo ana told the general that he was
az mucn OF man as he. and that his
Villas, men had robbed him. Then in
an aggressive way, he pulled a pistol
~hieh ne had In the back pocket Of his
Plantations, but fortunately the general
jumped upon him and gave him a blow
on the head. At that time the nerson.
present interviewed. and / am sure had
II mad not been for their action. Gen.
NHia would have been the victim of the
'"'u De'oh' lhen Benton was arrested
Court Convicts Him.
Following this, the president OF the
ooui,eiI conceded the floor to the agent
OF the public minister, who reviewed the
testimony and asked that the accused
benton be condemned to death. Then the
onicer named by the judge to defend the
accused was allowed to sneak and =.
begged that the court apply the penalty
OF only ten years in prison. The presi-
dent thereupon declared the arguments
closed and the recorder summed IN tba
questions involved.
After these questions had been asked
and the court officers sworn and inter-
rogated, the accused William Benton was
convicted on the charge OF having at
tempted TO take Villas life.
Gustav Bauch. the Gerrnan-Americs,
arrested last Sunday in JIarez on the
charge of being Huerta spy, was taken
10 Chihuahua on Villas special train
Friday morning. This much was ad
mltted this afternoon by Mai. Manuel
Gloria. prosecuting attorney for the mill
tary court in JuareZ. who added that
Bauch had been taken to chihuahua
Tor safe keeping" pending a further
investigation OF the evidence against
him.
AS to the Englishmen. John Lawrence
and Curtis given name not known. who
are alleged TO have been missing since
they called upon Gen. Villa "Wednesday
afternoon TO intercede for Benton. Of
hCiaIs OF Iuarez say they know nothing
ABOUT them. They insist the men ar.
not detained at Juarez nor were they
sent to Chihuahua No foreigners except
nauch were included in the shipment Of
prisoners to Chihuahua on Friday.
The EnSlishmen are missing, however.
Al least, they have not reported to their
friends on this side of the river, nor have
they been seen by them since they left
Fl Paso for JuareZ last "Wednesday
Lawrence Is an irrigation engineer ON
ploEed BY the California DeyeIopmrnr
Company. at Yuma Arfz.