The Sentinel=record., 1914-02-24
INTEREST IN THE KILLING OF ENGL LlSHMAN STILL AT FEVER
 HEAT ALONG THE BORDER
VILLA IS GETTING BUSY
Willy Rebel Leader Is Trying to Cook up Evidence Against Benton to Sup port His Order of Execution-Eng land to Investigate.

Ei Paso, Tex, Feb. 23.-Interest in the execution of Vim. s. Benton by Gen. Villa last Tuesday continued with little abatement today, but all eyes were on developments at Wash iagton.
 Consul Edwards at Juarez tonight said the state departments request. it was a requet, not a demand, that Benton's body be turned over to the widow, had met with no response from Gen. Villa, who is at Chihua- hua. The request was telegraphed last Saturday and it is reported that Consul Leteher at Chihuahua wifi re- new his plea.
 Benton's friends assert that while Washington may for diplomatic req. son accept the official version of a court martial, which the rebels al. legged tried Benton and found him guilty of attempting Villas lirs there still is no disposition anon D them to change their own version O, murder"
 They are working tirelessly and with some hope of finding a witness to the shooting whose word can be relied on. There is said to be eyi dence that an American saw the shooting, but that his associations with the rebels make it unlikely that he will speak unless unusual pressure is brought to bear on him.
 The federal junta which has ener getic secret agents at work, as vel as many sympathizers, is engaged also in an attempt to ascertain the details for the purpose of discredit. ing the constitutionalists.
 Rebel agents are frequently to be met in public places volubly explain ing what a hot tempered man Ben ton was. Their favorite story is that Benton, in the Foreign Club at Chi huahua, once asserted hotly that he wished his skin were darker so he would not be mistaken fer a damned gringo"
 The incident is said to have occur red a year ago and to have resulted in a fist fight between Benton and Phil Mclaughlin, newspaper man then resident in Chihuahua The pair returned from the fieid of battle on a friendly footing. These occasional outbursts of the fiery Scotchman nev- CT affected the real friendship which the Americans felt for him, because of his known integrity and blunt hon esty.
 "I have loaned Benton as high as $5,00O without the scratch of a pen, related an American well known i1 Mexico, but now among the refugees here. At Chihuahua it is said Villa is attempting to find in the court records something to show Benton had become Mexican citizen, but his cousin, Wm Benton in this city, said Benton was very careful to maintain his status as British suA ject and that in a number of legal papers he was scrupulous to have this fact set forth
 Anxiety over the fate of Gustav Bauch, the Germal-American official ly reported by Villa to have been re moved to Chihuahua for review of his case, wherein he is charged with be ing spy, cropped out anew today when it was reported that Consul Letcher, who has been instructed by the state department to safeguard the prisoners interests, had been un able to see him.
 Legal documents setting fortl Bauci's birth by German parents il New Iberia, La., received here by Mrs J. NJ. Patterson. his sister, will be forwarded to Chihuahua.
 There is still no trace of Harry Compton, Roger Laurence or the Ran ehman Curtis, who have disap- pear ed in Mexico, nor IS there any confirmation as to the date of arrival of the special train on which Viila has promised to return fifteen reject. ed American recruits among whom the rebel leader suggested that the missing Americans might be found. An American employed on the rail- road bridge said today that whe1 Villa departed with fifteen or eigh