The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-24
MEXICAN SITUATION
is AGAIN ASSUMING
A SERIOUS ASPECT
INTEREST CENTERS
ON WASHINGTON FOR
NEXT MEXICAN STEP

Ell Paso. Tex, February 23.-Interest in
the execution of William S Benton by
General villa last Tuesday continued with
little abatement today, but all eyes were
on developments at Washington.
Consul Edwards at Juarez tonight said
the state department request--it was a
request and not a demand-that Benton
body be turned over to the widow had
met with no response from General Villa.
who is at Chihuahua. The request was
telegraphed last Saturday and it is re-
ported that Consul Letcher at Chihuahua
will renew his plea
While Washington may for diplomatic
reasons accept the official version of a
courtmartial which the rebels alleged tried
Benton and found him guilty of at
tempting Villas life, there is still no dis
position among Bentons friends to
change their own verdict of murder"
They are working tirelessly and VII
some hope of finding witness to the
shooting whose word can be relied on.
There is said to be evidence that an
American witnessed the shooting, but
that his associations with the rebels
make it unlikely that he will speak I'M
on him.
Secret Agents at Work
The federal junta, which has energetic
secret agents at work, as well as many
sympathizers, is engaged also in an at
tempt to ascertain the details for the pur-
pose of discrediting the constitutionalists
Rebel agents are frequently to be met
with in public places volubly explaining
what a hot tempered man Benton was
Their fayorite story was That Benton. in
the foreign club at Chihuahua. once as
serted hotly that he wished his skin were
darker, so that he would not be mistaken
for a damned gringo."
The incident is said to have occurred
year ago and to have resulted IN a fist
fight between Benton and Phil McLaugh-
lli newspaper man, then resident in
Chihuahua. The pair returned from the
Held of battle on a friendly footing
| These occasional Cuthursts of the fiery
Scotchman never affected the real friend
ship which the Americans felt for him
because of his known integrity and blunt
honesty.
Il have lent Benton as high as 5000
without the scratch of PEN related an
American well known in Mexico, but
now among the refugees here. At Chi
| huahua 1t is said Villa is attempting to
find in the court records something to
show that Benton had become a Mexican
citizen. but his cousin, William Benton,
in this city, said Benton was very care
/, full to maintain his status as a British
subject and that in a number of legal
papers he was scrupulous to have this
fact set forth.
Anxiety over the fate of Gustav
Banch, the German American, official
p f,{9os ted lfss Nillt. r. AS ~ AI ~
moved TO Chihuahua for review OF his
case wherein he is charged with being
"A spy. cropped out anew today when
II was reported that Consul Letcher
who has been instructed by the state
interests. had been unable to see him
Legal documents setting forth
Bauch's birth by German parents in
New Iberia, La. received here by Mrs.
]. NJ Patterson. his sister viii he for
warded to Chihuahua.
No Trace of Compton
There still is no trace of Harry
Compton, Roger Laurence or the ranch
man Curtis, who have disappeared i'll
Mexico. nor is there any confirmation
as to the date of arrival of the special
train on which villa has promised to
return Is rejected American recruits
among whom the rebel leader suggest
ed that the missing Americans might
90 found.
An American employed at the rail
road bridge said today that when villa
departed with Is or 8 prisoners last
Friday he noticed a tall man in a golf
cap, and shorter one. who appeared
to be an Inglishman.
a rumor that villa took his prison
ers only few miles south of Juarez
and then shot all of them has received
some circulation but its origin could
not he traced. Rebel officials laughed
lat IT