Evening times-Republican., 1914-02-20

Ell Paso, Tex, Feb. 2O.-William s.
Benton, Of Ell Paso, Scotchman, subject
Of Great Britain. Is dead. The death
of the man is confirmed by Pancho
Villa and was officially conveyed to the
7 widow at North Oregon street by
United States Consul T. D. Edwards.
Of Juarez. Mystery surrounds the re-
port Of the death. William Benton, a
cousin Of the dead man. confirmed the
report.
Consul Edwards told Mrs. Benton"
he said, that her husband was dead
in Juarez. The /. consul said that
Pancho Villa had confirmed this but
said that Villa had asked him not to
make public the details except in off,
cia! dispatches to his government"
Court MartaIsd and Executed.
Benton was executed last Tuesday
night after trial by military court
in Juarez. Of which Federico Gonzales
Cara was the head, according to what
affair. The charge against Benton was
that he was implicated in a plot to
take Villas life.
viIla left for the south today on a
special train. Renton was last seen
alive In Juarex Tuesday morning. He
was making his. way to Villas homo
ana said he would tell Villa what he
thought Of him for the manner in
DnS3A vrofo In
western Chihuahua, had been looted
and raided by the rebel soldiers.
Warnine Too Late.
Instructions had been sent by the
state department to Consul Edwards to
see that no harm should come to Ben
tor, tho instructions being sent on the
request Of the British ambassador at
Washington. The warning, it now ap-
pears, came too late.
It is supposed that Villas defense
will be that the man was shot because
he entered Villas office and started
to draw q gun, altho the cousin says
Benton did not go to Juarez armed.
Benton had been In Mexico about
twenty-five years.
Execution Arouses Indignation.
Benton was tried by court martial
and found guilty Of completely in
plo. to take Villas life. He was exc
cuted by firing squad Wednesday
night.
Villa, whose act is stigmatized by
RentoTs friends as wanton murder.
left suddenly for Chihuahua. No single
act Of any Of the recent revolutions has
80 stirred indignation. When extra
editions were placed on the streets
they were frantically seized upon and
read.
Benton's ways were blunt but his
friends admired him for them and
there were moist eyes and muttered
imprecations among them when they
heard the news.
INC foreigner n safe in Mexico"
was the general comment, and sug-
kestion that mass meeting of pro!
Jest be held here met with considerable
sapor.
Benton and Villa Acquainted.
Benton and Villa had been acquaint-
ances many years. Benton knew him
when az an outlaw more or less ac-
repted as part the Mexican social fab
ric, the bandit crossed the Benton
ranch west Of Chihuahua. The rancn
Of 1000 acres is known as Les
Medioes. and ID. considered one OF the
contained dne pastureage, crops grew
abundantly, and the owner was partic-
ularly proud Of his orchard, which sue
ceeding bands Of rebels cut up into fire.
wood, Benton paid $125,0o0 for 1t but
improvements are said to have brought
the value close to 100000.
It was his acquaintance with villa
which brought the doughty Scotsman,
whose courage II not his discretion was
admired. went to Villa with COM
plant. A
Yesterday Villa, who has consistant-
" denied that he had Benton in custody
told reporter that Benton was armed
when he made his visit.
Friends 4of the ranchman assert in
dignantly that while Benton. of fiery
temper and ready to use fists, was
never known to carry gun. His rea-
son to go unarmed was his own knowl-
edge of his temper.
During the interview Benton and
Villa quarreled and Benton was lost to
his friends. James Hambleton. an
Englishman. and others. including re-
porters, exhausted every means of as
,certaining the fate OF the missing man.
but were everywhere met with evasions
and denials.
Consul Edwards was the arss to
learn the true facts. He gave Mrs
Benton only bare outline Of the case
II have telegraphed all the details at
my command tp Washington" said the
consul. s.end tf made public, they must
y No. from there. I pledged my word to
VIA nat snsAks the details public. !"