Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-27

though 1t was discussed. Judge Wer-
ner held that the conviction should
be affirmed because the main facts
tended to prove Becker's guilt. he
said that the fact that the main wit
nesses were gamblers, criminals, de-
generates and murderers, should have
nothing to do with the decision. He
said there was nothing to authorize
the court of appeals to invade the
province of the jury, nor to decide
in advance what must be done upon
another trial upon similar state or
facts" The Judge discussed the case
fully as to the facts and then the rul-
ing of the trial justice. He declared
that there was no error Of law COM
mitted at the trial which would justi-
fy a reversal. In the gumen's case
the court said that the only question
to be decided was whether the court
had erred. 1t was apparent the court
of appeals held that neither unfair
ness nor error was shown In the case.
A telegram in which General Villa
at Chichuahua charged the late Will
liam S. Benton, with being cattle
thief and having committed four muir
ders was received at military mead
quarters at Juarez last Tuesday. The
telegram follows: II expected the
me about the execution Of Benton.
But 1 did not have any other remedy
to avoid new attempts of the foreign
Huertistas who, protected by the flag
of their country, believ they are au-
thorized TO commit the greatest OF
crimes. Benton was all his life
criminal of the worst kind. In the
times of Terrazas and Creel, protected
by these men, he killed more than four
men without any provocation what
ever Then after the taking OF Chi
huahua, in common with the above
named individuals and according to
his own confession, he appropriated
more than 1000 head of cattle which
did not belong to him and further
more, the day he came to see me. he
attempted to kill me. Fortunately l
anticipated his movement and disarm-
ed him. All these motives, and es-
pecially the last named one, forced
me to act severely against Benton
without taking into consideration the
fact that he was q foreigner. But
there are crimes which l don't care
TO leave unpunished. Therefore he
was executed with all Juarez and 1 am
disposed to give an account OF the
execution to the entire world. Please
make the above declaration to Mr..
Carothers and to the American press.
Governor Blease called upon the
senate last Tuesday night to consider
the two-cent rate bill and the Fortner
bill, or he will hold the appropriation
bill three days and may call an extra
session of the general assembly next
summer. The Fortner bill Is that
dealing with the teaching of white
people in negro schools. Governor
Blease in his message said: Il beg
leave to call your attention to the fact
that If your appropriation bill Is pre-
sented to me on tomorrow, Wednes-
day, I can hold ii until Saturday. as
YOU cannot count both the day you
present II to me and the day l return
il, and give the governor three full
days. Therefore, l beg leave parttcu-
larly to call your attention to the fact
that while the governor is considering
the appropriation bill for 1914, you
will have ample opportunity to take
up and give consideration to the two
cent rate bill and the Fortner bill to
prevent white people from teaching
in negro schools. Now. gentlemen,
listen: You have been about four
weeks or possibly more, considering
this appropriation bill and haven't
finished with 1t yet. Surely you would
not expect the governor to take 1t up
and give it thorough consideration
and return 1t to you within less than
three DAYS. For this reason l call
these matters to your attention and
once again plead with you to pass the
Fortner bill and the two-cent rate
bill An extra session of your general
assembly this summer might possibly
bring about the passage OF these pllls,
as that would be so near election time,
but / would dislike to put you gen.
tlemen to that inconvenience and
trouble. So take these three days
the governor has to consider the ap-
preparation bill and give these two
measures to which / have called your
attention especially, your careful con-
sideration. Say, gentlemen, let's have
two or three bills, anyhow, OF state
wide interest and benefit out of our
seven weeks session. What say you?
- incidentally, says a Washington
dispatch of yesterday, President VIII
son disposed of report that an inde-
pendent republic was being planned
for northern Mexico. He said he had
information from men who know Car
ranZa's mind and the Constitutional
ists' purposes generally, that they had
rejected the idea of a partition of Mex
leo and that their main aim was to re-
deem Mexico from the stain that
Huerta had put on it. On the Benton
episode specifically, the president had
little information to reveal beyond
what already had been published. He
said the United States government
slowly was finding out the details and
that its course in the meantime neces-
sarily must be patient one. NO reply
had been received to requests for the
surrender Of Benton's body, and for
information as to where the grave was
located, or as to whether British rep
resentative would be permitted to ac-
company the American consul and an
army surgeon when the body was eX-
humed for examination. None OF
these requests had been answered, the
president believed. because OF difhcul-
ties in communicating with villa, Who'
he supposed, was moving from place 10
place and with whom telegraphic com
munication was slow. The president
had heard of no refusal by Villa to re-
ceive the message of the American
consular agents. That Benton was an
aggressive. self-assertive individual is
the information which has reached the
president, but he ventured no opinion
on the merits Of the incident in which
the Briton was killed. The request
that a representative of the British
government be permitted 10 see BEN
tons body was made by Secretary
Bryan without any suggestion from the
British government, according to the
president and he pointed out incident
ally that the British government had
taken a generous attitude in leaving
the investigation primarily in the
hands of the American officials.
-Loredo Texas, February %: The
ranching country along this part OF the
Texas border tonight was waiting in
suppressed excitement for details OF
the hanging of Clemente Vergara, an
American citizen and Texas ranch
man, by Mexican Federals which was
officially confirmed in messages to
Consul Garrett at Nuevo Laredo today.
Consul Garrett Immediately left for
Hidalgo, near where Vergara's body
was said to have been left at the place
Of execution and to arrange for its
proper disposition and to begin an in
vestigation of the case. Late tonight
no word had come from him that would
explain the reason for the long inter-
val between Vergara's death and the
time the news became public, or the
contradictory attitudes of the Mexican
Federal authorities who promised his