The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-21

told mo and asked that make no state
msnt Of the details except to my Govern
ment. promised and he told me his
story"
villas secret service men say that last
Monday In Fl Paso, they unearthed plot
20 kill their leader and that they I'm
plicatsd Benton. 1t was reported tonight
that Federico Gonzales GArss. former
secretary to Francisco Madero In the re-
volt against Diax. was president or the
court-martiai which sentenced Benton TO
be shot. Garsa denies any part In the trial
or execution and says that Major Jesus
Rodriguss presided. All OF Villas sup
portsrs declare that the court was resu-
larry constituted and that the sentence
was legal and Justified.
Tho villa version OF the killing is that
Benton was brought from his prison
before the urt-martiai. which was COM
oosed OF ofYicers Of the rebel army that
he rot a fair hearing and had counsel
which was assigned to him. and that when
Che verdict OF death for conspiracy TO
Kill villa was brought in he was put 10
death by n firing squad.
Think villa KILLED Him.
On the other hand, the feeling That
Benton was unfairly dealt with. even II
he ever got as far as trial py cour'
martial, is growing steadily. The genera
belief IL that the hot headed viva kineo
the rancher himself In the mast OIL
quarrel md that then. repentihg OF MS
,c,,o, the rebel leader ordered all OF his
foilowers. under pain OF punishment to
support his story OF the court-marlsI
condemnation. In support OF TINS pehe'
Benton's friends point out the unseeni'!
haste with which the alleged verdict must
have been executed. Ordinarily courts
martial condemn "A prisoner ITO be shot
m. sunrise" Even villa admits that
penton was killed on the very night he
went to Juarez The court-martial could
have been In session but snort uine'
EFT there Was n court-martai sA'o
n friend Of Benton tonight. the 'erdie'
WAS rushed through by villas ORDERS.
Benton got but the shortest OF shirts ana
xas marched from the room where ne
was tried to q nearby wall and shot to
d..,h by A file Of soldiers like dog.
do not believe Villas story. l think
ne himself killed Benton. Why otherwise
did ne fee from Juarez no suddenly"
Great Indignation at the death OF the
ranchcr Ii expressed on all sides ana iear
Of tho consequences OF the rash acuon
10 acute.
BENTON left his ranch. Los Remedies. In
thwestern Chihuahua, on TUESDAY
morning. He told his friends ne "aA
going to give villa "a piece OF his miha.
He was a fearless man and didn't hesi-
tate to walk right into the rebel mead
quarters and arraign the General In the
hsrshest terms. Los Remedies 10 In
state OF ruin from the depredations OF the
rebe, hands. The live stock has been oil
driven away. some Of the buildings
wrecked and the Bentons faced ruin.
BENTON had been In Mexico for twenty
years and married a Mexican girl. Despite
mis- long residence here he always main
tanned his British citizenship and often
boasted Of II.
wife Demands Benton's Body.
The body OF Benton was hastily in
TERED In a rude grave In the Juarez
burying ground Mrs. Benton Is begging
her friends to intercede with the rebels
10, permlssion to exhume the remains
ana bring them to El Paso for burial.
NV poor husband did not 90 to villa
armsd." she says 81 know he did not
He was murdered. The American Consul
did not tell me the details OF my hus-
bands death. He only told me that he
had been killed
Mrs Benton, who speaks little English
IN living In the room until recently &C.
cupied as an Office by Huerta's consul
here. Her husbands cousin. also named
william, saw Benton and talked with
him as he left for JuareE.
IT know positively that my partner had
no weapons he says.
One OF Benton's brothers 10 said to be
n captain In the British army and his
grandfather TO have been a General at
the battle Of Balaklava-
Gustav Bauch. the German, who is
held In prison al Juarez by Villa, is still
under investigation. the rebels said to-
DAY. lie is on trial on the charge OF
being Huerta spy. Consul Edwards
has accepted the statement Of the pris-
oner's sister that he Is an American.
born In Louisiana. and has told the
rebels that he must not be executed. The
rebels say that Bauch 10 Mexican cit
isen.
Efforts to Sc Bauch this evening failed.
rse>rdisss Of the rebel statement that his
case was stili being tried. American Con-
sui r. n. Edwards made no demand to
SEQ him to-day. but told inquirers that he
did not know anything definite about
Bauch tonight
An American whose name was given
a. Harrison was taken from car near
the Juares theatre this morning and es-
cortsd 10 the jail. He Is said to have been
expressing anti-Villa sentiments In El
Paso and had been followed to Juarez by
Q rebel secret service spy.
Domingo Flores. known as Coyote
rot q hearing to-day In Juarez to deter
mine finally what his punishment would
be for Incorporating money which the
rebel agents say he secured from Villa
Tor purchasing ammunition.
MADERO FRIENDS FREED.
Fifteen Liberated BY Huerta Ate.
LonS lmDsison ment.