Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1914-02-27
TRAIN IS BLOWN UP.
FIFTY-FlvE KILLED WHEN REe.
ELS SET OFF DYNAMITE,
SCATTERING THREE CARS.
ENGLISH ENVOY ASKS PROBE
Sir Edward Grey Tells House Of Com.
mons OF Crisis Due to Villa Exc.
eution-caIIs sity ation as Exercn.
ly Serious.

Vera Cruz. Feb. ga federal troop
train carrying a company Of infantry
FROM Mexico City, destined for Jalapa.
was blown up by rebels near the Lima
station of the lnteroceanic railway, 140
miles from Vera Cruz. The entire
train was demolished All on board.
including So officers and men and the
English engineer, were killed. A pas.
senger train, which was following In
the wake of the troop train. was fired
on by the rebels, but escaped by back.
ing rapidly.
London, England, Feb. 25.-The his.
tory of the Benton affair as contained
In the information furnished to Sir
Cecil Spring-Ric British ambassador
to the United States by the state de-
partment at Washington, was com.
municated in official form to the house
OF commons by Sir Edward Grey.
When the British foreign secretary
said that Sir Cecil Spring Rice had
told Secretary OF State Bryan that
the public opinion OF Europe was like
ly to be seriously affected by Villas
attitude. an encouraging cheer rolled
through the house.
A full house listened with intense
interest to the explanation given by
Sir Edward Grey and by Francis
Dyke Acland. parliamentary under.
secretary for foreign affairs They
both spoke Of the British govern.
ment's attitude and discussed their
communications with Washington.
Sir Edward Grey explained that
Great Britain did not hold the United
States responsible for Villas acts, but
he said the British government was
powerless to take any measures in the
disturbed regions
Juaroz, Feb. 24.--William S. Ben.
tons resistance to General Villas bar.
ring him from Mexico brought on the
execution of the British subject and
owner of a l00.000-acre ranch in Chi
huahua, according to the record OF the
court-martial that condemned Benton
to death. 1t was charged that he tried
20 murder Villa while resisting the
generals decree.
The official record was revealed on
Saturday. 1t opens with the statement
that an extraordinary council of war
was convened at AIS o'clock last
Tuesday by Col. F'idcl Avila The
council convened courtmartial, OF
which Maj. Jesus Rodriguez was presi-
dent There were four other Judges.
villa continues the report. states
that because Benton was foreigner
his property has not been confiscated.
but he must remain out of the cOun-
try because he was an element de-
structive of the peace and prosperity
of the country.
The accused answered in harsh and
violent terms and asserted that no hui
man power could keep him out OF
Mexico or cause him to desert his
property to further deprcdatiOns.
Then he said he was as good
man as Villa and at the same moment
he drew a pistol from his hip pocket.
But the general was ready and jumped
for him and struck. at the same
llit ptiSOilS iSdptu
him that he might not make an at
tempt on the life of General Villa"
The record gives Benton's testimony
indirectly as follows:
"He said he came at 10 or II o'clock
in the morning to see General Villa
and inform him that revolutionists or
at times parties Of bandits had done
much damage to his ranch, destroying
property and stealing cattle. lie had
come to tell villa of these things, but
tine general accused him of being
friendly 10 the federals. and suggested
that the rebels buy the ranch, as the
witness was not wanted in Mexico.
The witness told General Villa that
he was unjust and several other
things that annoyed the general, but
witness had no intention of harming
the general or anyone else. He said
he had nothing to DO with Huerta or
the red fiaggers and was Indifferent
to the politics OF the country. This
was all he had to say"