The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-02-23
Execution of w. s. Benton
May Lead to Information
al Complications
QUESTION WHETHER
BENTON WAS ARMED
Will Be an Important Factor in the
Case-villa Claims to Have English
mans Pistol-Latter Said to Have
Been Quarrelsome.

WASHINGTON, Feb 23.-President |
Wilson and Secretary Bryan conferred
briefly late yesterday on various phases
of the Mexican situation. No announce
ments were made after the conference |
but 1t is understood that a complete /
report on the execution at .juareZ of
William :. Benton. the British subject.
is awaited before the view of this gov
crnment toward the incident is made
known.
Sir Cecil Spring Rice, the British en-
bassador, is said to have expressed to
the British foreign Office his pleasure
ut the promptness with which the Amer
lean government has acted in seeking
TO ferret out the truth about the kill
ing of a British subject Full details
of the execution are not yet in the
hands Of state department officials but
they are rapidly being gathered. 1t IS
generally admitted that the ease hinges
largely on whether Benton went to Gen.
Villa \ headquarters armed. That he
was high tempered and had previous
difficulties with the ConStitutiOnaliSts
is known but upon the single question
whether he had revolver when he ac-
costed Villa depends Judgment of the
whole affair. Benton : friends deny he
carried weapons.
Upon tie truth or falSitv OF Villa 5
statement that Benton tried 10 Kill him
will depend the view which both Great
Britain and the United States will take
Of The affair. The prevalent belief in
official circles i that in the absence OF
any satisfactory evidence TO the con
trary il will be difficult for this govern
rnent ut least to reject Villa. version.
TO 10 50 without satisfactory proof 10
la n iG p1Ifp nv
officials. would be unnecessarily to pro
woke unfrieDdly relations with the con
Stitutonalist chief who controls vast
territory wherein are many foreigners
about whose protection the United
states is solicitous.
In the meantime, the ConsttutionaliSt
agency in Washington is active IN is
suing to the press kilograms from Gen.
Villa stating his defense for the kill
ing. They are along the same lines rs
previous messages. and Villa asserts in
one of them that he still has Benton S
pistol. Other kilograms TO the agency
say Benton 5 record in chihuahua was
that of quarrelsome man and the
charge is made that he was guilty OF
having mistreated poems on his ranch
70 the extent of taking their lives.
No surprise was manifested officially
in Washington at the landing of q
squad of German blue JAG kets for the
protection of the German legation al
Mexico City. This is in line with tho
recent action of the British govern
ment, and is said TO be in pursuance tC
an understanding with the American
government on this point.
The state department is active il
seeking to protect Gustave Bauch, f;
German American, who it is reporte,
Saturday night had been executed il
.iuarez with Benton. Secretary Bryan
received word from Consul Edwards
yesterday that Bauch had been removed
to Chihuahua. American Consul Letch
or, at chihuahua, has been instructed
10 see that Bauch is protected. \ re
port has been current that Bauch was
witness of the alteration winch Ben
ton had with Villa, and for that rea
son was spirited away. State depart
ment officials thus far have not learnet
that any witnesses to the Benton affai
have disappeared. 1t is understood
however. that the British embassy ha
asked that inquiry be made as to Law
renee and Curtis, two EngGshmen VIII
are reported to have gone to Juare
with Benton, and that Consul Edward
has been asked to investigate.