Little Falls herald., 1914-02-27
Mexican nebel Claims BI!tol|
Contemplated ID slliuEtef..
En- EXECUTED ECU FED IN IN EIoN TEEN HOURS HOURS
'nsasraelngtzlssaar 's lgEz s;.gr aidnsrz Used
ABUSIVE Language aad Threat i
i. -, aened Formet's Life e.,.s.s... ~. g

'Aa1@z -
chihuahua, Mex, Feb. 24.-General
Villas stcry Of the killing. Of William
S. Benton, told to reporters here, Diff
'fers a little from the official statement
given out Saturday at Juarez. :s''.TT
The JuareZ Statement gl::en out de-
e:aredz that when Benton, reached: for
his hip: pocket Villa knocked him:
down with q blow Of the fist. Villa
said. that when Benton made this:
move he pol1ed his own pistol into
Benton S stomach and then turned hinr
over. to the guards, = So I y 49,, ID
- Villa contradicted his official report
to the American consul at Juarez that.
Gustav Bauch, a German-American &C.
cused of being spy, had been
brought to chihuahua. Villa said he
knew nothing Of him. On Benton's
death he said: 80 - =
Benton gained entrance to my Of
flee in Juarez on the pretext that, he
wanted to see me on some personal
business connected with his ranch,
Los Remedies, near the city of Chi:
Iuahua. -
r.: Says Language Was Abusive. Z
GAS soon as he entered he began to
address me in abusive language: had
had some experience. with him before
and knew of hise-violent temper. l
knew also that he had: mixed too free.
lily. in Mexican politics, but did not
suspect; that he was coming into my
Office to murder me. - ,-S= -
Gle had not &alked long when he
reached for his hip pocket. It flashed
ever me that he intended to kill me.
Il grabbed at his hand and at the same
time thrust my revolver into the. pit
sut his stomach to stop him.. did not
wish to appear bioodthirsty and there.
fore did not shoot him myself. My
guards seized him, took his pistol
away and placed him under arrest.
f. 1T was decided to try him by court
martial and this was done in the regu-
lar manner prescribed by law and the
prisoner was executed eighteen hours
after he made the attempt on my life.
That is all there is to it. We: would
have treated any other offender in the
same way; whether he was American,
Spanish, German or Japanese.
Has Nothing to Conceal.
"Benton not only was guilty of at.
tempting murder, but also of other of.
fenses, for we have proof of his enmity
to our cause and Of the aid he rem.
dered Our enemies. However, he was
executed for attempting to take my
life. I have nothing to conceal about
it.. know the incident has aroused
comment in the United States. and Eu-
rope and that, IL why l am making:
this statement. -.- :. .~-.@<s2z s.ss.ssf.. 8.
=: "A man who acted as Benton did
would have received the same treat
'rent in any: country want to en-.
'pEasize5 the fact that did not kill:
Ben ton III yself:. 7 would not have soil
ed my hands. with the detail of execu-
ton, after: the court found him guilty;
:. AFTER tbeeyerdict Benton confess
ed. = He=did not appeal for mercy, but
asked that his. property be secured to
his Wife. We promised that would be
DONE .>@ ->~5'S? 3 '1*s z&S :.
Statements have been made that.
we have executed other foreigners,
but these. are untrue. Benton is the
EOnly one. 80 .z&sE5.-y7 5@sz-lsS @.5.: =