Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1914-02-20
COMPLICATION is
LIKELY TO BE CAUSED by ACTION
OF CONSTITUTIONALIST LEADER

/ ez Tuesday morning. He was max
ing his way. to Villas home and said
he was going, to tell Villa what he
thought Of him" for the manner in
which his ranch, the Los Remedies,
in western Chihuahua, had been loot
ed and raided by rege1 soldiers.
Instructions had been sent by the
state department yesterday to Consul
Edwards, it is reported, to see thai
no harm should come TO Benton, the
instructions being sent upon the re-
quest Of the British ambassador at
Washington.
The warning, it now appears, came
too late. It is supposed that Villas
defense will be that the man was shot
because he entered Villas office and
started to draw a gun, although the
cousin says Benton did not 60 to
Juarez armed.
Benton had been in Mexico for
about rs years. He was As years old.
Benton, scotchman, ana villa have
been acquainted for many years. Ben
ton knew him when, as an outlaw,
more or less recognized as a part of
the Mexican social fabric. the then
bandit crossed the Benton ranch west
Of the city Of Chihuahua. The ranch
of 100000 acres is known as Los
Remedies and is considered one of
the best in Mexico It was well wat
cred, contained fine pasturage, crops
grew abundantly and the owner was
particularly proud of his orchard,
which succeeding bands of revolu-
tionists cut up into firewood. Benton
paid $125,OO0 for it, but Improvements
are said to have brought the value
close to $1,O0O0OO.
It was with the assurance Of this
acquaintance behind him that the
doughty scotchman, whose courage, If
not his discretion, is admired, went
to villa with complaint of the depre-
dations committed on his property.
Yesterday Villa, VINO has consist
entity denied that he had Benton in
custody, told 4 reporter that Benton
was armed whel re made his visit.
Friends of tao ianchman assert in.
dignantly that Penton, while OF fiery
temper and r,ady to use his lists,
was Of sober habit and never known
To carry a gun. His great reasc .tr
going unarmed was his own know
ledge of this temper.
In the course of the interview Ben
ton and Villa quarreled and Benton
was lost to view of his friends. James
Hambleton, an Englishmans and 9TH
ers, i1HIuding reporters, exhausted
every means of ascertaining the fate
Of the missing man, but everywhere
were met with evasions and denials.
Consul Edwards was the first to
learn the true facts. He gave Mrs.
Benton only a bare outline Of the
case
Details 90 to Washington
y have telegraphed all the details
at my command to washington said
the consul, and if made public It
must be made from there. pledged
my word to villa not to make the de-
tails public
Body win not be Recovered
Asked what disposition had been
made Of the body. Edwards replied;
Il do not think it will be seen on
this side Of the border"
villa Takes Flight
villas sudden departure with his
stair this morning is regarded as
flight from the storm Of indignation
which was presaged by the interest
manifested in the disappearance Of
Benton
AS the forenoon wore on, talk Of
a mass meeting grew, but took no
\ definite shape. Excited knots Of Am
erican. English, French and German
refugees who have lost their property
tin Mexico, or were compelled tc aban-
don it temporarily, asserted that ne
time had come for foreigners TO voice
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