Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-02-24
SEARCHING FOR
MISSING men
Rebel Leaders Deny knowledge Of
California Mans Where
abouts.
APPEAL TO THE PRESIDENT.
Compton May Be Among Rejected
Recruits Returning to
Ell Paso.
TO THE PRESIDENT.

Ell Paso, Tex, Feb. 23.-In tel
egram to the American consul a
Juarez, Thomas D. Edwards, Genera
Villa suggests that the American
reported missing in Mexico may b.
included in batch of American re
cruits which he says he has rejected
and will send back to Juarez b.
the first troop train.
Villas telegram says there are fiji
teen of the Americans who wished
to join his forces, but whom hi
found unavailable. At present search
is being made for Harry Compton O.
Oakland, Cal, Roger Laurence, ar
Englishman, who came here recent
ly to visit William S. Benton, wht
was killed by the rebels last Tues
day; a New Mexico ranchman by the
name of Curtis, said to have joined
Laurence in the search for Benton
and Gustav Baunch, officially re-
ported to have been taken to Chi
hauhua for further Investigation on
the charge of being a spy.
United States consular represen.
tatives at Juarez and Chihuahua
have been searching for trace OF
Compton, but he is in neither the
jails or cuartels, according to re-
ports made to them by constitution
alist officials, who also say that they
never had him under arrest.
A private message from w. E.
Perry of Garden City, CAL, asked for
information concerning the missing
man. 1t stated that letter had
been received from Harry Compton
dated Chihuahua, which appealed to
them for assistance, saying that he
was a prisoner in the Chihuahua
Jail and was to be removed to Juarez
on Feb. Is, which was also the date
set for his execution, and he did not
say in the letter on what charges
he had been arrested.
Gen. Hugh l.. Scott also received
a request from citizens of Garden
City, Cal, to assist in locating the
man because of his broken hearted
mother, and the military authori-
ties have taken up search. The
message to General Scott said that
a direct appeal had been made to
President Wilson to take steps to
have the constitutionalists give up
information concerning Compton.
Consul Edwards was instructed
by Secretary of State Bryan yester-
day to locate Compton if possible
and to report on the alleged arrest
and execution Of the American. Sim
liar instructions were telegraphed
to Consul Barton Letcher at Chihua-
hua to conduct an investigation
there.
Both consuls Immediately took up
the matter. Consul Edwards called
on Col. Fidel Avila, jefe de las
armas at Juarez, but he seid he had
never had Compton in the Juarez
Jail, that no Americans had been ex-
ecuted in Juarez and that he had
never heard of Compton. From
Chihuahua Consul Letcher tele-
graphed to Consul Edwards to relay
the report to the state department
that General Villa denied knowl-
edge of Compton and notified him
that Compton had never been arrest
ed or to his knowledge had been
In Mexico. These reports were for
warded to the state department.
Richard M. Dudley telegraphed
Senator Fall yesterday asking him
to take measures to obtain immedi-
ate delivery of the body of Benton
to the widow on this side of the riv-
er. Mr.. Dudley explained that he
believed a view of the body would
go far to explain the manner of the
Scotchman's death. Dudley, like
other Americans here, does not ac-
,ept the official explanation of al
court martial as given out at Juarez
The dispatch from chihuahua,
hat there was a possibility in GER
ain contingencies of the states of
northern Mexico forming new re-
public, was regarded as plausible
lmong refugees here. 1t was point
ID out that for the last three years
he northern and southern parts of
he country have been practically
nder separate government and for
nal secession of the northern states
7ould not materially change the
resent status Of the country.