New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-21
FIRST INSULTED
BY REBEL LEADER
Woman RusheS Between
Them as Villa Points
Pistol at Victim.
MOCK MILITARY
TRIAL ORDERED
Execution Quickly Follows
Widows Plea for Body De-
MED as General Flecs.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune

IBy Telegraph TO The Tribune
lei Paso. Tex, Feb. o0.-Sacrlhced I"
the anger Of Pancho Villa. which once
aroused knows no bounds, William :.
Benton, a native OF Scotland, an Eng
lsh subject, and owner OF ranch prop
I, erty in Chihuahua valued at $1,000, 600.
| became a victim last Tuesday night OF
q rebel firing squad in Juarez. This be-
came definitely known to-day.
Tonight, acting on orders from his
government. Henry Chamberlain, Brit
| ish Consul at Los Angeles, is on the
way to Juarez to investigate and report
officially 10 the home government the
particulars Of Benton's death.
/ Fearing the result OF his act, Pancho
Villa. for the first time in his career
as a bandit and as rebel chief. became
an evident fugitive from vengeance and
left Juarez for the interior. His flight
followed the announcement OF Benton's
execution.
Events connected with and following
the execution of Benton came in rapid
succession TO day, here and in Juarez.
Local indignation over the affair start
ed when it became officially known that
! Villa had put the Englishman TO death.
Ii increased when II became generaliy
known that Benton had been first in
suited by Villa and that the English
man had gone 70 see the rebel chlet
unarmed So great became popular in
dignation that q public meeting In n
public square was prohibited by city
and county officials for fear OF trouble,
and those who were promoting tho
meeting were forced 20 engage thea
ire for the purpose.
Benton's widow, an American Of the
higher class, crushed by the blow which
the revolutionary chief had dealt 10
her. pleaded to might through friends to
rebel officials TO he permitted TO bring
her husbands body here, but her plea
was denied
InsuIted and Struck by Villa.
Before General Villa caused the ex-
ocution Of Benton he first insulted Ben
ton and then struck him with one hand
while covering him with a pistol in the
other.
This is the version OF the quarrel and
fight which led to Benton's execution
as given by a rebel officer. who says
that he was a witness to the affair.
The statement was made TO Americans
early to-day, and later was denied by
the rebel when he learned OF the storm
OF indignation which the knowledge OF
Benton's death had aroused in III Paso.
According TO the best information OBJ
| tainable, Benton's visit to villa on
Tuesday was followed by quarrel,
which Villa started. A woman. whose
| identity has not been learned. was I'm
the room and ran between Villa and
Benton when the rebel leade, was
about TO shoot the rich ranchman. She
then fed from the room.
over in a corner OF t. Mexican
burying ground where bodies OF those
who are put to death are buried in
shallow graves rude. crude cross of
!
ton. The cross was put there by a
Mexican peon to carry out the super
stition that r soul is damned IL grave
is not marked with cross.
Benton was executed on TUESDAY
night. This is definitely known, and
when It became known also that
Villa had hurriedly left Juarez on
a special train for the south ii was
generally believed that Villa left to es-
cape possible trouble, international or
other, which might follow his treat
ment OF the British subject. His de-
parture was unannounced. and the spe-
cial train on which he left was made
up under hurry orders.
Tried and Sentenced at Once.
The military court which tried. con-
yicted and sentenced the rich ranchman
to death mas convened almost imme
diately after the sensational encounter
| in Villas room. II was composed or
jesus Rodriguez, Adrian Aguirre Bcna-
vides and Major Gloria. That IL was
called by order Of Villa and that the
charges made against Benton were hur-
riedly made up for the purpose is the
claim made to-day by friends Of Benton
| who have Investigated the affair.
The charge WAS that Benton was i'm
| plicated in the plot 20 kill Villa, which
II was claimed had been discovered in
Juarez early In the week. Friends ~
Benton insist that he had nothing To
do with that plot. and II Is asserted
that the alleged plot was a scheme Of
the rebels 10 surround villa With
strong guard following the execution
OF Renton as 1t was feared that news