The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-24
Inquiry Into Death of ScOtchman at Juarez
 Completed
REPORT IS SENT TO
 SECRETARY BRYAN
Shown That Benton Entered Villas Office Unarmed and That No Shot Was Fired--Great Britain Will
 Demand Heavy Reckoning

Washington. March es.-The inquiry into the death of the Seotehman, Benton. five weeks ago in Juarez. directed by the British foreign office. has been con- cuded. and today the results were laid before the British ambassador here for transmission to London. This investiga- ton was conducted by C. A. s. Peree- val. British consul at Galveston. whose district includes the town of El Pase, opposite Juarez.
 Originally ordered To El Paso to CO., operate with the commission appointed by Secretary Bryan to inquire into the Benton case, Mir Pereeval, finding that the American commission was helpless to act as the result of the refusal of the rebel leaders to allow them to eX- hume and examine the dead Briton's body, conducted an investigation on his own account. He employed such agents as he thought were necessary and se- cured mass of testimony bearing upon Benton's death. Much of this was col leoted in secret. because of the fear of the witnesses of punishment at the hands of the constitutionalist leaders, and for that reason not even the names at this time
 Evidence Meagre
 Necessarily the evidence as to what actually took place in Villa headquar- ters at Juarez. where Benton was last seen alive, was meagre. Most if not all of the eyewitnesses were officers and private soldiers under Villas im- mediate command. who are now with the general well down in the interior of Mexico. Some of them are men whose names were given in the first report on 13enton's deatil- -by villa himseif as having been witnesses before a court martial which was said to have tried and convicted Benton.
 From the incomplete evidence that he vas able to obtain Consul Perceval re- ports that Benton, disregarding the ad- vice and appeals of his wife. proceeded directly to Villas headquarters with the double purpose of protesting against the spoliaton of his ranch and to secure the privilege of malkeung his cattle in the United States. So extensive had been the raids upon his live stock by the constitutionalists that he told his friends that he had determined to save what he could of the herd by getting it out of tho country.
 Benton Unarmed
 The testimony quoted by the consul makes it appear that Benton WAS un- armed when he entered Juarez and sought Villas headquarters: that he en- tered Villas office: that there was tre mendous scuffle followed by perfect quiet No witness coufc be found who heard the sound of shot Benton did not emerge from that office alive, but where and when his l,ody was removed tbp raport does not disclose.
 The consul drew the inferenee that Benton had been killed by a knife and that his body had been secretly removed and inferred somewhere in the imme- date neighborhood. t..ough there was no direct~testimony adduced to sustain this inference.
 The substance of the report will be communicated to Secretary Bryan and the report itself will be transmitted to tie British foreign otfier. According to the British view. nothing further can. le done in the case at this stage. The report of the Carranza commission ap- i5ointed to investigate the Benton kill ing is awaited with much interest and will be received by the British govern rrent as information at least. Nothing now is expected from tlie American com mission which Secretary Bryan today said WAS in status quo as it has been ful many weeks past.
 Must Be Reckoning
 No immediate action is expected at the British embassy as result of the rsrt but il was recalled that Sir Edward Grev In his last statement to the House cf Commons upon the Benton case. made if plain that there must be a heavA reckoning for this killing, of a British subject, and that the debtor would be the future permanent government of Mexico.
 Vice Consul Carothers at Bermejillo, in T report to the state department today, confirmed news of recent constitution alists victories near Torreon, and added
 
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