Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-02-24
CE NERAL VILLA
GIVES STORY OF
Benton EPISODE
Rebel Leader Claims Englishman
Came to Take His
CONFESSED HIS GUILT
Declares Ranchman Confessed Guilt
Following Verdict Of
Court.
GUILT:
CONFESSED

Chihuahua, Feb. 24.-Genera
Villas story of the killing of Will
liam S. Benton, told to reporter
here yesterday, differs but littl'
from the official statement given GU
Saturday at Juarez.
The Juarez statement given Out
declares that when Benton reached
for his hip pocket Villa knocked him
down with a blow from his fist. Vii.
la said that when Benton made this
move he poked his own pistol into
Benton's stomach and then turned
him over to the guards.
Villa insisted that Benton came
ito take his life and referred to Ben.
tons mission concerning the welfare
of his ranch as a "pretext" to gain
admittance.
According to Villa, Benton, after
the verdict of the court martial,
confessed his guilt and declined to
ask for mercy. He merely requested
that his property be turned over to
his widow.
Villa contradicted in his official
report to the American consul at
Juarez that Gustav Bauch, a Ger
man-American accused Of being a
spy, had been brought to Chihua-
hua. Villa said he knew nothing of
him.
OF Benton's death he said:
Benton gained entrance to my
office in Juarez on the pretext that
he wanted to see me on some per-
sOnal business connected with his
ranch, Los Remedies, near the city
of Chihuahua. AS soon as he enter
ed he began to address me in abus-
i've language. I had had some ex-
perience with him before and knew
of his violent temper. I know also
that he had mixed too freely in
Mexican politics. but I did not sus-
pect that he was coming into my
office to murder me.
"He had not talked long when he
reached for his hip pocket.
grabbed his hand and at the same
time thrust my revolver into the pit
of his stomach to stop him. 1 did
not wish to appear bloodthirsty and
therefore did not shoot him myself.
My guards seized him, took his pis-
tol away from him and placed him
under arrest. It was decided to try
him by court martial and this was
done in the regular manner pre-
scribed by law. That is all there is
to it. We would have treated any
other offender in the same way,
he was American, Spanish,
German or japanese.
Benton was not only guilty of
attempting murder, but of other Of
lenses, for we have proof Of his en-
nifty to our cause and of the aid he
rendered our enemies. He was, how
aver, executed for attempting to
AXE my life. l have nothing to
conceal about it. l know the Incl
lent has aroused comment in the
United States and Europe and that
s why 1 am making this statement.
"A man who acted as Benton did
would have received the same treat
nent in any country. I want to en-
,hasize the fact that l did not kill
Benton myself; / would not have
oiled my hands with the detail of
he execution after the court had
ound him guilty.
after tie verdict Benton con-
essed. He did not appeal for mercy
tut asked that his property be CIV
n to his wife. I promised that this
you'd be done.
Statements have been made that
We have executed other foreigners,
ut these are untrue. Benton is the
My one"
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