The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-24
MEAGRE EVIDENCE
|NCASE OF BENTON
British Consul Percival Con-
cludes His Investigation
Of Killing.
BELIEVES HE WAS STABBED
Confident Scotchman Was Tn
armed When He Entered
Villas Office.
BELIEVES HE WAS STABBED

Washington. March 25.-The inquiry
into the death of the Scotchman. w. S.
Benton, Ave weeks ago in Junrez, di-
rected by the British Foreign Office.
has been concluded, and to day the re-
suite were laid before the British am =
hassador here for transmission TO Lon
don. This investigation was conducted
by G. y. $. Perccval, British consul
at Galveston, whose district includes
tho town OF FL paso, opposite Juarcz
Originally ordered to FL Paso to CO.
operate with the commission appointed
by Secretary Bryan to inquire into
the Eenton case. Mr.. Pcrcoval, finding
that the American commission was
helpless to act as tho result of the re-
fusal of the rebel leaders to allow It to
exhumc and examine tho dead BODY OF
the Hrtcn, conducted an Investigation
on his own account. lie employed such
agents as he thought were necessary
and secured mass Of testimony bear
INK cpon Bcnton's death Much of this
was collected In secret. and for that
reason not even the names of tho wit
nesses will be given publicity at this
time
Evidence Is MeaEre.
Necessarily, the evidence as 10 what
actually took place In Villas head
quarters at Juarez. where Benton was
last seen alive, wac measre Most. il
not all. of the eycswitnes3es were Of
fcerS and private soldiers under Villas
Immediate command. who are now with
the general In the interior OF Mexico
From the information he was able
TO obtain. Consul Pcrceval reports that
benton. disregarding tho advice and
appeals Of his wife. proceeded directly
TO Villas headquarters with the double
purpose or protesting against the
spoiiation of his ranch and TO secure
the privilege of marketing his cattle
in the United States. SO extensive had
been ;hc raids upon his live stock bv
the Constituencies that he told his
friends that he had determined to save
what he could of the herd by getting
1t out of the country.
Ihc testimony quoted by the consul
makes II appear that Benton was un-
armed when he entered Juarez and
sought Villas headquarters: that he
entered Villas Office: that there was a
tremendous scuftie followed but per-
feet quiet No witnesses could be found
who heard the sound of n shot BEN
ton did not emerge from the office
alive. but where and when his body was
removed the report does not disclose
The consul drew the Inference that
Benton had been Killed by a knife, and
that his body had been secretly re-
moved and inferred somewhere in the
immediate neiEhborhood, though there
" q az u'ic't testimony dUQuced TO
sustain this Inference. Tho substance
IF the report will be communicated to
Secretary Bryan. and the report itself
Eli be transmitted 10 the British For
elan Office. According TO the British
view, nothing further can be done in
the case at this stage.
Tho report OF the Carranza commits
sion appointed to Investigate the Ben
ton killing is awaited with much in :
terost and will be received by the
british government as information. at
least No immediate action is expected
~ the British embassy. but il was re-
called HAT Sir Edward Grey, in his
last statement TO the House on tho
Benton case. made it plain that there
must be heavy reckoning for this
tilling of British subject, and that
the debtor would be, the future pcrma :
nent government OF Mexico
reports OF Victories Confirmed.
Nice-Consul Carothers, at Bermeiillo.
IN q report to the State Department.
today. confirmed news of recent Con-
stitutionalist victories near Torreon.
and added that each OF the conteuding
forces had agreed TO respect foreign
IRE ana property in that city. Cnof
hcial dispatches are to tho effect that
thcre are not dozen Americans In the
he!caGurcd city. Information received
mus FAR by President Wilson indicates
that the parleys at Vera Cruz. be
tween John Lind and Senior Portillo '.
Rojas, lIuerta's Minister for Foreign
Affairs. have not reached the stage Of