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Show ALLEGED ACCOUNT OF BENTON TRIAL BY THE MEXICANS EL PASO, Tex., Feb. 21. The record of tho alleged court-martial of William S. Benton, mado public at Juarez this afternoon, asserts that the Scotchman was present; that ho was represented by a rebol officer as attorne3', and wub permitted to testify, and that tho session ses-sion was public. Ho was executed for attomptcd armed violence against General Gen-eral Villa, declares tho record, and was found guilty of giving aid and comfort to the euemy by, giving them cattle and forage and by giving them information. informa-tion. Benton's friends on this sido of tho Rio Grande received tho report with sneers. Thoy pointed to their knowledge knowl-edge of many years that he guarded against possible serious results of his high spirit and temper by never carrying carry-ing a pistol. Tho statements that Benton Ben-ton was allowed to testify and that tho proceedings wero public carried uo conviction con-viction to tho men who assert that their friend was deliberately murdered. Tho record opons with the statement that an extraordinary council of war was convened at 4:15 o'clock last Tuesday Tues-day afternoon by Colonel Fidel Avila. The council convened a court-martial of which Major Jesus Rodriguez was president, assisted by four other judges. Defender Appointed. "The ajecusod," says the rerort, "was arraigned and, having been advised ad-vised to name some ono to defend him. Captain Mariano Tamez was designatea for this purpose, and was warned to defend Benton 103'ally." There was no lurther mention of any activity on tho part of the captain. The witnesses against Benton wore Major Manuel E. Banda and Adries Farias. It does not appear that Villa testified. Banda and Farias swore that Benton called on Villa Tuesday forenoon fore-noon "at an inopportune moment." Witnesses were with Villa at the time. Beaton, they said, mado complaint com-plaint of rebel depredations on his ranch, Los Rcmedios, in tho state of Chihuahua, and asked permission to return re-turn to it. Villa replied that it. was not desirod that Benton should return to Mexico because he was well known as a sym- Eathizer with Huerta, "to whom ho ad given help in many ways; giving information or the movement of our troops; having intimate relation with tho 'rod flag' chiefs (Orozco and Sala-zar) Sala-zar) and considering the constitutionalists constitution-alists as rebels and bandits. Villa," continues tho roport, "statod that bo-cause bo-cause Benton was a foreigner his property prop-erty had not been confiscated, but he must remain out of tho country because be-cause he was an element destructive of tho peace and prospority of the country." coun-try." Alleged Defiance. 'The accused answered in harsh and violent terms and assorted that no human hu-man power could keep him out of Mexico, Mexi-co, or cause him to desert his property to further depredations. "Then he said he was as good a man as Villa and, at the sumc moment, ho drew a pistol from his hjp pocket. But the general was ready and .-jumped for him and struck, and at the" same time tho persons present leapod upon hiin, that he might not. make an attempt upon tho life of General Villa." Witnesses were firing- convinced that had they not boeu present the general would have been murdered. The record rec-ord gives Benton's testimony indirectly as follows: "He said he came at 10 or LI o'clock in the morning to sec General Villa and inform htm that revolutionists or at times parties of bandits had done much damage to his ranch, Los Renicdios, destroying de-stroying property and stealing cattle. Uo had come to tell Genoral Villa of these things, but the general accused him of being friendly to the federals and suggested that the rebels bti3 Los Remedies, as the witness' was not wanted in Mexico. Witness told General Gen-eral Villa that he was unjust and scv-oral scv-oral other things that annoyed the general, gen-eral, but witness had, no 'intention of harming tho general or anyone else. He said he had nothiug to do with Kuerta or tho 'red f luggers' and was indifferent indiffer-ent to the politics of the country. This was all ho had to say," Foregoing aro the essentials of the report. The verdict, abounding in the repetitions of legal phraseology, repeats re-peats the harges nnd finds the accused ac-cused guilt'. It also appears that Villa's name is more ornato than was generally supposed. He is montioned several times m tho document as "General "Gen-eral D'Franciflco Villa." |