Evening star., 1898-06-27
F FUNTK A BiGAMIST
Facts Gathered Concerning the Muir
derer of William BROOKS.
LAWFUL WIFE RESIDES AT LAUREL
Police Trace the Fugitiye's Move
ments in This City.
DESERTER FROM THE ARMY

The escape of Frank Funk, who tits al
! legged killed William H. Brooks and brutal
| " assaulted and robbed the aged mans
wife, has given the police department
Eluch work they had just after the es-
cape of Dorsey Foultz, more than a year
ago. Since the information concerning
Funk was given to the police by the daugh-
ters of his victims, the morning after the
affair happened, the officers have received
considerable information concerning the
mans history, but up to this morning they
had learned but little concerning his where
abouts The latest and possibly the only
real clue received was that Funk had
| been seen in Jackson City, and that he
was on his way to Camp Aiger, where he
expected he would be able to get in with
some of the companies going south.
This inforamtion was received yesterday
morning and Detective Boardnlan was sent
across the river to ascertain, if possible,
what truth there was in the report. After
visiting, Jackson City the detective went to
Camp Alger. Just what he learned at
| these places is not known except to the po-
lice officials.
Funk Deserter.
The police investigation thus far made
shows that Funk is deserter from the
! army and is probably a bigamist. He has
been arrested in this city on various
charges and several members of the police
force are. acquainted with him. His father
and stepmother also belong here and he
| mas a sister, Mrs. Clark living at No. 9a:,
I'D street. In 1885 he was arrested for
! false pretenses, but the charge subse-
quently withdrawn. He was afterward
arrested on charge of assault, ard this
experience i'll court cost him $40. Soon
| after Detective Weldon went to Philadel-
phia, where it was stated the mans wife
and two children lived, the police received
informa ton that there was a deserted wom-
| an at Laurel, Md, named Funk. She was
visited by Detective Boardman Saturday
and he was Informed that the woman VINO
has one child, is undoubtedly the fugitive's
| lawful wife. Three years ago she was de-
/ serted. and she has not seen her husband
since. 1t was her belief that he was in
| Philadelphia, aud she was surprised to
! learn that he had been living in this city.
Purchases Suit.
1t is likely that the murder was commit
| ted a little earlier than was at first sup
| posed for the fugitive reached "a 7th street
Clothing store not later than G:15 o'clock
| possibly few minutes earlier. The store
had closed for the day. and the proprietor
was standing at the door with his head
| clerk waiting for the bookkeeper to come
cut, when Funk, whose appearance was
! that OF a mechanic. stepped up and asked:
Can buy d suit of clothes?
L guess so, was the proprietor'S re-
sponse, although he did not care about re-
/ turning to the store. He thought, how
| ever, that the was q mechanic and
| had probably just come from work, and he
| concluded he would accommodate him.
The clerk went in the store and the Gus
| toner. who seemed perfectly at ease, pur-
chased a blue serge suit. He not hard
] tc please, although he did not appear to be
! in hurry. When he had tried on the
| trousers and found that they fitted, him. he
told that ht.
| ments were all right. This satisfied him,
| and, taking the money from his vest pocket,
| he paid for the suit, took his bundle and
departed. Between the clothing store and
the hotel he bought pair of shoes and hat.
All his shopping was done in about fifteen
minutes, for it about $3.50 o'clock when
| he reached the hotel and registered his
| name as Harry A. Nicholson, Cincinnati"
I've been travelling and I'm all tired
| out" he remarked to the hotel man. Il
want to get right to bed
Hotel Proprietor's Impressions.
|, There were a number of excursionists
from Danville in the place at the time, and
the proprietor thought he was one of them.
He looked as if he might have been
countryman," the hotel man said to a Star
reporter this morning.
/ The fact that he had several bundles in
| his arms also caused the belief that he was
an eXcurSionfst who had been shopping.
''Ill eat supper before l go upstairs" he
| remarked and walked in the dining room
| He was not in the dining room very long,
and when he came out he paid a days
| board and was shown upstairs to room
- There was nothing more seen Of the
| man, and it was not until the next morn
ing that his absence was known.
Tell-Tale. Slip of Paper.
+ 1t is now certain that he left the hotel a
few minutes after he was shown to his
room. The gas was left burning and the
man had not even stopped to wash his face
and hands. Friday morning one of the.
lchambermaids went to the room to make;
an Investigation, the gas having been burn
| ing all night. Much to her surprise there
was no cne in the room, nor had the bed
| been occupied. There was a full suit Of
clothes there, however, and slip of paper
| found on the floor contained Funk's name
| Ih1s paper was contract of some kind
| that Funk was at work When the!
hotel proprietor saw the name on the Slip
| Of paper corresponded with that printed in
| Fridays Star, he sent word to the police;
and turned the important evidence over to.
Detective Lacy.
At the hotel, as at the clothing store, the:
fugitive exhibited only about money enough
to settle his bills. There are blood stains!
on the trousers and shirt but none on the
She es. The coat and vest were also free
| from blood stains and the police think he
| nay have been in his shirt sleeves when
the crime was committed.
Descriptive Circular.
Inspector Mattingly prepared a circular
| Saturday for distribution, asking depart
| ments and police officers of other jurisdic-.
| tions to assist in the efforts to apprehend
| the fugitive. The circular reads:
| Lookout for and arrest for murder COM
mttted in this city about 5 p.m., Thursday.
June %, 1898, Frank William Funk. a.
| white man (may re egister at second or third
| class hotels as Harry A. Nicholson or VII
| SOM, twenty-three- to twenty-five years old,
five feet eight inches high, 1856 pounds, light
hair, no beard, sunburned complexion, deep
| set gray eyes, large Roman nose, India ink
| mark f. w. F. inside of one forearm
ciasped hands in India ink inside other
| forearm, works as carpenter education
poor. dressed when he left here on Thurs
| day evening, June %, in q new blue serge
sack suit. black hnnRz buttons half li,.;,aI-