The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-02
GEN. FUNSTON, THE DISPATCHES
SAY, TO BRING SUIT AGAINST
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND
THE LATTER is NOT WORRIED
HE THINKS THE KANSAS FIGHTER
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE SIT
UATION EXACTLY
TRAINS HIS GUN WRONG WAY

Basis for the Promised Action Is an
Interview With the st. Paul Pre-
late About the LOOttng of Cath
oIic Churches in the Philippines
Seems to Have Been "a M1scOn-
structtOn of What He Really Said.
Archbishop Ireland is threatened with
a suit for criminal libel. Gen. Funston,
the Kansa fighter, feels he has a. griev-
ance against the distinguished st. Paul
prelate, and is going to appeal to the
law for satisfaction The trouble is on
account Of an interview which was print
ed in Chicago newspaper last week and
reproduced in the G o b the following
day. The news of Gen. Funston's con-
templated action came to St. Paul in the
following Associated Press telegram re-
ceived yesterday from Kansas City:
A special to the Star from Albuquerque,
N; M, says: Gen. Frederick Funston,
who is en- route home with the mustered
out Twentieth Kansas regiment, has
wired his Topeka attorneys, Gleed, Ware
& Gleed, to bring proceedings against
inal libel, because Of statements at
tributed to the archbishop in a recent In
terview. Gen. Funston also instructed
his lawyers to begin criminal and civil
Catholic paper of San Francisco, which
first printed the story.
In recent interview in Chicago, Arch
bishop Ireland was quoted as saying that
Gen. Funston had been charged with
looting Catholic churches in the Philip
pines. The charges alleged to have been
NSs,l1rN
by the editor Of the Monitor. soon after
the landing Of the Kansas troops in San
Francisco. The Monitor stated. it Is
said, that Gen Funston had taken two
Catholic church in the Philippines and
had sent them home to his wife. Arch
bishop Ireland, in his Chicago interview,
was quoted as calling upon Gen. Funston
to deny the truth of the article, and sue
the editor of the Monitor for libel, or
the public would be obliged, against its
WILL to believe him guilty of the criminal
acts of which he has been accused.
Gen. Funston is highly indignant at the
accusation and says he will prosecute the
matter Vigorously He intends he says
to put q stop forever to the malicious
stories put in circulation regarding him.
Gen. Funston says that he not only re-
Trained from desecrating houses Of Wor--
ship in Manila, but that while colonel of
the Kansas regiment issued a positive
order prohibiting the looting or mutilation
of church buildings. He supplemented
CnlS Win verbal instructions TO MS COM
pany commanders to see that the order
was rig1dly enforced.
is NOT WORRIED.
Archbishop Ireland was shown a copy
Of the foregoing at his residence last
evening by a reporter for the G o b e.
1t was news to the archbishop, but
didn't seem to worry him. After reading
the telegram he said:
Really think there must be some
misunderstanding. While in Chicago re-
ers and on being asked as to the looting
Of the churches in the Philippines said
there had been any number Of charges
made along this line, but they were too
vague. l called attention to the charge
made against Gen. Funston by the Moni-
tor. Of San Francisco, and said this was
a specific charge and was one that could
and should be investigated and the truth
or falsity Of 1t settled.
The article in the San Francisco pa
per, as I recollect it, stated that Thomas
ton with having taken from an image
in Catholic church at Caloocan, q vest
ment which he sent to his wife as a
souvenir Of the campaign. What did
then Gen. Funston should compel the
one making 1T to retract it. In fact,
was defending the administration against
the charges made that the churches were
being looted by the soldiers.
I'm my experience with the soldiers Of
the Civil war i! can readily understand
the difficulty the war department and
the officers have to control from $1,000
to 10000 troops. / do not mean that the
soldiers in the war of the rebellion did
any looting Of churches but it is very
hard to restrain a. large body of troops
by orders. There Is not the least doubt
but that some one looted the churches
in the Philippines for by this evenings
mail I received a letter from a person
who offered to sell me a crucifix which
was taken from church in the Philip
pines The person who made the offer
said in his letter that he would dispose
of the crucif1x at very reasonable price.
II am satisfied that the war depart
ment, SINCE The matter was brought to
its attention, has issued orders which
will prevent further looting and also that
the desecration Of the churches was not
allowed with the knowledge of the war
department or the army officials at Ma
nila.
II have heard nothing regarding the
threatened suit for libel and as soon as
Gen. Funston or his attorneys are ac-
Quainted with what l did say | am salts
fled there will be no action against me-
The proper course for Gen. Funston or
his attorneys to pursue would be to
bring SUIT against Mr.. Fox, who made
the charge, or the paper which published
the charges"
WILL NOT SUE
A dispatch received last night from
Topeka, Kas., says:
c. 8. Gleed, senior member Of the law
firm of Gleed, Ware and Gleed, stated
tonight that his firm had received alb
solutely no intimation from Gen. Funston
OF any purpose to begin any libel proceed
ing against Archbishop Ireland Mr.
Gleed stated that he had simply received
personal telegram from Gen Funston
requesting him to ascertain If Archbishop
Ireland had been correctly quoted Gen
Funston at the same time expressing the
opinion that the statements attributed to
the archbishop would be found to be in
correct. Mr.. Gleed added his surmise that
enable him to form a reply to the arch
bishop in the event the alleged interview
should prove authentic.
NO CHANCE TO LOOT.
MASHFIELD, Wis, Nov. 1-Surgeon
Charles Wodack has returned from the
Philippines after q service of thirteen
months in the signal corps. At the time
of his departure he was operator at Gen
Otis headquarters. With reference to the
charge frequently made that the Ameri-
churches on the islands. the young off,
Ger said:
There is no opportunity for them to
do so, even If the disposition was there
When the churches are deserted by the
natives at the approach of our troops
there Is never anything left of value AS
to the structures themselves, they are
never destroyed, except when the insur-
gents convert them into fortresses. They
have been bombarded and torn by shot
and shell. This Is warfare, pure and
simple. and could hardly be called willfuI
Dissertation Of church property"