The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-02
THROUGH KANSAS
Regiment Receives a Grand Ova-
tion Everywhere.
Gen. Funston Explains the
Cathedral Incident.

1t made no difference whether the
train stopped or not-the crowds were
there just the same.
At Hutchinson the sleeping soldiers
were awakened by a terrific din of
cheers and noise making machines. 1t
was the same at Newton, but a few
blue coats appeared at the windows
and on the platforms. All shouted for
Funston The train pulled into Flor
ence for breakfast at exactly T:45 and
in an hour pulled out for Topeka every
man having been fed. The whole town
was at the depot. The cheers that
greeted the train brought the soldiers
tumbling from the cars ard straight
for the dining room It takes but a lit
tie while for a soldier to eat. The crowd
called for General Funston. Both he
and Colonel AIetcalf. with other regi-
mental officers waited to be served at
the second table. When General Fun
ston appeared on the steps OF the rear
car the crowd packed so closely around
him that he could hardly make his way
to the dining room. Mrs. Funston ac-
cOmpanied him and the crowd demand
ed a chance to shake hands with both.
One young soldier of company A,
Walter L. Sherburne of Blue Rapids,
has been sick for nine months with
dysentery and during the trip has been
/ confined to his berth.
Many of the wives of the officers are
accompanying their husbands to kan
sas. The officers and men in many
cases show the effects of the Philip
/ pine climate. All are glad to get back
General Funston is looking well He
Z is glad to at least make a visit to the
United States and is also glad of his
/ opportunity to return to the Philip
I pines. IN speaking about his libel suit
/ against Archbishop ireland and the
Monitor published at San Francisco, he
ssFTha iTzf I hOTf the mat
ter was a purpOrted interview with
Archbishop Ireland used by the As
ISOLATED Press on October Is. The ar
j ticle said had been accused of loot
I ing a Catholic church in the Philippines
/ and of taking the robe from the Holy
( Virgin and giving it to my wife for a
/ souvenier. The article also carried the
impression that it would show as true
unless proved it otherwise. The only
steps have taken was to wire my at
! tOrneyS, GIeed, Ware x Gleed to aSceF-
4 tain if Archbishop ireland authorized
/ the interview and what paper printed
! il first. Since I have heard that the
I Monitor was the first to print it. do
not know TO what extent Archbishop
I Ireland is mixed up in the affair but
I think unless he repudfates the inter
( view that must bring either criminal
/ or civil proceedings
I was surprised TO read such an in
! terview from the Archbishop as I have
always admired him and have always
had a desire to meet him. The story
told about my looting a church is a
brutal and stupid lie The. whole inter
view was for the purpose of discredit-
ing me because two weeks ago at Stan
ford university I criticised the Friars
in the Philippines in mild and tenn
perate language made no statements
where was not sure or my ground
! The Spanish Friars are a brutal and
IicentiOuS lot not TO be compared to the
American Catholic priests, and I can
not see how they stand by them. No
man can I call a warmer friend than
/ Chaplain Mckinney Of the Washington
regiment and he is a Catholic. The
Catholics speak OF in the islands and
| those in America have nothing in COM
mon. leave to my lawyers to deter
mine what proceedings shall be brought
I am not vindictive but when a charge
against my character and against my
wife is made must defend myself and
my wife
THE only church I was in was at
| Caloocan- When we captured the
| church I had all the silver and every
/ thing else removed to a room, locked
| up and guarded. Not thing was miss
| ing, I understand the church was loot
/ ed, after we left, by the Chinese. We
/ left thousands of dollars worth of sill
! Yer. Not only did not take the robe
/ from the statue, but when we entered
] the church there was no robe on it
| 7 was very much gratified to see in
+ the morning papers that Colonel Met
+ calf has been brevetted a brigadier
general That was done upon a recon-
mendation of Gen. Macarthur Other
officers of the regiment will be brevet-
{ TED WnGn the compete reports are
our trip from San Francisco has
: been a very pleasant one. It has been
! somewhat slow but the food and ac-
/ commodations has been good.
THE story about the trouble at Bar
astow was greatly exaggerated and the
/ men Of the regiment are sorry the af-
fair happened. The trouble was that
/ the railroad officials made arrange
ments for IS of the officers and the
+ ladies TO take seats at the dining room
tables that were read while the others
were being made ready for the men.
T A dozen men VINO We're drunk broke IN
the door and used some very abusive
I language. They were quieted and that
/ was all there was to it."
Mrs Funston mOdeStIy refused to be
interviewed. She thinks she should
! come in for none of her husbands
( glory.
General and Mrs. Funston will go to
( Ottawa Friday and Friday night to
/ Lawrence and Saturday viii go to Gen.
/ FunstOn's home in lola
= hope that politics in connection
/ with my name viii be dropped I thank
my friends for their good words and I
/ am not unmindful of the honor but
have other work before me in the Phil
ippines. I do not promise that I will
never run for Office but will probably
not"
General Funston's left hand, which
was pierced by a bullet shows only a
trace in the way of a brown spot to
show the place where the bullet enter
ed and left
iment did not leave the train for break
fast until the first table had been swept
clean by the enlisted men.
The state Journal reporter who met the
hrst section AT Florence hunted through
the Pullman in search of Col. AIetcalf.
He found him rummag1ng round among
his traps hunting for his spurs which
must soon come into use.
Good morning, general" said the re
/ porter. as he discovered the broad should
ers, Of the commanding officer hling the
Il guess not" said he Colonel win
do ne added as he looked up.
a colonel il Fsva1