The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-03
And Parents Pushed through the
Throng to welcome .Their Boys,
with Smiles and Tears.
SWORD GIVEN THE GENERAL
AND DOZENS OF BABIES KISSED BY
THE HERO's DEVOTED WIFE.
Parade and Banquet-Proclamat by
of the American Congress.

Topeka, Kan. Nov. 2-Returning war
riors never received more royal welcome
home than that accorded to-day to the SOL
diers of the kansas famous fighting Twen-
tieth" on its arrival from San Francisco.
General Frederick Funston came in for the
lions share of attention shown to the off,
GERS and the little hero of Manila" was
literally taken off his feet by his admir-
ers in their eagerness TO display their re-
gard for him. AT every station in Kansas
after the Colorado line was crossed early
this morning cheering crowds met the SOL
diers and greeted them in unstinted fash
ion. The schools and the colleges along the
line were closed, business was practically
suspended and the people focked to the
trains by the thousands.
Snow in the mountains had delayed the
trains and it was 1855 o'clock this after
noon before the first reached Topeka. The
three other sections followed closely, the
last squad OF soldiers being landed shortly
before 4 o'clock. So many thousands of
people were on the platform and the rail-
road tracks that the trains had to fairly
crawl into the depot. Whistles screeched,
cannon doomed, dozens of bands played and
the cheers were almost deafening. From
every car window leaned soldiers waving
mats anu yelllHs anu WuOOpiHS sHIHi
hurrahs. They leaped from the car steps
before the train stopped and fell into the
arms of friends, who grasped and hugged
them and passed them on to eager relatives
and sweethearts. Fathers and mothers
pushed through the crowd in a frantic en-
deavor to find their boy" Many affecting
scenes were enacted.
General and Mrs. Funston were in the
4
the train came tc a stop there was rush
to get to them and 1t took half a dozen
strong men to keep the people off the car
platform. A woman spied Mrs. Funston at
a window and pushed her baby up to be
kissed by the generals wife. Mrs. Funston
| complied promptly and Immediately dozens
| of mothers reached forward with their
babies to be kissed. Funston was hardly
| off the car before he was half dragged,
| half carried up stairs into the dining room.
| Solid blocks of people filled every street
! leading to the depot and the city was taxed
| to its utmost TO care for its guests. 1t
seemed as If the whole State of Kansas had
| come TO town and 1t is estimated that fully
sixty thousand outsiders were here. Tons
| of bunting had been used in decorating the
| buildings and electrical and other decora-
weather was glorious.
| With the exasperating and unavoidable
delay in the arrival of the trains bringing
the soldiers, Ii was after 4 o'clock when the
parade to the city began. A guard of honor
| for the boys of the Twentieth was the civil
war veterans, members of the Nationa
Guard and many civic organizations There
were thirtytwo bands in the parade, the
1 M nrf r1t,,ah her no-Ix, nnA
clans. The entire parade, linked over tw,
miles, was a mass of cheering humanity
General Funston. with his wife, rode in the
carriage of honor while Colonel Metcalf, or
a white charger, and Lieutenant Colone
Little, on a prancing black, took their ap
pointed stations at the head of the regiment
All received ovations at every point on the
| line.
| At the Statehouse the military order!
were drawn in line on the south steps Chie
Justice Doster, in brief speech, introduced
General j. K. Hudson, who on behalf of the
people Of Kansas presented the beautiful
$1,000 sword to General Funston. In a shor
speech of acceptance General Funston sait
he predicted that in one years time tn,
| island of Luzon would be as quiet as Mas
sachusetts. II return to Manila" said he
"and unless 1 get sick or disabled will no
return until the war is over" Colonel Met
calf followed General Funston in q brie
| speech.
Later in the evening an elaborate banque
was served in the new state library rooms
to the soldiers and officers of the Twentieth
The day closed with the most magnificen
display of fireworks in the evening eve
given In the States history.
In an interview at Emporia to-day Genera
Funston said, in regard to the reporte,
suit for libel against Archbishop Ireland
that he did not intend bringing such action
but that he would push the suit against tn
San Francisco Monitor.