Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-24
FUNSTON PUNCTURES STORIES
Definitely Denies Charges Made Against
Himself, Metcalf and Bishop,
HE IS NOT YET THROUGH WITH AFFAIR
Denin,s of Kansas General Make
Interesting Reading where state
mcnt Touches ON Incidents
OF Philippine Campaign.

KANSAS CITY, Nov. pa Star special
from San Francisco says; .,'. 90
Before sailing for Manila today General
Frederick Funston took occasion to make
definite denial of the truth OF recent stories
regarding himself, Colonel Wilder s. Met
calf and Major Bishop, in which Lieutenant
Callahan, former officer of the Twentieth
Kansas, and others of the regiment are
credited with charging these officers with
many sins OF commission and omission, in
cluding the charges against Metcalf and
Bishop Of shooting defenseless Filipino
prisoners.
"But / am not through with this affair
yet" added the general. II know the
charges against Metcalf and Bishop are de-
spicabe and malicious lies and l intend 10
prove them SUCH
Funston's denisls make interesting reading
when in his statement he touches on some
of the incidents in the Philippine campaign
in which he hoped to make himeelf and
staff famous.
"At no time at the battle of Guiguinto," "
he says, did l lie down except once. and
that for ten seconds under especially furious
fire from the enemy. Then I was careful
to SEQ that every other officer and man was
under cover before I dropped. y
Hardy, Drisdale and Wiley did swim
the Marilao river and | never claimed credit
for It,
"Calahan's statement as to the Rio Grande
affair is absurd. White and Trembly did
swim the river and hitched the rope by
which the raft was handled. l crossed with
eight men first. and in all forty five men
were taken over. We drove out $500 in
surgents, taking 200 rounds of ammunition
to man during the half hours fighting.
General Macarthur and General Wheaton
were eye witnesses to that fight. They were
standing at a freighthouse. 500 yards away
on the south bank Of the river. 1t was upon
the basis of that affair that l was made a
brigadier general. 49, st
"At Bagbag river Lieutenant Ball, my
self and four enlisted men swan the river
under fierce fire and we took the intrench-
ments. General Wheaton saw that and
every man who took part was recommended
for medal OF honor.
81 defy anyone to prove that l have ever
used money or any other means to influence
any newspaper man to advertise me. 1'have
never had one in my employ, either directly
or indirectly The newspaper correspond
ents in the Philippines were men of hon
esty and great courage and took as many
risks as any soldier on the firing line. Cen
eral Macarthur had great trouble in trying
to keep them back
81 regret exceedingly that this controversy
should have come up, but l do not see how
can keep silent under unjust accusations"
Brands Five Officers as Cowards.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 23.-The Exam
iner says; The accusation that Colonel
Wilder s. Metealf of the Twentieth Kansas
regiment deliberately killed an. unarmed Fill
pino prisoner during the Philippine cam
paign. has resulted in, the disclosure that two
surrendered Filipinos were shot by Kansas
men at atsCaloocan: that a War! dspartmSft in
vestigation was sheld, and ,thsss the men, ipr
volyed, including Captains Bishop of Com
pany NJ and Flanders of Company l, We're
exculpated from blame.
General Frederick Funston, who has been
a staunch defender of Colonel Metcalf. re-
iterates his charge that five officers of the
Kansas regiment were guilty of cowardice
during the fighting from Manila to San
Fernando. ~ -.
From Topeka comes an. affidavit from
Private Donald Thorn of the Twentieth Kan
sas, IN which he swears that he saw Captain
Bishop Of Company M fire three shots into
the bodies of two prisoners, one of whom
was wounded who were lying helpless on
the ground in the rear of the American fr-
ing line '.' -tf' . '..