Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-21
Frank W. Funk's Defense Against
Charge of Murder.
SAYS BE WAS ONLY 4 R0BBER
Took $3.50 From Woman Who
Got 1t by Murder.
STORY OF HIS WANDERINGS
pecial From a Staff Correspondent.

COVINGTON Va, August 21.-Unless
something unforeseen occurs to prevent,
Frank w. Funk the alleged murderer e4
aged illiam H. Brooks in Washington on
June %, 1898, and who is charged with hav-
ing brutally assaulted Mrs. Brooks with an
AK after which he is said to have robbed
his victims of all their money, amounting
to $1,3SO will arrive in Washington about
::45 o'clock this afternoon.
Funk is in charge of Inspector Boardman
and Detective r. E. Weldon of the Wash
ington force, and not for a moment have
they relaxed their watch of their prisoner
since he placed in their hands at St.
Louis yesterday morning.
In conversation today with a member of
The Star staff Funk said he is innocent of
the terrible crimes laid at his door, and he
declared that when he thinks the proper
time arrives he will tell all he knows about
what he sees fit to call the great mystery.
1t is very evident that while Funk is dis
posed to evade answering almost every
question put to him, he intends, II possible,
to implicate a woman whose name has not
yet been brought into the case, at least in
any guilty connection, as one who not only
planned the several crimes but carried
them into execution.
Funk's Statement.
He asserts that he met this woman near
Washington Circle on the evening of the
murder, and that she took from her pocket
a large roll of money, with the remark:
Frank, I want to help you out of your
trouble" She handed him. he said, two
twenty dollar notes. This did not satisfy
Funk, and he grabbed the roll. SO he said,
from her and made off with it. Upon
counting the package he found that it con-
tanned $1,3S0.
Shortly after this occurrence Funk, ac-
cording to his own story, boarded a Penn
sylvania avenue car and rode down to the
center of the city. AT one store he bought
d new coat, at another ii pair OF pants, and
at still another pair Of shoes. He next
went to a cheap hotel, where he put on his
purchases, and where he left the bloody
garments found by the police authorities,
who traced their ownership to Funk
The next move made by Funk, as he
stated, was to purchase thousand mile
book on the Pennsylvania railroad, but as
there was 10 outgoing train for several
hours, he hurried to the 4. and o. station
and bought a ticket for Philadelphia, leav-
ing at pm. for that city.
In reference to his movements on the
afternoon and evening OF the murder, Funk
said;
During the afternoon I was at the school
building where had been working for some
time, and l then sharpened my tools. Later
| took supper with Mrs Buckley. This
brought the time up to o'clock. Where l
was from ) to s o'clock. at which time l
started for Philadelphia / decline to state
at this time. l can, when the proper period
arrives, give satisfactory account of my
during these three hours.
Wants to Consult n Lawyer.
Il am young and inexperienced, and will
not go into details until after l have con-
suited a lawyer in Washington. Who this
will be l have not the slightest idea as |
have no money with which to pay counsel
nor have my people any. If the court as
signs me a good lawyer and 1 have fair
trial, l expect to be acquitted. If, how
ever, am not furnished with an attorney
l will plead my own case"
According to Funk's statements he has
led very active life since the day of the
Brooks murder. From Philadelphia, as
above stated, he went to New York where
he deposited in a bank most of the 81 $50
which he admits having stolen from the
woman in Washington Circle. Next month
he played the races at Brighton and other
places. and in less than thirty days he had
squandered every cent of the money he had
carried off. When asked why he left
Washington in such hurry if he did not
murder Mr.. Brooks, Funk replied Il
knew that officers We're after me, but sup
serted from the army, and l had not the
slightest suspicion that | was wanted for
murder until l read an account of the
Brooks tragedy three or four days after
that affair. l then decided it would be
better to go to a place where there were
not so many detectives and policemen in
New York, SO l made my way to Holidays
burg, Pa.
Thought He Was ShadOwed.
"Soon after getting there l became con-
vinced that l was being watched, and
started for Pittsburg. On the way l Sc
cured work at my trade of stairbuilder and
remained in a small town for several
weeks Eventually 1 reached Columbia,
Mo-, where, as known, / was arrested. l
do not believe l would have been captured
but for the fact that one week ago yester-
day l engaged in a game of poker with one
of the policemen and several other we'll
known men in the town, and l succeeded
in breaking the party. 1t was not a very
big game, but when we quit I had all the
money there was in the party This made
the others mad, and when the circular sent
out by Maj Sylvester chief of police of
Washington, reached police headquarters
in Columbia, the officer that l had beaten
in the poker game saw a good chance to be
revenged, and he arrested me- Even when
he told me to consider myself under ar
rest / did not think that the offense for
which / was taken into custody was any
greater than violation of the gambling
law"
Funk Alleges Bad Treatment.
After the authorities at Columbia, NO.,
became convinced tndt IN Funk they had
an important prisoner they treated him, he
said, with great indignity and when he
was started for st. Louis in charge of De-
tective Weldon and the local chief of po-
lice the latter wanted to shackle and chain
him. But for the Intervention of Mr.
Weldon this plan, Funk said, would have
been carried into effect. Funk further
stated that he had it in his power to give
Inspector Boardman and Detective Weldon
trouble to take him away from St. Louis,
and could have remained there for eight
days, but after he had a talk with those
officers he concluded that further resist
ance was useless, and it would be better
for him to go to Washington at once and
face the music.
Funk seemed last evening to enjoy the
notoriety he has achieved, and he inquired
of The Star representative whether or not
there was much feeling against him among
the. people of Washington on account OF his
supposed connection with the Brooks af-
fair In reply, Funk was asked IL his hasty
flight on the evening Of June o, 1885
coupled with the discovery a few hours
later that three terrible crimes had been
committed in a house where he had been a
frequent visitor, was not sufficient to link
his name with the tragedy, and he admit
ted there was ground for believing that he
had something to do with the crimes
charged against him.
Funk asked The Star representative to
tell of his treatment while locked up in the