The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-25

1t was rumored about the District jail
| yesterday that Frank w. Funk, who is
under sentence to be hanged on Friday
next for the murder of William H. Brooks
has lost his nerve. This conclusion was
no doubt arrived at because Funk, who
has always been ready and willing to talk
| TO newspaper reporters of the crime OF
| which he was convicted, refused to see
| some of the representatives of local papers
who called at the Jail during the morning.
During the last few days there have been
runners aioat that Funk had announced
his intention OF making a confession, in
which he would admit having committed
| the crime of which he stands convicted,
and relate in detail the circumstances sur
rounding the killing of William H.
| Brooks, at his home, 914 Twenty second
| Street northwest, on the afternoon of June
| 23 1898. -
Nothing however seems to be farther
| from the intention of Funk, than TO pur.
| sue such a course. In a statement made
| to a reporter for The Times yesterday
| morning, he as firmly as ever maintained
his innocence of the murder of Brooks.
and expressed himself as confident that
his appeal 20 the Supreme Court of the
United States to have his case reviewed
by that tribunal will be favorably con-
sidered.
There is no doubt, however, that Funk
is giving more consideration to the seri-
BUSINESS of his position. AS was stated
in The Times two weeks ago. he has
espoused the Catholic faith. Yesterday
morning he again attended the services
cd nv Ray at aey,r,ra NJ c.
Peters Catholic Church, and later in the
day the service conducted by the Rev.
Roberts, colored, who does missionary
work at the jail During the service by
the latter the choir and the congregation
sang the hymn, There's Sunshine in My
Soul" and at the conclusion of the song
Mr.. Roberts turned to the prisoners in
the cells in the south wing of the Jail,
where Funk is confined, and asked, Who
of you have sunshine in your souls today?"
Hardly had the question been asked when
Funk quickly arose to his feet, as his
answer.
Funk Makes a Statement.
In a statement yesterday, Funk said:
The scriptural quotation, The wages of
sin is DEATH, may be perhaps more forci-
bly, appreciated when a man is facing the
gallows and the black cap is being drawn
of day, than when merely considering the
words in disinterested manner. Between
now and next Friday, the day set for my
execution, the sun cannot rise and set
many times, and the black cap of eternal
night is fast drawing down over the
earthly light that the courts have allotted
to me as the residue OF my mortal ex-
istence. In Biblical times the law was,
The wages of sin is death but now the
.rTNt IL, d.
is death If this rule was applied to my
case instead of an attempt to literally
enforce the old Interpretation OF the
Scriptural text, / would have no occa-
sion TO complain, and the black cap which |
is now impending would be raised from
my eyes that i might have justice and |
not avenging retaliation for the crime Of
an unascertained sinner.
when the real murderer of William |
H. Brooks is known" Funk went on, las |
must occur in time. posterity can say, It's |
too bad, but mistakes must occasionally |
occur in the life of q great nation / have |
never asked this nation, nor its people, for |
mercy, and do not now desire to be SO |
Interpreted. Ny petitions for mercy are |
only addressed TO higher power. / have !
only asked. and now ask for the rights
guaranteed me by the language of the Con-
stitution and that / be allowed to live |
long enough for the highest court of the
land TO have an opportunity to pass upon
the mistakes made at my trial, that re-
suited in wrongfully convicting me Of
horrible crime / did not commit
There is one thing apparent, and that is
If there is anything worrying Funk, he is
keeping it hidden from those around him
in a most mastery manner. So far as
could be discerned. except from the cir
cumstance that he declined to see callers, |
there was nothing in his demeanor to in
iicate that he is on the verge of breaking
iown and confessing to crime which he
ienies having committed Yesterday
funk called one of the officials of the jail
o him and asked: do l look as if l
I'M breaking down and going to confess?"
The official replied. mo, Funk, you GER
ainly do not
Smell Grows Careless.
Benjamin II. Smell, who is also under
entence to be hanged on Friday next, as
usual kept in his cell all day yesterday
With the exception of the short time he |
Tas out in the corridor for exercise. He
S not a great favorite with any of the
prisoners at the Jail and as a result not |
/ word was spoken by him TO anyone nor |
ly anyone to him. He still tries to act
he role of an insane man and when by |
nance a question is asked him he gencT-
lily answers 1t with q vacant stare at his
luestioner. The other day, however, it is
aid. Smell came very near giving himself ,
.way A friend of his called to see him |