The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-11
FUNsTON's EXPLOIT FOREToLD.
A Writer of Fiction Outlined the
scheme in IA story.

From the New York Journal.

From the New York Journal
The strangest thing about the capture
of Aguinaldo is that it was foretold in
a piece of fiction more than year ago
not merely the fact of the Filipino leader
being made prisoner, but the actual meth
cd pursued by Gen. Funston in securing
him.
Funston went along with a gang of
make-believe Tagalogs as prisoner, be-
ing conducted to the fugitive native Pres
icent, obtained admission to his presence
with handful of men by this means and
seized him, after which Funston, his pris-
oner and his counterfeit Tagalogs made
rush for the coast, where they We're
picked up by an American gunboat and
brought to Manila.
These are exactly the same adventures
as befell Lieut.. Farley, of the Twentieth
Infantry" in Dufield Osborne's story.
published in Harpers Weekly on Dec %
1899
The parallel between the fiction of six
teen months ago ana the fact of last
week is so close as to suggest that Gen
Funston got the idea that resulted in sig
nal success from the tale of the story
writer. If this is not SO the coincidence
Is all the more remarkable.
The Capture in Fiction.
The fiction capture of Aguinaldo is told
in a letter from "Wyllfs Desmond" of the
Marine Corps, who had been comedian
in the Eighteenth Street Theater Com
pany, and therefore, knew all about
nake-ups. He was called upon to make
up four soldiers as agalogs-Funston
took Maccabebes for his pretended cap
tors
start for the town in which AguinaIdo
was making his headquarters:
Tention, said he, and we straight
ened up. And now my men, I'm Lieut.
arIey, y. >. A., and your prisoner You
caught me outside the lines and tied my
hands behind my back, taking my sword
and revolver, and you're carrying me
straight to Gen. AgUnaldo-see?
lie stopped Il minute to let that sink
IN Tor we couldn't open our ears quite as
woe as we could our mouths and eyes.
Desmond's an amigo he went on.
and he and Smith and Evans don't be-
Ions to the same tribe as any one we
meet | talk English, which none of you
unde rstand; but you want to obey my or
ders Just the same as ii you did and MIR
Farley kind of grinned.
We are going straight to Tarlac.
where l understand, Aguinaldo is. II
ne not there, were going on tin we find
him. Mind you, I'm an important priso-
ner, whom 1t is abso .utely necessary for
him to see and examine at the very earl
lest opportunity; so you've brought me all
the way from-Manila.
'StOry Hangs Together"
Naturally, you don't know any pass
words and countersigns. The story hangs
together all right, and it ought to go. If
1t doesn't-well, III give orders as IL /
was asking questions or favors or some
thing and wen do the best we cam"
If General Funston didn't make some
such speech when he started out, ostensi-
bly, prisoner, it is strange.
Lieutenant Farey and his party gained
the presence of Aguinaldo in the story
with no more trouble than General Fun
ston had in fact. The fiction make-be-
lieve prisoner grabbed him by the throat.
Asuina.do's secretary and a Filipino gem
eral were killed in the struggle.
Here the hc.ion gets a little away from
the fact, for the lieutenant changes
clothes, and, as nearly as possible, com
pleXions with Aguinaldo, who has been
choked and chloroformed into insensibii-
ty, and carries him out as the prisoner
who had Just been brought in.
They carted him to the shore, off which
the gunboat Juniata was waiting for
them, had brush with prisoners on the
beach and carried Aguinaldo to Manila.