Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1901-06-06
STORIES OF FUNSTON.
Incidents In the Career of Gen.
eral Aguinaldo's Capturer.
LIVELY RAILWAY EXPERIENCE.

4QOfN INK
Saved a Freight Engine From
wreck and Got the Election Re-
turns From Little Medicine-Fun-
ston as an Angler.
Among the many anecdotes related
of General Frederick Funston, the man
who surprised and captured Emilio
Aguinaldo. the commander in chief Of
the Filipinos, the following are or
timely interest:
General F%unston's home is at Car
lyle, a small village in Allen county,
KAN, named after the old home back
in Ohio, right in the center of the great
natural gas belt of Kansas, avs the
New York World. Really he has no
home, but that is where his parents re-
side. Funston carries an annual pass
on the Missouri Pacific railway. The
manner in which he got it illustrates
the facility with which he decides upon
a plan of action. 1t was out at Downs,
Kan, hat the affair took place.
One morning the engine which was
to convey the passenger train to Atchl-
son was brought down a few II
in advance Of the arrival of the train
and stopped on the main line about so
yards ahead Of the engine which would
bring the train In.
Suddenly a cry, eli, stop that en-
gine" startled the crowd. The engi-
neer jumped toward his moving ma
chine, but it was some distance from
him and picked up speed, which show
ed that pursuit would be fruttless. Sew
eral yardmen Joined in the pursuit,
but they also gave it up, and, as there
was not a man in the lower yards, it
became evident that the engine would
continue until it came to a stop Of it's
own accord.
The Downs operator vas looking out
of his big bay window in the depot
and saw the engine start. Like a flash
the situation dawned upon his mind.
He called up Cawker City. The re-
Spouse was prompt, and, realizing that
no railroad man needed a diagram, he
sent Cawker this brief message:
Runaway engine. Throw derailing
switch"
! 1t happened hat Funston was in the
Cawker Office when the message was
received. AS the operator dashed out
of the roo to throw the switch he
shouted the telegram to Funston.
About a hundred yards west Of the
station was a water tank. Funston
to it and climbed up the ladder
ito the platform, which was on a level
with the crane with which the engine
was supplied with water. Around the
curve came the engine, going swift
enough to deter any but the most ex-
perienced railroad man from attempt
ing to board it.
Funston did not intend to board in
the ordinary way. Carefully he calcu-
lated the speed of the engine and the
distance he was above it, and then, as
it passed the tank, he leaped for the
tender, fell among the coal and tools,
scrambled into the cab, seized the
throttle, shut off the steam, put on the
air and opened the sand valves.
cit wasn't much" said he. "Even If
the old kettle had run off the track I
could have got off all right" But the
company presented him with an annual
pass, and 1t is always among the first
to be renewed each new year.
1t was while Funston was a cowboy
III OAO vi lAC NOu1I1CS vi "0SlCI
Kansas in the early eighties that an
other incident happened.
It was election night, the close of a
campaign, and it was conceded
by both sides that the victors would
have very little to crow over. At about
4:3O or 5 o'clock returns had been re-
ceived from every precinct except Lit
tie Medicine, and the leading side was
but four votes to the good. The vote
in each precinct was small, and, al
though not much time was taken in
counting, there was great delay in get
ting the returns to the county seat.
Little Medicine vas claimed by both
parties. The excitement was intense.
No one thought Of going to bee. Some
of the sportier boys were putting up
money on the result. The list of voters
in Little Medicine was gone over again
and again, and each time both parties
that their side was sure.
About $50 o'clock the chairman and
secretary Of the Republican committee,
with a little knot of the faithful. walk
ed out to where they could command
a view of the trail the messenger
would take.
Through the gray light of the coming
dawn the figure of a man on horseback
was discerned. Was it the messenger?
What if it should turn out hat it was
not the long looked for messenger from
Little Medicine? Its himr' yelled the
secretary. "It's ole Bill Hickey! I'd
know that there yaller broncho among
t~housand"
Down into a dip in the prairie went
horse and rider; up again on the next
It was old Bill Hickey. Stand
ing up in the stirrups, flashing the bron-
cho into a final burst of speed. swing
ing his hat and yelling at the top Of his
old Bill dashed up to the little
group, flung himself from the saddle,
a wild >"Whoope-e-ey' and asked
what the result was in the county.