The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-14


one asked.
A twinkle was noticeable in General
Lees eyes ''Oh, yes, I met Funston"
he responded, while a smile fitted
office in Havana 1 think that it was
in January, 1898, and things were pretty
warm in Havana just then. 1 had re-
ceived a great many letters in which
the writers had promised that / should
not live if they could prevent it. one
morning a small man slipped into my
office. L was alone. His hair was long.
his face unShaven. His clothes were
ragged and bedraggled, and he was not
at all prepossesSing. 1 always carried
a revolver, and instinctively my hand
sought it's handle, and 1 made up my
mind that / would kill him if he made
a threatening move He glanced from
one side of the room to the other, eNI-
IDENTIFY to see if any one else was there,
and that increased my suspicious. He
kept on coming toward me, and adj
NIT that l was badly scared. / did not
say anything. and was greatly sur
priSed when the man addressed me IN
English, and 1 knew at once that it
was all right.
He said that his name was Funston
and he had been a lieutenant colonel in
the Cuban army and had been wounded
and got inside the Spanish lines and in
to Havana without being detected. 1
told him tha; he was taking great
chances and that if he was found by
Spanish detectives l did not believe that
l could save him. He did not seem at
all worried but said that he wanted 10
get to the United States.
.'As 1 remember 1 got Funston a hat
and some clothes and in a few days sent
him on by the Underground railroad to
the United States.
You had no feeling then that he
would become famous as a soldier?'
some one asked.
in him. He has the fire and energy
which go to make men. am
sorry 1 will not see him in
Topeka. If had time would run down
to Kansas City to visit him.
General Lee said that he had been in
San Francisco and had inquired about
General FunSton'S record as a soldier
before he left for the Philippines and
was told that the Twentieth Kansas
had grown under his direction. to be
Cne of the best disciplined regiments IN
the service. He expressed pleasure when
told that Gen. Funston's successor to
the command of the Twentieth Kansas.
Gen. Metcalf, would preside at the lee
ture tonight.
Some one directed the current of the
conversation to the war of the Rebellion
and it was evident that the subject
stirred a deeper interest than anything
before mentioned He talked of Manas-
sas and Winchester and of Appomattox
He was in command of the Confederate
cavalry and was with his uncle, Robert
+. Lee at the deathbed of the Confed-
eracy. Il lived corn in the cam
paign from Richmond to Appomattox,'
said he. we were fighting every day
and all l had to eat was corn and ate
it just like horse But it is all over
and l am glad of 1.-THE Spanish war OBJ
liberated all the bitterness that was left
Gen. Lee was the man selected by Pres
ident Mckinley as the man who was to
lead the assault on Havana, but the Span
ish flag came down before it was neces-
Sary to do So
Some one asked if he was not sorry that
he lost the opportunity
He shook his head doubtfully. "Oh, I
gerous proceeding and afteR the whole
thing was over I said to President Nc
Kinley that / was not sorry l had lost the
job. No, l not hankering for it.
Before Lee reached Topeka he was
handed letter from ]. NJ. Meade, resi-
dent engineer of the Santa Fe. inviting
him to visit at his home while in Topeka.
Gen. Lee said that he had known Mr.
Meade in Virginia and would be delighted
to visit him. but feared that his engage
ments would prevent him from doing So |
When the train reached Topeka Gen. |
Lee driven at once to the Copeland |
hotel. At o clock this afternoon he went |
to the governors mansion, where public |
reception in his honor was given by Gov. |
and Mrs Stanley.
Gen. Lee will lecture at the Auditorium |
tonight on Peace and War in the United |
States and Cuba and will leave at 80 |
tomorrow morning for Albany, Mo-. where |
he will lecture tomorrow evening. He will /
reach home on February q.