The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-25
COULD FUNSTON sw1Mg

The Kansas Attack on the Accepted
 Story of His Exploits in the Philip
 pines.
 All the information can get shows that the first swimming episode occur red at the Marilao river. It was fash ed over the wires to the United States that Colonel Frederick Funston at the head of twenty men swan the Marilao river by the overworked press agent. and the Kansas history so records it The facts are that Captain Edward J. Hardy, of Council Grove, at that time second lieutenant of Company H of the Twentieth Kansas, and Privates Jack Huntsman and Wiley, of Company H. were the only soldiers who swam the Marilao river. except the numerous members of the regiment who were in bathing at the time Colonel Funston crossed in a boat which Hardy, Hunts man and Wiley brought back from the other side. Colonel Funston informed Captain Hardy at the time that he could not swim. It is to be regretted that Colonel Fmston's hatred for Cap- tain Hardy has prevented him from 61FIilB ltlC 1dClS ctDUut lllC 01dlAldOs 4AC Marilao was the first river .swum. It set the pace for all the rest. The feat was performed in the midst of sharp battle and was as dangerous as it was meritorieus. You will remember that it was not known in the United States that Privates Trembly and White were the heroes who swam the Rio Grande under fire until the Twentieth arrived at San Francisco. Then it was that White made a statement as to the facts of this feat, forcing General Fun ston to announce that it was Trembly and White, and not he, who swam the Rio Grande. Trenlbly and White were so unfortunate as not to have a press they promoted to life positions for brave and meritorious deeds.
 That Bagbag swimming episode seems to be the one certain Kansas newspapers are picking out and play ling upon. Of course they don't know anything about it. They do not dis lcriminate between the deeds of valor lof a brave soldier and the daring of an ladventurer. With them the dignity (which should hedge about the exalted office of president of the United States, and the daring and skill of the cowboy who ropes a Texas steer on the west ern plains are synonymous terms. The only Kansas company which took part in the battle at the Bagbag was Company K. Captain Boltwood, of Ottawa; Lieutenant John Hall of Lawton, Oklahoma; young Ramsey, now cadet at West Point; Lieuten- ant Colin Ball and others were right there, and they know all about it. All of these men say that Colonel Funston crossed the Bagbag on a bridge, one span of which had been washed away. Reaching the end of the wrecked bridge, Colonel Funston and party jumped in and padded across some ten or twenty feet. Lieutenant Ball was first. and says Funston waited to take off his boots. and when Funston caught up Ball was drying his clothes on the bank As Funston had said to Hardy at the Marilao that he couldn't swim history does not record just how he did get across. However, I presume it matters little to General Funston what history shall record His promotion came before the soldier boys got back from the Philippines. Therefore, great is the power of the press agent.
 Unfortunately, the real facts were not before the author of the Kansas school history when the same was writ ten. Necessarily he was compelled to accept the reports sent to the press of the United States. All who knew Mo- ble L. Prentis and his love for truth and justice know that if he was living now his pen would be the first to strike out this error and injustihe from this splendid book. '-From an Inter- view with D. o. McCray in the Topeka Capital.