The Washington herald., 1908-04-19

came from a Fort Smith editor and pub
Usher for an assistant. and the Kansas
City edltor-perhaps in his eagerness to
get a tighting human bantam of his
hands-promptly shipped Funston south
that same day.
When Funston turned up at the office
of the Fort Smith Tribune it did not take
him long to learn that the town was
wrought up to its core over a political
campaign. Nor was he a iaggard In dis
covering that the politicians were steop-
ing TO all sorts OF tricks 10 accomplish
their ends. That made him speedily dis
gusted with everybody in Fort Smith in
general and in particular, and the day
that his chief left town on a brief vaea-
ton Funston wrote and printed an edi-
torial in which he said, with engaging
frankness, some pretty hard things of the
dominant party.
Seek Revenge on Funston,
Were the Democrats mad when they
discovered that their hitherto stanch
upholder in print had played the traitor?
Well, they laid plans to burn down the
Office, while Funston gathered his staff
about him and prepared TO defend the
property at all costs. Meanwhile a hurry
call by telegraph was sent to the pub
lished, who returned post haste, with even
greater haste got out a special edition
explaining how the break" had occurred.
and then. with his clientele partly as
suaged. fired Freddy Funston.
About this time word reached Funston
that he had better leave town at once or
submit to the alternative of being tarred
and feathered. But Funston just stuck
his hands in his pocket, lifted his nose
several degrees higher toward the cir
cumambient blue and strutted about
town to his hearts content. Then. when
he thought he had shown the Fort
Smthians that he wasn't afraid Of them,
ne leisurely shook the dust Of their city
of his feet and for some time thereafter
was Jobless.
When he did get work il was as eollee-
tor and bOuncer on the Santa Fe. The
old residents along the line Of that road
still talk of the way "a certain midget Of
the name OF Funston used TO Overawe
and beat up and throw of the trains Ger
tain cowboys and other picturesque char
acters when they began To let in daylight
! through the roofs of the passenger
coaches.
Hostage for a Spy.
The thrilling chapter in the life of
Nathan Gon, Of Clarksburg, w Va. one
Of the best-known United States circuit
judges since the early '90s, occurred
during the civil war days.
Ea-ly In 1854 Goff, who had risen to be
a major of volunteers. was captured at
the Battle OF Moorfield. short while
before Maj Amsley had been taken
prisoner By the Federals and tried and
condemned TO death as a spy. Goff. as
soon as he could be hustled to Libby
Prison was placed in solitary confinement
and word was sent North that his life
was In hostage FOR Amsley's.
For four months thereafter Con hourly
expected 20 be led out TO execution. He
knew that his friends were working fran
tically for his release. at the same time
he believed that Amsley had been con
demned justly and that he should be ex-
ecuted according to the rigid rules of
war Gon even went SO far as to write
to this effect in a letter to President Lin
coin. here are his exact words:
If Maj Amsley is guilty he should be
executed regardless Of consequences TO
me- The life of "a single soldier. no mat