Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-22
FAREWELL TO
FUNSTON FROM
MANY FRIENDS

AIkL III j lila VIZ
Two hundred members and their
guests gathered at the University
Club last night, at the farewell smo
ker given by the club for Brigadier
general Frederick Funston, who
leaves Oahu tomorrow TO take com
mand of Uncle Sans fighting men OIL
the Mexican border. General Funston
who has commanded the Hawaiian de
pariment since April 3 last, carries
away with him the sincere aloha OF
everyone with whom he has come in
contact, and while everyone made
merry for the time being. it was a re,
gretful gathering last night, by and
large.
With the guests gathered in the big
lining room of the club, President
Hemenway made a few remarks APP
propriate to General Funston's depart
IRE, saying that the good wishes and
sincere regards Of Hawaii would fol
low him. wherever the eNigencies OF
the service led him.
The general made a brief talk, ex-
pressing his appreciation of the good
will shown, and his regrets at leav-
ing Oahu, but there was an insistant
call for the story Of Aguinaldo's cap
ture, the word having been passed
that General Funston had consented
to give a personal sketch of the his
tory making incident. He finally con
scented, but asked for a few moments
inn n
chronological order.
Governor Pinkham was called on,
and in a short talk told his hearers
that while he had never announced
his policy in that regard before, he
was a staunch supporter of the unit
ed services here, and a sincere be-
lever in the national guard. Gov
ernor Pinkham is for the service
first, last and always. He was given
a crashing volley of applause.
Seldom Told.
General Funston, prefacing his tale
with the statement that he had very
seldom sDoken of the pursuit and
capture of the insurgent leader, and
that had he been at a public gather
ing, he would not have done so at all,
plunged into a story of warcraft, hard,
ship and adventure that kept his audi
tors at attention for half an hour.
Making a rough outline sketch Of
northern Luzon on the wall, he point
trip, so that his interested listeners
could easily understand the drift of
the story. 1t would have been good
hearing for another half hour, but the
general brought the story to an abrupt
close with the arr: Ial at Aguinaldo's
headquarters, skimming over in few
words the sensational capture of the
dictator, and his own part in it. In
his remarks, General Funston spoke
in the highest terms of the work Of
Major E. V. Smith, I'd infantry, who.
as captain, was acknowledgement of
the department which General Fun
ston then commanded. Although he
was not allowed to go on the actual
trip, it was largely through Major
Smiths efforts that the cypher which
led to Aguinaldo's discovery, was
translated
The Capture.
The story of AguinaldOs capture is
familiar enough to those who have
studied the history CT the Philippine
but few have enjoved
the privilege of hearing it at first
hand. and the group of officers ar
civilians present last night will long
remember their evening at the Uni
versity Club.
; Briefly stated, Funston learned.
through captured correspondence. Of
the presence of Emilio Aguinaldo in
village He conceived the
plan of Disgusting a company of Mac
abebe scouts as insurgents. and, pay
ing the way by forged correspondence,
to have them march to AgufnaldO's
hiding place as reinforCCmCnts. HIN
self all four other American officers
them Disguised as pri-
Yates of engineers supposed to have
heen taken prisoners. The details OF
the expedition were most carefully
thought out, and it was necessary for
more than 80 men to play pant
within the enemy's lines for mole
han a week The chances Of success
we're slim. but after almost unbelicv-
able ha: ships. the little band finally
reached the insurgcnt Chieftain. and
throwing aside their disguise effected
he capture.