The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-20
HE GAINED FAME IN
THE PHILIPPINES
During the Mexican Cam
paign, Funston Worked
Indefatigably, Sometimes
for "a Hours Continuous
lyle Had Appeared as
Well as Usual During
Yesterday

Washington, D. c., Feb. 20.-President
Wilson and other high officials, as well
as army officers generally, expressed deep
regret to-day over the sudden death OF
Major General Frederick Funston at San
Antonio last night. War department of
ficials apd army officers stood ready to-
day to assist in bestowing the highest
military honors at the burial OF Fun
ston, which will take place in the ma
tional cemetery at the Preside, San
Francisco, next Saturday or Sunday.
San Antonio, Tex, Feb. 20--Maior
General Frederick Funston, commanding
the southern department of the United
States army and one of the leading fig
ures in the country's military history
since his capture of Aguinaldo while
| commanding a Kansas volunteer regi-
ment in the Philippines, died of acute in
digestion last night. He collapsed in
hotel after dining with friends and did
not regain consciousness before his death,
a short time afterward.
! General Funston was at his office yes
| terday, with no sign Of i'll health, Dur
AiE ufllliNI it SttuuEA III MS Aruhi EN0u
spirits and after the meal began to play
with a child of one of the guests. He
fell over unconscious before anyone could
reach him.
Lieut.. Col. NJ. w. Ireland medical
corps, u. s. A., Gen. Funston's physician,
said last night:
"Gen. Funston's death was caused by
angina sclerosis of the arteries of the
heart. Death was almost immediate and
without pain"
Col. Ireland said Gen. Funston had been
under his care for the last two weeks
and for several days had been virtually
well. Two weeks ago he had an attack
of acute Indigestion.
Ever~since March, 1916, when he was
placed in command of all United States
forces on the Mexican border, Gen. Fun
ston had worked unusually hard. At
critical times in border developments he |
frequently remained on duty continuous
ly for "a hours. The Pershing expedition
and of late, Encouragement of regular |
troops while providing the return of Ma
tional Guardsmen, exacted an enormous |
amount of detail work probably exceed |
ing that which fell to any other COM |
HldHulllS ReHtidt VI CHt 1Hlttu states |
since the Civil war.
Only yesterday Gen. Funston complet-
ed orders for the return of the last of the
guardsmen. Because of the amount of /
work which has fallen to him, Gen. Fun.
ston's only recreation or relaxation for
nearly year has been occasional dinner
parties with friends. Recently Gen. Fun
ston returned from an inspection trip
which took him as far as Nogales. Ariz.
That, with one trip to Brownsville, Tex.
and brief visit to Austin. Tex, last
year, was the only occasion when he has
been absent from his desk since the bor-
der trouble developed.
Two weeks ago when Gen.-Funston
suffered an attack of Indigestion he
fought it out alone" to use his own ex.
preston. Later he placed himself under
the care OF Col. Ireland and regained
normal health and spirits. Nevertheless
at dinner last night, Gen. Funston was
abstemious and ate only
sparingly of the simplest dishes.
Col. Malvern Hill Barnum, Gen. Fun
'ton's chief of staff, Immediately notified ,
he war department of Gen. Funston's :
ieath. News also was dispatched to 5
Mrs Funston, who is visiting in Califor- !
lis.
Not until 1896, when the Cuban insur. :
eetion was at its height did Frederick
funston become known throughout the
United States as a first-class fighting
nan. but his friends in Kansas-where
le spent his early manhood-long had !
o classed him.
As a student at the University of Kan
as, when he weighed less than 100
ounds. he conquered 00-pound "bad I
nan" who threatened him with razor. II
% add to the giants humiliation. Fun II
ton marched him through the streets of II
.awrence Kan, at the point of revol- "
er. to a police station.
A few years later, while CITY editor of "
paper in Fort Smith, Ark, young Fun Il
ton stirred up intense feeling by attack n
lg editorially the publications. own DO f.
tical party headers during the absence o.
f his editor-in-chief Many threats are
aid to have been made against Funston q
nd the newspaper property. but he re- u
lsined on guard until his superior re- 81
armed and then turned over the plant b
incidentally Funston also re- a
gned. M
Along the Santa Fe railroad they still OF
.call how Funston, as q passenger train p,
,nductor. threw drunken cowboy of a u
ain and later. when he hurled a rock an
trough a coach window. pursued hiu
.veral miles on foot while the train Oi
sited- -
FunstOn's first experience on the firing VI