Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-20

| MAI. GEN. FUNSTON.
By the Associated Press.
| SAN ANTONIO, Tex, February Co.
Maj. Gen. Frederick Funston. COM
mander of the Southern Department.
died here last night. a few minutes
after he collapsed in a hotel, where he
had gone with a party of friends. At
! tending physicians said the cause Of
death was acute indigestion.
| Gen. Funston had Just finished din
ner and was playing with little Inez
Silverberg Of Des Moines, Iowa, a guest
| with her parents at the hotel, when
he fell unconscious. He did not regain
consciousness before his death a short
time afterward.
His last words were in admiration
of a waltz the hotel orchestra was
playing. How beautiful 1t Is" he said.
Then he lapsed into unconsciousness
| Besides his widow, Gen. Funston Is sur
vived by three children, Frederick. jr,
aged ten years: Barbara, nine, and
Elizabeth, aged eight months.
Services at Fort Sam Houston Today.
| Tho body OF Gen. Funston will be taken
to San francisco tonight for burial. Short
services will be held at Fort Sam Hous-
ton this afternoon and the body will then
be conveyed to the Southern Pacific sta
! ton to await the train for the west. 1t
will be accompanied by Capt. Fitzhugh
| Lee, aid to Gen. Funston, and a guard Of
six enlisted men. Mrs. Funston is at her
home in San Francisco and requested the
| body be sent there for burial
Statement by His Physician.
| Lieut.. Col. NJ. w. ireland. Medical
Corps. U. s. A. Gen. Funston's physi-
clan. 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 we'll Two weeks ago he had
an attack of acute indigestion.
| Gen. Funston was ffty-one years old
Ever since March, 1916. when he was
placed in command of all United States
| forces on the Mexican border. Gen.
Funston had worked unusually hard.
At critical times in border develop
| ments he frequently remained on duty
continuously for twenty-four hours.
The Pershing expedition. and. Of late.
| Encouragement of regular troops. while
| providing for the return Of national
guardsmen, exacted an enormous
| amount Of detail work. probably ex-
ceeding that which fell to any other
commanding general of the United
! States.
| Orders Guardsmen Home.
| Only yesterday Gen. Funston COM
pleted orders for the return Of the last
OF the guardsmen. Because of the
amount Of work which has fallen to
him, Gen. Funston's only recreation or
relaxation for nearly year has been
occasional dinner parties with friends.
Recently Gen. Funston returned from
an inspection trip which took hi i'm as
trip to Brownsville, Tex, and a brief
visit to Austin, Tex, last year, was
the only occasion when he had been
absent from his desk since the border
trouble developed.
Two weeks ago, when Gen. Funston
suffered an attack of indigestion, he
| fought it out alone" to use his own
expression. Later he placed himself
| under the care of Col Ireland and re-
gained normal health and spirits. New
ertheless at dinner last night Gen. Fun
ston was particularly abstemious and
ate only sparingly of the simplest
dishes.
Col Malvern Hill Barnum, Gen. Fun
ston's chief of staff, Immediately mott
fed the War Department of Gen. Fun
ston's death. News also was dispatched
to Mrs. Funston. who is visiting in
California.
Gen. Pershing Assumes Command.
Ell PAso. February 2o-Maj. Gen.
John ]. Pershing has assumed tenn
partment, filling the vacancy left by
the death of Maj. Gen. Funston.
Speaking of the death of Gen. Fun
ston, Gen. Pershing said:
I'VE can i'll AFFORD to lose his keen
mind in the military counsels of the
republic"
News Shocks Gen. Wood.
NEW YORK. February Pot am
very much shocked and grieved." said
Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, commander
of the Department of the East, in a
statement issued after he had been
informed of the death of Gen. Funston
| 1.-The country has lost one of its most
efficient and valuable officers at a time
| when he can i'll be spared. He won his
Iway to the highest rank in our army
through gallant and efficient perform
army will mourn his loss very deeply"
Plan for Burial at the Preside.
SAN FRANCISCO. February 2o.-Def-
mite arrangements for the burial in the
national cemetery here at the Preside
Of Mai Gen. Frederick Funston. who
died suddenly last night at San An
tonic. Tex. had not been completed
early today Maj. Gen. ]. Franklin Bell,
commanding the Western Division.
telegraphed last night at Mrs. Fun
| ston's request to have the body for
warded here. 1t is expected to arrive
Friday, and full military funeral will
be accorded the late general. The flu
neral will be held Saturday or Sunday,
the day not having been formally de-
cided on. Mrs. Funston, who is living at
the Preside here with her three chill
dren, was notified of the death of her
husband by Gen. Bell shortly after the
news was received in press dispatches
last night.
Kansas Wants Body for Day.
TOPEKA. Kan. February 2o.-A res
My,,faoy. SgsfRf,SY1,rA6 In f14a Kansas sonata