The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-02-22
GENERAL FUNSTON DAD

Commander Of U. 8. Troopl
Stricken in San Antonio
Hotel-Dies in Few
i Minutes.
San Antonio, Tex, Feb. 49,.
General Frederick Funston, com.
mander of the southern division
since February, 1915, died sudden.
ly at the st. Anthony hotel here
tonight after he had finished din
ner. He collapsed while seated in
the lobby of the hotel talking
with friends. and was playing
with little Inez Silverberg Of Des
Moines, Ia, a guest with her par
ents at the hotel, when he fell nm
conscious. He died a few seconds
later.
Physicians said the general
death was caused by acute indi-
gcstion.
Ever since March, 1916, when
he was placed in command of all
United States forces on the Mexi-
can border, General Funston has
worked at an unusual pace. At
critical times in border develop
ments he frequently remained on
duty twenty hours of the twenty
four. The handling Of regulars
disposed of at various stations on
the border, the Pershing expedi-
ton and Of late arrangements
of regular troops while providing
for the return of the national
guardsmen have entailed an en-
ormous amount Of detail work,
probably exceeding that which
fell to any commanding general of
the United States army since the
civil war.
When he won his rank of bri-
gadier as reward for his capture
of Aguinaldo, Funston's active
service in the regular United
States army began.
When Vera Cruz was occupied
Major General Wood, chief of
staff, Immediately selected Funs-
ton as the logical man for the field
command.
But when Funston unloaded his
troops and relieved the navy of
possession Of the city he learned
that President Wilson's orders
were that there was to be no ag-
gressive movement, that the army
was to watch and wait. Every
provocation to spur a fighting
man to action was given, but
Funston never forgot his orders.
He held down the situation and
President Wilson made him a
major general.
AS immediate successor to the
command, General Pershing, who
led the Mexican expedition, will
have charge of the many details
Of the movement of the remaining
units of the national guard or
1ered home from the border last
Saturday.
The American troops had been
n possession Of Vera Cruz only
1 few days when one of the Mex
can generals sent a message say
ng in most polite terms that he
vas unable to restrain his troops
md that they were about to ad-
,ance and drive the Americans in
o the sea.
eff you can't hold your troops
pack, l can," was the laconic mes
;age Funston sent back. !,
Funston, a native of Ohio, and
'eared on a Kansas farm. had a
career before he be- \
came a soldier. His first work
vas as a scientist, with a bent to- !
ward botany. As an agent of the
department. of agriculture in 1891,
le took part in the Death Valley !,
expedition; then he explored
Alaska and the British northwest {
md crossed Alaska to the Arctic
ocean and travelled from McKen-
lie river to Boring sea, a journey ,
# about $500 miles. He camped
n the Klondyke during the win
;er of 1893, and then alone floated I
Town the Yukon in a canoe, a 3
Journey of hundreds of miles s
through wilderness without see- :
ng another living soul. Soon af- :
;er that he resigned from the de- !