El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-02-22

uCA VI CLC WcotcIu JIlcut
Plans to send the body of General
Funston straight through to San
Francicco have not been changed, II
was announced at department head
quarters at 8 p. m. this afternoon. Ar
rangements have Just been made with
the Southern Pacific for a special
train leaving here at $3.50 tonight.
Short services will be held at Fort
Sam Houston this afternoon and the
body will then be taken to the South
ern Pacific station to await the train
for the west. 1t will be accompanied
by Captain Fitghugh lee, aid to Gen.
eral Funston, and a guard of six en-
listed men.
General Funston had just completed
dinner and was sitting In the hotel
lobby talking with friends and playing
with a little girl, daughter of a guest,
when he collapsed and fell to the floor
unconscious. A few minutes later he
died. Death was caused by acute in.
digestion from which he had been a
sufferer for some time.
Pending the arrival of Major Gen.
.eral P%ershing, who has been named
his successor temporarily, Col. Nal
vern-Hin Barnum, General Funston's
chief of staff, is in charge OF the de-
partmentr.
General Funston was one Of the
most picturesque characters of the
United Stateas army and his career
included service as a volunteer in
Cuba. In the Philippines and at Vera
Cruz.
Funstonf's Picturesque Career
Not until 1896, when the Cuban in
surrection vas at its height did Fred
erick Funston become known through
out the United States as a first-class
fighting man, but his friends In Kan
sas-Where he spent his early man
hood[ong had so classified him.
,As a student at the University OF
Kansas, when he weighed less than
100 pounds, he conquered a 200-pound
bad man. who threatened him with
a razor. To add to the giants humil-
iation, Funston marched him through
the streets of Lawrence, Kan, at the
point Of a revolver, to a police sta
tion.
A few years later, while city editor
Of a paper in Fort Smith, Ark, young
Funston stirred up intense feeling by
attacking editorially the publications.
own political party leaders during the
absence Of his editor-in-chief. Many
threats are said to have been made
against Funston and the newspaper
property, but he remained on guard
until is superior returned and thef
turned over the plant unframed. In
oidentally, Funston also resigned.
Along the Santa Fe railroad they
still recall how Funston, as a pas
senger train conductor, threw a
drunken cowboy off a train and later,
when he hurled a rock through 4
coach window, pursued him several
miles on foot while the train waited.
Funston's first experience on the
firing line come in Cnba, where he
commanded General Gomez's artillery
with remarkable results. After en-
In % battles and being wound
ed three times, he resigned his COM
mand because 80 guerlllas who had
aided the Spaniards were executed
his wishes. Captured by
on his way to Havana, he
escaped death by swallowing d letter
10 the president OF Cuba which would
have proved his identity.
While a colonel Of the famous
Kansas volunteer infantry
In the Philippine war, Funston per-
feats Of bravery that brought
him the title of brigadier general His
capture of Aghinaldo and his fording
Of the Rio Grande river at Columpit
Under fire featured his work.
Funston has been described by his
superiors as absolutely fearless. Ever
ready to plunge into danger. he cared
little whether his force edualled that
his opponent. One day, the story
when IL appeared certain the
Filipinos would destroy three com
under Funston's command,
General Harrison Gray Otis, inquired