The Lexington Leader (Lexington, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, February 23, 1917 Page: 2 of 8
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famous kansas soldier
victim of heart trou-
ble at san antonio
"HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS"
Were the Last Words of the Man Who
Captured Aguinaldo, Fought With
the Cubans and Held the Border
In Check for Two Years.
San Antonio. — General Frederick
J*unston, commander of the southern
Upartment since February. 1915, died
fuddenly of heart disease at the St.
Anthony hotel here a few minutes aft-
#r he had finished dinner. He col-
Upsed while seated in the lobby of
the hotel talking with friends, and
Was playing with little Inez Silver-
berg of Des Moines, Iowa, a guest
with her parents at the hotel, when
fte fell unconscious.
Death was almost Instantaneous
General Funston was 51 years old.
Ever since March, 1916, when he was
placed in command of ail United
States forces on the Mexican border
General Funston had worked at an un-
usual pace. At critical times, In bor-
der developments, he frequently re-
mained on duty twenty hours of the
<wenty-four. Only recently General
Funston returned from an inspection
trip which took him as far as No-
gales, Ariz. That, with one trip to
Brownsville, Texas, and a brief visit
to Austin, Texas, were the only occa
■ions when he has been absent from
his desk since the border trouble
developed.
Two weeks ago General Funston
suffered an attack of indigestion. To
use his own expression: "I fought it
out at once." Later he placed him-
self under care of Lieut. Col. M. W.
Ireland of the medical corps, southern
•Jvision,_ and regained normal health.
"How Beautiful It Is I"
General Funston's last words be-
fore he became unconscious were:
"How beautiful it is!" He referred
to the Beautiful Blue Danube" waltz,
which the hotel orchestra was playing'
Besides his wife, General Funston
te survived by three children—Fred-
was the achievement which brought
Funston prominently to the attention
of the American people, but he per-
formed many services for his country
besides that which were probably more
difficult. His administration of af-
fairs in Vera Cruz, where he carried
out the president's orders with a firm
hand, simply holding the city when
e\ery influence about him was center-
ed upon forcing the American army
into actual lighting with the Mexicans,
probably was the most notable service
of his career.
First Work a. Scientist.
Funston, a native of Ohio, and
reared on a Kansas farm, had a re-
markable career before he became
soldier. Few people know that his
first work was as a scientist with
bent toward botany. As an agent of
the department of agriculture, in 1891
he took part in the Death Valley
pedition; then he explored Alaska and
the British Northwest and crossed
Alaska to th6 Arctic ocean and trav-
eled from the Makenzie river to Ber-
ing sea—a journey of about 3,600
miles. He camped in the Klondike
during the winter of 1893 and then
alone floated down tne Yukon in
Gen. John J. Pershing
U-BOAT SCORE
®hlp- Tonnage.
Ualmata (Norwegian).^..., i,//4
Mar Adriatico (Spanish).... 2,410
Okement (Briti.h) 4,239
Broilo (British) \\ 3^93
lalo (British) 3,903
Total
Total since February 1 241,151
Average dally destruction... 12,692
Daily destruction necessary
to complete German plan
of starving England 30,000
SUMMARY OF SINKINGS.
American 2
Other neutrals " ,og
British j2
Other belligerents 5
president waiting for
decisive developments
before acting.
HJV GO BEFORE CONGRESS
Before Close of the Present Session
and Ask Authority to Arm
American Merchant
Vessels.
Washington—News of the libe -a-
n of the seventy-two American sea-
men brought to Germany by the prize
ship Yarrowdale disposes of one of
the most pressing and irritating
phases of the German-American sit-
uation.
Many officials of the administration
have (ome to the conclusion that un-
less there is ,1 prompt and decided
GOVERNOR E. C. DEBACA DUO
was second chief execu-
tive of new mexico
Had Been 111 Since His Nomination.-—
Suoceeded by W. E.
Lindsay.
Santa Fe.—Governor E. C. riebaea
died of pernicious anaemia.
The etid came so peacefully that
for several minutes it was thought the
governor merely was sleeping. With
him at the time were his wife, his
nurse, two Sisters of Charity, Arch-
bishop J. B. Pitaval of New Mexico
and his private secretary, Miss Clara
Olson, whom he had caused to be
summoned a short time previously,
saying he wanted to do some work!
W. E. Lindsay, lieutenant gover-
nor, republican, automaticaly suc-
ceeds to the executive office.
Governor Debaca was the second
governor the state has had. The first
was William C. McDonald.
When nominated, Mr. Debaca was
ill and soon after he had been chosen
as the democratic candidate for the
governorship, went to Los Angeles to
a sanitarium. He was able to take
only a limited part in the campaign.
Governor Debaca was born in Las
Vegas, .V. M„ in 1864. Until he be-
came prominent in holitical fields, he
was best known as a publicist, acting
for many years as editor of an influ-
ential Spanish paper, La Vos De Pub-
lic, issued at Las Vegas.
STATE-WIDE
NEWS EVENTS
Muskogee church serv-
ice ends in fight over
firing minister
OTHER NEWS OF THE STATE
Little Incidents and Accidents That
Go To Make Up a Week's His-
tory of a Great Com-
monwealth.
british make small gains
Fighting Begins To Be Renewed On
All Fronts.
London.—Attacking in force the
Germans on both sides of the river
Ancre in France, British troops pene-
trated about 1,000 yards on a front
of one and a half miles south of the
stream and gained ground on the
northern side.
The Germans have striren hard to
Muskogee.—Rev. James C. Burk-
hardt, pastor of the First Christian
church, took his troubles with his
church board before the members of
the church, and after one of the
stormiest sessions of a church con-
gregation ever held here, It fras an-
nounced that a victory had been won
by both pastor and board. In the dis-
cussion that took place one member
hurled a bible at another, but missed,
according to all reports of the inci-
dent. Newspaper reporters were
barred from the session. Others de-
clared that it was a defeat for Rev.
Mr. Burkhardt, who has determined
that the membership shall have the
last word to say as to what shall be
done in regard to the rules and regu-
lations complied by the church board,
which precipitated the trouble. The
members of the board are now hope-
ful that he will not refer his resigna-
tion to the members.
The churcii council had framed a
code of rules by which the pastor was
collier is found guilty
Jury Finds He Killed Carrol McF.rron
at Allen Last May.
Ada.—D. A. Colliar was found guilty
In the district court here of the mur-
der of Carroll H. McFerron, a young
druggist at Allen on May 21, 1916. The
jury recommended a sentence of life
imprisonment when it reported after
being out twelve hours.
According to the testimony In the
trial Collier walked into the Busby
Drug Store at Allen on Sunday, May
21, pulled his gun and shot to death
young McFerron while the latter was
pleading for his life. The victim died
in about forty minutes. Collier then
walked from the store and home.
The state attempted to show that
Collier planned the murder and car-
ried it out in cold blood. The defense
set up a plea of alcoholic insanity.
Both sides used alienists. Dr. A. D.
Ybung and Dr. A. K. West of Okla-
homa City, testified that under the evi-
dence given the accused man could
not have been insane, but was drunk.
Dr. S. P. Ross and Dr. J. A. Deen, of
Ada, testified that it would have been
possible for him to have become in-
stantly insane.
Young McFerron was well known
over the state, being a graduate of
the University of Oklahoma.
form loan organization
Farmers in Rogers County Take Ad-
vantage of Rural Credits Act.
change in the general attitude of Ger- rpgai° the positions taken from them
canoe, a Journey of hundreds of milei
through a wilderness without seein|
another living soul. Soon after he re
signed from the department of agri
culture and traveled in Mexico.
Frederick Funston
•rick, Jr
10 years old; Barbara, 9
fears old, and Elizabeth, 8 months old.
General Funston's death was caused
by angina sclerosis of the arteries of
the heart. Death was almost imme-
diate and without pain.
Cuba, Philippines, Mexico.
W twhington^-Major Geheral ,Fun-
Joined Cuban Army.
When the last Cuban insurrection
broke out Funston applied to the
revolutionary Junta for service, foi
which the rebel army suspected him
of being a spy or an agent of the
United States running down violations
or neutrality laws. Finally he eon-
| vinced them of his intentions, and for
| many weeks in rooms in an out-of-the-
way street on the lower east side of
New York Funston instructed recruits
in the Handling of machine guns of
which the Cubans were ignorant.
Soon afterward, he was taken into
the Cuban army with a commission.
When he won his rank of brigadier
as a reward for his capture of Agui-
naldo, his active service in the regu-
lar Uniled States army began. He
speedily reached the top of the list
of brigadiers, but when there were
vacancies in the list of major generals
he was passed over six times by Presi-
dents Roosevelt and Taft. At times
Funston almost despaired of further
promotion, but with characteristic
tenacity he stuck to the army.
To Watch and Wait.
When Vera Cruz was occupied, Ma-
jor General Wood, chief of staff Im-
mediately selected Funston as the log
leal man for the field command. Ev-
ery army officer expected there would
he fighting of the hard, guerrilla kind
learned in the Philippines and
•ton's sudden death came
things were expected in "he future ! °T .?"PVr" ,he nav>' of pos-
The youngest major general in the President* Wll ^ 'if ,earned that
line, vigorous and apparently health the™ T i * 0n,,,rR were that
tul, he had been counted for many mZl T
taore years of active service. jTnd wait * WM
Succeeded by Pershing.
,as a ereat one agreed that when Funston landed
vas to watch
many toward thji Interests of the
United States, the appearance of
Piesident Wilson before congress to
ask authority to aiford protection to
American lives and property is only
a matter of days.
Any doubt as to the ruthless char-
acter of the new submarine campaign
and its violation of neutral rights
long since has disappeared and the
situation is made more and more
grave daily by aggravating incidents.
Even if the president delays going
to congress longer than it is believed
in most quarters he will, the present
session comes to and end in less than
three weeks and it is regarded as in-
evitable that he will deliver another
address on German-American rela-
tions before congress adjonrns.
Official reports of the sinking of the
American schooner Lyman M. Law in
the Mediterranean by an Austrian
submarine added only slightly to the
tension, for while the act is "believed
to have been illegal, no lives were
lost and the vessel apparently was
warned. The Incident was not looked
upon as one in itself sufficient to
hurry the development of the situa-
tion.
Consul Treadway at Rome forward-
ed dispatches showing that the
schooner Law was sunk by "an
Austrian submarine without flag," ap-
parently by placing a bomb aboard
after the vessel had been stopped
The reports indicate that the vessel
was illegally sunk as her cargo of
lumber is not considered contraband
by this government, and that the rec-
ognized law of the sea that a war
craft must show its flag before taking
hostile actions, was violated.
Most serious of the aspects of the
case is the statement that the sub-
marine was Austrian. In replying to
the queries that will be sent to Vienna
as to the facts of the sinking it is
thought more than probable that Aus-
tria may make some statement which
will precipitate the expected break
with that country.
The question of the armament of
American merchantmen seemed to be
temporarily disposed of by the official
statement that there were no guns in
the country to be had by shipowners
unless the government provides them-
and the strong intimation that the
president expects to go before con-
gress again before committing the
by the British but their atempts were
fruitless, according to the British war
office. Attacking in waves, the Ger-
mans came under the concentrated fire
of the British guns and were swept
back to their trenches, suffering heavy
casualties. At no place did the at-
tacking forces reach the British line
and the British suffered no casualties.
The British captured 780 officers and
men.
The latest success follows up Brit-
ish capture of Grandcourt, also oh ' form,
the southern bank, and brings them |
within a short distance of both Mira-
umont and Petit Miraumont, north-
east of Grandcourt.
Continuing their advance on Kut-
lU-Amara in Mesopotamia, British
troops have taken more positions from I
the Turks and
Claremore.—The organization of ths
first association in Rogers county for
the purpose of taking advantage of the
to be governed. It appears that most I Provlsi°ns of the rural credits act of
stress was placed upon a rule that, ^he national congress in the secur-
he was to "preach the gospel," and inB of long time farm loans at a low
that civic affairs were to be left more 1 rate of Interest was perfected in Clar®-
to themselves. There were also ^ "lore by the election of officers. Walter
numerous other rules. The pastor ! YounK of near Collinsville was elected
took exception to some of them and i President; W. S. Crouch of Claremore,
made known his objections in a fiery j V>ce-President; George W. Vincent,
sermon which spelled his resignation. ; Ro8ers county farm demonstration
In the meantime the board had left i agent' temporary secretary. Directors
the rules to a committee which was are W-,C. Huffman, Talala; J. M. Fish-
to "change them as to form," which er' Claremore; George W. Vincent,
it is understood meant that the sharp t'laremore; Walter Young, Collinsville;
edges were to be taken off, although j K s- KinS, Claremore; W. S. Crouch,
the substance was to remain the I Claremore; N. G. Scudder, Claremore;
same. Rev. Burkhardt asked for a | H- M- Mynatt, Oolagah; and Mrs. J
vote on the rules after a long discus- J Redding, Claremore.
sion in which, as indicated, became; This association will be known as
extremely bitter. The members by a ! the Rogers County Farm Loan a9so-
vote of 103 to 97 sustained the rules j ciation No. 1. Applioations for loans
as they had been amended "as to! to the amount of $46,600 were regis-
" The meeting adjourned. j tered by the sixteen members.
restrictions removed. a matrimonial marathon
Government May Declare One-Fifth of
Cheyennes and Arapahos
Competent.
Oklahoma Couple Complete ths
In Thirteen Minutes.
Clinton.—Releases of possibly 20
Fort Smith, Ark.—Q. M. Helms and
ho Indiana from government supervis- rl'n^n^wliri PoppJoy' elopers from
„ Canadian, Okla., crowded more excite-
ment into thirteen minutes than any
j pair of newly-weds who took their
matrimonial splash in this city. R. P
Strozier, deputy county treasurer.,
was the only official at the court house
when the elopers arrived there for a
license. The train they wanted to-
catch to return home on left in thir-
teen minutes, they said. Strozier
prisoners captured
01 th*
important strate^o"16 ®rltish Beized ion are expected as the result of a
Twkish offlcia.^ lu r ™' - ViSit fr0m the C0' P< tency board,
tirement in thil ®'a?ements admlt re- | headed by Capt. W. W. McPherson of
Evcent fnr t I the interior department. He and W.
mosrviolen? nf m 1 8CkS' 'he W" SC0" of Concho a*ency and Bxam"
hv the n I which was delivered , iner McPheison of the Indian office,
siHnna Teutonic po- examined several hundred Indians
mania ami ^U® va,ley' in Rou-[ here this week with a view to learn-
. f,' ...7. i ^,Berlin s ys was re- ! lng of their competency for business
fv ' . "ghting is in progress in ! and citizenship. Indians may be freed i hmiro i
the eastern theater. Petrograd admits of restrictions whether they desire re- cZJ«nm > ,°°r , ,C°Unty
he entry of Germans into Russian lease or not. The trust period over thLA. t h m,T, f CenS9'
trenches south of Dvinsk, but says j Cheyenne and Arapaho lands expire- J minister telephoning for
later they were driven out. May 5 and it is expected the presided? ® ,
in the Carpathians a strong Austro- will renew it except as to those In- minister commandeered an ail-
„ ™an,^°rk.S01ith of okna has been dians designated by the board for 'omobiIe to get to the court house
citizenship. Many about the Red ' ^ he ^ negro janitor was pressed into
Moon and Seger agencies are capable I®erv'ee as a witness. The minister-
farmers and business men I be^an Pronouncing the ceremony
j three minutes before the train was
due to leave. Before the ceremony
was finished the bride and groom
. „ w , , startd leaving, the minister following
Jury Assesses 4 Years' Imprisonment behind reciting the rest of the cere-
for Harboring Robbers. mony. Strozier broke all sp«ed laws
; in carrying the couple to the station
in his automobile. They caught th
I train as It was moving from the sta-
tion.
captured by the Russians.
In the Austro-Italian and Mace-
donian theaters artillery activity pre-
dominates.
„ . „ - I, Every Provocation to spur a fight- i <■■>*
Major General Pershing, who has | ,nK man to action was given, but Fun- ! KOvernment to a policy of furnishing
Beon in command of th« vi ^i„ ston never fnrt nt „„.i . arms.
command of the El Paso dls- Mon nfiyer forgot his orders whatever I
trict since the withdrawal of the his own emotions might have been ' RePresentatives of the American
American expedition from Mexico, He hpUI down the situation and Presi- cnmmissi°n for relief In Belgium will
automatically will succeed to the du- (ipnt w"s°n made him a major t-cn "0t wlthdraw from the occupied por-
ties of commander of the southern de- eraI- ' tions nf BpIRlum and northern France
partment until an appointment has In his early davs Funston hid ho*-,
bsen made. Recently made a major a newspaper reporter and a nilro^
reneral, he is the only officer of that conductor. The ambition of his vouth
rank assigned to the department. was to go to West Point but he failed
As immediate successor to the com- m an entrance examination. In later
■and. General Pershing will have yeara he repeatedly outranked West
Sharge of the many details of the ,T'"'"'ers wh° "ere in school when he I mighTr!
movement of the remaining units of 'a"e(l of admission.
embassy ordereddamage
Another Act of Vandalism Laid at
Door of Bernstorff,
Boston. The North German-Lloyd
passenger liner Kronprinzessin Cecil-
ie, while in the custody of a United
States marshal under a libel order
from the federal court, was deliber-
ately disabled at the direction of her
German commander.
Charles A. Polack, captain, so testi-
fied in the United States district court
and added that he in turn had taken
his orders from the German govern-
ment. The damage to the vessel was
done on the night of January 31, three
days before diplomatic relations be-
tween the United States and Germany
were broken off. Under examination
Captain Polack said that on that day
" had received orders to render his
welsher aided bandits
Oklahoma City.—Four years' im-
prisonment in tne penitentiary was
the punishment meted out by a jury
In the district court which found Joe
Welsher guilty of harboring the men
who held up and robbed a bank at
Harrah a short time ago.
as previously had been arranged, 'bu~t I official "of"'thT^ fr°m
will remain for the present. I Washington.
German embassy at
The commission received a dispatch I The vessel was
rorn its office in Rotterdam stating rope when the wa
that a meeting held in Brussels, the back. She was
German authorities
Ihe national guard ordered home, from
Jhe border last week.
Captor of Aguinaldo.
The picturesque, dashing capture :
Aguinaldo, the Filipino rebel chief,
Physically Funston was one of the
smallest men In the United States
army. He was barely five feet five
Inches tall and usually weighed less
than 120 pounds. In civil life he was
modest and retiring. '
german spies arrested in new YORK
York. Agents for the denaH. „f tlle UnIte™g™ TUt1K
New York.—Agents for the depart
nent of justice arrested here two men
lharged with the federal law against
tarrying on military enterprises
ft foreign country. They are accused
Df conspiring to obtain military in-
formation in England to be sent to
this country and then forwarded to
Germany.
The men gave their names as Al-
bert A. Sander and Charles W. Wun-
Derberg. The complaint against them
M* .*ned by Jud*e Learned Hand | hU country in letters
es district court. It
charged them with conspiring to em-
Ploy agents to obtain maps, photo-
graphs and other military information
in England and Ireland for the bene-
nt or Germany.
According to William B. Offley, dl-
visional superintendent of the depart-
ment of justice, the men are accused
of sending to Great Britain agents
who obtained information of military
Importance which was transmitted to
and oackaxas
announced that all
representatives of the commission
emain In Belgium and north-
■ "rn France on the same footing as
, heretofore. Present at this meeting
iwre Baron von F)er Lancken, civil
tovernor of Brussels, the American
•rid Spanish ministers, representin|
| !l,> Be'gian relief committee, and oi
the Belgian national committee.
Austrian Plunger Sunk.
Newport News, Va.—An Austrian
submarine was sunk by gunfiie from
the BritiRh steamer Oxonian in the
Mediterranean sea December 28, when
the undersea boat attacked the
Reamer, according t0 members of the
rew of the Oxonian, which returned
here from Alexandria, Egypt. Some
af the U-boat's crew were rescued by
i French patrol boat, out several were
believed to have gone down with the
suomarine. The Oxonian, which left
UUg port on Decerber 5, was undam
on the way to Eu-
r began and turned
ick. She was carrying $12,000,000
for eastern bankers who at once libel
ed the vessel for their losses resulting
from non-delivery of the money in
London and Paris, and the boat has
been in the custody of a U. S. marshal
pending settlement of the suit The
officer took actual physical possession
just before the break came with Ger-
many and discovered the damago that
had been done.
The plaintiffs charged that the Ves-
sel had been wantonly damaged and
asked that she be sold forthwith. The
court ordered that the vessel be sold
by the marshal on April 11 unless the
owners had furnished a bond of $200-
000 to repair promptly the machinery
damaged and protect the steamer from
further injury.
Hogs Still Climbing.
Oklahoma City.—Market prices on
Welsher's wife and two small chil- meat animals have not been forced
dren, who sat ty him during his trial, ! down by the war situation. Another
broke down and wept when the ver-, record was established in the Okla-
dict was read. ; homa City market last week for hog
The Harrah bank robbers were Prices, $11.95 per hundredweight
found in Welsher's house and his de- being paid for the best stock This
fense was that they threatened to kill was In spite of a heavy shipment of
him, his wife and children if he did 3.800 animals. The top price tcf hogs
not furnish them shelter and food. a >'ear ago was $8.15. Cattle are
While they were in his home, it was bringing $1.50 to $2 better than a year
illeged that he came to Oklahoma aE°' choice kinds going for $11 and a
City and purchased ammunition for ,fttie more nowadays. Sheep prices)
them. have advanced $3 to $4. Best lambs
— [brought $13.75.
Wichita Land Bank Directors. |
Washington—The federal farm loan Slain Bandit Identified.
board rnado public the first of its ap-' Pawnee.—The young man shot aniS
pointments of o cers and directors of j killed near hero in a fight with a
the new federal land banks. Ap- posse, following a robbery of a store
pointments of officers and directors of at Red Rock, has been identified as
follow: President, D. F. Callahan, i Alec Ingraham. Two brothers in-law
Kingman, Kan.; vice president, Milas and a brother live in and near Pawnee.1
Lasater, Oklahoma City; secretary, T. j Ingraham, who also is said to have
J. Uuilfoil, Albuquerque; treasurer, gone under the alias of Alec Harjo is
Ralph Voorhees, Denver. The offlc- reputed to have served one term' in
era with Thomas A. Hubbard, of Rome | the Oklahoma state penitentiary and
Kan., are named as directors, and W. another in the Missouri state penile*.
P. X. German, of Muskogee, as regis- tiary at Jefferson City, from which h
trar and attorney.
Fletcher In Mexico City.
Meylco City.-The American am-
bassador, H^nry p. Fletcher, arrived
here safely.
Gore's Fever Decreasing.
Washington—The condition of Sen-
ator Gore, who has been ill for six
weeks with dilation and inflammation
of the veins, is reported by Dr. John
Briscoe to be much improved. While
the senator has been delirious for I
was released but two months ago.
Chester Taylor Sentenced.
Sapulpa.—Chester Taylor, convicted!
by a jury in the district court of
murdering his wife in their tent at
Oilton last August by hitting her in
the head with an axe, was sentenced
three days, due to high fever, it wa. I MrA'e9"
said his temperature was almost no, ,Te secon^Vits kind , °
mal again and Dr. Briscoe expressed
"May God have merci
ever pronounced
the hope his patient will be able to E. Khe ^ JU"S"
leave his bed within a week. Bo'.h
Dr. Briscoe and Mrs. Gore denv r?i- c mfiinrHmr i • ,
mors that the senator's condition hwidemned negro, t^Thi^ Talk./™'
been critical for some time past. j .ponded: "God bless v,'„ •
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Jones, Rex D. The Lexington Leader (Lexington, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, February 23, 1917, newspaper, February 23, 1917; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc110765/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.