Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-07-16
TRIED THREE METHODS.
PATROL DRIVER JOHN HALPIN'S DESPERATE
EFFORTS AT SUICIDE.
Hs First Tried the Creek, Then Cat his Throat,
and Afterwards Hanged Einsslf-Wil
Probably Recover.

John Halpin. day driver OF the police
patrol wagon, single, and aged about
forty years, was lying on the floor OF
the front room at his home, No. 900
McCulloch street, at IL o'clock last
night, in bad shape, from variety OF
efforts at self destruction.
His clothes were wet from attempts
to drown himself in the creek. There
was bad cash across his left wrist and
another on his right arm, and ply
stefan was sewing up gaping hole in his
throat, where the knife had entered
deep enough to partially sever the
wind. pipe, while down In the cellar
blood stained rope dangled from Joist,
telling of third attempt to take his
life.
Halpin still lived, however, and tho
probabilities at midnight were that he
would pull through IL he would let Ma
ture aud his physician have full sway.
LIQUOR seems to be at the bottom OF
Halpin's troubles. Before he went on
the force as q driver, six months ago,
be was given to liquor, but as he could
not drink to excess aud hold his Job,
he Strengthened up, and for long time
drank very little or not at all. len
DAYS or two weeks ago he began TO
drink again. His friends on and oil
the force demonstrated with him, and
some of them nearest TO him probably
carried their protests to excess, making
u,Idfn uorsa m taad 0f halter.
He was on duty with the wagon yes
terday as usual, and after being re-
lieved at 6 p. m. he went TO his home.
and later came down street towards
the City Hall. About e!ghVo'clock he
complained of not feeling well,
going towards homo, and then
went down TO the bank or the
creek, near the Peninsula bridge, and
sat down under q tree. He was seen
there by some friends, who invited him
10 take a walk across the Peninsula,
about eight o'clock, but ne declined TO
go. A little later he was heard to re-
mark that "he had put his foot In it,"
but no one seems TO have understood
what he meant.
How long Halpin sat there Is uncsr-
tain. but some time about half past nine
o'clock or probably later, boy saw him
run across the bridge and go In the direc-
ton of his home. His shirt was bloody,
and he had probably tried to drown
himself, and had then cut his throat.
Failing to find death by either OF these
modes, halpin went TO the house and
descended to the cellar, when he
made moose on one end OF
rope used by the children about
the house to play with, attached the
other end of a joist and swung himself
of. This was about ten o'clock. Persons
up stairs in the house heard the noise
and his father ran down and cut Haipin
down. He was carried up stairs and
word was sent to the police and also for
a doctor. DR.. Frlssell and Officers
Daum and Creighton went out. Halpin
was found to be In bad shape but IS Is
stated at the outset, will likely pull
through.
The report was extensively spread
soon after Haipln was rescued from an
untimly grave that his throat had been
accidently cut by the persons who cut
him down, but there was no ground for
this. The blood on the rope came from
the previous wounds Halpin had In
flcted on himself.
A good many sensational versions oil
the unfortunate affair were current last
night, hut the narrative given above Is
believed TO be substantially correct.