New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-12
Val, FIGHT.

TEE GREAT Ma
VAL FIGHT
Captain Philo Norton McGffn the hero OF the
battle Of the Yalu. committed suicide early
yesterday morning in his room in the Post
Graduate Hospital, at Second-av,. and lWeh-
tleth.st. Taking advantage Of brief interval
in which he not watched by one OF MS
nurses he shot himself In the head with one OF
two revolvers which he had kept near him
without the knowledge Of the attendants. lie
fore he killed himself he wrote on leaf torn
from his notebook the following:
Memo-Look alive that the bed is not set on fire
by my shot. My compliments and adeus 10 an,
regret that my destination m W,b 1e 1nonros TO Miss
Phelps for the row, it is way that al guns ra,r
anu 1d Tyo nsf give iS 2 f BsnnS
may note that though ! tneIe o my TS staff
German and Bennett were his nurses III 'ne
hospital. Miss Phelps is the matron
UNDOUBTEDLY INSANE
There Is no doubt that the brave American
naval officer was insane. He never had re-
covered from the effects Of his wounds rece'Neu
IN the terrible battle in which he commanded
the Chinese warship Chen Yuen against '"e
Japanese Navy He was in bad condition wheh
he returned to this country. and he insisted
ON treating himself. against the advice OF MS
friends His suferngs, so long contihueu'
drove him Grey and his actions for some ''i"V
nreyious tn his suicide showed that he was III
eora U,s acouaintances who recently ueh'eN
tho renorts Of his insanity were much al lhu'"
ia was insane months ago, when he denieu '"e
statements which he had made TO irio"''
reporter In an interview. The TACT tha' i'''
In such condition allowed 70 haNe w"
loaded revolvers within his reach AT all INN
after he was taken to the hospital may NC ''N
subject Of special inquiry by the coroner
Canta,n McCiirn was taken 10 the hosp''a'
from his boarding place IN west lhi''
ST nearly a month ago. He occupleu io0',
tho second floor Of the hospital, ana INC
,,,,rsos ,yere assigned 10 watch him day anu
.,,nt, They took away from him revolver
which he carried in his pocket out Gu H"'
~. .horo ,.ore two other loaded reviewers III
. 81, how containing private papers. which IL
insisted on keeping near him at all '''
bodily health Improved so much IN 'Ie "''f
that IL was the intention OF MS lr'en''
move him to a quiet retreat in the county
terday. ,,oc,mr IN
Bennett was watching Captain -io''''i
Thursday night and about = a. m SeS''l""' -
left the room quietly for fe" minutes tni"NIl'9
that the patient was asleep. captain VI o''..'"
-, been examining some of the papers in the
tin box at q late hour and the DON ""'
o,orod a. his bedside. Bennett had not oeeh
gone from the room i've minutes Wheh he "e",N
,,o -onor+ OF a revolver and fastened PACK 10
ca Tho ratient dead. After shooting hltlHeit
through the head the brave man nau ia, aa'' on
back dead on his pillow. one ieNoiN 10 ,hn
the table and the other hau uloPp'N
floor at the side Of IN" pc-'
X.
Conta,n NcGifin was thirty-four years old
lie was graduated from the Naval Acaue"'S a.
Annapolis in 1850. He saw more chahce io' US
t.nction in foreign service. ana ehtercH '''''
employ Of the Chinese Government ne was az
once recognized as born hsh'e'' "''N
o.,.o, ,,o command Of the Chen Yuen. the
fines. battle-shp Of the Chiftse -Nan3, % mod .
hattie of the Yalu, the most interesting " n,0 -
,o,,al Ncbts because Of the first ineelirs VI
modern warships, Captain McbiHl' 1o,
,ncord as daredevil fighter ana heauE n
nander His vessel was one OF tre SUI u ,o'.,
.I||,nL ebe was hit over 400 times by Japdhesp
Guns and only just managed to reaCh Po! -, 10
the FIGHT one of the Chen fuens pigsts' Eu.''
| ,vns shot OF by mistake a httle 100 sooi'' ~
va" MOcta,r as almost directly in front or II
Nth number of seamen They trled 10 zap
| ont ~ the way but not quickly enough 70 -
cape entirely the shock Of the IRE; II. srsnicss
NV wore killed McGiftin was Knocked sen9tIc99'
| ia recovered shortly afterWard ana went WI
! Gobtinq In a few minutes a ladder was struck
| Nv n ehell and a splinter hit McClhn IN the
! thigh He pulled It out with pair ol pIil''l >
| and fought on. He was aftorWard MI IN w
| had and in a score Of places on the pody, ouI
! he would rot stop fighting until the close OF '"-
| terrific battle. , s,.,~s
! I, is the Gus 1m Of the Chinese naval onCr's
y.bor thev lose a fight to commit suicide Nc
| c,rin would not follow the custom ana l'',
| into disfavor He came to this country ana
! wrote many magazine articles about the war
| lie vent 10 board with Mrs l.. f.. WE'LL at 40
40 West Thirty third-st -, -,
| About two months ago, Mrs. wen says me
! Cantain began 10 act qucerlv at times. Inc
woman saws he had six reviewers. ana that ne
on acrald of doctors He would flourish his
| revolver and declare that ne would SIooi any
doctor who came near him. Sometimes he
| thought himself full of microbes. ana cut MN
| eeIf many times on the arms TO let the microbes
| c,,t We used 10 light five gas burners at twi-
| urht and let them burn until the next morning
| rho smells became more frequent, and it was
| ftought best to get him TO a hospital If that
| was nossible His brother sent for as was
! y y Robertson Of no 1903 West Thirty fourth
/ e The latter SAYS that Captain Mc'iiiin.s con-
| dition was directly due to the wounds he re-
| ceived and the excitement ne went through al
! the battle of the Yalu. The hero was taken
! t. the Post-Graduate Hospital on the pretence
that he was going To inspect the place, and
| was kept there.
II is said that Captain McGifin mad forty
| wounds on his body made by splinters ana bull
| lets. He carried bullet in his head and sev-
| oral in his body. The wound In his thigh
| caused by the big splinter at the battle Of the
| Vain gave him tl,. greatest annoyance.