The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-12
ENDS HIS TROUBLES
CAPTAIN E'GIFFIE, OF JAPANESE
WAR FAME, sUI0IDEA

|
the Chen Yuen at the YaIu-ExampIe
in His Career Which Stamp Him as
Man of Marvellous Coursge-Autograpl
Letters stolen From the Consressiona
Library-Crime and Accident.
New York, Feb. 11.-Captain Philt
McGiffin, who commanded the Chinese
iron-clad Chen Yuen in the battle OF
Yalu river in September, 1894, during tbs
Chino-Japanese war, committed suicide
early today in the postgraduate hospit
al, 70 which he was recently admitted
| for treatment. He shot himself over tht
right ear. A nurse, hearing the pisto
shot, entered Captain McGiffin's room
and found him sitting up in bed with
his back propped up by pillows. Blood
was streaming from an ugly wound in
| the right side Of his head. On little
table directly al the head of the bed was
one revolver, and on the floor near the
| bed was another. One chamber had
been discharg ed from the pistol on the
| table. On the table with the revolver
| was found a note written in lead pencil
| The paper appeared to have been torn
! from note book. In substance the
note said that the captain left his re-
| spects to the people an dto his friends
and regretted the act which he was
about TO commit. How he came in pos
session Of the pistols is not yet known.
| The captain was taken TO the hospital
about the middle of last month by his
friends, and his physician, Dr. I. B.
Robinson. Since being in the hospital ne
has been attended by DR.. Hammond.
About the middle of January the cap
tain became insane, and it was found
I necessary TO have him confined in the
hospital. He was taken to room on
the second floor Of the building, with a
window in it opening on to Second ave-
| nue.. He had some sort of mental trou-
BILE for months before il developed into
insanity and on his being removed to
the hospital he was so violent that il
was found necessary 10 place him IN a
straight-jacket.
At the time and since then DR.. Ham
mond attributed his condition to wounds
he received in the battle of the Yalu riv-
er.
The brothtr of the dead man has been
notified. and he will probably take
charge Of the remains and attend 10 the
burial arrangements.
Philo n. McGiffin who commanded the
Chinese iron-clad Chen Yuen at TIT bat
tie of the Yalu river was born in Wash
ington, Pa, in 1862. He was a son of
Captain Norton McGiffin, who served in
the Mexican war with distinction and
who was colonel of the Eighth Pennsyl-
Vania volunteers during the war of the
rebellion. He graduated from the naval
academy at Annapolis with high honors
in 1882. -ceA4s.--
The personal bravery Of Captain Nc
Glfln won admiration long before the
battle of the Yaiu river. He was thrown
by an accident of travel into the midst
or the great strike in Pittsburg in 1877.
and rendered his services TO the CITY.
They vera accepted. and during the
strike he distinguished himself by per-
sondl bravery. running an engine single
handed through a mob of strikers to
rescue some soldiers imprisoned in the
round house. He was awarded a gold
medal and vote Of thanks by the city
council
When he was cadet in the naval
academy McGiffin received the thanks of
the secretary of navy for rescung two
children from a burning building
Some two years later McGiffin was
complimented in a general order from
the secretary of the navy for an act of
personal bravery in going aloft to Sc
cure spar on the Constitution during a
hurricane when the sailors would not
venture into the rigging.
After graduating near the head of his
class McGiffin was honorably discharged
in 1884. owing to a reduction in the num-
Der of midshipmen. He entered the
service of China during the Franco-Chi-
nese war and was distinguished for fall
iantry, was sent to England TO superin-
tend the construction of iron-clads. and
at the outbreak of hostilities with Japan
was put in command OF the Chinese
squadron. His part in the battle of the
Yalu is well known and although it was
a defeat for the Chinese feet it accom-
plished its desired end in preventing the
landing Of a Japanese force in the rear
of the Chinese army.
When Captain McGiffln was admitted
to the hospital a pistol was taken from
him He had within a box which con-
tanned his private papers. He was ac-
customed to look over these papers at
periods. The last time he asked for il.
one OF his nurses, Joseph Bennett, was
with him when he looked over his pri-
vate papers.
At go o'clock a. m, the muse says.
McGifin apparently fell into a doze. Ii
is believed now that he feiSning sleep.
The nursesleft the room for about five
minutes. when the pistol shot was heard.
The note which McGiffin left was
written on both sides pice of paper
torn from a note book and read as fol-
lows:
"Mem-Look alive that the bed IS not
set on fire by my shot My compliments
and andisus - all I regret that my
destination must remain to you IN
known. But YOU may guess. With
apologies 70 Miss Phillips for the row.
1t is the way that all guns have. Au
revoir'
On the opposite side Of the paper was
written:
Please give my good bye TO Mr. Cor
man "a nurSe). Ny compliments 10 NJ
Bennett. Incidentally. / may note that.
though I effect my exit, il is not the
hegira anticipated by the learned staff.
(Signedl p. y. NJ"
NEW CASE AGAINST BUTLER.
san Francisco. Feb. 1l.-AnOther COM
plant has been filed against Butler. alias
AShe. the alleged Australian cutthrost.
by Consul General J. W Warburton,
chargin him with the murder OF Arthur
Preston in Australia. and praying for a
warrant Tor Buffers arrest and a de-
cree % eXtraditi0n after examination.
The new complaint Is an extreme pre-
caution against the result OF failure 70
make out a case in the present ex-radi-
ton proceedings before United States
Commissioner Heacock. The new com
paint WILL in any event, omewhat de-
lay Buffers extra iitiOr
san Francisco. Feb. 1.-THE steamer
Alemada today brought details OF Two
murders. a. first charged t. Butler. or
Ashe. but now believed - have been
committed by thrse lads. aged respect