The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-02-12
CAPT. M'GIFFIN'S SUICIDE.

Shoots Himself In tho Head with Res
V0lver-sketch Of His Career.
NEW YORK. Feb. l1.-capt. Philo
Norton SIcGifin, who distinguished
himself on the Chinese side during tho
Japan China war, committed suicide tO-
day by shooting himself at the Post
Graduate hospital. Capt. McGifln had
been under treatment there for about q
month.
Capt. Phllo. N. McGlHin, who come
manded the Chinese ironclad Chen
j Yuen in the battle OF the Ynla river In
September, 1894, during the China
Japanese war, committed suicide early
| to-day in the Post Graudate hospital,
to which he was recently admitted for
treatment. He shot himself over the
right ear. A nurse, hearing the pistol
shot, entered Capt. McGlhn's room
ana found him sitting up In bed with
his buck propped UP by pillows. Blood
was streaming from an ugly wound in
! the right side OF his head. on little
table directly ut the head OF the bed
was one revolver and on the floor, near
the bed, was another. One chamber had
been discharged from the pistol on the
table
on the same table with the revolver
| was found note written In lead pencil.
| The paper appeared to have been torn
| from a note book In substance the
note said that the captain left his re-
spects TO the people and to his friends,
| and regretted the act which he was
| about to commit.
How the captain came In possession
| OF the pistols Is not yet known. The
| captain was taken TO the hospital about
the middle OF last month by his friend
| \ Ill II
| Since being in the hospital he has been
attended by DR.. Hammond.
About the middle OF January the cap
tain became insane and It was found
necessary to have him confined in the
| hospital. He was taken to a room on
the second floor OF the building, with q
| window opening on to Second avenue.
| He had had some sort of mental trouble
| for months before 1t developed into tn-
sanity, and on his being removed TO the
hospital he was 30 violent that It was
| found necessary to place him In q
straight Jacket.
AZ that time and since then DR.. HaM-
mond attributed his condition to wounds
he received in the battle of the Yala
river.
The brother OF the dead man has been
notified, and 1t is probable that he Will
| take charge OF the remains and attend
TO the burial arrangements.
phllo n. McGlffln, who commanded
the Chinese ironclad Chen Yuen at the
battle of the Yalu river, was born in
| Washington, Pa, in 1862. He was a son
Of Captain Norton NcGiftln, who served
| in the Mexican war with distinction and
who was colonel OF the Eighty-slxth
| Pennsylvania volunteers during the
| war OF the rebellion. Philo McGihln
| graduated from the naval academy at
Annapolis with his honors In 1889.
The personal bravery OF Capt. Nc
| Ciiffin won him admiration long before
| the bdstle Of the Yalu river. He was
thrown by an accident of travel Into the
midst Of the great railroad strike In
Pittsburgh in 1871, and rendered his SER
| vices to the city. They were accepted.
and during the strike he. distinguishes
himself by personal bravery. running an.
engine single-hauded through mob Of
i strikers to rescue some soldiers impriss
oned in the round house. He was award :
ed gold medal and a vote of thanks
| by the city council.
While he was cadet in the naval /
academy, McGitfin received the thRnkRt
of me secretary OF the navy for res-
cuing two children from burnine
building.
Some two years later McGimn was
| complimented in a general order nom
the secretary OF the navy for an act OF
/ personal bravery In going alott TO se-
cure a spar on the Constitution during
a hurricane when the sailors would
\ not venture into the rigging.
After graduating near the head OF
| his class, McGihin was honorably dis
charged in 1884, owing to a reduction ~
| the number OF midshipmen.
| He entered the service OF China dur
ing the. Japan-ChInese war and was
distinguished for Eallantry, was sent
| to England TO superlntend the con-
struction OF ironclads and at the out
| break OF hoStllltes with Japan, and
| MAS put in command of the Chinese
squadron. His part in the battle of the
| Yalu IS well known, and although e
was a defeat for the Chinese ileet, u
| accomplished its desired end In pre-
venting the landing of the Japanese
forces in the rear Of the Chinese army.
Commander ATcGIfin. was we'll
known IN Wheeling. His father was q
resident OF Washington county, (Pa.l,
| and in the sixties removed to Ohio
| county, where the elder McGlfiln was
| proninent in public affairs. being q
| candidate for the legislature at one
| time. Later he returned to Washtng7
ton county and was sherin or Shat
/ county. The younger McGihin was Q
| and entered the United States navy
reaching the rank OF ensign. The slow
| promotions in the navy caused Ensign
| McGlRin to resign his commission. At
ter rowing about the world he present.
ed himself to III Hung Chang, viceroy
| OF the Chinese empire, and asked Tor
| a commission in the Celestial navy.
| His request was granted,nnd the young
| American soon rose In rank and dis
| tinctIon. At the outbreak of the war
With Japan, McGlfiin was q commah-
der. In the war he served with dis.
tlnction, his bravery at the famous
naval combat on the Yaiu being tho
subject Of comment all over the. world.
Two years ago Commander McGithn,
who was on leave OF absence from hi1
duties In the Chinese service, while
on a visit to America. came to Wheel
ing on Invitation OF Professor John n.
Birch, principal OF the Linsly Institute,
and acted as one OF the judges al the
annual competitive drill OF the Linsly
cadets The other Judges were Sheriff
A. A. Franzheim and Major II. B. Bag
ulcy. ~
VN....,, Nal.