The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-07
Joseph W. Griffin, Station Agent
of Wabash Railroad, Ended
His Life With a Bullet.
LEFT A LETTER TO HIS WIFE.
Surgeons Knife Failed to Relieve
His Sufferings, and He De-
SPARED of Recovery
Funeral Plans.

After three years OF inexpressible suffer
Ing from an incurahle internal malady 10
| seph W. Griffin. station agent of the Wa
| bash Railroad. ended HIS life with q pisto
ball at $40 o'clock yesterday morning.
Two years before. to the day, and almost
at the same hour. he underwent a critical
surgical operation at ST. Mary's Infirmary
and did not leave his cot for several
months. The operation was unsuccessful
| and about a year ago he submitted to a
Second one. even more serious. but no more
beneficial. His physician had recently urged
MIN 10 submit TO a third operation. He
declined 10 do SO. and, knowing that there
was nothing ahead but hopeless. hclples 81
agony, chose his end deliberately and ex-
ecuted his plan without hitch.
Members Of his family and friends around
Union Station declare that he was never
known TO complain OF pain. and that even
when his face was distorted with agony
he had smile and CHEEKY greeting for
every one.
1t was nothing but pluck one of his
friends said, that kept hi;:i on his feet SO
long. Few men could have endured what
he did for half the time"
So ii was up TO the last. Yesterday morn
ing he arose at his usual hour and ate
breakfast with his family He seemed in
a particularly merry mood. discussed the
news OF the Democratic convention, and.
when asked how he felt, replied first rate"
After breakfast he and his wife went into
the front yard of their home at No. 1913
Oregon avenue. and sat for an hour or more
chatting on topics OF mutual and general
interest
Shortly after . o'clock he said he would
so upstairs for a few minutes, and told his
wife TO wait where she was. Within less
than five minutes Mrs. Griffin was startled
by the report OF a revolver and rushed
upstairs. Her husband was lying across the
bed with q smoking revolver in his right
hand and letter addressed to his wife in
his left. He did not move. and made TO re-
Spouse TO her frantic cries for help. Then
she rushed from the room and sent a mes
senger for Doctor McCandless, senior sur
gecn of St. Mary's InfirInary. The doctor
responded promptly and pronounced Griffin
dead.
Examination showed that the shot had
been fired through the roof of the mouth
into the brain. and It IS thought death was
In speaking Of the suicide later in the day
the dead mans brother, James Griffin OF No.
23I Walnut street, said:
of course it was great shock to US. but
nobody on earth knows how Joe had suf-
fered and nobody can blame him for choos-
ing to end 1t as he did.
He hadn't known a peaceful moment for
at least three years. and since he was ope-
rated on, two years ago. had suffered tor
lures that would have driven most men
crazy. But he stuck to his work as long as
be could stand on his feet, and II there had
been the slightest hope of his ever getting
better l am sure he would be here now.
In the early days OF the street car strike,
when Il was impossible for him to get home
at night, he used 10 come up and stay at
my house. My children, who slept In the
next room to his. say that they could hear
him moaning all night: but he would come
down in the morning as smiling and jolly as
ever and always declared he felt first
rate"
Coroner Lloyd held an inquest on the body
and returned verdict OF suicide.
The letter which Mrs. Griffin found in her
husbands hand was not turned ove-- to the
Coroner, and its contents have not been
made public.
Ii is supposed to have contained simply a
farewell message to his immediate relatives.
For some weeks Griffin had made casual
TO members of his family concern
20 be the most rational way or disposing of
he bodies of the dead. These remarks are
low construed as hints that he wanted his
body Moderated, and the implied wish VIII
De carried out.
The funeral will be held on Sunday after
loon from the residence and the pa.ibearers
probably VIII be chosen from among the
officials at Union Station.
Mr.. Griffin was - years old and one OF the
)idest railroad men in the city In point Of
service. He was perhaps the best-known
agent at the station to the travel
He is survived by his widow and three
children. two brothers and a sister, all of
whom reside in ST. Louis.