SUICIDE ON A SWEETHEART'S GRAVE.

Evening Post, Volume XLVIII, Issue 66, 15 September 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUICIDE ON A SWEETHEART'S GRAVE.

An account is given in U.S. papers of the romantic suicide of a young man, named Aquilin Filler, upon the grave of his sweetheart, Mary Michaels. She was the daughter of a well-known German aged. 20, and beautiful. Aquilin Filler came to America two years ago. They met soon afterward, and just a year ago Filler bought an engagement ring, and it was thought there would be a wedding. The girl fell ill in the fall. The doctor said it was consumption-r " hasty consumption " — and that she probably would not outlive the winter. Filler went to Poughkeepsie from Buffalo as of old, but he seemed broken in spirit, and gradually became morose. The patient grew steadily worse, and at last she died. The news was telegraphed to Filler, who was in Buffalo, and he went to Ploughkeepsie to attend the funeral. The services were held in the Church of the Nativity, and when preparations were being made to remove the body from the house to the church it was noticed that Filler was acting strangely. He seemed to be struggling as if to keep from speaking, so the mourners had little to say to him, and that little was unanswered. He succeeded in controlling himself at the house, and the cortege moved without incident to the church, where a requiem mass was to be said for the repose of the dead girl's soul. Filler followed the casket as if he could not be near enough to it. He stood beside it, motionless and silent. A friend placed a hand gently upon his arm and motioned him to be seated. He dissented at first, like a man who had been unconscious of the presence of others and did not like being disturbed. Then he glanced about the church and sat down. The requiem was over, and the undertaker removed the lid from the coffin, that the mourners might look their last upon the dead. Filler's self-restraint left him when he saw the dead girl's face. He burst into tears as he bont over the casket. The mourners stood aside as if it were his privilege to be alone. He seized the girl's hand and kissed her face. Then he stepped back. His face told nothing. Aquilin Filler was making his last i journey. He had written his farowell and put it in his pocket with his revolver. And they soon knew that it was not the usual rambling, incoherent letter of a suicide, either. Many watched him narrowly as the body was lowered into tho earth and the lust word said, but when it was done and he still stood there they went away and loft him. They noticed no more th.an that lie seemed to have entirely recovered his composure. They believed the worst was over. The procession had scarcely left the grounds when they came hurrying back at the sound of a pistol shot. Filler had only waited long enough to be sure thero could be no interference. His aim was good. Death came instantly. Mr. Michaels had the body removed to his house, and there they found a letter in the pocket of the suicide : — " Poughkeepsie, May 4th. — My dear brother — With a broken heart I write this, my last will. lam so grieved I do not wish to live any longer. There is nothing for me but trouble in this world, and so I will put an end to this life by shooting myself, and I intend to carry out this plan at the grave of my sweetheart, and my last wish is that I be buried beside her." Filler was 24 yearß old.