MAKING SUICIDE SAFE FOR SURVIVAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 70, 19 September 1936, Page 27

MAKING SUICIDE SAFE FOR SURVIVAL

The "Nemzeti Ujseg" reports that the epidemic of suicide, which spring brings to Budapest, has become a profession by which destitute persons are able to make money. The underworld of the city, which quickly turns.current tendencies to its own advantage, has discovered that sham suicide is profitable, and old hands 'at the game demand a fee of two pengos for giving; instructions to beginners.

The number of persons who really desire, death is now assessed at about 10 per cent. The other 90 per cent, of the would-be suicides are bent on extorting money from the charitable societies. Two or three attempted suicides occur daily, but it is no rare occurrence for twenty or twenty-five persons to be brought into the Bokus Hospital within twenty-four hours. The suicides' day is Monday, as Sunday usually sees the last of the well, or ill-earned money. Those not conspicuous for courage inflict a small wound on their persons, which brings them two or three days' free food and rest, in a clean hospital bed. When the epidemic of suicide first swept the city ten years ago the favourite method was to climb the "Turul" (the iron Hungarian eagles which surmount the Elizabeth Bridge), and after frightening the public for an hour or two, to be safely brought down by the Are brigade. The number of riders on the "Turul" increased so rapidly that the fire brigade had to be kept in constant readiness, and eventually the authori-

ties stopped the nuisance by closing the access to the birds with wire netting. • The second fashion, in suicide was aspirin, which was bought by single tablets in a number of shops. This method brought; sympathy without danger, and some less agreeable attentions in the ,hospital. The next: fashion' was drowning,, but the sham suicides took care to jump into the ; Danube in the neighbourhood of one of the police motor-boats, so that risk of death was very small. The fashion of the present season is hanging. The denizens of the city's underworld have acquired proficiency, in cutting themselves down in the nick' of time, with marks on the throat! which entitle them to aid from a! charitable society. An unemployed painter has earned ninety perigos by repeating this method in a short space of time. , The attention of a charitable society which, provides would-be suicides with money, clothes, and shoes, was accidentally- drawn to the businesslike organisation of the "suicide workers" recently, when a message-boy, suffering from a slight poisoning, calmly demanded "the five pengos" from a charitable worker. "What five pengos?" asked the nonplussed gentleman. "The five pengos due to me," the boy replied firmly. It transpired that the boy believed that the society's gift ■of five pengos were legal payment for any form of injury or sickness.