DOUBLE SUICIDE

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 April 1932, Page 10

DOUBLE SUICIDE

DOCTOR’S DISAPPOINTMENT.

LONDON, February 23

A doctor who had reached the end of his financial resources and took morphia to end his life; his devoted wife who thereupon decided to commit suicide—these were the tragic figures of a drama revealed at the St. Pancras Coroner’s Court yesterday. The doctor, Francis George MacNeill Simpson, had recently ceased to be employed by the Ministry of Pensions. At the age of 51 he had had to start,life cigain. On Wednesday he was found dead in a bedroom at his home at Harleyroad, N.W. In the kitchen Mrs. Simpson, who was aged 56, was lying dead with her head in a gas oven. Three notes in her handwriting gave the clue to the tragedy. The first, attached to the door of the kitchen, read: “Please open all the doors before opening the kitchen door, as the gas will be escaping. Do not strike a match.” On the desk in the front room was a note: “Frank has taken morphia; I could not prevent it.” In Mrs. Simpson’s handbag was a letter giving personal details about the house. It contained the phrase: “We could not carry on any longer. We have lost what money we had.” On the table in the kitchen near which Mrs. Simpson lay, was a book opened at a page which showed a gas stovo and an enlargement of a gas-tap.

Mr. Arthur Sidney Walker, of Church-road, Richmond, Mrs. Simpson’s brother, gave evidence at the inquest that he had found that Dr. Simpson had paid all his debts. “They seemed a perfectly happy couple,” added Mr. Walker, “except that he seemed to be worried about his health. It was noticeable how devoted they were to each other. They were married in July, 1930.” Miss Susan Pearson, a maid, said that the doctor was at home all day on Monday and on Tuesday. Although she took up meals on both days the doctor left his food untouched. “In fact,” she added, “neither of them appeared to have had any food since Sunday.” Dr. David Balter described Dr. Simpson as a ,yery. disappointed man “I think he had infantile paralysis* as a child. He worked very hard at the Ministry of Pensions, and then lost his job when it ceased automatically. He found himself having to start again at the age of 51. He also mentioned that he had been disappointed over money of which he had had expectations.” Mr. Purchase (the coroner): What about his practice?—l had the impression that there was not much of a practice. He did not buy the practice. He went to the place and put up his plate.

1 Dr. Simpson suffered from Bright’s 1 disease and' high blood pressure. i Was he a temperate person?—l , think he drank whisky. To excess?—To excess, considering > the condition of his health. He was 1 conscious of the fact that he should 1 not drink and he tried very hard to give it up. He impressed me as a generally disappointed man who knew that drink was bad for him, and struggled hard to give it up. What about Mrs. Simpson?—She impressed me as a very devoted wife. She absolutely lived for him. Mr. Frank Kentish Chater, a solicitor, of Chancery-lane, said: “After their marriage in July, 1930, Dr. Simpson and his wife came to me and made mutual wills in favour of one another, appointing each other executor and executrix. “A little later, in September, 1930, I was instructed to act in the purchase oj his house at Hampstead for £2,100. The lease had twenty years to run. | He afterwards assigned the house to 1 his wife.” Had he any debts? —None whatever. After Dr Donovan, of Harley-street, had described the findings of the postmortem examination, Mr. Chester said it was important to know who died first. Mr. Purchase said that Dr. Donovan could not say, but there ■was a certain

amount of evidence about it. Certain, ly Dr. Simpson became unconscious first, and probably died first. “Mrs. Simpson’s note,” added the

coroner, “suggests that Dr. Simpson died first. Of course, with morphia unconsciousness supervenes, and some time follows before death. “Faced with the uncertainties and difficulties of life, Dr. Simpson took his life in a way which might present itself to a medical man. I cannot associate the two deaths with one another in the sense of a suicide pact. He took his life, and his wife, being distraught by what had happened,! wrote these notes and went to the kitchen and took her own life ” A verdict of suicide while of unsound mind -was returned in each case.