DOUBLE SUICIDE.

Northern Advocate, 12 January 1912, Page 6

DOUBLE SUICIDE.

AN AMAZING LETTER,

Paul Lafargue, ex-Deputy for Lille, and one of the best-known Socialists in France, along with his wife, a daughter of the celebrated writer, Karl Marx, were found dead at their residence at Draveil, France, on Sunday, November 26. He had fixed the term of his life at seventy years, and had committed suicide when the time came; his wife had apparently wished at the same time to accompany her husband! to his long rest. In this she was only following the example of her brilliant sister, Eleanor Marx Aveling, who took prussic acid to end a life which, as she said, "it was no longer possible D endure.". | The following letter was left for a [ nephew by M. Lafargue:—"Sound inbody and mind I kill myself before pitiless old age, which is takiing from me one by one the pleasures and the joys of existence, and which is gabbing me of my physical and intellectual force, shall paralyse my energy, break my will, and make of me a burden to myself and to others. Some years ago I promised myself not to pass my seventieth year. I have fixed this time of theryear for quitting life, and I have prepared the mode of carrying out my resolution I die, with supreme joy to have the certitude that in the hear future the cause ! to which I have devoted myself for 45 years shall triumph. Long live Communism! Loiig live International Socialism!" s A hypodermic injection of a patent poison had been the agent employed to cause death in both cases. Paul Laf argue had a stormy career. Born in Santiago, Cuba, in 1842, of French parents, he was brought to France when nine years old. When studying medicine in Paris 'n 1865 he , got into trouble by refusing to' follow a tri-colour flag in a students' proces'l sion and by displaying* ; a black flag.

Expelled from the university he wentrto England and took /tis degree as a doctor of medicine. In London he made the acquaintance of Karl Marx, who was founder of "The International," tecame a disciple and married his youngest daughter Laura

Returning to France, he took sides with the Commune, and escaped by a rapid! flight into Spain. He lived S there a year, then returned to Eng- | land and remained there until the an- j nesty was proclaimed in 1880. Returning France, he started by pen and speech an active Collect Wist propaganda,'and for his extreme views was sent for six months to prison. The same campaign was begun after his liberation, and for articles in which he violently attacked the French Government he was condemned to a year's imprisonment. During this time, however, a seat in the Chamber of Deputies for Lille became vacant. He became a candidate, was elected ,: n September, 1891, and there was a stormy debate in the Chamber a;; to whether his election was valid. In the end he was allowed to take his seat. In 1893 he was not re-elected. Since then he has written largely on Socialist subjects, with his wife in some cases as his collaborateur.