DOUBLE SUICIDE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 28, 16 January 1912, Page 7

DOUBLE SUICIDE.

AN AMAZING LETTER

Paul Lafargue, ex-Deputy for Lille, and one of the best known Socialists in Franco, along with his wife, a daughter of the celebrated writer, Karl Marx, were found dead at their residence at Drove' 1 ■ Franco, on Sunday, November r y oh. He had fixed the term of hu 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 to endure.” The following letter was left for a nephew of M. Laforgue: “Sound in body and mind I kill myself before pitiless old age, which is taking from me one by one the pleasures and joys of existence, and which is robbing me of my physical and intellectual force, shall paralyse my energy, break my will, and make of me a burden to myself and others. Some years ago I promised myself not to pass my seventieth year. I have fixed this time of the year 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 near future the cause to which 1 have devoted myself for 45 years shall triumph. Long live Communism! Long live International, Socialism!” A hypodermic injection of a patent poison had been the agent employed to catiso death in both cases. Paul Lafargue had a stormy career. Born in Santiago, Chiba, in 1842, of French parents, , 'ihp' was brought to Franco when nine years old. When studying medicine in Paris in 1865 lie got into trouble by refusing to follow a tri-colour flag in a students’ procession and by displaying a black flag. Expelled from the university, he went to,England amj, .took his degree as a doctor-of .medicine. In. London he made the acquaintance of Karl Marx, who was founder of “The International,” became a disciple and married his youngest daughter Laura. Returning to Franco,, ho took sides with the Commune, and escaped by a rapid flight into Spain. Ho lived there, a year, then returned to England and remained there until the amnesty was proclaimed in 1880. Returning to France, he started by pen and speech an active Collectivist propoganda, and for his extreme views was sent for six months to prison. The same campaign was begun after ins 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 in September, 1891, and there was a stormy debate in the Chamber as 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 ho has written largely on Socialist subjects, with his wife in some cases as his collaborators.