SCHOOLGIRL’S SUICIDE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2406, 22 January 1909, Page 6

SCHOOLGIRL’S SUICIDE.

SCHOOLGIRL’S SUICIDE.

AN EXTK AOil-J,iXA.lt V STORY

In “The Awakening of Spring, 1 Herr Frank Wedekind tells the tragedies of morbid German childhood, but real life has its counterparts. The suicide of a schoolgirl of 13, who took strychnine, and died in tho class-room, proves to he an. extraordinary story of unhealthy precocity. Tile child Luciennc had, at an early age, been put out to service by her parents in a small town in Normandy. Then she fell violently in love with her .master. The latter, in this strange predicament, found it impossible to keep her in his service.,, but, mindful of the child’s welfare, sent her to the house of a friend of his, a chemist, near Paris. She did not improve, however, and forgot her absurd infatuation, but moped, and seemed to be in danger of falling melancholy mad. Her ’second employer determined, to send her back to school, which she should never have left. She was a hoarder, spending only Sundays and holidays in tile chemist’s, house. School life produced no change for the better, and the unhappy child, while perfectly well-behaved and giving no trouble, continued to brood. It is now remembered that she once or twice asked questions about certain poisons,- blit .in apparently so innocent a manner that no suspicions were aroused. Sho must have managd to .purloin some strychnine from the chemist’s poison chest ono.Sunday.-vyhen .it was left open, and to have taken it with her to school. On the day of her death she showed nothing unusual in her manner, and, after breakfasting with her schoolfellows, went into- the classroom iat half-past eight. She must have taken, the poison on entering, for in a few moments she was seen to be in great pain. The mistress asked her what was the matter. “I. have taken strychnine. It is no use doing anything.’ lam going to die. There is a letter—,” slio gasped out, and ell dead on the school-room floor, the letter found stated in lnatter-or-iaet terms that she had voluntai’ily taken her life because she was hopelesslv m love witih a man who did not love her, and whose name she gave. It was that of her former -master in Normandy.,