The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-07
EPIDEMIC G SUICIDE
 ALARMS GERMANY.
Morbid Literature Driver LoveCick Couplec to Seek
 Death,

The miniature romantic chain of lakes in the suburbs of Berlin surrounded with the thick primeval forestry of Grune- wald, Is the scene of many pathetic and narrowing tragedies. Suicide is no crime in Germany, but. on the contrary. is still regarded in certain philosophical and sentimentally inclined circles as a highly commendable proceeding with which to follow the example of the melancholy Dane. Therefore, young lovesick couples. young students failing to pass their ex- animation after years of study. and young mep and women who have become sat- urated with the modern literature of the Schopenhauer. Nietzche, and Kant schools, or who go to witness night after night the suicidal problem plays" at the leading theatres of Berlin. steal away to the romantic seclusion of Grunewald, of Nugget sea, with its sylvan like sur roundings, Havei lake, where ghosts are still supposed to futter over the water, and to Schlacten sea. there to seek an un- timely end.
 Berlin is once more afflicted with an epidemic of suicide. Medical and pa-
 biological congresses with which the emil
 nent late Professor Virchow was asso- clated have held academical discussions
 as to the causes of this remarkable in- crease in suicides among the young peo-
 
 rising architect was recovered from one of the surrounding lakes. and the news papers briefly chronicled his death as due to "geistes storung,' an elastic and gen. orally applied description when the doc- tors cannot find any other motive. Sev- eral days after the suicide of the young
 architect the body of another young man was found in compartment of a rail-
 way train bound for Berlin. Letters dis- IAI AI-nA AtA
 two suicides had been chums, and had decided in common to seek relief in death because. as one line of the letter indi- cated. ''the world with it's selfishness it's
 trivialities, and its atsmosphere crushing
 out the noblest instincts of the soul, com pei up to seek the world yonder."
 Influenced by Morbid Literature. Another recent case which revealed the | poisonous influence of the modern stoic- ism of German philosophy and literature was recently concluded in criminal | court. young student, attending the l Berlin Royale University, and a member
 Of the class of philosophy and jurispru- dence, had murdered his sweetheart in a most atrocious manner. He had literally
 slashed the body to pieces. Upon the re-
 mains he had strewn roses and evergreens which he had brought from the woods af- ter committing his crime. When night fall came he locked his room and wan
 dered forth into the forests. roamed about
 all night in the darkness and next morn-
 ing, haggard and wild-eyed, he walked | into the police station and boldly in- formed the sergeant sitting at the desk
 of what he had done. Officers were dis patched to the scene of the murder and there found the remains of the young girl who had tilted him and was about to | have given her hand to another.
 Before court the student. named Fisher. assumed a nonchalant but free air. He | unfolded his life. He said that he | had suffered severe modification from early youth because of his ugly features, | and had never known the affection of | member of the fair sex. When a student at the Royal University he had become | fondly attached to his young victim But she would not listen 70 his pleas.
 T turned back to my books and read | Nietzche, Schopenhauer and Hegel, and therein I saw that If life does not hold forth any promise; if you are convinced that you have no mission to fulfill, and
 are more of a burden than helpmeet to
 your fellowman. suicide is righteous and no crime. So the purpose gradually grew stronger to commit suicide and to take the life of Minna first. I had intended to carry out this purpose when I went into the woods, but did not have the cour- age. I am not mentally disturbed, but
 conscious of my guilt and crime. It is right, therefore that should be exe-
 cuted."
 Flowers for Her Daughters Mur- One of the most eminent specialists on
 m antal maladies examined r1sher, but could find no signs of degeneracy. but on
 the contrary evidences of strong fac-
 ulty of justice. Fisher was committed
 back to jail to await a final determina-
 ton. The mother of the girl he murdered
 was one of his regular visitors, and even sent him flowers, saying that her grief for the loss of her daughter did not over-
 weigh her sympathy for the misfortune
 and sorrows of young Fisher.
 One of the favorite haunts of young su-
 icides is the small, quiet lake near Cas-
 tie Grunewald On slight promonotory overlooking the dark sheet of water Is Castle Grunewald, an old castle con
 structed in the sixteenth century, but re-
 modelled since then and used by officers of the Berlin garrison as a hunting lodge during the hunting season in fall. 9th erwise the old ruin is deserted and neigh | bors claim still to see at the windows | the white figure ofa beautiful woman who l disappeared suddenly. It was claimed | that the beautiful Lady Marjorie was
 murdered and her remains buried in the
 subterranean regions of the old castle. 1 but never was there any actual proof of | this, and the court continued Its festiv- ities and gayeties in the salons overhead. The old castle was favorite rendezvous for bands of robbers who held sway in
 Grunewald and the highways in the su-
 burbs of Berlin. But these nests have been broken up by the vigilance of po-