An Epidemic of Suicides

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 84, 14 January 1892, Page 3

An Epidemic of Suicides

Melboubne, January 7- • An alarming number of suicides have taken* place in and around Melbourne during the last we<-k. Lawrence .Levy,, a well-known auctioneer and estate agent, who bad suffered enormous losses from speculation in real estate, was found drowned in the Yarra. * The Bank had recently stopped his over- tt -,'"•■ draft, his \ favourite son had just died, and he was very depressed in mind. Selina Palmer, aged 25, a lady help in the employ of Mr Alfred Dampier, the* atrical manager, formed a strong attachment for a scenic .artist at tbe Alexandra Theatre, and .because her love was not reciprocated, ended her life by taking arsenicalpoison. Joseph Walter Burley, a middle aged man, an importei and agent, hung himself at his residence. He had been in bad health, and was a victim to melanoholja. A bricklayer named Thomas Good who was suffering from the same malady, ended his days by jumping into the Yarra. Mary Ann Smith, a young married i woman, James Guarin, a wharf labourer, j and Henry James Beeden, each of whom : : . had been drinking heavily, cut their .. v, throats, but are still alive. Francis Key, ah inmate of the Beaconsfield inebriate asylum,' shot himself in the head on Sunday. He is known to have been in financial difficulties when he became (voluntarily) a patient, and it is surmised that these with other troubles prfiyed on his mind. Deceased was about 47 years of age, and leares a widow and family. T. Fallon, a well-known figure in Mel* bourne commercial life, tlew his brains out with a revolver. He had returned from England five weeks ago to find that his financial affairs were ir. an involved state. A large building in which he was interested in Collins street had turned out an unprofitable speculation, and he is also believed to have lost money in tram shares and other ventures. An unusually ppuphing incident is that his wife returned to Australia the same morning, only to repeiye the news of the calamity that had overtaken her a few hours afterwards,— Post's Correspondent.