Suicide of General Boulanger.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 3 October 1891, Page 2

Suicide of General Boulanger.

It appears that the General, accompanied by his niece and secretary, drove to the cemetery, and leaving his companions outside walked up to the tomb of Madame Bonnemain and scattered flowers on it. All the time he appeared to be in a meditative and gloomy mood, and suddenly drawing a revolver, which he had concealed about him, placed the muzzle close to his head and fired. The bullet entered his right temple, death being instantaneous, and the lifeless body of the General fell across the tomb of Madame Bonnemain, who at her death left a large fortune to Boulanger. Since the death of Madame Bonnemain the General has been inconsolable, and has suffered severely from insomia. Letters and telegrams addressed to his wife and daughter were found on the body of General Boulanger, in which he expressed a desire to die owing to the loss of his mistress. In some political notes left among his papers, Boulanger urges the French Revisionists to presevere with the programme they have sketched out. The General, it appears, had previously attempted suicide at the hotel at which he was staying, and his friends, suspecting he would repeat the rash act consequent on his nervous demeanour, followed him to the cemetery. On their arrival they found the General so calm and self- possessed that they at once acceded to his wish to be allowed to spend a few moments at Madame Honnemain's tomb alone. They had not long retired when the fatal shot was fired. Boulanger had ofted remarked that his life was a burden, and he would soon die. He had become quite emaciated and haggard in appearance. A blood-stained photograph of Madame Bonnemain was found next his heart. The General had purchased a vault next to that of the deceased lady, and everything points to the

conclusion that the deed was lire* meditated. Before leaving for foe cemetery he kissed his mother, re* marking that he was going to a fete. The comments in the Paris press on the General's suicide are half generous and half contemptuous.