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Bathroom Rafter. The court had ordered Amiel to pay 3,000,000 francs' ($6,113) damages to the Rollands, and Mme. Amiel prepared to sell their new house to raise the money, proudly refused financial help from her husband's fellow teachers. Several days after the court had awarded damages to the Rollands, an anonymous letter postmarked Paris arrived at their home. "Congratulations on the good business," it read. "Several million francs—now there's a death that pays off ..." Leaving a note that said, "I am going to join Alain," Banker Rolland last week tied a rope to a rafter in his bathroom, hanged himself.
"Is there to be no end to our tragedies!" cried Mme. Amiel. The news of Rolland's suicide was kept from Prisoner Jean Amiel, himself despondent as he served his prison term. Eager to get away from Perpignan, Amiel wrote a letter to Dr. Albert Schweitzer at his African clinic, offering his services when he was released from jail. At week's end, there was a faint ray of hope for at least one of the grief-ridden families of Perpignan: Dr. Schweitzer replied that he would be glad to welcome Jean Amiel as an assistant.