Studied 52 suicide notes (by subjects 18-74 yrs of age) & rated each for the 3 motives described by K. Menninger (1938): inward-directed aggression (desire to be killed), outward-directed aggression (desire to kill), & the desire to die. Older suicides were less likely to write material indicative of a desire to be killed but did not differ from younger suicides in their desires to kill or to die. Findings do not support those of N. Farberow & E. Shneidman (1957).