+ bool remove_first = to_boolean (me->get_property ("remove-first"));
+ if (!remove_first
+ && ((sp->original () && broken_spanner_index (sp) == 0)
+ || Paper_column::get_rank (sp->get_bound (LEFT)->get_column ())
+ == 0))
+ return;
+
+ vector<Grob*> childs;
+ Axis_group_interface::get_children (me, &childs);
+ for (vsize i = 0; i < childs.size (); i++)
+ childs[i]->suicide ();