npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-03-19 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CHARGE OF STABBING.—On Wednesday, a decently dressed man, who said he was a carpenter, and that his name was John Wade, was examined before Mr. Rushton, at the police-court, on a charge of having stabbed Wm. G. Dockerly, a sailor, with a knife, and assaulted him with a leaden ball. The complainant stated that, between twelve and one o'clock on Friday morning last, be was going home, along Whitechapel, in .company with another young man who was rather tipsy. Complainant was quite sober. When, they got to the end of Preston-street, the prisoner and another fellow came up and said something to the young man, but complainant did not hear_ what it was. The prisoner' then knocked the young man's hat off, and collared him • complainant picked up the hat, but immediately after doing so his own cap was taken off. While he was looking for the cap he received a blow on the head, which knocked him down. When he got up, the prisoner had hold of him, and in a moment after he felt something warm at his side. The prisoner then let go his hold, and complainant staggered into the street, where he found that blood was issuing from his side. He instantly' called out that he had been stabbed, and laying hold of a man who was passing at the time, tore his shirt to put it into the wound. He did not recollect what happened after. In the scuffle with the prisoner he receivedanother cut on his left arm. He was quite certain the prisoner was the man who stabbed him, because he took particular notice of him, and there was a gas-light burning near the place.—Hannah Doncaster deposed that she .saw the prisoner strike the complainant with something fastened to a string, and that the force of the blow knocked. him down. She then saw the prisoner draw a knife, either from the. rant pocket or the sleeveof his coat, and stab the complainant with it in the side.—Policeman No. 57 deposed that on hearing the cry of " Murder" he proceeded to the spot, and found the complainant lying down and the prisoner kicking him. The prisoner had a deadly weapon in his hand, composed of a ball of lead fastened to a string ; the string went round his wrist. Witness took this instrument from him, but had scarcely done so when he received a blow which tumbled him on the ground. If another policeman had not come up on the instant, the prisoner would in all probability have escaped. When arrested, the prisoner's right hand was covered with blood ; there was blood also upon his trousers ; and, on searching the place where the scuffle occurred, a knife was found.—Mr. George Owenstone, surgeon, said he hail examined the complainant, and applied leeches to a stab he had received in the side, which was about two inches in length and an inch and a half in depth. He had another wound, of no consequence, on the arm ; and his life was not in danger.—The prisoner was committed for trial at the ;assizes.
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-04-30 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE GLASGOW RAILWAY.—The three labourers who have been apprehended on suspicion of having committed this murder, have been convicted. The principal evidence against them was given by three accomplices who were accessories before the fact, and became witnesses for the prosecution. The two eminent counsel who were retained for the prisoners did not even attempt a defence, sand by consent of the counsel on both sides the case was left entirelyin the hands of the Court. The history of the transaction is very short. Doolan was dismissed from his employment on account of his insolence to Green, who had newly been engaged to superintend a part of the works, and was reported among the Irish labourers to be a strict overseer. Doolan instantly formed the resolution to be revenged on Green ; and on the evening of the day on which he was discharged he acquainted his accomplices, who were his fellow-lodgers, with his intention. Next morning on going out at the hour when the labourers commenced work, Doolan secreted the kitchen poker in his dress, that being the instrument which it had been agreed on over night was to he employed in beating the guager. Redding asked what weapon he would use, and Hickie offered to procure him one front the neighbouring smithy, which he did. Thus armed, the party waylaid Green on a temporary bridge thrown over an excavation at the works. Little anticipating the fate that awaited him, the poor man frankly saluted the party with a remark about the weather, when Doolan stepped forward, and, agreeably to a preconcerted plan, struck him on the head with the poker. Redding assailed him next eitv with. heavy piece of iron, which had been selected in the by Hickie, because it had a crook at the one The rest end, which of the would prevent its slipping from the hand. and the murderers accomplices ran off after seeing Green fall,lremorseless standing over him and beating one of perseverance. Doolan fled on the same day dwyit on the night before arranged with ith him. In a brief interviewo:of hGirseefneloicokw, having{lodger, that he should bring his clothes suref ter andt e rnn murder,Ais Dt temperance lan's last request to him with this person, a shaso 1 nwwas, a few weeks afterwards, accompanied medal! lostinb.lee with whom he had lodged in the. former name of Burns, betrayed him to the Liverpool police in the companied from Greenock to Liverpool by a person of the place, and who portiongs% of the reward that had been offered -n. Redding also tied to England, where be was apprehended.n Doolan and Redding received their ce as menwho understood, although they did not apfho o rphe iosfaspeperuerhi en i pear to o feel, its deadly import. Hickie, however, was either So much agitated, or so stupid, that he did not know whether be had been sentenced to death, or was to be tried again next day. When he was told he had been recommended to me4cv, he asked " who mercy was."
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-02-16 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

POLICE OFFICE. the signature of " Lwlius."* The opportunity afforded to the peers of Great Britain by this trial, of discountenancing the absurd and barbarous practice of duelling, is pointed out in beautiful and impressive language ; and there are few—very few—upon whom its perusal would not force the conclusion to which the writer endeavours to lead them. There are amongst the peers of England, men sufficient, who might safely submit to the imputation of cowardice—which an absurd custom has rendered the alternative of a refusal to break the laws alike of God and man—rather than risk life by the pistol of a duellist, or to incur the doom of a murderer ; and, although in the case of the most illustrious of Heat body, that course has not hitherto been followed, the opportunity now afforded ought surely to be embraced, of stamping with reprobation a custom at once so tyrannous, so barbarous, and so wicked. London, Saturday night, Feb. 13. * This letter will be found in another column.  The following details exhibit the business transacted at the Police Office in Liverpool, from the Ist day of January, 1840, to the 31st day of December, inclusive. The table of prisoners shows that the greatest number of offences in the town of Liverpool are committed in the summer months, and that more than half of the offenders are females.*  The informations for penalties include all the offences against the acts for regulating the town and harbour ;—cases of collision of vessels, and damage within the port, as well as all offences the punishment of which is by forfeiture under acts for regulating the respective trades of licensed victuallers, pawnbrokers, &c. It appears that a large regiment is-raised every year in the borough,—the number of recuits attested being (during the past year) no fewer than 828. The beneficial operation of these acts which enable seamen to recover their wages by summons, and landlords to recover possession of tenements under the annual value of £2O, by summary proceedings, in the nature of an action of ejectment is amply proved ;—the cases of applications for the recovery of seamen's wages, heard by the magistrates, being 224, and those for the recovery of small tenements being 100.  It will be observed, that while the orders of removal of paupers to parishes in England are but 109, the passes of Irish and Scotch paupers amount to 3091. These returns, and particularly that of the prisoners, if carefully examined, and kept for a series of years, (which we hope to be enabled to do,) would afford valuable evidence of the effect of our system of prison discipline, and the means used for the prevention of crime by the activity of the police. We hope arrangements will speedily be made which will admit of further reformatory meliorations in the Borough Gaol,—in which, we understand, the average number of prisoners during the past year has greatly exceeded 500. It is highly gratifying to observe, that the expenses of the Police-office for the year are more than paid by the legal charges for business transacted :
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-12-24 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

LORD-STREET,  LIVERPOOL.  EXECUTION IN LONDON  The awful punishment of death was on Monday morning inflicted on Job John Ward, who was convicted at the last November Sessions of the Central Criminal Court, of the wilful murder of Timothy Ested, an infant, aged only one ear and nine months. The wretched culprit, who was in the of life, his age being only 28 years, has ever since his nnation suffered the most accute mental anguish, and lay, during the condemned sermon, he fainted away in pel of Newgate, and the service was suspended for  a quarter of an hour in consequence. same thing had occurred at his condemnation, and we :and that during the brief interval which has since , tits of a similar nature have been of frequent re currence. From all these circumstances it had been feared that his strength of nerve would have failed him in his last cents. Such, however, was not the case. before eight o'clock the rev. ordinary, the sheriffs, ers were in attendance upon the prisoner in his ioner was seated on a form, and Mr. Sheriff his side. Mr. Carver asked him whether he aatice of his sentence, and he replied, " Oh ;Ir. Sheriff Magnay then asked him whether he • wish to state anything as to the manner in Ll was killed; he replied, that the child was bed, and he struck it with his fist twice ; he len he did so, he had not the least idea or init, and he concluded by declaring positively, nade use of the hammer. then asked him whether it was true that he I at the time ; to which he replied that be was, Lune time said, that he hoped all working men from drink, for that had been the means of his present dreadful situation. Upon another 3. he. told the ordinary, that it was drink which put the into his head, and that he a guinea a quart on that day, as it  I then  the unfortunate occurrence taking  ,ked the prisoner whether it was not  .1 of the child might have come in con the reed-post, bit he replied that that loin repeated, that the only injury ini were the blows with his fist, adding ad not the slightest intention of killing ; were the cause of death, he acknowjustly charged with the murder—and Le to the punishment he was about to  )risoner was pinioned, he expressed a wish to with the sheriffs and ordinary ; and having done ied, " God bless you! I thank you for all your  ,e usual hour, eight o'clock, having arrived, the culprit Led to the scaffold, with the usual procession. He ap!d very faint, and was supported by one of the turnand Mr. Holding, one of the surgeons. The appearof the wretched man on the scaffold was the signal for a of cheers, mingled with groans, from the assembled 11. He appeared to struggle for about a minute before  )ek the t  A y was  cut down, and will be in firmed that the o Duke f Buckl • t candidates Buckingham, the Duke for the blue and Earl de Grey, t by the death of the la are een definitively arranged upon Earl of Westmorland. whom the selection t it is understood that thr cilaims of the Duke of 1-ty be preferred. 3
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-10-08 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MPT AT AIUIIDER  ST. ALBAN'S, MONDAY, OCTOBER 4.—This morning this town and neighbourhood was thrown into a state of great excitement by a report that a young woman had been murdered at an obscure public-house, called the Bout, by a soldier, with whom she cohabited. On inquiry, it was found that there was but too much foundation for the report ; for, although the girl is not dew?, the injury she has received is so great that but slight hopes are entertained of her recovery. At twelve o'clock Mr. Rumball, the mayor, and Messrs. Lipscombe, Coles, Osbaldiston, and Kinder, borough magistrates, assembled at the Town-hall to investigate the affair. The accused party was in custody. His name is Jauez Kirk ; he is about 18 years of age, belongs to the 74th regiment of foot, and presented a most unpreoossessing appearance. The following evidence furnishes the main facts of the case :  John Lacy, one of the borough police, proved being sent for, about a quarter before seven o'clock this morning, to the Boot public-house, in the Abbey parish. On entering the house, the landlord informed him that a soldier had committed murder in his house. On going up stairs to a bedroom, the prisoner met him at the door, and said, " Lacy, take me ; 1 have cut her throat," pointing at the same time to the girl Pearce, who was lying on a bed in the room the prisoner came out of. Witness immediately seized him by the two wrists, and sat him on another bed in the same room. He trembled very much, and the upper part of his person was covered with blood. He had no shirt on, only his trousers and shoes. His face was so much covered with blood that he could scarcely distinguish his features. There was no blood on his trousers. Witness asked the prisoner what he had done it with ? He replied, with a razor, and that it was on the bed where the woman was lying. He looked among the bed clothes for the razor, but could not find it, when Jane Pearce pulled the bed a little up as well as she could, and between the bed and the matress he found the razor he produced. [The witness produced the razor, which was covered with blood.] He asked the prisoner if lie had any reason for committing the act, but he shook his head, and made no answer. The prisoner also pointed out to witness his shirt. On being produced, it was found to be covered with blood, and very much torn. The quantity of blood on the left side was the greatest. The prisoner washed himself in witness's presence, but had no wounds on his own person. He saw Jane Pearce lying on a bed with her throat very much cut. There was also a cut on the right arm, another on the right hand, and several more on her left shoulder, while the bed and the room bore ample traces of the prisoner's crime. Several other witnesses spoke to many other necessary facts, and the prisoner was remanded for further examination.
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-04-06 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

JUDGE.—Let her be taken into custody for this contempt, in refusing to be sworn.—She was then committed. Mary Brown said, she lived with Adam Brown, in a cellar in Akroyd- street, Manchester. Tho woman who had refused to be sworn lived with the prisoner, in the next cellar, under the name of Jane Anderton. Witness remembered the Wednesday on which the prisoner was apprehended. He came in in the morning, and, having changed his clothes, went out again, The same day, and Thursday, which was the next day, Jane Roberts, or Anderton, came into witness's cellar. She came in twice on the Thursday. Witness was out once on the Thursday, and she could have got in in witness's absence. On Friday morning, about nine o'clock, witness found a bag in her house. It was in one of the drawers. Witness and some of the neighbours examined the bag. There was in it a pistol stock, a bullet mould, and a little box with some powder in it. Witness did not then know who had put the bag there. Jane Roberts was called in. Did not know to whom the pistol belonged. Had never seen it in the cellar before. Witness had seen a dark-blue coat hanging for three days in Anderton's cellar, three weeks before the prisoner was apprehended. It was an old-fashioned coat, rounded off in the " laps." The colour of it was dark blue. The next time witness saw it at her father's, who lives in Ashton-road. It was on the Monday after the prisoner's apprehension. Her father's name was John Blakeley. Mary Blakeley, mother of the last witness, said that Jane  Reket4: had giver, hat a coat, Vtlinoss vrao I tor danglitor's cellar at the titna, and Janp Roberta came in and gave her the coat. It was an old.fashioned farmer's coat, with the laps rounded. This was before the prisoner was taken up, but she did not know the day of the week. She was a stranger to witness. She gave her the coat on some day near the middle of the week. Witness took it to her husband the same day she got it : he came out of the smithy, and she let hirn look at it.  John Biala:ley, husband of the last witness, confirmed her testimony as to her bringing the coat, and added that he gave it to Bernard Corner, a tailor, to be altered, two or three days afterwards. By the JUDGE"  Had not heard of Mr. Colton's murder till a week after he had got the coat. Bernard Corner, the tailor alluded to, said he received a coat from the last witness, on Wednesday, the 26th August. He was to make it into a double-breasted dress coat. When he received it, it was rounded off at the skirts : he took off that round, and made it into a dress coat. Lipsett, an officer, came to his house, and witness gave it to him. The coat now produced is the coat be so altered.  David Lipsett, a police-officer, proved that he received the coat now produced from the last witness. John Johnson said he was a farmer at Pendleton. On the 20th July the coat now produced was taken from his house, but it wis not in the same form now as it was then. It was an old-fashioned coat rounded off at the laps. By the
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-04-20 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

OUR PORTRAIT GALLERT.—No. IV.  WILLIAM RATHBONE, ESQ  Shrine of the mighty ! can it be That this is all remains of thee ?"  Alas ! it is. Yes, reader, the individual before us is all that remains of the once-mighty William Rathbone. It is that great man—in eclipse. The inimitable " tile" is there ; the prim puritanical coat is there ; the " jaunty" air and the features which so irresistibly remind us of an ill-dressed salad—in which acidity, sweetness, and oil are blended together to form a compound of no taste at all—are still to be seen : but the spirit of the man is gone. He is no more now than a walking suit of clothes of an antique cut—the form of some " praise-God-Barebones" of the rump parliament come down from its panel to be dusted. We must pause awhile. It is a melancholy task at any time to delineate fallen greatness ; but in such a case as the present it is absolutely heartrending. But yesterday we remember to have seen the illustrious subject of our sketch in honourable junta-position upon our Exchange with the most renowned mendicant of the age—the celebrated Daniel O'Connell. Again we saw him piloting the great Duke of Dalmatia amongst the lions of our good old town. He moved, then, only amongst the great. He breathed only in an atmosphere of dignity and honour. But now, alas ! tempora mutantur : now " none so poor as do him reverence." He has descended from the stilts upon which he moved in days of old, and " pads the hoof" contentedly in companionship with beings of everyday mould. The " which doth hedge a" councillor has been rudely rubbed off, and he is now no more than a mere mortal.  We regret that we cannot trace the progress of this lamentable change. It was awfully sudden.  " One morn w•e missed him from the accustomed spot,"  his seat in the Council-chamber ; and yet we never dreamt that anything more serious than a fit of spleen, or something of that nature, could have deprived us of his sweet smiles.  But when  " Another came and yet we saw him not,"  a presage of some dire calamity crept over us. In another day the murder was out. The Cicero of the council had been detected smuggling himself into Pitt-street Ward, and had been stopped and marked " contraband." His career of glory had been arrested. Justice had overtaken him. He was no longer current money. He had been rung and found brassy.  Time, however, the great assuager of all earthly griefs, exercised his healing influence upon that of the unfortunate ex-councillor. In a few weeks we saw his graceful beaver mounted as jauntily upon its block, his almost collarless coat buttoned as primly, and his silk umbrella borne along with an air as degage-e as ever. He had been galvanised by the few select friends who were still left him—
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-10-26 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CONMISSIONER.—A strange idea has got abroad in many they know from seeing old offenders repunished, that such quarters that Lord Ashley has departed from his declareoften aggravates evil in. an unregenerate mind, till it reaches two not to join any administration which is not prepare& the highest degree of malignity. Shall not Christian men to accept and carry out a Ten Hours Factory Bill. The know it much more ? And if t'VO thirds of seventeen odd misunderstanding has arisen in consequence of that noblethousand pounds wete paid for the service of pious active marls having been gazetted as one of her Majesty's cedeclergymen, who, would every day visit every abode of wretch- siastical commissioners. The matter can be satisfactorily edness, teaching people to be virtuous, honest, and religious, explained in a few words. The case is this : the situation is by infusions of Christian feeling, called down from their in no sense a political or ministerial one, and has no ernoluheavenly sources, it would avid to suppress every vice, every ment whatever attached to it. Its business and objects are theft, and every murder, in its due season ; a greater propor- simply and solely ecclesiastical, relating to church lands and ;ion of happiness would flow through the town ; commerce cliiiroh revenues. The appointment, is a highly honourable would increase a hundred fold ; peace and plenty be seen in and useful one. The commissioners have to distribute all its borders, and in all its streets ; God would be honoured, certain surplus revenues, as they arise from time to time, and and trade would florish. devote them to the increase of small livings. They have also Religious influence will always avail to once every moral many other important duties to perform. To this commisdisorder, and God has commanded religious influence to be sion the bishops, without a single exception, belong, as well disseminated every where 1 none but religious influence will as some of the members of the late Cabinet, and other whigs. command His blessing, the absence of them will bring His The late ministerial changes have occasioned no removals ; curse. The highest usefulness a municipal body can ever but a vacancy by death happening to arise, the offer of a seat. know, is the disseminating of religious influence : still no at the Ecclesiastical Board was made to Lord Ashley by the liberal municipal body can ever disseminati tkam and act Premier in the name of his Sovereign, and on behalf of the consistently. How, then, are we to have God's blessing with church ; and it would, under all the circumstances, have a liberal municipal body. been a most ungracious act on the part of his lordship to have A liberal municipal body may suppress crime, by making declined the offer, in a case where neither politics, nor ernolomore prominent, the badges of the world's lost innocence, ment, but gratuitous service alone, was concerned.—Oasller's in increasing the number of hulks, or adding more frightful Fleet Papers. escutcheons of its present disgrace to those already on the