npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1836-01-01 (London, England)

ELECTIONEERING FIDDLER.—An 'unsuccessful candidate in Ohio ascribes the loss of his election to the circumstance' that his opponent had taken the field against him with a fiddle. The latter politician, it seems, set the whole constituency incontinently to dancing, until they became so charmed by his music, that they gave him all their votes. This fellow would be invaluable to the Tammany party at this season of its calamity, and it would be well worth while to import him for the special purpose of harznoniziag the pugnacious elements of that virtuous concern. -He might fiddle together the whole disjecta nzenzbra, loco focos and all, and set them to dancing a family jig in concert, according to the " usages of the Republican party." W 6 doubt not that Job Haskell and the venerable shoemaker, now doing battle for infidelity at Euterpian Hall, have "music in their soles".—New York Paper.  Mr. Sharpe, the ventriloquist, who performed (kiting the last season at Vauxhall-gardens, and was afterwards engaged at the Collosseum, was the other evening suddenly deprived of his reason, at his residence, 48, Tothill-street, Westminster. It appears that, after having returned home, he had not been long in his apartment before he started from his scat, and exclaimed—" I am a Blood Red Knight." He then strutted backwards and forwards, and conducted himself in a most strange manner. He afterwards cornplained of a headache, and said that the pavement was rolling under his feet ; he at length became exceedingly violent to his wife, towards whom he had previously exhibited the greatest kindness, and he passed a restless night. On the following day Mr. Newman, a professional friend and companion, called at his residence, and found him labouring under the above delusion ; and, on his entering the apartment, he seized thepoker, and, making a desperate rush at him, attempted to strike him on the head, declaring that he would dash out his brains, as he had set his father's house on fire ; and had not Mr. Newman run down stairs, the consequences, no doubt, would have ended fatally to him. Mr. Sharpe was immediately placed under restraint, and conveyed to Bethlehem hospital, where he has been during the last week in a deplorable condition. His wife, who has been exceedingly ill ever since, is left with three children, at her residence, in a state of great distress.  A wherry was upset near Bembridge last Sunday evening, by which six persons were drowned. Every exertion was made by the Preventative Service and others to save the unfortunate individuals from a watery grave, but without effect.—Brighton Guardian.  A shocking murder has been committed by an American master of a merchantman, from Smyrna, which put into the Tagus from distress, upon his cook, a Maltese, by shooting away his nether jaw, and then confining him in the hold of the vessel, without food or assistance, until he died. The matter has been investigated by the British and American authorities here, and if proved, will display an act of inhuman cruelty such as was hardly ever heard of. The man murdered was a British subject.—Lisbon Letter, Dec. 19.
The Sun. — 1836-12-31 (London, England)

SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1836.  CHRONOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL TABLE FOR THE TEAR 1836.  ii!IkUARt: I 4, An insurrectionary movement took place at Barcelona, when the populace murdered above 100 Carlists prisoners. 6, An abstract of the revenue was published, showing an increase of 172,9611. on the quarter, and a decrease of 613,6691. on the year. 8, According to accounts published, the number .of seamen belonging to the United States of America, In the year 1835, was 103,000, of whom 50,000 were employed in foreign trade, 25,000 in the coasting trade, and 6,000 in the 'United States Navy. 9, Accounts furnished by the Minister of Commerce were published, from which it appears that the average of the exports and imports of France for the years 1828 and 1829 were 48,800,0001., and in 1834 the average had increased to 57,880,0001. The returns for 1835 showed a still greater increase. Accounts were received of a great fire at New York on the 16th ult., which destroyed 700 houses and a vast quantity of valuable property. The damage was estimated at 15,000,000 dollars (3,200,0001.) 11, Died in George-street, Hanover-square, in the 91st year of her age, Mrs. Copley, the mother of Lord Lyndhurst. 17, The Spanish General Cordova and General Evans, with all their forces, amounting to 20,000 men, after attempting to penetrate into the provinces, were forced back to Vittoria by the Carlists under Eguia. 18, Three street singers committed to the House of Correction, by Mr. Laing, for singing in the street, were released by direction of Lord John Russell. 19, Sir Charles Pepys was gazetted as Lord Chancellor (Lord Cottenham), and Mr. Bickersteth as Master of the Rolls, with the title of Baron Langdale. 23, The French Chamber of Peers closed the proces monsire, when seven prisoners were condemned to, transportation, and 19 to various terms of imprisonment ; two were acquitted. 24, Seven men were killed and three wounded by the bursting of the boiler of a steam engine, at Upper Easton, near Bristol. On the 25th, 27th, and 28th, public dinners were given to Mr. O'Connell, in Dublin, Liverpool, and Birmingham. 27, The Spanish Cortes was dissolved, in coosequence of the Mendizabal Ministry being left in a minority on the electoral law. 28, An account, taken from the Journal de Comuerce, is published, from which it appears that since 1828, up to 1835, the consumption of beet-root sugar in France had increased in the proportion of 4 to 30,, while that on Colonial sugar was nearly stationary. 29, Lord Stowell died at his seat, Early Court, Reading, in his 91st year. He presided for many years over the Consistory and Admiralty Courts. In the Court of King's Bench, Mr. Sydney Taylor moved that the rule for a criminal information against Mr. Haywood, for a libel on Colonel Fairman, be made absolute, when the Counsel on the other side stated that further proceedings were rendered unnecessary by the, death of the defendant. 31, The Queen of Naples, after giving birth to a son, died of a bilious fever.
The Sun. — 1836-02-06 (London, England)

CARNARVON.  (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) This borough has this evening (Wednesday) been the scene of a most disgraceful Tory riot, arising out of the mortification and chagrin of Mr. T. Assheton Smith, in being so far foiled in his attempt to obtain domination within the borough, in the recent Municipal Election. Prcceedings having heel► adopted, at the instance of Mr. Smith's agent, against the liberal Mayor and Aldermen, in the Court of King's Bench, on the rules against them having been made absolute, the Tory agents sent a band of music round the town, attended by a host of the lowest blackguards, among who were mixed some of Mr. Assheton Smith's political (and by tb,lir conduct f we should think personal) representatives. In Tth--square they came into collision with a body of sailors, and a. slight conflict ensued, in which the Tories were worsted. In a short time after, an infuriated band of ruffians, apparently n,. ado drunk for the occasion, rushed out of the Goat Hotel—t he Committee-house of Mr. T. Assheton Smith—and his polit,L cal and legal agents' rendezvous, and made an attack upot6 the residence of Mr. Alderman Lloyd Roberts, and broke the* windows—the innkeeper was amongst the crowd. This attack was the more cowardly, as Mr. Alderman Roberts wag in London on professional business, and the mob were directed from the door of the Goat to go and break his windows. The brother of Mr. Alderman Roberts, a respectable surgeon„ residing at Bangor, happened to be in town at the time, and, hearing of the outrage, proceeded to protect his brother'S wife and infants, and was set on by the ruffians, and treated in the most brutal manner. The mob then proceeded through the town, and broke some windows in the Sportsman Hotel, and also of some respectable reformers' residences. The agents of Mr. Assheton Smith looked on the devastation with unconcern, and rather with encouragement. The leaders of the outrage are all known, but where is the remedy ? In an appeal to a Tory magistracy ! If the parties are indicted at the Quarter Sessions, the real Under Sheriff is Mr. Assheton Smith's agent, and he pad's both Grand and Petit-Juries as he likes ; and it is notorious that so much corruption prevails in this department, that nu reformer can have a fair trial.  It ought to be recorded that R. Camurs, Esq., a Tory magistrate, was in the town entertaining a dinner party, and that the Tory mob stopped opposite his house and cheered him, yet that he took no measures to quell the riot. The Mayor of the borough is also a county magistrate, but he was especially marked out for Tory vengeance, and consequently had to consult his personal safety. From the malignant disposition manifested, it is evident that the Tory mob, and their leaders, would not have stopped at murder. At the time of the mail leaving, the town is tranquil. A representation of the case will be made to the Secretary of State for the Home 'Department.
The Sun. — 1836-10-13 (London, England)

BRAZIL.  RIO DE JANEIRO.—(From the Correia Official, August 12.)—The Minister of Justice proposed to the Chamber of .Deputies, in the sitting of 9th August, some changes in the criminal law.  The Minister adduced various instances of these horrible proceedings at Para, among which was the capture of the British ship Clio, the murder of the crew, and the plunder of the cargo. " The injured seek redress, which cannot be given them, because, if the guilty are tried in the ordinary Court, they are certain of impunity. In the midst of so many difficulties, the Government, which has maturely considered them all, desires to substitute for an ordinary Court, swayed by such divers passions, another more equitable, just, and impartial, which may assert the rights of all, sends me to the National Representatives, to present to you, as a matter of the most urgent necessity, the following proposal : Art. 1. Those who are implicated in the crimes of rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy, and in all others practised beforehand for the purpose of committing those crimes, and subsequently in consequence of them shall be proceeded against in. the following manner : The following Articles, 2 to 18, determine the manner of conducting the preliminary proceedings, the result of which (or the indictment) is to be communicated to the accused within 5 days, who are to be allowed the same term of 5 days to prepare for their defence. After this term is expired, the public trial is to take place, which shall commence with the reading of the indictment, the interrogatory of the accused, the examination of the witnesses, the promotor or prosecutor shall speak in support of the accusation, the accused shall defend themselves verbally, sentence shall be passed by the majority of the Court according to the laws, and in case the number of voters on each side be equal, the president shall have the casting vote.  In another address the Minister proposes to alter the dispositions of the existing laws, which relate to the number of persons concerned in the commission of the crimes in question. Certainly it is the nature of the crime, and not the number of the criminals, that ought to be considered. According to the existing law, a number of 20,000 persons is required to constitute the crime of rebellion. In the case of most of these crimes, too, the present law punishes only the chiefs, as if all those who were actually concerned did not likewise merit punishment. He therefore proposes to remedy these defects in the law, and to declare the crimes of conspiracy, rebellion, and sedition, shall be considered as having been committed in the cases already laid down by the law, whatever be the number of persons stated to commit them ; all of whom shall be liable to punishment. The chiefs, according to the existing laws, and others who, though not chiefs, have taken an active part, imprisonment and hard labour for different terms, from ten to two years ; and all the others to imprisonment for different terms, from two years down to six months.
The Sun. — 1836-02-26 (London, England)

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.  Miss Joanna Baillie's Tragedy of Separation was las night brought out at this Theatre. The following is an analysis of the plot :—Count Garcio, Mr. C. Kemble, while engaged at the head of his troops in fighting the battles of his monarch, leaves his young and beautiful wife Margaret, Miss Helen Faucit, in one of his castles. During his absence, his wife receives some information which induces her to believe that her husband had been instrumental in causing the death of her brother, and this induces her to feel repugnance towards him. At the commencement of the Tragedy the Countess receives information from the Marquis Rovani (Mr. Bennett), an intimate friend of Count Garcio, of the war being concluded, and that the Count was on his way to meet his bride. The emotion manifested by her, consequent upon the information she had received, is attributed by the confidante of the Count to a want of affection to her Lord, who reports to him accordingly. The meeting between the Count and Margaret, where the latter struggles between her affection for her husband and her repugnanee to embrace the murderer of her brother, was very finely executed. Margaret entreats her Lord, on account of her indisposition, that she may pass the night alone, and the Count, who is advised by his confidante that Margaret's illness is feigned, and that she merely wished for an excuse to mourn the absence of some favoured lover, is induced to enter her chamber in the night, and he finds her contemplating a miniature. He snatches it from her, and finds it to be the likeness of the brother whom he had murdered in a moment of phrenzy, for his resistance to his suit with his sister. His agitation induces Margaret to challenge him with the crime, and she then declares that they must separate for ever. We should have mentioned that a certain Marquis Tortona, a would-be lover of Margaret, is just sufficiently introduced upon the stage to give a colour to the jealousy of the Count. After the explanations between Margaret and the Count, the latter leaves the castle ; and when his absence becomes known to the Marquis Tortona, he thinks it a fit opportunity to push his suit, and being repulsed rather cavalierly by the Marquis Rovani, he lays siege to the castle. In the conflict which ensues, the besieged are about to be destroyed by the Marquis Tortona's troops, when the valour of an apparently holy friar causes the besieged to rally, and they succeed in putting to the rout the troops of Tortona, who is himself killed. This holy friar turns out to be Count Garcio, who, in the struggle, receives a mortal wound, and dies at the feet of his Countess. Mr. C. Kemble played the part of Garcio with skill and some feeling, and would have produced a more favourable impression on his audience, had it not been for his drawling mode of delivery, which was at time positively intolerable. Miss Helen Faucit acted a difficult character with great discrimination ; she shows considerable promise, and needs oniy time and study to render her a very superior tragic actress. The play was favourably received by a full house.
The Sun. — 1836-08-10 (London, England)

MURDERS IN GLASGOW. --With in these fe „at weeks the authorities have entered upon the iniestigatt° three cases of murder. The circumstances atte riding two " c 1 3 these, as far as we have learned, have been alret sdy e°tlda, the other came into the hands of the Magistratos yeste shortly after the alleged murder was committe d. The in cused is a bird-fancier, of the name of Maxwell, residitgefeo the OldWynd, an Englishman, who, with his wife, has 001. frequently convicted of various offences, and sent to Bride„eera From the statement of persons in the neighbourho od, it afro a that this man had, in the morning, followed hi s -wife !nor shop to which she went for change of a 11. note,. arid it iseutlf posed they had quarrelled about the money. Su beetktiose, cries of " murder" were heard proceeding from tl,ei.,r Poet! and very soon after it was reported to the police that lull ono had killed his wife. Captain Miller went to the house't the found the woman dead; andtha ,on inquiry, he fou.nd One husband had gone out on pretence of fetching a su rge° thsl of the police-officers, an active man, who has ch arg "a lei, district, had heard that Maxwell had been work lag!' by his in Broad-street, and that some money was due 1,0 uisit° employer. It struck him that the money would be ryncllin to in case of the man absconding, and off he went t o the got intercept Maxwell, if he should call. The officer Roo' to the proper quarter, for, on approaching the mill, heith the person he was in conversation with in compattY other man, and took him prisoner. Maxw.3ll, on t re, secured, burst into tears. He acknowledged, b °west' gretted, that he had struck his wife, and be With" edly said she had been a good woman to him. been in an hour after the murder was said to have The committed the man was lodged in the police-office.,, edged body of his wife was also conveyed thither, and yoreti in the Old Buildings. The magistrates immediately el 'coat into the investigation of the case. There are three with ore a young boy, son of the prisoner, and two women who to in the house at the time the crime was committed. Th used women, we learn, state that the prisoner struck tbedetTbif three or four times over the arm with a thick stick statement is, to a certain extent, corroborated by the al ir ante of the arm, which is much discoloured. The wits le state further that the prisoner kicked the deceased eel breasts and the abdomen. From all that has ben.ennolebartlei it appears that the unfortunate woman was in 5.-n jai, !,-,0 previous to this assault, and that the violence thea was sufficient to cause her death. A medical ex uu"7l takes place to day, and it is expected that the_.e.....00,7,1cmi er ready to-night to be sent off to the Crown counsel "/"."7 Chronicle.  • •••
The Sun. — 1836-12-02 (London, England)

JUSTICE VAUGHAN.) Jane Hale was put to the bar upon an indictment for having on the 12th of November murdered a male infant, of whom she had been recently delivered, by suffocating the same. In a second count she was charged with having committed the murder by cutting the throat of the child with a sharp instrument. The prisoner who is a person of rather an interesting appearance, seemed much affected during the progress of the investigation. Mr. BODKIN conducted the prosecution, and Mr. CARRINGTON appeared for the defence. Elizabeth Seymour—l am a nurse in the family of Mrs. Jeffrey. She lives in the parish of Stoke Newington. I know the prisoner. She was in his service since May last as servant of all work. She is about twenty years of age. I have no reason to know of her being married. In consequence of her appearance, I taxed her with being pregnant about a month before the 19th of November. She denied it. She received notice to quit the service. That notice would expire on the evening of the 19th of November. I saw her on Saturday morning between seven and eight o'clock. I saw her in the parlour, apparently unable to  move. She was sitting in a chair. She complained of a pain in her back. She was so ill that she was obliged to go up to her room. In consequence of this I thought it proper to mention to my mistress what had occurred. I went to her about nine o'clock, and again between ten and eleven o'clock. The first time I opened the door, I then saw her standing up dressed. She was packing her clothes. I asked if she was preparing to go ? She said—Yes. On the second occasion she was engaged in the same way. I observed stains of blood on the floor close by where I stood. I asked what was the meaning of the stains. She said something had come from her. I told her her misercss had gone out to bring her a physician. She said she did not want one. When I went down stairs I found the doctor there. He went to her room. I did not go with him. Sarah Jeffrey—l am the wife of Mr. Thomas Jeffrey ; he resides at Stoke Newington. The prisoner was in my service. I gave her notice to leave in consequence of a suspicion of her pregnancy, which she denied. From what I heard from the nurse I went to the prisoner's room on the morning of the 19th of November. She was there, and appeared to be in great pain. I said I thought she was in labour. She said she was not. She was then standing. I gave her some brandy and water. When last I went to her room I found her on the bed. She complained of no particular pain. I told her I would go for the doctor. I did not notice any spots of blood on the floor. Cross-examined—While the prisoner was in my service she conducted herself very well. She was three years in her former place. I received a good character. I understand her father has lived sixteen years in one employment. I was in the house all the morning of the 19th of November, except while I went for the physician. I heard no scream or cry of an infant child. To Lord
The Sun. — 1844-12-10 (London, England)

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE. A woman, fifty-two years of age, the wife of a small fanner named Bonvoisin, residing at Epreville, was tried on the 27th ult., before the Court of Assizes of the Eure, for the murder of her brother, Pierre Vautier. It appeared from the indictment and the evidence, that the brother and the sister had for nearly fifteen years been on bad terms, in consequence of the anger felt by the latter at her brother having a larger portion of the property left by the father than she thought right, and that Vautier, in his just resentment against his sister, who was a woman of the worst feelings, had made a will bequeathing his property (about 16,000 f.) to a friend. The mother, however, being attacked with severe illness, and therefore desirous of seeing her daughter, Vautier, who resided with his mother, consented to receive his sister, and at the death-bed of the parent a reconciliation took place. Vautier having about the period of his mother's death broke his thigh, the sister remained at his house to nurse him ; and although her selfish disposition was again shown by her desiring to have the whole of the household furniture of the deceased, and a quarrel ensued, yet Vautier, as a proof that the reconciliation made by the bedside of his mother was sincere on his part, revoked the will which he had made in favour of his friend, and executed another, in which he left everything to his sister. This act of generosity caused his death. The prisoner, anxious to get immediate possession of the property, and taking advantage of his feeble state, entered his room at night, and with a club beat out his brains. Early on the following morning she went to a neighbour, and told him that during the night some thieves had broken in, and after robbing the house, had murdered her brother. The character of the woman, however, created suspicion, and the officers of justice had soon proof that the murder was committed by her. On the trial the evidence was such as not to admit of a doubt of her guilt ; but the jury, to the surprise of the Court, declared that there was no proof of the murder having been committed with premeditation. She was, therefore, only sentenced to imprisonment for life, with hard labour. A remarkable fact was revealed on the , trial, showing that even the most calculating criinitials frequently commit great oversights. The murderess had taken the precaution, after the consummation of the crime, to proceed to a neighbouring spring, and wash away the stains of blood from her hands and some of her clothing, but she had placed a bloody hand upon a latch on the inner side of a door which was locked, and the key of which was found in her possession. Her story of thieves having entered the house was contradicted by this fact, for they could not subsequently have locked a door of which they had not the key ; the marks of blood were also those of the left hand, and it was proved that the prisoner was lefthanded.—Galignaiii s Messenger.