npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-08-24 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

MURDER AT ECKINGTON.—A most atrocious murder was committed at Eekington, some time in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday last, on one of the workmen of the North Midland Railway, named Richard Sanderson, supposed to be a native of Long Sutton, in Lincolnshire. The inquest will not be held in time to allow of our giving authentic details of this horrible deed. The following, however, are the leading circumstances :—On Tuesday evening the deceased was at the sign of the Bear, in Eckin"ton, drinking with some others, and rather late left the house in company with them. It does not appear that any serious quarrel had taken place, though some angry words passed at the Cross; and they afterwards walked forwards along, the Jo hn Guest, to a narrow alley, called Rotten-row, where Guest, one of the party, resided. What passed there remains to be inquired into; but it is quite certain that Guest went into the house and brought out the blade of a sythe, with which he struck Sanderson on the head. The blow divided the scalp from the corner of the eye, across the- top of the head, almost to the neck behind; and completely sesobred a large portion of the skull, and the projecting part of the brain. The sequel is yet involved in obscurity, but several persons were taken into custody early in the morning, and from their own statements, Thomas White, a sawyer, of Barlborough, and John Turner, the son of publican in Eckington, were so seriously implicated, that, together with Guest, they were sent to Chesterfield to await the verdict of the coroner's inquest. After Sanderson had received his death-blow, he appears to have staggered back into the street and repeatedly fallen; for in the place where he fell there was a pool of blood; and in one spot the detached portion of his skull, some inches in extent, was found on the pavement, no doubt torn off from the flesh in his agony. He afterwards dtruggled amongst the wood in an adjoining wheelwright's yard, the blood still streaming ftom him, and there must have become completely exhausted. After daylight, the poor creature was found under a tree in Lady Sitwell's school-yard, but he never could have walked thither; for it is nearly 200 yards from the spot where the last trace of blood could be seen; and so complete was his exhaust ion, that Mr. Askant, surgeon, who stood for some time talking with a person between 2 and 3 o'clock (certainly after the sufferer had been deposited there,) and within a few yards of the spot, heard nothing to indicate his being near. Every possible attention was paid to him; but though he lived till 3o'clock on Thursday morning, he never spoke or showed the least sign of consciousness. On stripping him, it was discovered he had also received a severe wound in the loins from some sharp instrument. An inquest was held yesterday before Mr. Hutchinson, coroner, and a most respectable jury, and after thelexanaination of witnesses, it was adjourned until Friday next.—Derbyshire Courier:
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-08-24 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

TALE OF VENICE.—It was midnight; the great clock had struck, and was still echoing through every porch and gallery in the quarter of St. Mark, when a young citizen, wrapped in his cloak, was hastening home from an interview with his mistress. His step was light, for his heart was so. Her parents had just consented to their marriage, and the very day was named. " Lovely Giulietta !" he cried, " and shall 1 then call the mine at last? Who was ever so blessed as thy Marcolini ?" But, as he spoke, he stopped; for something was glittering on the pavement before him. It was a scabbard of rich workmanship; and the discovery, what was it but an earnest of good fortune ? " Rest thou there!" he cried, thrusting it gaily into his belt; " if another claims thee not, thou halt changed masters!" And on he went as before, humming the burden of a song which he and his Giulietta had been singing together. But how little we know what the next minute will bring forth ! He turned by the church of St. Geminiana, and in three steps he met the watch. A murder had just been committed. The Senator Renaldi had been found dead at his door, the dagger left in his heart; and the unfortunate Marcolini was dragged away for examination. The place, the time, everything, served to excite, to justify suspicion; and no sooner had he entered the guard-house, than an evidence appeared against him. The bravo in his flight had thrown away his scabbard ; and, smeared with blood, with blood not yet dry, it was now in the belt of Marcolini. Its patrician ornaments struck every eye ; and when the fatal dagger was produced and compared with it, not a doubt of his guilt remained. Still there is in the innocent an energy and a composure; an energy when they speak, and a composure when they are silent, to which none can be altogether insensible; and the judge delayed for some time to pronounce the sentence, though he was a near relation of the. dead. At length, however, it came; and Marcolini lost his life, Giuletta her reason. Not many years afterwards the truth revealed itself, the real criminal in his last moments confessing the crime ; and hence the custom in Venice, a custom that long prevailed, for a crier to cry out in the court before the sentence was passed, " Ricordatevi del povero Marcolini !"—Remember the poor Marcolini.— Great, indeed, was the lamentation throughout the city, and the judge, dying, directed that henceforth and for ever a mass should be sung every night in the ducal church for his own soul and the soul of Marcolini, and the souls of all who had suffered by an unjust judgment. Some land on the Brenta was left by him for the purpose; and still is the mass . sung in the chapel; still every night, wheu the great square is illuminating, .and the casinoes are filling fast with the gay . and the dissipated, a bell is rung as for a service and a ray . of light is seen to issue from a small Gothic window that looks towards the place of execution, the place where on a scaffold Alarcolini breathed bib last.—Rogol's
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-09-14 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

HORTICULTURE.—" If you throw up a pumpkin it will come down squash,' is one of the wisest of sayings, and reminds us that the Boston Courier has a 'cute column or two once a-week upon these matters; and we wish we could follow the example. Perhaps we may, by and by. Assistant Alderman Crolius, why don't You cause the intolerable nuisances existing in the streets intersecting Centre-street to be removed ? Your alderman and street inspector are not to be depended upon. We look to you. See to it. Brower has brought out a new-fashioned vis-d-ris reversed, upon two wheels, admirably calculated to soil ladies' dresses by throwing mud over them. It is a capital invention for " the trade," and cannot fail to drive a great deal of business in the dry goods line. Murders are on the increase. Good bacon barns are scarce. Inferior legs are on the rise. Middlings are rarely to be met with. Nineteen persons drowned in one boatat Little Falls, New Brunswick. Nineteen persons have no business in one boat. What could they expect? Mr. Rasoo killed his wife at Newstead, N. Y., by driving her in a carriage. He broke her neck three weeks after marriage. Hail, rain, thunder, and lightning, have been running all over the country like wildfire. We are told that Placide was not at John Clarke's funeral. We cannot believe it, if he was in the city. We should like to be informed fully on this head. Marble had a good benefit. Bathe often !  Remember the Bedouins at the Park to-night! Nothing like them, except the giraffes. Keep cool ! Keep sober! Talk little ! Eat less!  ***—lt is impossible to say what the readers of newspapers expect of those who make them during this bot weather; but this we do know, if they expect much, newspaper readers are a more unreasonable class of people than we have always taken them to be. T. expect the editor of a daily journal to furnish long articles, or indeed articles of any sort, under such an atmosphere as is now roasting folks to death, is to expect ice out of the ashes of a furnace in full blast, or to require people to gather snowballs from a hot oven. How, in the name of fervent heat, can people be expected to write, or even think, in such weather? Politics would melt in a man's mouth, and, as for dissertatiats on other subjects, the matter is not to be mentioned ! Statistics would all run together like so many sperm candles in the sun, and as to dreadful accidents they would pass unheeded. What would be the use even of a steam-boat explosion ? Nobody would spare a particle of sympathy for so humdrum an occurrence, while they are themselves broiling into overdone steaks. The truth is, the weather is so hot you can see it, and we don't know that we are called, upon, under such circumstances, to be adding to the density of the caloric by any hot-headedness of our own. Let every virtuous citizen drink ice-water if he can get it, and not expect any thing so unreasonable as a readable article in a newspaper.
The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1838-09-14 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

HORTICULTCRE.—" If you throw up a pumpkin it will come down squash,' is one of the wisest of sayings, and reminds us that the Boston Courier has a 'cute column or two once a-week upon these matters; and we wish we could follow the example. Perhapslve may, by and by. Assistant Alderman Crolflis, why don't you cause the intolerable nuisances existing in the streets intersecting Centre-street to be removed ? Your alderman and street inspector are not to be depended upon. We look to you. See to it. Brower has brought out a new-fashioned vis-ci-vis reversed, upon two wheels, admirably calculated to soil ladies' dresses by throwing mud over them. It is a capital invention for the trade," and cannot fail to drive a great deal of business in the dry goods line. Murders are on the increase. Good bacon hams are scarce. Inferior legs are on the rise. Middlings are personsrarely drownedt obe metnwi oneth. Nineteenboat at Little Falls, New Brunswick. Nineteen persons have no business in one boat. Wittietr! couldo theykili killed hispe wifeet? at Newstead, N. Y., by driving her in a carriage. He broke her neck three weeks after marriage. . _  Hair, rain, thunder, and lightning, have been running all over the country like wildfire.  Weare told that Placide was not at John Clarke's funeral. We cannot believe it, if he was in the city. We should like to be informed fully on this head. Marble had a good benefit. Bathe often! Remember the Bedouins at the Park to-night! Nothing like them, except the giraffes.  Keep cool! Keep sober! l'alk little !  Eat less!  ***--It is impossible to say what the readers of newspapers expect of those who make them during this hot weather; but this we do know, if they expect much, newspaper readers are a more unreasonable class of people than we have always taken them to be. To expect the editor of a daily journal to furnish long articles, or indeed articles of any sort, under such an atmosphere as is now roasting folks to death, is to expect ice out of the ashes of a furnace in full blast, or to require people to gather snowballs from a hot oven. How, in the name of fervent heat, can people be expected to write, or even think, in such weather? Politics would melt in a man's mouth, and, as for dissertations on other subjects, the matter is not to be mentioned ! Statistics would all run together like so many sperm candles in the sun, and as to dreadful accidents they would pass unheeded. What would be the use even of a steam-boat explosion ? Nobody would spare a particle of sympathy for so humdrum an occurrence, while they are themselves broiling into overdone steaks. The truth is, the weather is so hot you can see it, and we don't know that we are called upon, under strch circumstances, to be adding to the density of the caloric by any hot-headedness of our own. Let every virtuous citizen drink ice-water if be can get it, and not expect any thing so unreasonable as a readable article in a newspaper.
The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser. — 1854-08-29 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

CHARGE OP MURDER AGAINST CAPTAIN HORNER.— The court sat at nine o'clock, and the charges against Captain Homer were at once proceeded with. .The inquiry this morninc, commenced with the circumstances connected with the death of Emanuel Gonzalez, otherwise called Valparaiso, another of the Manila seamen, who died on_ the homeward voyage of the ship Mangerstein.  The evidence was similar to that given at the Poliie-court, and on the former trial of the prisoner. The deceased, it appears, was a stout man when he joined the ship, but, from deficiency of food and ill-treatment, he became much emaciated. After the examination of the is itnesses produced on the previous charge, Dr. Cooper, twenty-four years surgeon at the Royal Infirmary, gave it as his opinion that the treatment of Valparaiso was exceedingly likely to cause death ; but, being pressed, he said that the cause of deceased's death was extremely doubtful. His LORDSIIIP informed the jury that it was impossible to find the prisoner guilty upon such evidence. The prisoner was therefore acquitted ; and on evidence being offered in the case of Henry Foster, the prisoner was acquitted on that charge also, and, at his lordship's direction, was at once liberated from custody.  SHOOTING A SEAMAN IN THE Doc s.—Joseph Breck, captain of the American ship Harkaway, was indicted for shooting Lorenzo Corsen, one of his crew, about half-past ten o'clock on the morning of Monday, the 10th of July. The Harkaway was hauling from the Canning Dock into the Canning Basin, when the steward came aboard in a state of intoxication, and attempted to force his way into the poop-cabin. He was pushed out twice by the second mate and the captain. The crew were engaged in heaving round the capstan, and the second time the steward was pushed out he fell against the men, and some of them rolled down with him. The mate came aft with a belaying pin, and struck at the steward, and a man named. Kelly, who had come on board with him. The crew interfered to prevent this, and a general affray ensued, in which the mate was knocked down and jumped upon. During this state of things the captain came out of the cabin with a revolver, and fired twice in the direction of the men who were struggling with the mate on the deck. The prisoner returned to the cabin and procured another revolver from a passenger. A police-officer on the quay called out to the prisoner not to fire again, but he did so, and wounded Lorenzo Corsen on the back of the neck. Two police-officers went on board, and order was restored. The second pistol was taken from the captain, and it was found to be loaded in one chamber with powder and ball. After the evidence of several witnesses, his LORDSHIP told the jury that the prisoner was perfectly justified in acting as he had done, as he was only protecting his mate, whose life was in danger. The prisoner was accordingly acquitted, the judge remarking that it was great oppression to prosecute him at all.  Cirri])
The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser. — 1854-09-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DISTRESSING TRAGEDY AT . OXTON MURDER OF A POLICEMAN.  A. melancholy instance of the evil effects arising from an'mptficient restraint upon the physical powers of lunatics, when they have apparently recovered their reason occurred yesterday morning, at Oxton, near Birkenhead,' which resulted in the death of a police-conslable, and caused considerable consternation in the neighbourhood. Near the Talbot Inn, Oxton, a retired gamekeeper, named William Knowles, aged 57, formerly in the employ of Mr. Price, the lord of the manor of Birkenhead, has for some time resided with his family, but it is said he has been twice placed in confinement in a lunatic asylum. He has latterly,however, apparently recovered his reason, although, as in most cases of this description, has been subject to occasional fits of temporary derangement. On Sunday afternoon he had been out with some friends, one of whom returned home with him in the evening. whAy.  to afflict him asked the friend to remain in the house with his father all night, to which request the friend -"eded. About two o'clock yesterday morning, the father's  son wen  police LivaL, Li vitt LLIZ WILL, LO assist nun and luS friend with his turbulent father. During the early part of the morninc, he was sometimes worse and sometimes better, but about five o'clock the violent symptoms having abated, the son and friend went down stairs to ne refreshment, leaving Matthews with Knowles The latter asked Matthews to go into led, follower  _ b, either he proceec. oy Matthews, who stood in the lobby, peeping through the halfopened door, when he saw Knowles walk to a cupboard  lie Lowi  ed gun  'vs called the sou up from  t.haf,  ho was coming un stair  know, when the father fired th;On—g-1;  the contents of the gui;in  the breast of the  man, the shots taking with them a into the wound. The gun was  loaded with shot about No. 4—usually fired by sportsmen —and the deceased being so near to the maniac when he fired, they •had no chance to spread, but made a wound which caused almost instantaneous death. Matthews had just time to articulate,—" I am a dead man ; go for Doctor Gordon." He then staggered to the yard, but the instant  g breath, and  then fell to the ground a corpse_ Knowles has always been on the best terms with iav thews, therefore could not have been actuated by any illfeeling to murder him.  Matthews has been on duty, at Oxton, nine or ten years, and was much respected. He formerly belonged to the Liverpool police force. He has left a wife and five or six children to deplore his loss.  Knowles was brought before the magistrates, at the Birkenhead Police-court, yesterday morning, and some of the evidence was gone into; but, ultimately, the magistrates thought it advisable to remand him until a Coroner's inquest had been held upon the body. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved widow and family of the constable, and it is hoped that something substantial will be done for their benefit.  .11IUSIC
The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser. — 1854-09-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

DISTRESSING  TRAGEDY  AT OXTON."4  MURDER OI  A POLICEMAN  A melancholy instance of the evil effects arising from an inefficient restraint upon the physical powers of lunatics, when they have apparently recovered their reason, occurred yesterday morning, at Oxton, near Birkenhead, which resulted in the death of a police-conslable, and  caused considerable consternation in the neighbourhood. Near the Talbot Inn, Oxton, a retired.gamekeeper, named William Knowles, aged 57, formerly in the employ of Mr. Price, the lord of the manor of Birkenhead, has for some time resided with his family, but it is said he has been  twice placed in confinement in a lunatic asylum. He ha. latterly,however, apparently recoveredhis reason, although, as in most cases of this description, has been subject to occasional fits of temporary derangement. On Sunday pcfp.....pm, he hnri hpen nut with igninA friends_ nue of  retnrne  home v  ith him in the evening,  Knowles's son, seeing that his father's malady was about to afflict him, asked the friend to remain in the house with his father all. night, to which request the friend  teeded. About two o'clOck yesterday r  ing, the father's hat violent, the  friend with his turbulent father. Daring the early part of the morning he was sometimes worse and sometimes better, but about five o'clock the violent symptoms having somewhat abated, the son and friend went down stairs to take some refreshment, leaving Matthews with Knowles in the bed-room. The latter asked Matthews to go into the parlour, whither he proceeded, followed by Matthews,  opened door, when he saw Knowles walk to a cupboard where he kept his  buble-barrelled gun  from the cupboard, when the kite!  ithews called the son up from whether that 'gun was loaded  and as  the breast of the policeman, the shots taking with them a portion of his clothes into the wound. The gun was loaded with shot about No. 4—usually fired by sportsmen  —and the deceased being so near to-the maniac when he fired, they• had no chance to spread, but made a wound which caused almost instantaneous death. Matthews had just time to articulate,—" I am a dead man; go for Doctor Gordon." He then staggered to the yard, but the instant that he got into the air, he drew one long breath, and  then fell to the ground a corpse. Knowles has always been on the best terms with Matthews, therefore could not have been actuated by any illfeeling to murder him. Matthews has been on duty, at Oxton, nine or ten years, and was much respected. He formerly belonged to the Liverpool police force. He has left a wife and five or six children to deplore his loss. Knowles was brought before the magistrates, at the Birkenhead Police-court, yesterday morning, and some of the evidence was gone into; but, ultimately, the magistrates thought it advisable to remand him until a Coroner's inquest had been held upon the body.  :Much sympathy is felt for the' bereaved widow and family of the constable, and it is hoped that something substantial will be done for their benefit.