npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1853-07-21 (London, England)

CHARGE OF MURDER. Sarah, Smith, 43, was indicted for the wilful murder of Stephen Smith. Mr. Home and Mr. Attree conducted the prosecution ; Mr. Hurst defended the prisoner. It appeared that the deceased was a shoemaker, and the prisoner was his wife, and they occupied a small room in a place called Harrow's Mews, St. Leonard's. The evidence went to show that they were both given to drink, and that they frequently quarrelled. On the evening of the 17th of May, which was Whit-Thesday, they were together at the Queen Adelaide public-house at Hastings, and left about eleven o'clock at night, and at this time they appeared to be on friendly terms, but were both to some extent in liqueur. On the following morning about one o'clock, a lodger in the house name Cook was awoke by the prisoner, who begged her, for God's sake, to get up, as she said she had stabbed "Steeve," meaning her husband. Mrs. Cook immediately got up and went into the prisoner's room, where she saw the deceased man sitting in a chair, with a wound in his 'breast, from which the blood was flowing. lie was alive, but unable to speak, and he was holding an apron to his breast, while the prisoner was walking about the room crying. Mrs. Cook, seeing the state of the deceased, went out to fetch Mr. Gardner, a surgecea, and upon their returning together to the room they found the prisoner still there crying ; and upon her seeing Mr. Gardner she exclaimed that she had tabbed the deceased with a knife used by him in his trade, which she had thrown out of the window ; raid upon a search being made the knife was found in the yard of the house covered with blood. The unfortunate deceased was found to have been stabbed completely through the heart, and ho died a minute or two after the arrival of the surgeon. While Mr. Gardner was examining the deceased the prisoner appeared to, be very excited, and said that she and her husband bad been out together, and that upon their leaving the f public-house to go home she gave her husband the slip, and when she got home he abused her, and reproached her for leaving him, and in the course of the altercation that took place between them afterwards she threatened him with some violence, upon which he opened his shirt and said, "Do it," or words to that effect, and she immediately snatched up the knife and plunged it into his breast. It appeared that the prisoner had never attempted to deny that she had caused the death of' her husband, and on her being taken to the police station, she said to the constable, " I have often taken up a knife to him, but this time I meant it." Mr. Hurst addressed the jury for the prisoner, urging that under the circumstances of excitement and liquor in which the prisoner was at the time of the melancholy occurrence, they would be justified in taking a merciful view of her conduct, and acquitting her of the crime of murder, and find her guilty of manslaughtes only. The Lord Chief Baron, having summed up, the jury, after a short deliberation, found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter. She was sentenced to je transported for ten years,
The Sun. — 1853-07-21 (London, England)

CHARGE OF MURDER.  Sarah Smith, 43, was indicted for the wilful murder of Stephen Smith. Mr. Horne and Mr. Attree conducted the prosecution ; Mr. Hurst defended the prisoner. It appeared that the deceased was a shoemaker, and the prisoner was his wife, and they occupied a small room in a place called Harrow's Mews, St. Leonard's. The evidence went to show that they were both given to drink, and that they frequently quarrelled. On the evening of the 17th of May, which was Whit-Tuesday, they were together at the Queen Adelaide public-house at Hastings, and left about eleven o'clock at night, and at this time they appeared to be on friendly terms, but were both to some extent in liqueur. On the following morning about one o'clock, a lodger in the house name Cook was awoke by the prisoner, who begged her, for God's sake, to get up, as she said she had stabbed " Steeve," meaning her husband. Mrs. Cook immediately got up and went into the prisoner's room, where she saw the deceased man sitting in a chair, with a wound in his breast, from which the blood was flowing. He was alive, but unable to speak, and he was holding an apron to his breast, while the prisoner was walking about the room crying. Mrs. Cook, seeing the state of the deceased, went out to fetch Mr. Gardner, a surgeon, and upon their returning together to the room they found the prisoner still there crying ; and upon her seeing Mr. Gardner she exclaimed that she had stabbed the deceased with a knife used by him in his trade, which she had thrown out of the window ; and upon a search being made the knife was found in the yard of the house covered with blood. The unfortunate deceased was found to have been stabbed completely through the heart, and he died a minute or two after the arrival of the surgeon. While Mr. Gardner was examining the deceased the prisoner appeared to be very excited, and said that she and her husband had been out together, and that upon their leaving the public-house to go home she gave her husband the slip, and when she got home he abused her, and reproached her for leaving him, and in the course of the altercation that took place between them afterwards she threatened him with some violence, upon which he opened his shirt and said, "Do it," or words to that effect, and she immediately snatched up the knife and plunged it into his breast. It appeared that the prisoner had never attempted to deny that she had caused the death of her husband, and on her being taken to the police station, she said to the constable, " I have often taken up a knife to him, but this time I meant it." Mr. Hurst addressed the jury for the prisoner, urging that under the circumstances of excitement and liquor in which the prisoner was at the time of the melancholy occurrence, they would be justified in taking a merciful view of her conduct, and acquitting her of the crime of murder, and find her guilty of manslaughter only. The Lord Chief Baron, having summed up, the jury, after a short deliberation, found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter.  She was sentenced to be transported for ten years.
The Sun. — 1853-04-07 (London, England)

PRUSSIA.  The police have, it is affirmed, been successful in seizing the principal person or persons implicated in the insane project of a republican outbreak at this place. The individual most seriously compromised is said to be Dr. Frankenthal, arrested in his apartments at Moabit. Lists of names and divers correspondence and papers were discovered in his rooms, concealed within the lining of an armchair. This personage possesses some little property, and has considerable practice in his neigh-bourhood. He is an admirer of antiquities, and has a small collection, which enabled him to convey—so it is asserted—arms and ammunition into his house without awakening suspicion. He and all other individuals arrested, with the exception of Messrs. Behrends and Streckfuss, liberated under surveillance, remain au secret. There is every reason to believe that the police are in possession of written, and perhaps of more direct evidence, which proves incontestibly the criminal and senseless intentions of these enemies to all true liberty, and their connection with other desperadoes in distant parts within and without the monarchy. There is but one opinion here among rational men, that the vigilance of the police has saved Berlin and other towns from the bursting forth of one of thuse explosions, which, after causing much bloodshed, terror, and confusion, would have merely led to a recrudescence of police and exceptional severities, to an abridgment of liberties, and to the thou-. sand annoyances attendant upon a state of siege. It is said that an Englishman, with an Austrian  passport, is among the persons arrested. It appears that M. de Hinckledy, president of police, whose vigilance in tracing murderers, as recently proved, is equal to his skill in frustrating intended political crime, declines to accept the functions of director-general, or superintendent of the whole police of the monarchy, which an illustrious person is desirous that he should assume. Sundry motives are assigned for this. Among the most conclusive is that such most responsible functions cannot be undertaken by a subordinate, that is, by any one liable to the immediate control of this or that Minister ; or, in other words, if the general police power be vested in one hand, the power must be independent, and tantamount to that of any other Minister who has uncontrolled sway over his department, subject, of course, in certain cases, to the assent of the whole Cabinet and Crown.  It is generally asserted that the so-called Ministerial crisis was not yet determined, and that the whole Cabinet had declared that if the MinisterPresident retired, all would follow his example. But we have had such repeated instances of these Ministerial crisis, that little doubt exists of matters being satisfactorily arranged. Indeed, were it not for the no:ossity of chronicling passing events, it would be superfluous to mention the subject. The definitive convention for the renewal and extension of the Zollverein was signed last evening, by the whole of the plenipotentiaries. The ratifications are to be exchanged and completed within a short period.
The Sun. — 1853-01-28 (London, England)

THE CONVICT KIRWAN.  DUBLIN, JAN. 27.—At Capel-street Police office yesterday, Mr. Boswell, attorney, appeared before the bench, and said that he had an application to make in a matter arising out of the case of the Queen v. Kirwan. It was on behalf of a person whose name had been mentioned in connection with that case, and who had suffered a great deal of oppression and misery. Certain letters had been traced of a very serious character ; but he would not mention the name of the detective, as he was not there to make any charge against the police. Some extraordinary conduct had been traced with regard to an individual ; the matter would, he hoped, be brought under the investigation of the Lords Justices, and a case would also be sent to Lord Palmerston ; but in the mean time he (Mr. Boswell) wanted to know whether it would be correct, pending the investigation, to take out a summons against the man, in order to bind him to keep the peace ?  Mr• O'Callaghan—Who is the person ; is he one of police ?  Mr. Boswell—The person on whose behalf I ask the summons is Miss Kenny, whose name was mentioned in connection with the case of Kirwan, and Mortimer Redmond is the name of the detective.  Mr. O'Callaghan—l would say that under the 6th and ith Will. IV., the commissioners are the proper authorities to whom you should refer. Mr. Boswell—That is my difficulty, and therefore I thought that the best course would be to make this application to your worship. The charge against Redmond is a very serious one, and it cannot rest until it be brought before a committee of the House of Commons. I don't want to prejudge the case, but I thought it my duty to make this application. I intend to bring the matter before the Lords Justices. Mr. O'Callaghan—Then I decline to interfere. Mr. Boswell—My position in:this matter is a most painful one. This man (Kirwin) has been charged and convicted as a murderer. There have been very improper attacks—in mtopinion—made in the press on the jury who tried him, but I have nothing whatever to say to them ; however, I think they ought to cease. Kirwan Las been charged with the murder of two or three other persons, and single-bonded I have coped with the authorities and compelled them, silently at least, to admit eliesvteinpg by that step, this I extraordinary have no the t slightest that these charges are totally unfounded. From inquiries havelitationin be mad case is founded in a frightful conspiracy. Mr. O'Callaghan—Seeing that it is your intention to bring the matter you speak of before the Lords Justices I decline to take any step. Mr. Boswell--I feared that the investigation before the Lords Justices would tbe secretly carried on. I will not say another word to your worship. I will adopt the course now left, to me, and will send the declaration of this lady, verifying all the facts, before the Lords Justices. Mr. Boswell (who was accompanied by A lacbr, attired in black) then withdraw.
The Sun. — 1853-09-09 (London, England)

PRISONERS. smi naens s, present,hnt th ewpt prisoner wn iosthheidn thing oa at xalilt upondo hwither. ft he e The total cost of the prison, exclusive of buildings, amounted to 12,562/. 18s. 6d. After deducting the woman earnings of the prisoners, a sum of 2,008/. ls. 3d., and Mr. A. D. Ellis was next called, and the moment he house-rent paid by officers, 192/. lis. 6d., the net cost appeared in the witness-box the prisoner said, in appealof the prison was 10,362/. ss. 9d., and the daily average ing tones, to the alderman, " Oh,lord,this my fellow's number of prisoners during the year being 563, the net a Jew:, (Laughter.) The witness said : As I was cost of each was 18/. Bs. id. passing through Hounsditch, at ten minutes past twelve, I saw a man fall upon his back in the street. I crossed over to pick him up. The prisoner had her hand in his pocket, and was taking out different things, and at the same time intreating him to get up, "For' " said she, "if the policemen come here and find you drunk, you will be fined 51." I thought, from her manner and what she said, that she was his wife ; and I was going to leave them, when the policeman came up, and the prisoner then flung a pocket-book which she had taken from the gentleman into the road, and let some money she had in her hand fall to the ground. I helped the policeman to pick up the money. When the officer took her into custody she saw another woman, who had not interfered at all, and immediately accused her of having robbed the gentleman, and made an effort to seize her. Alderman Salomons : Did you see the prisoner take the pocket-book from his pocket ?—Witness : Most distinctly. • Alderman Salomons : Did you see her strike him ? Witness : No. S. Obie, 694: At five minutes before twelve I saw the prisoner and the prosecutor in Church-passage, Bishops. gate-street. The gentleman was lying on the ground. The prisoner said, "He has been drinking, and I can't get him home. He is very obstinate." We then lifted him up, and I asked him whether he could walk ? "Oh yes," said the prisoner, "he can walk if he likes. We have been to the Bank, and he has put in 1001. there today." I said, "Do you know him then ?" She replied, " Yes he married my sister ; " and she then said to him, " Will you go home to Jane, or will you go to the station-house ? ' He said that he would go home. " Oh !" said she, " Jane will be in a dreadful way when you get home." (Laughter.) I told him I'd take him to the station-house if he would not walk home, and she then took hold of him, and said, "Come along." I thought then that she was his sister-in-law. While I was taking her to the station-house she continued to scream out " murder," and that the Jew had committed a robbery upon her. At the station-house a half-sovereign dropped from her, and 3s 104 d. were found in her pocket.
The Sun. — 1853-08-15 (London, England)

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT, (THIS DAY•)  OLD COURT.  The August sessions of the Central Criminal Court were opened this morning, before the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, Mr. Commissioner Gurney, Aldermen Moon and Carden, and the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex.  The first edition of the calendar contains the names of 137 prisoners, of whom 56 are from London, 60 from Middlesex, 3 from Essex, 2 from the Admiralty, 7 from Kent, and 9 from Surrey. The grand jury having been sworn and empannelled, The Recorder proceeded to deliver his charge. He said he was happy to tell them that their labours would not be very protracted, as the calendar was, comparatively speaking, light. The number of prisoners was considerable, which was no doubt owing to the long interval of time which had elapsed since the holding of the last session ; but the great majority of the cases were of the ordinary character, and involved no points of legal difficulty. There was no case of wilful murder, or of the graver description of offences ; and although there were two cases of manslaughter returned upon the coroner's inquisition, he thought that in one of them at least there was not sufficient evidence to justify the finding of the coroner's jury. And so it seemed the coroner himself thought ; but coroners' juries were sometimes too prone to take the law into their own hands, and return verdicts which the evidence could not support. There was one case in the calendar which it was necessary that he should draw their especial attention to. It was the case of a person who was charged with having attempted to conspire with others to take away the life, or rather to murder a foreign Sovereign. Our constitution took no notice of the political offences which foreigners might have been guilty of abroad, but readily afforded them asylum when they were compelled to fly from their native homes ; but while they were partaking of our hospitality it was required of them that they should conform to the laws in all respects, and in the same manner as the rest of her Majesty's subjects. Well, then, there could be no doubt that if a British subject conspired or attempted to conspire to take away the life of a foreign Sovereign he would be guilty of a misdemeanour, and there could be no doubt that same law applied to a foreigner while he was living under the British Constitution. Now, in the case in question, the prisoner was charged with having attempted to get up a conspiracy to murder Louis Napoleon, the Emperor of France, and if the jury found that the evidence made out that he had attempted to induce others to conspire for that purpose, it would be their duty to return a true bill against him. There was no other case which called for any comment from him before dismissing the Grand Jury to their duties. The learned Recorder congratulated them upon there being a prospect that betting-houses would shortly be suppressed, and explained the nature of the change that was about to take place in the law with regard to the punishment of transportable offences. The Grand Jury then retired.
The Sun. — 1853-09-20 (London, England)

STATE OF RANGOON.—The Calcutta Star says since our last issue we have received two mails from Rangoon, which have brought us' lamentable accounts of the resolutionmisery and destitution of the entire population of Pegu. There is a famine in the land. Rice, the staple produebefor justification tion of the country, and upon which inhabitants are "I am, Ste.,_ The the inquest, the vi • as much dependent for existence as the Irish were upon "J. W. HILL, Governor." potatoes before the famine of 1846, is so excessively the for the future there was no which . was enclosed stated that, as dear, that it is beyond the means of any but the richest the prisoner resolution had directed the e similar circumstances n ire) al us4tsh,ority for taking to purchase enough to keep body and soul together. A send dswitliinnlicgmh justices small basketful, which is here sold for about a shilling, conformity with h roner, adoptedue to act in there costs sixteen ! A letter from Proms of the 11th to his appointmentpreviously of July states :—" Some hundreds of families came in and approved by the goNur:tstances, from the jungles a week or two ago in a state of starvethe following terms :--« Not atho- 1 t. was in tion indescribable. Forty of them died in one night." committed for re-examination a rnagistyraterisoner A most liberal subscription, amounting to 600 r., was be highly . charge of homicide before the no ohon a raised among the officers at that station, and many e has competent to be starvin people were relieved ; but, though the subserippresent at the inquest, unless city hadam obneg by the arrivals rity for so doing." He was sureaisokn wash a most humane and munificent one, we may satisfactory to the jury, wouldnotwithstanding the littlew at, unless a miracle could be performed, is so the justices, that Lord Palmerston entertlinteision ofso many By the last accounts the searjection to the course which he (the coroner) hadr:ointed onollfyoriino et hferom mostc aplaeruttitaal mannerhut thalleviated e out. The noble lord (the Home Secretary) had, implied an approval of that course, but, in factconsegn' 116 to 20 vevsasesls ofasding grain on the Ist inst. of an of the hostility displayed in other quarters to the office average tonnagel u fotO tons, and of which, we believe, of coroner, they were unable to conduct that inquir , some have already for Rangoon. In the meanwhile in so satisfactory a manner as they might otherwisey the whole country '' y is overrun with bands of dacoits. , The river is so • have done. ! venture infested with them, that no merchant will Mr. Pound stated that he had seen the accused upon , with up ; and it is said, that ,the even the commissariat the previous day, and that he had expressed his readi- 1 Chronaice/tr"g cuard dreads passage. The Rangoon ness, and, indeed, his wish, to be present during the in- ; else but e which we last received was full of nothing vestig•ation by the coroner. ! THE murders, dacoit. ASSAULT UP its, starvation, and cholera. ON WO No new witnesses being forthcoming, those who had Isaac Davis, the "