npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1891-10-31 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

TERRIBLE PUNISHMENT FOR  MURDER.  TIED TO A STAKE AND ROASTED.  While a well.known planter of Atalanta (Texas), John Lowe, was absent from his home on Saturday last,ia negro, named Lee Lewis, who had been in the employ of Mr Lowe, went to his house armed with a shot-gun, and demanded of Mrs Lowe that she should give him all the money she had. The lady rofused, whereupon Lewis riddled her with buckshot. As this did not cause death Lewis took Lowe's Winchester ride from the *el and shot her through the heart. The ' fiend then picked up her body and threw it into a well at the back of the house. Returning, Lewis found the two-year-old baby of the murdered woman crying, whereupon he took it out, of • its cradle and threw it into the well upon its ' mother, the fall instantly killing the infant. Lowe's little boy then began to cry and call for help, and the negro procured an axe for the perpuss of killing him. The boy ran to the well and lumped into it, injuring himself internally, though he lived long enough te tell the Mot./ of the murders. The assassin, eating the boy stirring in the bottom of the well, threw doxern,an iron pot and several 'nig' stones, with the intention of finishing him. Lowe returned home late on Saturday mght, and, not finding his family, gave the alarm, and the search was begun. Not until bieligaht on Sunday morning, however, were the discovered. The little boy was found to he alive, though mortally hurt, and, being revived, be told his father that Lee Lewis had murdered his mother and baby sister. A search party tracked Lewis to Kildare, thirteen miles from Atalanta, where he was captured. The sheriff took charge of the prisoner, and prevented the volunteer searchers from lynching him on the spot. The citizens met It midnight, however, and resolved to take vanAt two o'cloil on Monday morning a body Silicarned men went to the gaol and forcibly entered, mpelling the gaolers to give up the key of the murderer's cell. Taking him out, the lynchers conveyed him to Lowe's house the , scene of his murders, where Lewis confessed his crime. It was the unanimous opinion that hanging was too good for the murderer, and it was resolved to barn him at a stake. More than 1,000 persons were present during the lynching, including a large number of negroes, who helped to gather wood for the execution. A tall stake was driven into the ground, anu the wood was piled up four feet high all round it. Lewis was bound to the stake, and the dry wood was then Brad- Lewis begged for mercy, but the crowd only replied with curses. As the tisanes mounted, sight of the negro was lost in the fire aud smoke. His body was reduced to ashes.  ition  STANHOPE AS A HEALTH RESOlO.—The Stanhope Health Resort Association have commenced to open out Stanhope Burn Wood and its scenery to the public by the temporary emotion of one of the rustic bridges which bare to open the Burn at selected -- The one erected ta at a - the Dog lf.'ooL  sy..#W lutownAwally
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1891-11-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE INQUEST.—VERDICT OF " WILFUL MURDER" RETURNED. The inquest on the body of the murdered woman, Margaret Addison, was held on Monday morning at the New Inn, Hettonde-Hole, before Coroner Maynard and a jury, of which Mr John Nicholson was foreman. The jury having viewed the body, which was lying in the house of deceased, adjourned to the inn. The following evidence was taken Christopher Addison, miner, and son of deceased, identified the body as that of his mother. She was 47, and was the widow of John Addison, labourer. Johnson had lodged with them, but left about a month ago. He had since frequently visited the house. On Saturday, at a quarter past nine, I Johnson was in the house. Witness saw him I , snexpen the razor to shave himself. Johnson did I not speak, and as soon as he had finished shaving he went out. He heard no words between his mother and Johnson, and he had never heard him threaten her. His mother left the house at a quarter past ten, Johnson having gone out , about half an hour previously. Deceased was going to the train with the intention of paying a visit to I her mother. She was not going to be married. William Walker, roau-tabourer, Essington Lane, said that on Saturday, about ten minztee past ten, he was working on the road near Speangwellterrace, when he saw Mrs Addison coming along. She spoke to him, saying, "It's a dull morning. A little girl named McCormack was passing at the same time. About three minutes after William Johnson gassed, and he said, "Are you cleaning up, Willie r and witness replied, "Yes." He passed on, and the next thing he heard was , a shot fired, and the girl ran back , 'to him screaming, There's a man shot a woman." Witness immediately turned round, and he heard ' another shot fired. He could only see Johnson's back. Johnson WIN stooping, and witness could not see the woman, but on going into the road to get a better view he saw Johnson straighten himself up and go away. He would not swear, however, that it was Johnson, The man got up and walked towards Bog-rowWitness then walked towards the woman, who was lying on the footpath on the side of her face. She appeared to be quite dead, blood oozing from her face. She did not scream or make any noise whatever. He sent for the police. He had knewn both parties before. By Dr. Delegh: He could not say whether deceased had Wien before the second shot woe fired. Sarah Ellen McCormack, a girl aged 14, said she saw Johnson crossing Four Lane Ends to get on to the pathway, about a quarter-past ten, She had previously seen the woman walking towards Hatton Railway Bridge. Johnson made up to the woman and tapped her on the shoulder. She glanced round, 9,nd he said something, but witness could not hear what it was. Johnson then drew something from bie breast pocket, and Lod. Deceased
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-04-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

STRUGGLE WITH A MURDERER.  FOILED BY A BRAVE SISTER. The story of a heroic struggle with a would-i murderer has been extracted from Miss Mar Smith, aged 22, who lies in St. Georges Hospital, London, suffering from three bullet wounds. Her mother is a widow, who lets apartments in a house at Kensington, and the injured girl is the eldest of three daughters. Some time ago a young man named Alfred William Rayner, who lodged in the house, wanted to pay his addresses to her uoxt youngest sister, Johanna, aged 19, but the mother and bisters united in disapproving the match. He left the house in November last, but subsequently tried on several occasions to renew his courtship of Johanna. Johanna, who had given back to him his engagement ring and a photo. graph, would, however, have nothing to do with him. A few eveuings No he went to the house, after an absence of sonic months, and when a lodger opened the door he asked to son Johanna. In answer to the lodgers call, the youngest sister, Jane, 16 years of age, went to the door. Rayner explained to her that be had got a berth ou board a ship, and had come to say" goodbye' to Johanna. But Johanna—with good cause, as subsequently appeared—was afraid to face her discarded lover. Jane went to the door, and told Rayner her sister would not ace him, but Rayner refused to go away. Suddenly be rushed up stairs with a revolver. Mary came out on the lauding with a lamp in her hand and tried to prevent him goingl into the room where her sister was. She saw he had a revolver in his baud, and in great terror ritia6.l ibo alarm. Johanna at that ifiement opened the sitting-room door a little way and looked out. and Rayner fired at her. Mary, afraid her sister would bekilled, bad put up her arm, and the bullet went through her wrist. A desperate struggle took place. Mary tried to recede into the room and shut the door. In the scuffle the lamp was blown out. Rayner got partly into the doorway, and whilst Mary was trying to shut the door against him he fired in the direction where he supposed his sweetheart to be. This bullet also struck Mary, and lodged in her shoulder. She Bank exhausted, and Rayner got past her into tho room. By the flash of the second shot he had aeon his sweetheart crouching in a oorner Ho fired again, but in the dark. nose she had changed her position, and Mary got this shot also throd,gh her wrist. Rayner then ran down stairs. In the hall the youngest sister tried to hold him. There were three young men near the door, and she asked them to assist her, but they refused. Rayner shook the girl off and got away. It was believed he had gone on board a ship for Belgium. The police took Johanna to Antwerp to identify him, but the man suspected proved to be a stranger.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-11-03 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SHIPLOAD OF WOMEN CONY! 3TS.  The Russian steamer Petemberg arr:veil at Colombo on Satur?sy, September 2Ah. On enquiry (says the Colombo correspondent of the Jikily Nee's) I found she was a convict ship conveying female prieonore from Odessa to Saghalien, the long narrow island off tha east coast of Siberia belonging to Russia. She has on board one hundred female convicts, &number of women who are the wives of men who were taken out in the Nizhui Novgorod, and about forty nas• servers, besides officers and crew. I enquired if there were any political prisoners amongst the women. "No, none," was tho reply. "Do you know that 75 par cent, of the prisoners on board this ship are women who have been sentenced to Siberia for the murder of their hue. bands ?" I gasped. "And almost the whole of the other 25 per cent. are women convicted of in cendiarism—setting fire to houses that were insured for the purpose of obtaining the insurance money. One of them is for uttering false coin." "1)0 you send uo political prisoners by sea ?" " Scarcely any. In fact, political pmBoners are very rarely sent to Saghalien, which is the place where all the convict; transported by sea are taken to." "Are the women always kept below, or do you allow them on deck any time for exercise?" "At sea they are on deck all day, from seven in the morning till sunset, if they like. Of course, they are only women, and we have not so much reason to fear a revolt amongst them as if they were men. But these women have good food, and they look a great deal bztter now than they did when they left Odessa, as most of them had been in prison for two or three years." "I should think with a steam or hotwater hose ready to turn on them at the first signs of insubordination, as I understand you have, the convicts would very seldom mutiny. Have you ever known them to do so ?" " Never." "What is done with the convicts on arrival at Saghalien ?" "They Sort have to work their times in the mines (coal mines), and thou they are allowed to settle on farms if their conduct has been good. They have their wives and children there, and some of them get quite wealthy, but they are not allowed to leave the island. Those whose conduct has been geed have full liberty in every other respect. The ground is very fertile in some parts, and the climate is a very good one." "You have • very wholesale way of keeping your male prisoners clean by trailing a hose on to them, I believe ? Are the women bathed iii the same way ?" "Yes, they are put into • big box, into which a number of pipes, wanmunicate, and the water is turned on. also have a chewer-bath every day at the game time." You ye tried were them.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-12-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE BATTLE OF FYLANDS BRIDGE.— Before the Auckland Bench onMondayChristopher Scott. Thos. Brown, and Wm. Scott, three young men, belonging West Auckland, were charged with having on the 17th inst. assaulted Frederick Carling and Ann Carling, his wife. Mr J. T. Proud defended.—The prosecutor stated that he had charge of the Fylands Bridge Brick Shed, and ; about half-past 11 o'clock on the night in Ties. ! lion Brown was standing near the shed, when he j asked him what he was doing there, when Brown struck at the prosecutor with a boot, and knocked hint down. Whilst he was on the ground the two Scotts kicked him. He shouted for assistance: which was soon forthcoming, arid regular affray occurred, buckets and sanitary I pipes being freely used.—Thos. Johnson corrom! berated the prosecutor's story, and said that I Brown was tipped over the embankment just as if he had been a lump of rubbish. (Laughter.)—Mr Proud (to the witness) : Would you like to be tipped over the embankment —Witness:? Yes, if I deserved It. Laughter.)—Mr Proud: Do you often tip people over ?—The witness : No. (Laughter).— The next witness, whose name was Mitchell, proved to seeing the defendants kick both Carling and his wife whilst on the ground.—The witness said when he heard shouts he went to one of the shed doors and saw one of the defendants , standing with a pipe in hia hand l ready to throw it. Witness then rushed round to the other door, when a pipe was thrown, and witsess had to dodge his head to miss it. (The witness here gave the ;Bench a performance of how be dodged the flying pipe, which caused much amusement in the Court.) The witness admitted having a stick with him, and that he used it very freely, as the man came for murder. He also helped to put Brown over the embankment. Brown asked for mercy, and witness showed him mercy.-Mr Proud (to the witness): Is that the way you show mercy at Fyland's Bridge, by tipping a man over an embankment ?—Witness: Xci. (Laugh- ! ter.)—Mr Proud, for the defence, stated that the defendants were at Auckland on the night in question, and in going home to West Auckland they lost their way, and landed at Fylaud's Bridge. They then crossed over the fields to get on to the West Auckland road, and in doing so had to pass through the brickyard. Brown asked Carling the road home, when, without any provocation, be felled Brown to the ground, and gave him a black eye. The other men then came op ands regular affray occurred. The defendants had been off work since, owing to the injuries they received in the affray. The Bench characterised the assault as both a gross and unprovoked one, and fined each of the defendants El and the costs for having assaulted Carling, and a similar sum for having assaulted Mrs Carling. The three defew" Ants were further charged with baring &one damage to pipes and bricks in She brickyard, the property of Thos. Reed.—The share having been proved, the Bench tined them U. 6,1 each. ld Carnage, and the costa.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-05-12 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE CYNIC.  There is no more contemptible character in life than that of the cynic, who sees everything through smoke-coloured glasses, and who studies human nature only for the sake of findfng flaws in it. With distorted vision, and with lips that wear an everlasting sneer, he goes through the world, always tearing the rose to pieces for the sake of revealing the worm at the core, and carrying about an atmosphere of gloom and disappointment. Without going into abstract questions, it may be pre• mised that one of the principal objects of life is happiness—happiness of the purest type that can suggest itself to any individual: but the cynic, with the poison of his half-implied condemnation af everything that 11 seems to offer itself as a mark for his sarcasm, is ever on the alert to pollute the springs of joy at the fountain-head. What are the objects of the cynic's attacks? They may be summed up in a sentence: the little things of life. The cynic forgets that in a great mosaic which the Divine artist is creating even the airiest trifles are necessary 'to the perfection of the whole. Even tho darker aspects of life have their uses, and throw the bright aspects of life into strong relief. But the cymc does not think this, but. finds food for grumbling and discontent in every phase of existenoe. Ile wages iliac:. warfare against the trivialities of life: relaxation and recreation with bins is folly • the inborn instinct of women to make themeelves as attractive as possilale he cant vanity; friendship, he contends, has reit. interest at the bottom of it; and love, ha says, is only another form of selfishness ; in fact, over everything that he has to do with there runs the slime of his deprecation like the trail of a loathsome reptile. He particularly delights in destroying illusions, but, unfortunately for those who come in contact with him, it is generally found that hecannes replace them: he does not create, and nothing can atone for his depreciation of the beautiful because it is evanescent, or tie good because it is sometimes more than neutralised by evil. Do such persons ever reflect that they are social murderers ! people who wilfully stifle the sense of enjoyment of life, not only in themselves, but in others? They may one day be called to amount for thus destroying in themselves a faculty which they assuredly did not ere!, how much heavier will be the reckoning there is added the guilt—for it is nothing le'3 —of having cast the shadow of their own cynicism over others, and deprived them of some portion of the sunshine of life which they would otherwise have enjoyed. Let us be true to Nature : let us leave cynicism. the creation of a morbid and unhealthy self esteem, alone: and let us strive to enov life to the utmost of the capacity with which we are endowed. So shall life be ennobled, not only for ourselves, but for an ever widows.: circle of human beings who shall be sisa brighter and happier thereby.—F. W. D.  wh, n  FOR CONSUMPTION, SCROFULOUS DISE asF.a, itc., SCOTT'S Esscrisfos OP Puns
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-07-14 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

HALLUCINATION.  When a lady and a gentleman are t;te-d-fite in a railway carriage, and the alarm bell is rung, it is invariably 'assumed that the sterner sex has been endeavouring to take some undue advantage of the weaker; but an exception to the general rule has just occurred in a train running from Lille to Paris. The occupants of the carriage in question were a florist, a married woman, and her baby. It was evenina, and the florist was soon in a sound sleep. Meanwhile, his fair neighbour, wishing to give her infant its sapper, had unearthed from the recesses of her travelling bag a bottle of milk, at which the child was busily sucking. *hen suddenly tho worthy man awoke with a start. To the infinite surprise of the lady ho displayed unmistakable 1 signs of terror. Pointing to the bottle he shrank into a corner. Soon he screamed and cried for assistance, and finally, despite all the efforts of the lady to calm him, he pulled the alarm-bell, and, opening the door, he fled to a neighbouring carriage, to the outside of which he hung. Meanwhile the train had been biought to a standstill. The lady kindly volunteered an account of the adventure. It was assumed that the man had jumped on the line, and on arriving at the next station the guard gave instructions that diligent search should be made for the body dead or alive. A few hours afterwards an extraordinary telegram, addressed from Paris by this hero to a friend at Lille, was intercepted at one of the post offices. He related that, worn out with fatigue, he had gone to sleep, when he was suddenly awakened by a lady who, with menacing gestures, pointed a revolver at his head. He called out for help, she hesitated, and, opening the door of the carriage, he was so fortunate as to effect his escape lions his would-be murderess, although the train was proceeding at full speed. When the engine stopped he was too frightened to alight, and for a long time he hung on to a carriage in the darkness, finally reaching his destination. He wished to ask his friend's advice as to whether he should lodge a complaint or let the matter drop altogether. There could be no doubt about it. This was the man who had stopped the Lille train. The police called at his house, and found the poor florist in a sad state of mind. He was still "all of a tremble," and he believed firmly that but for his promptitude he would have slle• ctimbed to the attack of an assassin. The cnly explanation of his panic is that, waking with a start from a nightmare, he had mistaken the bottle from which the baby was feeding for a revolver. The lady's protests only added fuel to flame, and the more she tried to convince him the more alarmed did he heroine. The mind of the unlucky florist is now quite unhinged by the trials through which he has passed, and the doctors are so far of opinion that the mischief has been entirely caused by the extraordinary hallucination of which he has been a victim.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-07-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

HORRIBLE MURIIER MARCHE:MUSS. A telegram from Madrid- Blip a mysterious murder has taken place there. The victim is , the aged Marchioneas of Varela, who lived alone with a servant in a flat in a hones , situated in the centre of Madrid. The 1 neighbours, who heard groans and cries, and noticed smoke issuing from the window, gave the alarm, but hours passed before the chief of , Police came and decided to burst open the door. 1 The Marchioness was found lying dead with 1 several stabs apparently from a knife in her chest and neck. Her dress, which was burning, and had half charred her lower limbs, was evidently est on fire by the assassiu with petroleum. The police were astonished to find the servant girl lying apparently unhurt on the floor of the kitchen, in which there was a large bull dog. She etated that the 11.552665i1l knocked her down and stunned her. It appears that an unknown young man dined with the Marchioness the evening before the crime. The girl says she did not notice or hear anything until she herself was attacked. Meanwhile she is kept in gaol. Curiously enough the mardered lady was found with her bracelets and valuable jewels on her. Her plate, money, title deeds, and securities were Ileft untouched. There is no clue to the perpetrator of the crime.  AWFUL CONFLA TION IN PENNSYLV THIRTY MY .  The destruction of the business part of the city of Dubois, Pennsylvania. and the loss of about thirty lives is reported in despatches re- . ceived by mail at Liverpool a week ago. Amongst the buildings destroyed were fourteen hotels and eight drug stores. Dubois was a city with 10,000 inhabitants, and by the counsaration 4,000 of the people are rendered homeless. The , fire was discovered about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 18th ult. at Baker House. The firemen were instantly summoned, but the Same: had got such a firm hold on the place that it was soon destroyed. The flames spread from building to Midair*, sod finally the , water supply became exhausted. The town was , then practically at the mercy of the fire. 'People were driven from their homes by the flames, and whole families were seen hurrying about the ! streets to escape the fire. This business part of the place was almost ent'rely coasumed, only one ! drug store out of nine being left, and only three hotels remaining out of 17. Firemen arrived from outlying districts, and took the piece of the exhausted Dubois firemen. The fire was eventually extinguished. The havoc of the flames was terrible, and the streets presented a shocking sight, women seeking their husbands, and children seeking their fathers and mothers, many of whom had been killed by the falling dibrtt or burned to death. It was estimated that about 30 lives had been lost, 20 being men, four women and the remainder children. The damage to property was said to be over £500,0..10.