npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1869-04-26 (London, England)

THE STORY ABOUT HARE, THE " BURKER."   On Saturday, at the Bow-street Police-court, William Hawkes, a blind man, of somewhat remarkable appearance from his tall stature and Herculean proportions, and wellknown at the court as having been repeatedly charged with begging in the streets, applied to the sitting magistrate, Mr. Flowers, for advice.  I The applicant said he had been subject to a great deal of annoyance in consequence of the following paragraph having appeared in a daily paper :—" Hare the Barker,Still Alive.—Persons accustomed to pass through Trafalgarsquare will have noticed from time to time a sturdy and disreputable beggar who is blind of both eyes. • This fellow is a notorious scoundrel. He is no other than Hare, the associate of Burke, in the Edinburgh murders, who originated the term Burking ' forty-one years ago. Hare turned King's evidence, and saved Lis own neck from the gallows. Subsequently he went to work under a borrowed name, but Lis fe low-workmen discovered who he as, and threw him into a lme-pit, and there both his eyes were burnt out. Ile now appeals to the charity of the public, Rho have, of course, no idea who he is." Since the publication of this paragraph many persons had conceived an impression that he was the blind beggar referred to, and he bad been annoyed by people asking if Lis name was Hare. He wished to know whether he bad not some remedy against those who had so injured him. Mr. Flowers asked how he knew that he was the meant.  The applicant said he knew by the description.  Mr. Flowers : I see the description is " a sturdy and disreputable beggar." (A laugh). But there might be other beggars, and they might be sturdy and disreputable. A woman who accompanied the applicant said it was mentioned that he stood in Trafalgar-square. Mr. Flowers : Yes, and you stand there, too— to beg ? The Woman : He stands there, and is asking alms. Applicant : No, Ido not beg. I do not ask for alms. I stand there, if anybody gives me anything— Mr. Flowers : You do not refuse it ? (A laugh)._ Applicant : No, Ido not. (Laughter.)  Mr. Flowers : I thought not. (Renewed laughter.) But I presume—though I really have no right to ask you, and you are not bound to answer unless you like—you are not Hare, are you?  Applicant : No, sir, I aint him. (A laugh.) He used to beg there, but he is dead.  Mr. Flowers : Then you clearly are not the man. (A laugh.) If you can chew that the paragraph was levelled at you, you have an action for libel against the papers that inserted it. (Laughter.)  The Applicant: That is too dear a way for rue. (Laughter.)  Mr. Flowers : Then write to each paper that inserted the paragraph to say you are not the man.  The applicant left the court muttering something to the effect that he only wanted to vindicate his character, and that there ought toke justice for a poor man.
The Sun. — 1869-05-05 (London, England)

JOBBERY IN NEW YORK.  A living wonder is now to be seen in New York. A blight has fallen upon that great State in the shape of a Governor, (Mr. Hoffmann, Democrat). who, to ow utter amazement of his own party, will not tolerate jobbery and public plunder, if he can help it. The Democrats thought they would reap a rich harvest, especially in New York City, in consequence of their success in carrying the State elections. They were mistaken. Numerous Democratic jobs have been pushed through the State Legislature, only to meet with the veto of the Governor. Most of these were grants of charters for laying down railways in the streets of New York city, and were worth immense sums. Sanction for all these schemes has to be obtained from the State Legislature, which ,like Congress, consists of two Houses. It is no secret that a majority in both Houses, including both Republicans and Democrats, is heavily bribed to pass these charters for street railways in favour of speculators. The competition is so notorious that members, says the correspondent of the Daily News, make no attempt to deny that they receive bribes as regularly as their official pay. One job is of special flagrancy. This is a charter conferring on the grantees a right to lay a track in Broadway, the value of which may be guessed from the fact that Mr. A. T. Stewart, who violently opposes it, offers to pay three million dollars for it, if given to him, and to carry passengers over it at half the usual rates. But the State L:•gislature pays no attention to this offer. The charter has already got to the third reading in the Senate, and the bribed representatives of the people persist in giving the right of this tramway to a set of utterly unknown men. But jobbery has a powerful opponent in the Governor, whom the Democrats themselves elected. He has vetoed smaller tramway jobs, and he evinces an evident determination to do likewise with this great Broadway swindle. Nevertheless, the Daily News correspondent cannot entertain much hope that the Governor will be able to stem the tide of corruption in New York State, and particularly in New York city. Municipal affairs are in the worst possible condition. The Sheriff of New York is a notorious rowdy, and has served six months in penitentiary. He is a personal friend of a large number of roughs who fluctuate between villany and gaol. The deputy-sheriffs are all Irishmen, and mostly pugilists or ruffians of the lowest type. One of the sheriff's "friends" is now under sentence of death for the cowardly murder of a policeman in cold blood. Arrangements had been made for the execution, when proceedings were stayed by a writ of error. But had the sentence been carried out, the Sheriff's personal relations with the prisoner were such that he could not have been present, and he had provided a substitute. Almost every office under the city government is filled by Irishmen of low character. More than one judge of the Supreme Court is purchaseable by the highest bidder. Such are State affairs in New York.
The Sun. — 1869-05-05 (London, England)

JOBBERY IN NEW YORK.  A living wonder is now to be seen in New York. A bight has fallen upon that great State in the shape of a Governor, (Mr. Hoffmann, Democrat), who, to the utter amazement of his own party, will not tolerate jobbery and public plunder, if he can help it. The Democrats thought they would reap a rich harvest, especially in New York City, in consequence of their success in carrying the State elections. They were mistaken. Numerous Democratic jobs have been pushed through the State Legislature, only to meet with the veto of the Governor. Most of these were grants of charters for laying down railways in the streets of New York city, and were worth immense sums. Sanction for all these schemes has to be obtained from the StateLegislature,which,likeCongress, consists of two Houses. It is no secret that amajority in both Houses, including both Republicans and Democrats, is heavily bribed to pass these charters for street railways in favour of speculators. The competition is so notorious that members, says the correspondent of the Daily News, make no attempt to deny that they receive bribes as regularly as their official pay. One job is of special flagolgy-arlaikis R.charter conferring on the grantees a right guessed from the fact that Mr. A. Sfelit6vllerviolently opposes it, offers to pay three million dollart for it, if given to him, and to carry passengers over it at half the usual rates. But the State Legislature pays no attention to this offer. The charter has already got to the third reading in the Senate, and the bribed representatives of the people persist in giving the right of this tramway to a set of utterly unknown men. But jobbery has a powerful opponent in the Governor, whom the Democrats themselves elected. He has vetoed smaller tramway jobs, and he evinces an evident determination to do likewise with this great Broadway swindle. Nevertheless, the Daily News correspondent cannot entertain much hope that the Governor will be able to stem the tide of corruption in New York State, and particularly in New York city. Municipal affairs are in the worst possible condition. The Sheriff of New York is a notorious rowdy, and has served six months in a penitentiary. He is a personal friend of a large number of roughs who fluctuate between villany and gaol. The deputy-sheriffs are all Irishmen, and mostly pugilists or ruffians of thelowest type. One of the sheriff's "friends" is now under sentence of death for the cowardly murder of a policeman in cold blood. Arrangements had been made for the execution, when proceedings were stayed by a writ of error. But had the sentence been carried out, the Sheriff's personal relations with the prisoner were such that he could not have been present, and he had provided a substitute. Almost every office under the city government is filled by Irishmen of low character. More than one judge of the Supreme Court is purchaseable by the highest bidder. Such are State affairs in New York.
The Sun. — 1869-01-15 (London, England)

THE NORWICH MUADER.—It is stated that the destruction of the flesh in the remains disinterred this week in connection with the investigation now proceeding at Norwich into the mysterious murder committed in that city in June, 1851, is due to the action of lime. It does not at present appear how it has happened that remains which were supposed to have area preserved in spirits of wine have suffered from the presence of lime. The circumstance seems to increase the difficulties of au already complicated case.  THE PROSECUTION OF 711 E DIRECTORS OF 0 VEREND, GURNEY, AND COMPANY (LIIIII7 ED). .  The further heating of this case was pro• ceeded this morning before the Lord Mayor and Alderman Gabriel, in the Court of Queen's Bench, Guildhall. A considerable time was occupied in reading over the evidence of Mri Howell, the accountant, given on the last examination. Mr. Thomas Howard was the first wirness He said he was a gentleman, and did nothing for a living. (Laughter.) They made him a bankrupt in 1866, and he obtained his discharge. In July, 1865, a debt of £331,000 was transferred to the new company as a debt of his owing to the old firm, but' in reality only owed them a small sum, nothing like that amount. He shout say it was about £200,000. Messrs. Overend and Gurney had dischargul him from all liability previous to the transaction referred to. Ile was not able to pay Gurney and Co. £331,000 on the 31st July, 1865. He attributed all his difficulties through being security for Mr. Lever, of Galway. lie did a deal for Mr. Liver, over £300,000, but he handed all his property and securities over to Messrs. Gurney and Co., and they released him. Mr. Cock, whose name stood amongst the securities of the old firm for a very large sum, was examined as eo the transactions he had had with thh old and new companies. Mr. Lewis, asked the witness whether he could give any explanation as to the large sum that appeared to have been paid to him by the new company after the transfer. He said he could not; he certainly had not received anything like the amout represented. Mr. Sergeant Parry said the name of his witness was merely a representative one he had conducted and arranged business for the firm, and the payments set down to his name did not imply that he had received the money. He acted for Mr. Gordon amongst others. Mr. Lewis, in reply, said Gordon had failed in 1862, and yet the debt of Mr. Cock increased £90,000. Mr. Sergeant Parry remarked that was very unfair to put it in 'that manner the letters " P. D. and 0," placed under Cock's name showed that it was placed on behalf of a certain railway in Ireland. Mr. Cook said when Gordon stopped the Messrs. Overend held certain shares in some unfinished railways, and the Gurneys' advanced certain money to complete those railways. In that matter he (Mr. Cook) acted as their agent. The firm always held shares nominally of a larger amount than the sum advanced. Mr. Lewis—You mean that if the ra
The Sun. — 1869-06-04 (London, England)

INFANTICID.E IN LONDON.  On Thursday evening, Dr. Lankester, the coroner for %Antral Middlesex, delivered a lecture on this subject to a large audience, in the Freemasons' Hail of the metropolis. Mr. Charles Reed, M.P., presided, in the absence of the Earl of Shaftesbury. Dr. Lankester, after a scriptural and historical retrospect, proceeded to deal with the question as it addressed itself to the Christian world, and bore upon the well-being of society in modern times. Infanticide he defined to he the destruction or murder of a new-born child, but under another name the law als,) took cognisance of the destruction of a child before it was born. He proposed to deal with the former of these crimes, and to draw ui on his cwn experience for his facts, thus following in the footsteps of the late Mr. Wakley, who, like himself, had heen wrongly accused of exaggeration while treating of this matter. In 1863 there were 55 cases of infanticide in his district; in 1864, 56; in 1865, 61 ; in 1866 i 5; in 1%7, 53; and in 1868, 52; but in too many instances he had discevered a tendency to return open verdicts of " found dead" or "still-born." According to the judicial statistics of the H ome Office, the ratio of the crime for the whole of England was 1 in 170,000 of the population, and in Middlesex 1 in 20,000, while for the central and western districts it was 1 in .12,000, confirming him in the opinion that the crime was mainly confined to the domestic servants of the Westcud.. indeed, on an average of five years the return for Clerkenwell was 1 jn '0,C00;1 St. Pancras, 1 in 20,000; :Nlarylebone, 1 ,inelo,Coo ; Paddington; lin 8,000 ; and Islington, lin 6,000. Having shewn that the mother was generally aliThW in the murder and disposal of her child, Dr. T.ankester went on to assert that the verdicts returned afforded no indication of the actual number of cases. • He believed Mr. Wakley was right in fixing it at :;00 a year, and as the murderess was generally twenty years of age, and seldom repeated her crime, taking the average life of women at CO, it followed that there were 12,000 women living who bad committed the offence. He next glanced at the deaths occasioned amongst mothers and the effects of " baby farming," observing that half the children upon whom he held inquests were illegitimate, and that from 40 to 80 per cent. of children admitted into foundling hospitals die within the first year, and concluded by stating his cure for the evil, which was to be worked through the pulpit, an alteration of the bas tardy laws, as not more than one in seventy of the fathers contributed to the support of the child, the substitution of other than the capital punishment for the crime, a certified registration of births, as in Ireland and Scotland, and of still-borns, as on the Continent, and the enactment of punishments for the concealment of pregnancy.
The Sun. — 1869-06-04 (London, England)

IIVFANTICIDE IN LONDON.  On Thursday evening, Dr. Lankester, the coroner for Oentral Middlesex, delivered a lecture on this subject to a large audience, in the Freemasons' Hail of the metropolis. Mr. Charles Reed, M.P., presided, in the absence of the Earl of Shaftesbury. Dr. Lankester, after a scriptural and historical retrospect, proceeded to deal with the ritiestion as it addressed itself to the Christian world, and i;ore upon the well-being of society iu modern times. Infanticide he defined to be the destruction or murder of a new-born child, but under another name the law also took cognisance of the destruction of a child before it was born. He proposed to deal with the former of these crimes, and to draw upon his own experience for his facts„. thus following in the footsteps of the late Mr. Wakley, !tclio, like himself, had beer. wrongly accused of exaggeration while treating of this matter. In 1863 there were 55 cases of infanticide in his distri,t ; in 1864, 56 ; in 1865, 61 ; in 1866, 75; in 15'.(77, 53; and in 1868, 52; but in too many instances he had discovered a tendency to return -open verdicts of " found dead" or "still-born." According to the judicial statistics of the riomeOffice,the ratio of- the crime for the whole of England was 1 in 170,000 of the population, and in Micidiesex 1 in 20,000, while for the central and western districts it was 1 in 12,000, confirming him in the opinion that the crime was mainly confined to the domestic servants of the Westend. Indeed, on an average of five years the return for Clerkenwell was 1 in 30,000 ; St. Pancras, 1 in 20,000; Marylebone, 1 in 10,000 ; Paddington, lin 8,000 ; and Islington, lin 6,000. Having shewn that the mother was generally alone in the murder and disposal of her child, Dr. Lankester went on to assert that the verdicts returned afforded no indication of the actual number of cases. He believed Mr. Wakley was right in fixing it at 300 a year, and -as the murderess was generally twenty years of age, and seldom repeated her crime, taking the average life of women at 60, it followed that there were 12,000 women living who had committed the offence. He next glanced at the deaths occasioned amongst mothers and the effects of " baby farming," observing that half the children upon whom he held inquests were illegitimate, and that from 40 to SO per cent. of children admitted into foundling hospitals die within the first year, and concluded by stating his cure for the evil, which was to be Worked through the pulpit, an alteration of the bastardy laws, as not more than one in seventy of the fathers contributed to the support of the child, the substitution of other than the capital punishment for the crime, a certified registration of births, as in Ireland and Scotland, and of .still-borns, as on the Continent, and the enactment of punishments for the concealment of pregnancy.
The Sun. — 1869-08-10 (London, England)

MURDER OUT AT LAST.—At the Southwark Policecourt, a hawker, named Kate Roe, alias C'‘..cl.lln, living at Brentford, has been charged with a murder committed year ago in the Borough. IL August 1868 there was a row in Parson's-alley, an extremely low neighbourhood, and an old man named Dennis engaged in a fight with a man named Roe. While this was going on, Mis. Roe fetched " a chopper," and struck Dennis two blo son the head and one on the arm, from which he died. The woman absconded, and has only just been apprehended. She was committed for trial.  The Times laments the increasing frequency and destructiveness of accidents in coal mines, both here and abroad. At Dresden the slaughter is greater than in many an engagement, and is even more distressing. In war ,death is anticipated, and public honour and gratitude bring some consolation to survivors. But here, in the midst of happiness and industry, a sudden destruction falls upon a quiet village or district. Within a single hour it is found " there is not a house where there is nut one dead ;" children are rendered orphans, and women made widows and childless at one stroke. Why are such disasters constantly allowed to pass with but cursory notice? The Times thinks that our miners have some ground for complaint. At the time the second reading of the Irish Church Bill was being debated in the Lords the late explosion at the Ferndale Colliery was reported, and a French journalist, commenting on the news from England, observed that a tenth part 'of the skill, the energy, and the labour employed in that debate would probably find some means of averting such catastrophes. The lives of our colliers are at least as important as those of our cattle, for whose protection an elaborate measure has been carried this session, and the Government are now forcing through the two Houses more than one minor measure which would certainly be postponed if other lives than those of Miners were concerned in a Mines Regulation Bill. No doubt the men are apt to expect too much from the Government, but we are also apt to expect too much from the men. This fearful disaster in Saxony will, perhaps, rouse the attention of scientific men, who are generally forward enough to try- to mitigate the sufferings and dangers of humanity. But we trust also that the memory of this summer will be all that is necessary to induce Parliament to give full attention to the subject next session. We du not presume to say at present who are chiefly to blame, but in the face of these frequent calamities wo all stand The Rev. Dr. hiller has contradicted a statement condemned. Public money and public thought ought not , to be grudged in order to avert occurrences which are somewhat confidently made, that Mr. Gladstone had offered equally distressing and discreditable to the country. him the Bishopric of Salisbury. The Herald remarks that an unforeseen consequence has ensued from the singular policy adopted by the present.
The Sun. — 1869-12-02 (London, England)

FEZVIANISM IN THE SOUTH OF IRELAND.  The Cork correspondent of a contemporary writes : Some hopeful signs are beginning to shew themselves through the gloom of Irish politics. There are indications of a reaction amongst the middle classes against the overhearing dominion of Fenian agitators and sympathisers which wo have had to endure for some time past. In the town council on Monday, Alderman Daniel O'Sullivan, our famous ex-mayor, had a motion to vote £lOO out of the public funds for the families of the Fenian prisoners, and from the tenour of things lately, it was believed a few days ago that no one would venture to oppose the proposal, though it was admitted that the intended appropriation of the money was perfectly illegal. However, the result of the Tipperary election seems to have brought people to a sense of the danger of allowing these things to go by default any longer, and when Alderman O'Sullivan rose to move his resolution, he found the whole council against him. The motion did not find a seconder, but, on the contrary, met with strong and outspoken opposition from 11r. D. A. Nagle and other members, who refused to appropriate public money to an illegal purpose. The alderman expressed great disgust at the unpatriotic spirit of the council. At the same meeting an amusing scene took place. A deputation waited on the council to request the removal of an unsightly hoarding in one of the principal thoroughfares in the City. It was generally admitted that the request was a reasonable one ; but Mr. O'Sullivan, having ascertained that two or three of the deputation were Conservatives, rose and solemnly declared that the council should grant no "concession" to the Conservative party. He moved that the hoarding be not removed. The farce convulsed the assembly. An outrage significant of the murderous spirit with which Fenianism is inspiring the people is reported from the neighbourhood of Mallow. On Friday night the waterbailiffs on the Blackwater noticed a party of fifteen men fishing for salmon at the opposite side of the river, it being now the close season. The bailiffs did not care to encounter so numerous a body, but one of them, for the purpose of alarming and driving off the poachers, discharged a pistol loaded with blank cartridge. The flash revealed the position of the man, and instantly a rifle shot was fired at him from the opposite side, with such true and deadly aim that the ball grazed his face, carrying away his upper lip and a portion of the gum. The unfortunate man fell into the river and was carried down the stream for semo distance before he was rescued by his companion. The poachers remained at their work until they completed it, when they took their departure in a leisurely manner. In the neighbourhood of Kanturk, not far from the scene of this occurrence, there were no fewer than three incendiary fires on Sunday morning. Three large ricks of hay, belonging to three different persons, and each at a considerable distance from the other, were set on fire about the same time and entirely destroyed