npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1868-05-02 (London, England)

TWO TRAGEDIES.  MURDER OF A SOLDIER.—A murder has been committed at Horfield Barracks, near Bristol, by a sergeant of the 2nd Battalion 3rd Buffs, who killed one of his comrades by inflicting two bayonet wounds upon his head and side, and then shooting him through the body. The prisoner, Sergeant John Maxwell, was a sober, steady, well-conducted man, but would appear to have been possessed of an uncontrollable temper, which at times led him into acts of violence. We purposely preface our account of the tragic occurrence with this description of the accused, because it will be observed that the prisoner acted in such a manner that the only reasonable and at the same time charitable construction to put upon his actions is, that he was suddenly seized with 41 fit of temporary insanity. There is, however, no evidence to sustain this view, for beyond the fact that shortly before he committed the act It had a quarrel with his wife, and in a sudden paroxysm of rage broke some of the furniture of their room, the testimony is that he was throughout the day sober, steady, and orderly. Between eight and nine o'clock in the evening the occupants of the barracks were suddenly alarmed by hearing five distinct repo is of the discharge of a rifle, following each other in rßikl succession. Officers and non-commissioned officers ran from their quarters, and went in the direction of the sergeant's mess, whence the report had proceeded. Colonel Pearson, Colour-Sergeant Howarth, and Sergeant Jenner was first upon the spot, and they found Private Robert Sy non lying upon the steps at the entrance to the mess-room. Colonel Pearson and Howarth lifted him up, and observed that he was dead. Colonel Pearson held the body up, and despatched a man for the surgeon, while Sergeants Howarth and Jenner-, went into the mess-room in search of the person who had fired the shots and to call assistance. Behind the door they found Sergeant John Maxwell, rifle in hand, and having his sword bayonet fixed. They seized him, and Jenner took the rifle from him, while Howarth retained his hold of the prisoner, who struggled with him, trying to escape from custody, and they both fell to the ground. Assiltance was speedily at hand, and he was then removed to the lock-up. Upon the surgeon's arrival he examined the body of Synon ; he was quite dead, and there was a bayonet wound upon the forehead and in the side, and a bullet wound in the back. No one saw the prisoner fire, but it is believed that the deceased, like his comrades, was alarmed at hearing the discharge of a rifle, and that he went to seize the prisoner to prevent him firing, when he attacked 'him with the bayonet. and afterwards shot him. Deceased was an exceedingly well-educated man, and had not an enemy in the regiment, and so far from there being any motive for the outrage, there was not, as far as could be ascertained, the slightest feeling of animosity existing between the accused and any of his comrades.
The Sun. — 1868-02-10 (London, England)

ACTIONS AGAINST E.1.-GOV.ERNOI2 _LYRE.  On Saturday, in the Queen's Bench Chambers, before Mr. Brewster, two applications were made in the civil proceedings that are being carried out against Ex-Governor ' Eyre, arising out of the Jamaica disturbances. After the refusal of the Shropshire magistrates to commit Mr. Eyre on the charge then brought against him of the murder of Mr. George William Gordon, Mr. Alexander Phillips and Dr. Robert George Bruce each brought actions against Mr. Eyre to recover damages, in Mr. Phillips's case for false imprisonment and assault, and in Dr. Bruce's for false imprisonment. In the application in " Phillips v. Eyre," Mr. Warburton Pike, instructed by Messrs. Sheen and Roscoe, appeared for the plaintiff; and Mr. Petheram, speeial pleader, instructed by Mr. James Anderson Rose, represented the defendant. Mr. Pike said that the defendant had pleaded not guilty to the action, and also that he was indemnified by the Act of Indemnity passed by the Jamaica Legislature shortly after the disturbance had been suppressed ; and the plaintiff by the present application sought to join issue upon the facts, to demur to the plea of indemnity; to new assign further acts, and to allege that part of the trespasses complained of were committed out of the jurisdiction of the Jamaica Legislature. Mr. Petheram objected to everything. except the joinder of issue, and urged the blaster at once to refer the matter to the judge then sitting (Mr. Baron Pigott), as it was one of such great importance. The Master said he would not be justified in referring a summons to the judge without some valid reason, and in this instance he could discover none. It appeared quite clear to him that the plaintiff had as much right to raise an issue law to be tried by the court, as he had to raise an issue of facts to be tried by a jury, and he thought his application should be granted, in order to enable him properly to bring the case before the court. Mr. Petheram said it was so clear that the defendant was protected by the Indemnity Act, that the demurrer raising that question could only be for the purpose of delaying the case, and he would again respectfully urge the Master to refer the question to the judge. The Master said that if when the demurrer was delivered it turned out to be frivolous, the defendant could take out a summons to set it aside ; but he did not see that because the defendant was the Ex-Governor of Jamaica he should do that which he should not do in an ordinary case. He decliued to refer the summons to the judge, and granted the plaintiffs application. The application in " Bruce v. Eyre " was for an extension of three months' time to deliver his declaration in this action. After reading the affidavits, the Master said Mr. Shaen must have time to commuiicate with his client in Jamaica, and he would therefore grant the necessary time within which to deliver his declaration. The result of the present applications is that one at least of these actions will be tried at the sittings after Trinity Term.
The Sun. — 1868-01-08 (London, England)

CHARGE OF CHILD MURDER.  Sarah Amos, unmarried, was iodic' ed for the wilful murder of her female infant. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. The prisoner was a domestic servant in the service of a person residing at Newington, and suspicions having arisen as to her condition she was questioned, but denied that she was enciente. However, the questions were pressed, and she at length admitted that the fact was true, and that the body of the child would be found in her box in ha bedroom. Search was made, and, as the prisoner had said so, the body was found with a piece of red worsted tied tightly round its throat. .There was no evidence to show that the child had been born alive.  Mr. Fox, the medical gentleman, who had made a post mortcm examination of the body, was of opinion that it had. The learned Judge, in summing up the case, said the law of murder applied to all alike, women as well as men, the age of the person whose life was taken away not in the least altering the case. The question for the jury to decide was, did the deceased child die by strangulation ? It was not suggested that it ever lived, or that it died of any other cause. Mr. Fox, the surgeon, said the death of the child was caused by the tying a piece of red worsted so tightly round its neck that he was. prevented from getting more than the tips of his fingers between it and the neck of the deceased. Then they would have to decide whether murder. the dedeceased was strangled by the prisoner, and whether the intention was to kill ; if so, then it was his duty to tell them that she had been guilty of There was, however, another very important point for them to consider and decide, and that was, was the death of the child caused by the prisoner intending to facilitate the birth of the child ; and if so, although it bad been born alive and had been strangled by the prisoner in so doing, then it was his duty to tell them that they could not find a verdict of guilty of wilful murder against her. Taking into consideration all the evidence they would have to satisfy themselves that the infant bad lived a separate existence from the mother, and if they could not come to a certain and indisputable opinion that such was the fact then they could not return a verdict convicting the unhappy woman at the bar of murder. There was, however, an indictment against the prisoner of concealment of birth, which of itself was a very serious crime, and he felt bound to tell them that there was abundant evidence to enable them to arrive at a conclusion as to that part of the case. The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of not guilty of murder, but guilty of concealment of birth and recommended her to mercy. The learned Judge sentenced her to imprisonment with hard labour for 15 months. •
The Sun. — 1868-01-08 (London, England)

CHARGE OF CHILD MURDER.  Sarah Amos, unmarried, was indicted for the wilful murder of her female infant. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. The prisoner was a domestic servant in the service of a person residing at Newington, and suspicions having arisen as to her condition she was questioned, but denied that she was enciente. However, the questions were pressed, and she at length admitted that the fact was true, and that the body of the child would be found in her box in her bedroom. Search was made, and, as the prisoner had said so, the body was found with a piece of red worsted tied tightly round its throat. There was no evidence to show that the child had been born alive.  Mr. Fox, the medical gentleman, who had made a post mortem examination of the body, was of opinion hanituitrder applied to all had. The Judge, in summing up the case, said the law of learned alike, women as well as men, the age of the person whose life WAS t taken away not in the least altering the case. The. question for the jury to decide was, did the deceased child die by strangulation ? It was not suggested that it ever lived, or that it died of any other cause. Mr. Fox, the surgeon, said the deat. h of the child was caused by the tying a piece of red worsted so tightly round its neck that he was prevented from getting more than the tips of his fingers between it and the neck of the deceased. Then they would have to decide whether the deceased was strangled by the prisoner, and whether the intention was to kill ; if so, then it was his duty to tell them that she had been guilty of murder. There was, however, another very important point for them to consider and decide, and that was, was the death of the child caused by the prisoner intending to facilitate the birth of the child ; and if so, although it bad been born alive and had been strangled by the prisoner in so doing, then it was his duty to tell them that they could not find a verdict of guilty of wilful murder against her. Taking into consideration all the evidencc, they would have to satisfy themselves that the infant had lived a separate existence from the mother, and if they could not come to a certain and indisputable opinion that such was the fact then they could not return a verdict convicting the unhappy woman at the bar of murder. There was, however, an indictment against the prisoner of concealment of birth, which of itself was a very serious crime, and he felt bound to tell them that there was abundant evidence to enable them to arrive at a conclusion as to that part of the case. The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of not guilty of murder, but guilty of concealment of birth and recommended her to mercy. The learned d udge sentenced her to imprisonment with hard labour for 15 months.
The Sun. — 1868-08-26 (London, England)

ALA. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park, London, W., begs to tuneless birds" of his new home, all alike fall victims AuSizinxt 26, B. T. 1,...f,:l W. 12 9 murnt his customers, and the Licensed Victuallers in general, forward which show that the work is progressing. that he has been appointed Agent for the above-named paper in to the wanton sport of those who belong most cer- Nairn - 2 ddition to his agency for the Sporting Edition of " THE SUN," The tug of war is as yet far off, and we can only thinly Aberdeen tail can supply the came on Friday evening, if required, in town to Womoswormi's matter-of-fact primrose Leith - _ Ir country. surmise what will be the extent of its fury and Shields - 3 G. R. G. begs to inform the Trade that he is Agent for the gazer, and to whom a living thing, however beau- c3e9aarb°oruotrh .. 58 54 W. '' W. 4 1 W.N.W. c.b.r. -_-.. 1 LATEST EDITION of "THE SUN," and can supply it earlier the excitement of its course. Mr. SAM U DA, ti Helder . - - 30'16r. 56 53 S.W. 2 iltan any other man in London or Country the evening of publi ful or inoffensive, can never be anything more Cuxhaven :: _-_- 7- ----- 7- -: : 111itiun. No connection with any other persons. Baily's, Ruff's, now M.P. for Tavistock, has appeared as a Greencastle 29 791. 58 55 S.W. Skudesnms - - - - - - - - 'right's, and M'Call's Guides. All the Daily Papers, Maga• than an object to fire at! 63 5 W. c.r. 'o'o3 titles, and Periodicals as soon as published. Agent fur the Joint candidate for the Tower Hamlets, and last night HA rocllyr ho sea: : : 2390 i 0839: .. 585 7 5575 S.S.W.S.-IV. 4 6 S.W. r. 0.,0'17 5 6 N.W. r.c0,0-03 litoca Coal Company. Orders by post attended to. It would seem, according to Mr. NEWTON'S delivered his opinions to a meeting of the electors Liverpool .. 30•05 f. 58 54 8. L', 2 3 W. c.o. - 1 account, that these bird murderers have not con- Valentia.... ?29'91f. 60 58 W.S.W. 7 8 S.W. c.r. 0'23 a THE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN " at Poplar. He certainly did not mince matters or Cape Clear.. - --- - - - - tented themselves with depopulating the land, but Roche's enzan Pt. 29'98f. 58 58 S.W. 6 6 S.W. b.r. o'lo 4 supplied, as soon as published, Every Evening, by W. underrate the importance of the work before the CO .. 30•20/, 60 57 S.W. 4 4 N.W. c. - 3 AL EXA ND ER (late Brooks), Newspaper Agent, IN o. 4, Old Plymouth .. 30.22 r. 57 55 W.N.W. 3 N.W. c.m o'o3 I Cavendish-street, Oxford-street. new Parliament, for he declared that the issues to have been busy also at sea. For the most part, Weymouth 30'22. 60 57 S.W. . 3 3 W. c.o. - g Portsmouth 3022 r 58 55 W 1 4 N.W. c.o. - / however, the slaughterers of the sea gullare actuated London ~.. 30'20r.. 56 53 W.S.W. 4 3 W.N.W. b.c. - _ WII O'S GRAINGER? LICENSED be decided now were more momentous than on any by the desire of gain, and are stimulated by the C'peGrisNez 30'02f. 59 54 S.W. 4 7 S.W. C. 2 Brest ...... 30'28r. 59 57 S.S.W. 4 4 S.S.W. b. - 3
The Sun. — 1868-11-04 (London, England)

GEN. ROBERT ANDERSON.—A public token of gratitud3 for the patriotic services of General Robert Anderson at Fort Sumter has been suggested. It is stated that the General has an invalid wife, who lost all her own means during the war, and two young children, whose education must be provided for; and his salary is his only resource. His health is broken by long service in the army, and by the hardships he endured while holding' Fort Sumter with a handful of men against the combined forces of the rebels in 1861.—Public Ledger.  At Ottawa, Henry Murphy, a Fenian prisoner, made a desperate effort to escape, nearly killing the turn' key in the attempt, which did not succeed. The convict Whalen, under sentence of death for the murder of RIGA now receives spiritual attendance from the parish priest. The steamer San Salvador arrived at Savannah, October 14, with the remains of Howell Cobb. The body was met by the mayor and aldermen, members of the bar, and citizens, and escorted to the Central Rail' road depot, from where a special train carried the remains to Athens, Georgia. The flags were displayed at half-mast. Harvard College has 110 seniors, 133 juniors, 161 sophomores, and 127 freshmen, in all 537 students. Bovv.doin College, Maine, has 213 students, of whom 80 sr° medical and 3 scientific.  Four men recently jumped overboard from 6 New Bedford barque and attempted to swim ashore, when eight miles off Flores, Azoras. One was rescued, but the others, ,whose names were E. C. Howland of New Boa' ford, George Supples of Fall River, and J. A. Barnes of New York, ware drowned. Josiah Perham, proprietor of the " seven rile mirror" and innumerable railroad and steamboat excursions, died at Boston, on Monday, Oct. 12, aged 6G. Theodore B. Potter, of Enfield, Connecticut, 110 just been appointed storekeeper under the new law, with salary of $1,500 a year, whether the distilleries run or not' Mr. George W. Childs, of the Philadelphia Ledger, not long ago presented to persons employed in re' sponsible positions in the Ledger office life insurance Policies amounting in the aggregate to $40,000, undertaking at the same time to pay the premium, about $3,000 per an' num, for ten years, at the expiration of which time the policies become, by their terms, self-spaying. Mr. 0,0.! comes t 3 Europe next month with his wife on a tour 01 quest of rest and health. Rev. S. B. Partridge and wife, missionaries to the Chinese in Siam, sailed from New York on the 9th' Rev. 0. C. A. Brandt, who was converted from Luther" anism to Romanism several years ago, and has since edited a Catholic paper at Buffalo, N.Y., has been recou" verted to the faith of Luther. The missionaries among the Dakotah Indians expect great additions to the mission churches, of which there are four in Dakotah territory. Joseph N. Blanchard, of Albany, New York, has received the Sawyer prize in the class of '7l at Ambers'. college this year, for excellence in the department of Or sical education and hygiene. '
The Sun. — 1868-09-02 (London, England)

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A POLICE CONSTABLE. ea-;  A police-constable of the G division of the metropolitan police and a warrant officer of the Worship-street Policecourt has met his death under circumstances which, np to the present time, are surrounded by the gravest suspicions and shrouded in mystery. The deceased's name was Charles Clay, 268 G. On Wednesday last he discharged his usual duties, and the following day attended at the Middlesex Sessions in a case wherein a man named Lambert was charged with fraud. That case, however, was adjourned for the attendance of a material witness, in search of whom the deceased, in company with a cab proprietor named Hurren, is known to have gone to Stoke Newington the same evening. From that time till about half-past eleven at night his time is unaccounted for. At that hour he was discovered by a person unknown stretched insensible on the ground in Norfolk Gardens, Shoreditch, a place infested by thieves and convicts of the lowest and most desperate character—a terror to that part of the metropolis; and on examination it was found that he had sustained a severe cut at the back of the head, and two bruises in the face, one of which was between the eyes, and the other on the left cheekbone. A constable's attention having been called to him, he was placed in a cab and conveyed to his home in Lever-street, Goswell-road. On the following morning he had rallied a little, but not having reported himself at the station a messenger was sent after him, and he then returned himself as on the sick list and unable to attend to his duties, but saying not a word respecting the manner in which he had come by his injuries, and soon afterwards, relapsing into insensibility, he gradually sank from that time, and died at half-past nine o'clock on Monday morning ; not one syllable having during the intervening time escaped his lips that afforded the slightest clue as to what had happened. The deceased was only in the 35th year of his age, generally esteemed at the police-office, and leaves a wife and three young children wholly unprovided for. The immediate cause of death is stated to be effusion on the brain. Norfolk-gardens lies in the eastern portion of the district covered by the G division of police, and over which the decease had control as warrant officer at Worship-street Police-court. On several occasions he has, in face of the threats of the thieves and roughs which infest the gardens, entered houses therein and arrested offenders who were " wanted." About five weeks ago the deceased visited Norfolk-gardens, about two o'clock in the morning, and removed from thence a man who was charged with being concerned in stealing a case of tea from a railway van, and he, after examination at the police-court, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour. The prisoner, it appears, was a member of the " Norfolkgardens Gang," and the deceased, on more than one occasion, has been heard to express a fear that at some time or other he should meet with foul play at thebands of some of the coterie, in revenge for the conviction of their associate.
The Sun. — 1868-09-02 (London, England)

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A POLICE.  CONSTABLE.  A police-constable of the G division of the metropolitan police and a warrant officer of the Worship-street,PoliceCourt has met his death under circumstances which, up to the present time, are surrounded by the gravest suspicions and shrouded in mystery. The deceased's name was Charles Clay, 268 G. On Wednesday last he discharged his usual duties, and the following day attended at the Middlesex Sessions in a case wherein a man named Lambert was charged with fraud. That case, however, was adjourned for the attendance of a material witness, in search of whom the deceased, in company with a cab proprietor named Hurren, is known to have gone to Stoke Newington the same evening. From that time till about half-past eleven at night his time is unaccounted for. At that hour he was discovered by a person unknown stretched insensible on the ground in Norfolk Gardens, Shoreditch, a place infested by thieves and convicts of the lowest and most desperate character—a terror to that part of the metropolis; and on examination it was found that he had sustained a severe cut at the back of the head, and two bruises in the face, one of which was between the eyes, and the other on the left cheekbone. A constable's attention having been called to him, he was placed in a cab and conveyed to his home in Lever-street, Goswell-road. On the following morning he bad rallied a little, but not having reported himself at the station a messenger was sent after him, and he then returned himself as on the sick list and unable to attend to his duties, but saying not a word respecting the manner in which he had come by his injuries, and soon afterwards, relapsing into insensibility, he gradually sank from that time, and died at half-past nine o'clock on Monday morning ; not one syllable having during the intervening time escaped his lips that afforded the slightest clue as to what had happened. The deceased was only in the 35th year of his age, generally esteemed at the police-office, and leaves a wife and three young children wholly unprovided for. The immediate cause of death is stated to be effusion on the brain. Norfolk-gardens lies in the eastern portion of the district covered by the G division of police, and over which the decease had control as warrant officer at Worship-street Police-court. On several occasions he has, in face of the threats of the thieves and roughs which infest the gardens, entered houses therein and arrested offenders who were " wanted." About five weeks ago the deceased visited Norfolk-gardens, about two o'clock in the morning, and removed from thence a man who was charged with being concerned in stealing a case of tea from a railway van, and he, after examination at the police-court, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour. The prisoner, it appears, was a member of the " Norfolkgardens Gang," and the deceased, on more than one occasion, has been heard to express a fear that at some time or other he should meet with foul play at the hands of some of the coterie, in revenge for the conviction of their associate.