npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1839-05-31 (London, England)

LONDON : FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1839.  The collision between the Medea and the Griffon was the subject of an explanation in the House of Lords last night, by the Earl of MINTa. What the Noble Earl stated does not much alter the case. If there was any aggression, he said, it must have arisen from the English ship running across the French vessel, which, it appears, took her for a Mexican cruizer. Petitions for the Extension of the Church in Scotland, and for the Uniform Penny Postage were presented in considerable numbers. The case of Colonel PRINCE occupied their Lordships for some time. Lord BROUGHAM having moved for several papers connected with the Colonel's conduct, Lord ELLENBOROUGH entered into an explanation and vindication of the Colonel's conduct, which he justified by the state of the country and the warfare that was carried on. He showed that the Colonel's conduct had been approved by a Court of Inquiry, and that he had been honoured by a public feast at Toronto. Lord BROUGHAM again denounced the barbarous conduct of the Colonel. The Marquis of NORMANBY objected to the production of the papers. The Duke of WELLINGTON denounced the sort of warfare which had been carried on in Canada, and called on the Government to put an end to it. His Grace only approves of slaughter when it takes place in the regular way, accoi ding to the rules of a soldier's art ; by which to burn a house and shoot its inmates is murder—to set a town on fire and slay thousands of its defenders is honourable. war. How practice,prejudiee, class ideas,influence the judgment! The papers were, of course, not produced, and Col. PRINCE'S character remains just as it was, honoured by men living on the frontier, and exposed to danger, but condemned by the inhabitants of towns, safe from every attack. The Lords sat till Eight o'Clock. In the Commons a great number of petitions were presented on the Ministerial plan for Education, most of them against it ; and in favour of the Uniform Penny  Postage.  Lord ASHLEY gave notice that he should move a call of the House for Friday, the day Lord JOHN RUSSELL is ,to bring on the education plan, when the Noble Lord said he would second the motion. The two parties are therefore to have a severe contest on that subject, and it looks ominous for the Ministers that several of their own friends presented petitions against it last night. We learn from the Watchman, that the Methodist parsons at Manchester, Salford, and probably other places, have been preaching against it, and the Methodists being united with the Churchmen, it can hardly he expected that the Ministers should succeed. In order to hasten business, it was agreed that orders of the day should hare precedence of motions on Thursdays.  In answer to a question put by Sir J. GRAHAM, Lord JOUN RUSSELL announced that the monopoly :'or printing Bibles in Scotland is not to be renewed.  Mr.
The Sun. — 1839-10-14 (London, England)

THE LATE MURDEROUS OUTRAGE AT THE UNITED SERVICE CLUB.—In a letter published this morning, Mr. Fenn states, that " on the evening previous to the lamentable affair, I went with Mr. Elder, toe then butler of the Club, to the Surrey Theatre, and returned with him about half-past twelve. I then went into the library, and saw the superintendent, with whom I conversed for a short time as usual, and then proceeded at once to my own room on the basement, which is situated so far away from all other rooms in the house, as to render it impossible for any cries proceeding from my room being heard in any other. As far as I am able to judge, I had not been in bed more than an hour and a half or two hours, when I was awoke by a blow on the forehead which nearly stunned me. I, of course, on the instant, jumped up, and struggled with all the desperate violence I could muster with my assailant, who appeared to have on a flannel jacket ; but I was at that moment struck by another man on the right arm so violently that I thought it was broken, when a series of blows followed upon my head, arms, and thighs, which eventually produced utter insensibility, in which state I lay till morning, when, on being aroused by some voice I crept to the door and called for assistance, the exertion of which so exhausted me that I sank down, and was found upon the floor by one of the servants of the establishment, who in the first instance threw a blanket over me, and then alarmed the house. When I recovered myself I found that I had two dreadful cuts across my forehead, which in both places reached to the bone ; five severe blows on the arms ; three upon the right and two upon the left, which are now distinctly visible ; and two black eyes, produced evidently by a blow across the nose, from which a piece of bone was extracted. The truth of this statement I beg leave to say can be proved by nearly the whole of the servants of the establishment; and yet in your paper, and certain others, with no disposition, I am sure, to blast the reputation of an innocent man, suggestions have appeared having a tendency to create in the minds of the public an impression that I inflicted the whole of this horrible torture upon myself, and that for the purpose of plundering the Club, whose servant I have been, without a stain upon my character, for upwards of thirteen years. These reports and insinuations, of course, operated upon the minds of the Committee, who, without giving me the smallest opportunity of explaining the circumstances, discharged me, and threw me pennyless upon the world, with a sick wife and four helpless children, without condescending even to inform me upon what ground, but left it to be inferred that they believed me (upon no evidence) to have committed the murderous outrage upon myself." THa _NEW
The Sun. — 1839-10-05 (London, England)

GLASGOW, SEPT. 27.-1 was at Kilsyth last night, or rather this morning, for it was nearly two o'clock before we got out, and heard such a rhapsody from young Mr. Burns, the great organ in the Kilsyth Revivals, as fnever listened to before—his sermon being a mere compound of enthusiasm, weakness, and trifling--not to mention the approaches to blasphemy which characterized some of his statements. Think only of such expressions as these--" This is Christ's shooting season," --and then asking the audience, " Have yon been shot ?"--.a:Haye you felt his arrows within you ?" Again, itralsis concluding remarks, he pressed upon all present not to leave the place, not to go out at the door without taking Christ in their arms—" Take an armful of Ctrist, and carry him home with you."  In answer to questions from the Coroner, the witness said that the father of Mrs. Brice had told her that he was sure she was mistaken as to the deceased saying that he had his dinner on the day in question, for he assured her he had not, but she said she was positive the deceased said what she had stated. A person who lived in the house next to Brown, the deceased's father-in-law, deposed, that after the inquest had been adjourned the first day, he overheard Brown say to some female to whom he was conversing in his garden, " Never mind, you have only to stick to the same story, and it will be all right." Scvcral witnesses were then called to depose to the various threats made use of by the wife of the deceased towards him.  Sophia Eastell, the person whom the wife of the deceased supposed- tb have been walking with him on the Sunday rderred Vo, was then examined. She denied that she had ever been on any terms of intimacy with the deceased, or that there was the slightest ground for the suspicion entertained by the deceased's wife.  The father and brother of Maria Brice were then called in and separately examined, but little information was obtained.  A woman named Pateman was called to prove that the deceased's wife told her that she must not be surprised if she heard a row—that she would do for her husband, and that she had looked out his carriers. Maria Brice here declared that she had not made use of any such expressions. The Coroner then, in consequence of the crowded state of the inquest room, adjourned the Court to the Sun inn, and after the Jury had re-assembled, he briefly addressed them. He observed that hi this case it was quite clear that the deceased died from the effects of poison, and that he had not administered that poison to himself, and there could be very little doubt but that he must have been murdered. The only question for the Jury was, whether the evidence would warrant them in charging any particular person with that offence, or whether they would return a general verdict of murder against some person unknown ; thus leaving the matter open for further investigation. The Court was then cleared, and at half-past one o'clock on Friday morning the Jury returned a verdict of °'Wilful Murder against Maria Brice, the widow of the deceased."
The Sun. — 1839-09-04 (London, England)

THE  (FROM A PASSENGER ON BOARD THE VESSEL.) The afternoon of the 24th ult. was wet and uncomfortable when Bolam embarked at Newcastle for the Hulks ; but after getting out to sea the rain ceased, and he came on deck, dressed in black, with a handcuff on, but which was shortly removed. His behaviour and countenance throughout the voyage was not of bold bravado or reckless indifference, but of calm and patient resignation, as of one who was humbled in the eves of his fellow men, and yet felt himself internally supported by a consciousness of his own innocence. He was naturally an object of curiosity on board, but it was so far restrained as not to be anyway offensive to his feelings ; to such of the passengers as entered into conversation with him he showed letters of recommendation from several respectable individuals. With one gentleman he conversed freely on his case, observing that on the trial, Appleton, the fireman, deposed to his being found with his hat on ; while, before the Coroner, Bell, another witness, swere to it being found upon the floor, which agreed with Bolam's own account of his being attacked, and his hat knocked off , but unfortunately, this last witness was not asked the question on the trial, now this was most important, as, if Appleton's statement was correct, then the whole of Bolam's declaration was false, and he was evidently the murderer ; but here two witnesses differ. He also mentioned the outer-door, which shut with a springlock, being closed by Robson at half-past eleven, and being found open by the firemen when the alarm was given. On it being suggested that a petition to the Queen in Council might perhaps procure a revision of the evidence, not only on account of its insufficiency, being altogether circumstantial, but his being arraigned for murder when the verdict was for manslaughter, and which some of the Jurors afterwards said they gave by the Judge's direction, though they thought it should have been guilty or not guilty, he seemed pleased with the idea, and expressed his obligation. As the steamer drew near Woolwich, about seven o'clock on Monday morning, the prison-ships were seen lying near  the shore. He looked towards them, and for the first time during the passage his lips were observed to quiver with tremulous emotion. A boat presently reached the vessel, his handcuffs vvere„again replaced, but before leaving he came forward, and expressed his obligation to the passenger alluded to for his unlookedfor kindness ; then holding out his fettered hands, he shook those of the other, saying with a mournful voice— " Ohl will you pardon me," as if he thought that every one would shrink from the touch of a convicted felon's hand. As the boat left the steamer, he took off his hat, and bowed humbly to all on board. Now that the public mind has sobered down from its first excitement, it may be questioned whether the evidence was sufficient to convict Bolam, and if doubtful, whether the humane maxim of English law,—that it is better for ninety-nine guilty to escape than one innocent to suffer—has not been lost sight of in the thirst for vengeance for so foul a murder.
The Sun. — 1839-06-24 (London, England)

MEXICO. DEFEAT OF TILE FEDERALISTS.-EXECUTION OF GENERAL  MEXIA.  We have just received papers and correspondence, which we will publish on Monday. It will be seen by thf extracts of the letters that the execution of Gen. Mexia but too true.  '" Vera Cruz, May 16, 1839 " By the schooner Water Witch you have, no doubt, been apprised of the de feat of the federal army, and the death o: Gen. Alexia. We are assured that he died a hero Urrea ant his company have taken flight. They arc gone, it is said, to rejoin the remainder of their troops at Tampico. Busta mente and Areste arc marching on this point; there is m doubt of their success. Their plan has been defeated b) the taking of Puebla, where they had ramifications, but which have now been entirely overthrown. " I have just learned, from an undoubted source, that General Alexia received the most humiliating insults from Santa Anna. Some few moments before his death be had been ordered to be shot with his back turned to the soldiery as a traitor to his country. This he refused, and lu was murdered in a yard, Santa Anna gratifying a personal vengeance.' "—Louisianian.. " The action took place six leagues from Puebla, at a place called Necarigo. General Mexia, with 1,000 men, attacked the enemy—the Government troops consisted of 9.500 men, under General Valencia. The action commenced on the 7th inst., at four o'clock, and lasted till ter. o'clock, A. M., during the whole of which period General Mexia fought with the most undaunted bravery, having taken the artillery of the enemy no less than three times, which was as often retaken. " When on the point of gaining a victory he was chased in the rear by Santa Anna, who had just arrived with 1.400 men from Puebla. His sudden and impetuous attack threw the Federalists into confusion, from which they could not be rallied. They fled in all directions, leaving their commander. Mexia, a prisoner to the Centralists. He was immediately ordered to be shot by Santa Anna, and tilt sentence was executed without delay. The loss on either side was not ascertained."—Bee. We have conversed with the captain of the schooner, G. H. Wetter, who left Vera Cruz on the 16th inst. H: informed us that the official accounts of Alexia's defeat had keen published at Vera Cruz ; but he came away without any newspapers. It appears that General Mexia had advanced, at the head of 600 men, to within five leagues of the city of Puebla, and that he gave battle to about double his force under two Generals of the Centralists; the action began about daylight, and victory favoured Alexia's small army for several hours. A little before ten  o'clock, however,- his battalions were suddenly charged from the rear by about 600 cavalry, under Santa Anna in person. The shock was irresistible ; Alexia's army was nearly all cut to pieces. Taken prisoner himself, he war tried by a drum-head court-martial in the afternoon, and  shot at five o'clock. " We understand that there have been some cases of the vomit° prielo at Vera Cruz. The city was quiet, and intercourse with the interior brisk as usual."—Courier. (From the New York Inquirer.)
The Sun. — 1839-04-19 (London, England)

WAR WIT," RANGOON. —There are many rumours relative to a war with Rangoon. Some papers say that it has been decided on, but that no movements are to take place for a season. Others have other assertions, so that we cannot certify anything. The Enterprise steamer left Madras for Moulmein on Tuesday, the 4th instant. A branch Bank has been established by a native, named Baboo Ram Comul, at Mirzapore, in connection with the Bank of Bengal. The Treasury tumbril of the Executive Engineer's Department at Poonab, was attacked on Saturday night by a gang of 15 or 20 robbers, who were repulsed by the guard. One sepoy was, however, amended in the fray. A letter from Patna gives a very distressing account of the sufferings of the 9th Regiment, in' the vicinity of that city. This corps, on its march from Cuttack, was overtaken by the rain at a spot called Neema Mudawa, and it will be seen from the following account, that the effect was disastrous in an uncommon and painful degree. It appears that incessant rain had fallen over the most part of the Behar on the 14th and 15th instant. The nights were excessively cold ; the people had nothing to eat for two days. The bullocks were all dreadfully harrassed, not having been changed during the whole march. The consequence was that the morning of the 17th, showed the road strewed with dead cxen, and dead men, principally hackery drivers. I saw the Commandidg• Officer of the regiment yesterday (17th),:and he told me that ten men were reported dead. The road, all the way from Neema Mudawa, is one scene of distress. The road itself is barely passable and backeries loaded with tents and baggage are sticking in all directions. No cattle to be got—and the drivers lying stretched—stiff and stark, in the mud.—Englishman.  Strange scenes sometimes occur at Exeter Hall when Mr. M‘GILEE and Mr. O'SULLIVAN make their annual exhibitions in support of Orangeism, but the extravagance even of these political fanatics sink into insignificance when compared with the late proceedings of the very Rev. the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr. What a contrast between these men and the Covenanters who once inhabited the same district ! The Covenanters, who hat-id Episcopacy, and with good reason, more. than Popery, suffered persecution and death fur the take of civil and religious iiberty, and the Camerons and Macfarlanes of the present day complain of the mutilation  THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 1839  of the Liturgy, and pass resolutions for inflicting on Roman Catholics the pains and penalties which that Episcopal Church inflicted on their forefathers. These men, not satisfied with having their own Church dominant, would repeal the Catholic Emancipation Act, destroy Maynooth College, take away all grants made to the clergy of the people in Canada, brand the Catholic Members of both Houses of Parliament as perjurers, and force the Government to destroy by fire stud sword the rights and privileges of one-third of their fellow-subjects, and all these atrocious deeds they would sanctify by prayer and humiliation, as CROMWELL sanctified the murder of
The Sun. — 1839-09-16 (London, England)

THE CHARTISTS AND THE CORN  LAWS.  TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sits,—l read in various Chartist newspapers that the " Corn-law farce" is about to be revived by the middle classes, and that the Chartists who have hitherto most. justly opposed it, are now to yield in base submission, and take a part in it. Nothing can be more unjust ; it the middle classes want cheap bread, let them join the Chartists to procure a just Government who will abolish all bad laws, but let it never he said that we were glad to join the enemy. If the middle classes do not know the effects of an infernal Government, or, indeed, feel the curse of such, we do, and are therelore determined to endure it no longer ; besides, what benefit -Pould arise from the repeal of this one Act ? Would it be followed by a total abolition of the murderous, " polgoweel soup," " coarser food," " painkss extitrtion," bastile god felon Poor-law ; useless standing armies ; base, brutat;. and blood-thirsty police ? No ; I deny it. Whoiskhee then, that is so lest to his own and his fellow-countrymen's interests as to demand a repeal of " the accursed Corn-laws" (as they are justly termed) ere he has a voice in the Legislature ? Who is he that, after having received so many base and unmerited reproaches, and ill-treatment from those infamous upholders, the middle classes, that would be so base as to bend before such oppressors, and cry " here we are, use us for your service ;" if such a fellow there be, let him be denounced as a turncoat and traitor, his actions being a sufficient reason for it. On with the Charter then ! Let the middle classes repeal the Corn-laws, if they can, but do not join them ; they boast of being more learned than we are, and, therefore, they can plead and agitate better, and the company will be more select ; besides their meetings are " lawful," and the police do not interfere with them, and therefore they need no aid that we could give them, nor, indeed (atter such base conduct as they have shown to us), should they have it if they did ? They now begin to feel the disastrous consequences of not joining the Chartists. Exclusive dealing, increased police rates (owing to the infamous Police Bills), Bastile rates, rural police, and many other things, are bringing them down by degrees, and they cry for cheap bread be cause they oannot furnish money for enormous taxation ; let them, however, console themselves with this reflection, that it was themselves that put such unprincipled " men" in office, and to them also we are indebted for the imprisonment are of upwards of one hundred Chartists, all of whom suffering dreadfully at the present moment, for no other crime than that of speaking against tyrants. Let all these things be taken into consideration, and where is the Chartist that would be so base as to assist in a repeal of the Corn-laws until the Charter becomes, as it shall be, "the law of the land."  A