npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1849-09-11 (London, England)

PARTICULARS.  Yesterday another important link in the evidence connecting the Meanings with the murder of O'Connor was discovered. It is well known that on SaturLy, the 11th of August, Airs. Manning hired a woman to clean the lower part of the house No. 3, MinverThue, but although every exertion has been made by the police to discover this person, they were unsuccessful until yesterday, when. Burton, after considerable difficulty, ascertained that a young girl was in the habit of attending several of the houses in the vicinity for the purpose of washing the steps and assisting the servants. He also heard from a neighbour that she was seen to enter Alanning's house at an early hour on Saturday morning. He accordingly made active inquires about her, and yesterday succeeded in finding her residing with her relatives in Bermondsey. Her name is Hannah Former, and she informed the authorities that about nine o'clock on Saturday morning, the 11th of August, Mrs. Manning called her into No. 3, Minver-place, and engaged her to clean the house. She c!eancl the upper part, and found several spots like blood on the wall of the passage leading to the kitchens, which she endeavoured to wash off. After she had cleaned that portion of the place she proceeded to the back kitchen, and was about to clean it, when Mrs. Manning came up to her and pulled her away, exclaiming " I cleaned this place yesterday, and it don't want scrubbing any more." The girl said that she saw a square basket in the back kitchen covered with lime, which Mrs. Manning told her to wash. While she was performing that office she found there was not water sufficient, consequently she left it as discovered by Burton. During the time she was in the house that day Mrs. Manning went out two or three times, and about twelve o'clock at noon Manning came down stairs and stamped with his foot, as if in a passion. He called out to his wife, " Give it me directly." Mrs. Manning replied, " Yes, I will directly," and she went upstairs; but she could not tell what afterwards passed. Manning remained in the house while his wife returned to the back kitchen and fried some beefsteaks for dinner. The girl said that the back kitchen was extremely wet, and that the stones in the passage appeared to have been recently rubbed with a brick or stone. She also found that the dust-hole was full of mould, dirt, and some mortar mixed with it. The girl was taken to the Home-office last evening by the police, to make her statement to the solicitor of the Treasury. Her evidence will be given at the next examination on Saturday. The cholera has attacked some of the witnesses since the last examination. Mr. Bassett, eerk to Messrs. Killick, sharebrokers, Bank-buildings, to whom Manning disposed of O'Connor's Eastern Counties shares, was suddenly attacked on Friday night with cholera, and expired on Saturday morning. His corpse was • interred on Sunday. Mr. Hammond was also attacked on Sunday, and is not expected to live. Both were in good health and spirits on Friday afternoon when at the Police Court.  ARRIVAL of
The Sun. — 1849-02-15 (London, England)

BURGLARY AND MURDEROUS ATTACK ON AN OLD MAN AGED EIGHTY.—On Wednesday night, or early on Thursday morning, a lone cottage at Bethersden, occupied, with a little laud, by an old man named Laws, who 80 years of age, and lives by himself, was broken into, and ransacked. The poor old man was struck, in a most brutal manner, by an iron instrument, two or three times, on the head, while in bed. Weltering in his blood, he crawled, after the thieves left the house, across to a neighbour's, living at a little distance, who rendered him every assistance. Two young men, named Millen and Sheepwash, belonging to Bethersden, were apprehended on Thursday evening, and taken to Messrs. Purley: and Mercers' office, at Ashford, yesterday, on suspicion of having committed the offence, and were remanded by the Rev. N. Toke. The blows were inflicted with a piece of iron, which, with the old man's breeches, have been found in a neighbouring pond. The thieves were evidently annoyed at not finding his watch, which he had sold a short time before while in distress. The poor man was alive last night, but it is feared he cannot recover.—Canterbury Journal. THE DUKE OF ARGYLL AND BISHOF TROWER A strange paragraph is going the round of the press, which reports that Dr. Trower, Bishop of the Episcopal Communion in the districts of Glasgow and Galloway, has actually excommunicated the Duke of Argyll on account of that nobleman attending the ministration of a clergyman ordained in England, but officiating in Scotland, without being under subjection to the local Bishop. We do not perceive what Dr. Trower had to do with the Duke of Argyll. His grace is a Member of the Established Church of Scotland, and altogether beyond the jurisdiction of that Rev. Gentleman. Lord Blantyre, the Duke's brother-in-law, is also mentioned as having been visited with the same sentence. If we are not mistaken his Lordship is also a member of the Scottish establishment. It belongs, we think, to Dr. Trower, through the medium of the press, to put the public right as to the true state of the C.I4P, for the rumour, however ridiculous, will be believed by thousands. Wero the Duke of Argyll really an Episcopalian, and attending the chapel of an English clergyman, we cannot see in what way he would be affected by the sentence of excommunication fulminated by the rastor of a body to which neither the clergyman or the lay Christian belonged.--Edinburgh Post._  ‘V To WHAT BASE USES," &c —Our readers' at ten tion may have been drawn to a large granite kerbstone at the east corner of Mr. Pyc's house, Gandystreet, which appears to have b; en part of an ancient cross, and subsequently used as the key-stone of Exeterbridge, erected by Welter Jervis, in the middle of the thirteenth century. When the bridge was tali, n down, in 1770, this key-stone was purchased by the late Mr. Nation for a guinea, and he placed it in the situation it now occupies,—Ereter Chronicle.
The Sun. — 1849-03-10 (London, England)

PARR:E.) Hannah Southgate, 29, a married woman, was indicted for the wilful murder of Thomas Ham, at the parish of Wix, by feloniously administering to him a large quantity of a certain deadly poison called a hite arsenic. Mr. R) land and Mr. R.Alwell conducted the prosecution; and Mr. Ballantiae and Mr. T. Chambers defended  the prisoner. The Counsel for the prosecution having opened the case, explained to the jury that the prisoner was charged with the murder of her former husband, Thomas 'dam. The principal evidence was that of a woman named Phoebe Reid, who had lived as servant with the deceased and the prisoner, and who deposed (as well as other witnesses) to frequent threats made use, of by the prisoner to take the life of her husband, and at his death to gratify her preference for another. This witness gave some vague and obscure accounts of tea and sago, or arrowroot, having been prepared by the prisoner for her husband, into whic.h she infused some powder, and added that after taking ;it the deceased became very sick and complained of violent pains in the throat. She also deposed to habits of intemperance and infidelity on the part of the prisoner, during the lifetime of the deceased, and said that her mistress had been on terms of intimacy with a woman named Mary May, who had been convicted at the last assizes of murder by poison, and executed, and that the two women had mutually rejoiced over the death of the deceased. In her cross-examination the woman. Reid made admissions which showed that her own habits were far from pure, and that she had been charged with theft. She also acknowledged that poison was kept in the house (and, as it appeared, in a very careless manner, so that any one might have access to it), I:or the destruction of rats, and that she did not believe„ when her mistress made use of the threats, that she really intended to kill her husband. . .  Professor Taylor, lecturer of chemistry at Guy's Hospital, deposed that on examination of the stomach of the deceased he detected a large quantity of arsenic, and that death was caused thereby. Mr. BALLANTINE addressed the jury OR behalf of the prisoner, and in the course of his speech he urged upon the jury that the evidence of the principal witness ought to have very little weight upon them, and that her own account of what occurred was highly improbable and inconsistent. Ho then commeated upon all the other facts of the case, and submitted that it was very possible the deceased might have taken the poison by accident. and that at all events in such a serious charge as this, and ono which upon conviction would undoubtedly entail such dreadful consequences, that the evidence was not so conclusive of the prisoner's guilt as to compel them, upon their consciences and the oath they had taken, to return a verdict of guilty. Mr. Baron
The Sun. — 1849-07-09 (London, England)

PROTEST OF HUNGARY AGAINST RUSSIAN INTERVENTION.  Count Ladislas Teleki, the Hungarian Envoy in Paris, has published the following protest, which he has received from his Government : " The Hungarian nation, struck to the heart, has triumphed with the aid of the Almighty over a revolt which a perjured dynasty has excited against the laws and the Constitution by intrigues and by force. The country has driven back as far as the frontier the Austrian armies, who, in order to cppress the liberty and the independence of the nation had invaded its territory. In virtue of its imprescriptible right as a nation, in virtue of the duty of legitimate defence, the Hungarian nation unanimously pronounced the fall of the house of Hapsburg-Lorraine, as perjured and criminal. Never did a nation tight in a more just cause. Never was a dynasty more justly punished; never had a nation more right to hope, that its Governent, the unanimous expression of the will of the people, may be able to efface, by supporting itself on order and peace, the traces of a long d, spotism. And nevertheless re see rushing on our frontiers in Gallicits and at Cracow the armies of the Czar, ready to invade Hungary at the first call of the house of Hapsburg, without any declaration of war. All these preparations prove that the house of Hapsburg does not hesitate to call in the aid of the Russians to re-establish its despotic power on the ruins of Hungary. The Hungarian nation is resolved to repel this fresh aggression. It is decided to shed the very last drop of its blood, rather than recognise for its master a King who is the murderer of his people. In coming to this firm resolution it religiously believes in the justice of its cause, because it is a holy one; but it does not the less protest, in the face of God and of all civilized nations, against the iniquitous intervention of Russia, which in the interest of a perjured despot, tramples under foot the right of natious and the imprescriptible rights of man. It protests in the consciousness of the duty of its self-defence to which it has been reduced. It protests in the name of that eternal right of nations, which has ever been the sacred foundation of the mutual relations between states. I protests in the name of treaties, of declaration, and of guarantees which place under the aegis of the sentiments of justice common to all people the existence of him who is threatened with death. It protests in the name of the balance of power in Europe, in the name of liberty and civilizstion. It protests in the name of humanity and of the innocent blood which cries for vengeance to the God of Justice. The Hungarian nation c.eints on the sympathy of every nation which loves right and liberty responding to this cry. But were it abintioned t,y all, strong in its conscience, it does not the less declare before God and betore men, that it will never yield 'o the violence of tyrants, and that it will straggle to its last breath in the defence of its rights against tile attacks of despotism. Let God, let the civilized world, judge between us and our oppressors. (Signed) "Count
The Sun. — 1849-01-03 (London, England)

SOUTHWARK.  Yesterday Henry Barron, a corn porter, of George street, Bermondsey, was brought before Mr. Cotting. ham, charged with committing an outrageous assaul on policeman 45 M division.  The policeman stated that on the preceding night, while on duty in George-street, Bermondsey, he heard screams of murder proceed from the prisoner's house, and on going to the door and listening he found that he was beating his wife, who still continued calling out for assistance. He (the policeman) knocked at the door, which was at length opened by the prisoner himself, who inquired what he wanted there; and when told that he came there to protect the woman who called out murder, the prisoner said that he had as business to interfere ; that his house was his castle, and that he should allow no person to enter without his sanction. The prisoner then hastily shut the street door, leaving the policeman outside ; and immediately afterwards cries of murder were again heard from within, when the latter, finding that he could not obtain access by the door, threw up the parlour-window with the intention of going in by that means to deliver the woman from the hands of her assailant. The moment, however, he appeared at the window the prisoner, who had armed himself with the poker, made a furious attack on the policeman, who, to avoid a blow aimed at his head with the weapon, warded it off with his staff, which was broken in halves owing to the violence with which it was struck with the poker. The prisoner then made another blow at the policeman with the poker, but the weapon slipping out of his hand he then ran to the fire-place, and snatched up a pair of tongs, when his wife, fearful that murder would be perpetrated, rushed in between the parties, and at length the prisoner, after a desperate resistance, was secured and taken to the station-house. The poker, and also the policeman's truncheon, were produced in court. The policeman added that the prisoner was not sober at the time, and when in that condition, which was frequently the case, his conduct to his wife, and others who interfered for her protection, was violent in the extreme. The prisoner said that he was only having a scuffle with his wife, and that the policeman insisted on ; entering his house, and broke two panes of glass in the attempt—that he and his wife could settle their differences without the interposition of the police; and he (prisoner) admitted that he armed himself with the poker to seek recompense for the breakage of his window, and that he was struck in the first instance before he retaliated.  Mr. COTTINGWAM said that it was providential for the prisoner that he was not standing at the bar on a charge of murder, for if the blow aimed at the policeman's head had not been warded off in the manner it was, in all human probability it would have fractured his skull, the broken condition of the truncheon exWhited the tremendous violence which rfiliet hive
The Sun. — 1849-01-03 (London, England)

FELONIOUSLY SHOOTING.—Thomas Millesent, described in the calendar as a sailor, was indicted for feloniously shooting at Mary Ann Millesent, his wife, with intent to murder her or do her some grievous bodily harm.  Mr. Payne conducted the case for the prosecution, and from his statement and the evidence adduced it ap• peered that the prisoner and the prosecutrix were husband and wife, but that they had been separated since May last. On the 15th of December last the prisoner went to the house where the prosecutrix was residing with her brother, in Greenfield-street, Whitechapel. Upon his going to the house ho was shown into the parlour, and the prosecutrix, upon going to him, asked what had brought him there, to which the prisoner replied, " His legs." The prosecutrix replied she supposed they had. She saw that be had something in his hand, down by his side. She enquired what he wanted there, to which the prisoner replied, "I am come to pay off old scores." The prosecutrix then asked prisoner what he had in his hand, to which he replied. "Something for you," meaning the prosecutrix, and he immediately fired off a pistol at her. The prosecutrix was not injured, but she screamed out, and her brother came in and seized the prisoner, upon whom were found two pistols, one which had been discharged, and the other loaded. The loaded pistol was in the prisoner's pocket. The prisoner was then given into custody. Three days previous to the transaction the prisoner bad called at the house and saw the prosecutrix, to whom he stated that he would shortly pay off the old score.  - The prisoner, in his defence, denied that he had any intention to injure his wife; that the pistol going off was caused by his wife catching hold of his arm, and as a proof of that the shots wero found on the carpet, which would not have been the case had he fired the pistol at his wife. The truth was the pistols were intended to put an end to himself, for, in consequence of the conduct of his wife's brother he had been made most miserable, and whatever might be the consequences to himself he would have his revenge upon him one day or other. Some witnesses gave the prisoner a good character for humanity. Mr. Justice PATTESON summed up, and The jury Acquitted the prisoner. Mr. PAYNE then called the attention of the Court to the threats made by the prisoner with respect to the brother of the prosecutrix, and trusted that the Court would take notice of it in some way or other. Mr. Justice PATTEsorr very feelingly admonished the prisoner, and told him that if he carried his threat into execution the consequences would be fatal to himself. Mr. PAYNE submitted to the Court that it had the power to call upon him to obtai❑ sureties for his peace. able conduct towards all her Majesty's subjects. Mr. Justice PATTESON did not think himself justified in adopting such a course. The prisoner was then ordered to be discharged. UTTERING COUNTERFEIT COlN.—John Greenfield, 21, a shoemaker, was convicted of feloniously uttering counterfeit coin, and sentenced to nine months' imprisonment and hard labour.
The Sun. — 1849-02-08 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET.  Anne Mallandine, a squalid and wretched-looking young woman, in an advanced state of pregnancy, was placed at the bar before Mr. Hammill, charged with having attempted to murder her son, a boy seven years of age, by throwing him into the Regent's Canal, and also to destroy herself. Mr. John Stoddart, a clerk in the service of an extensive builder, named Palmer, at Haggerstone, stated that he was standing outside his employer's countinghouse, within a few yards of the canal, at four o'clock on the preceding afternoon, when he observed the prisoner grasping her boy tightly by the hand and forcing him across the towing-path in the direction of the water. The little fellow, who was: evidently muck terrified, appeared struggling to release himself, and repeatedly called out, " Don't, mother, don't," but the prisoner continued to drag him on till they reached the edge of the bank, when she suddenly caught him up in her arms, and flung him into the canal. The prisoner then rapidly divested herself of her shawl, and was in the act of untying her bonnet, when witness rushed forward and seized her, and a friend having come up at the moment, he consigned her to his charge. He then hastened to the side of the canal, and finding that the boy was completely exhausted with his struggles, which had carried him some distance from the bank, witness instantly plunged into the water, and having fortunately reached him as he was on the point of sinking, succeeded in getting him out, and directed his instant removal to an adjoining public-house, where he speedily recovered from the effects of the immersion. On questioning the prisoner as to her motive for such an unnatural act, she replied that her son and herself were both starving, and had not broken their fast since the preceding morning. The prisoner was thereupon given into custody, and the poor boy was removed to the workhouse. A lad named John Wilding corroborated the foregoing evidence, and added that the prisoner in the first instance endeavoured to lure the boy to the bank, by showing him some ducks that were swimming in the water; but as be hung back in evident anticipation of her design, she at once resorted to the forcible means described by the last witness to effect her inhuman object. Police-constable Heath, N 428, stated that upon taking her into custody, the prisoner expressed her regret that the assistance afforded by the witnesses had not arrived a few minutes later, as she wou:d then have been spared the trouble of going before a magistrate or anybody Else. On being asked if she wished to say anything, the prisoner, who was dreadfully agitated, replied in a faint voice in the negative. Mr. HAmme directed the depositions to be at once made out, and after eulogising the intrepid and praiseworthy conduct of Mr. Stoddart, which had been the means of saving two lives, ordered the prisoner to be committed to Newsgo le;
The Sun. — 1849-10-10 (London, England)

LAMBETH.  Stephen Alfred Ja-dan alias Dowland, who has been in custody since the 19th of last month on a charge of attempting to murder Sarah Frances Ewings in Dulwich-wood, by cutting her throat and beating her on the head and face with the butt•end of a pistol, was placed at the bar before Mr. Elliott for final examination.  The first witness called was the young woman E wings, who had been brought from Guy's Hospital in a cab, and who is still in an exceedingly weak state, and still bears on the left side of her face the marks of the prisoner's murderous attack. She deposed as follows :—I have known the prisoner for more than a year and a half, and kept company with him for that time, and am at present in the family way by him. In the month of July last I went to live in Francis-street, Newington, and the prisoner came there several times to see me. On Wednesday, the 19th of last month, I received a letter from the prisoner through the post, desiring me to meet him at eight o'clock at Brixton Church. I went to Brixton Church at that time, and there I met the prisoner. He asked me how I was. I had not seen him for a fortnight before. He told me had taken a lodging, at Croydon, that he had got three months' wcrk there, and that he was going to take me with him. He told me to write a note to my landlady, to say she would hear of me in a day or two. He had got paper and a pen and ink, and I stood under a lamp-post at Brixton Church while I wrote a note to my landlady, as he desired, on the cover of a book which he also had with him. I addressed the note to the landlady and gave it to him to put in the post. He asked me ale) to write a note addressed to him, that he might show it, as he said, to my friends if they asked him about me, and he told me to write in it that he would hear from me in a day or two. I wrote that letter as he requested, and gave him the letter with the other to put in the post. I consented to go with him to Croydon, but before doing so I said " How can I go without clothes ?" and he said "Never mind them, you can go without them for a day or two, nobody will see you, and I will come up with you to fetch them." 71 then consented to go, and asked him whi▪ ch way he was going? Ile replied that he was goi▪ ng to Penge-conirnon, to take the train from there to Croydon ; he sad the lodging was a quarter of a mile from the station at Croydon. We walked together for about an hour, and I did not know what way we were going, but he told me we were goini;. to Dulwich-wood. We walked along lay the side of the woad for some time, and we then got over a stile. He said that was the way. Then we got amongst the bushes. There was a narrow path with bushes on each side. We went a little way along that path. I walked first for a little way, but then I told him to go first as he knew the way better than I did. He