npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Express. — 1866-01-03 (London, England)

CHILD FOUND IN A DCST-BIN.—An adjourned inquiry was held at the Elephant and Castle, King's-road, St. Pancras, yesterday, by Dr. Lankester, touching the death of a female infant who was found about a fornight since in the duet bin of the house No. 11, Cantelow's-road, Camden-square, occupied by Mr. Gilbert Lockyer. From the evidence adduced at the Slat inquiry it appeared that the body of the infant bore on it marks of having met a violent death—the skull being fractured. It was also shown that food had been given to the infant, as • portion was found in the intestines. From the description of the premises, the coroner felt convinced that, as no person could have access to the dustbin save thou who lived iu the house No. 11, Castelow's-road, some one connected with that house had placed the body in the dust-bin. He accordingly had the inquiry adjourned for the production of evidence with respect to the inmates of the house. At the adjourned inquest, yesterday, Mr. Lockyer produced a plan of the triangular block of houses of which Cantelow's-road forms one side, and St. Paul'screscent and Upper St. Paurs.cresoent the other two ; and from this it appears that strangers could have no woe= to the dust-bin unless by crossing a number of walls which divide the yards of the adjacent houses. Mr. Lockyer stated that if his front door was left open or unlocked access could be had from the street to the dust-bin. If the lid of the dust-bin was raised, the body of the child could have been thrown into it from off the partition walls of the next houses. The coroner said he wished to examine Mrs. Lockyer as to the state of her servant's heal-h for some time past, Mts. Mary Lockyer deposed—l keep two maid servants ; a nurse who has been with me eight months, and a general servant who has been in my employment about eleven weeks. Neither of my servants has been ill, or asked to be excused from performing her duties. Sophia Harlan, the general servant, first told me of the child being found, and the nurse told me afterwards. I did not suspect either Sophia Harlan or the nurse of being the mother of the child. The coroner said the evidence of the dustman was—" I told the servant there was something in the dust-bin that ought not be there—that there was a baby in the dust-bin, and she became all in a tremble." Mrs. Lockyer said the nurse trembled very much, and so did she herself when she heard of the child being found. The coroner said it was certainly a most mysterious case; but the facts rather pointed to some one residing in that triangle of houses as the mother of the child. If it was no one in Mr. Lockyer's house who placed the body in the dustbin, it was certainly a most cruel thing for any neighbour to place it there. He recommended the police to pursue their inquiries still further, and especially with reference to the inmates of the adjoining houses. The jury returned • verdict of " Wilful murder against some person or persons unknown."  DR. DE
The Express. — 1866-01-02 (London, England)

THE JAMAICA COMMISSION.  In the files of papers received by the last mail the Post looks in vain for any evidence whatever to justify the assumption on which all partial in Jamaica appear to have proceeded, that the riot at ?donut Court•bouse was but the first scene in what was intended to be a bloody revolution, and that large numbers of the negroes, scattered over the whole colony, were leagued together with the object of exterminating the white population. We also look in vale for some definite accounts of the number of negroes who were either hanged or shot down for participation in the rebellion. Colonel Whitfield's letter is no evidence at all, and it is impossible to disoover the grounds on which the Governor thought it of sufficient im. portance to be transmitted to the Assembly. As to the legislation which was going on, it is idle to conceal the fact that the measures h►ve been exclusively directed against the negroes, and it is only equitable that good cause should be given for passing a strictly penal enactment. A few weeks hence, however, the royal commission will commence their investigation, and the public may rest satisfied that the inquiry will prove an exhaustive one.  The Herald thinks the ancient Druids mast be very ancient indeed in their notions if they axept Mr. Cardwell's statement that in suspending Mr. Eyre it was not intended to cut any slur on his character. If the com• mission means anything it is intended be put Mr. Eyre on his trial on a charge of nothing less than murder, and a m►n who in England is placed on his trial on a criminal charge may be acquitted or condemned, but he is thenceforth a disgraced man. Whatever the issue of the lavestigation may be—and all the news from the island encourage' us to expect the triumphant exculpation of the governor—Mr. Eyre can never resume his functions with any credit or satisfaction to himself or to the home government.  The Telegraph enters upon an examination of the nature and extent of the authority delegated to the royal commis. sion, contending that for all technical purposes the persons so appointed have no more authority than any ordinary travellers who should choose to record their observations on the state of the island, though the conclusion that they have no power to snbpcena witnesses, to administer oaths, or to insist on the production of documents is not one absolutely free from controversy. It is the fact that they are armed by public opinion, which gives them their real power, and their difficulties will arise rather from a superabundant* than a deficiency of testimony.  The Star gives some extracts from the Kingston Morning Journal in illustration of the manner in which the press has been silenced hitherto in the colony, and quotes from the debates in the assembly with the view of proving that Mr. Eyre has now become in some degree conscious of his false position, and would fain smother all recollection and destroy all evidence of the past.  The Daily /Yews plainly says it would be affectation to doubt that the French government bee denommed the Extradition Treaty with Engbad It waste to nib
The Express. — 1866-09-05 (London, England)

THAMES.  David Pere:eal, n illiant Kitr r, William Allen, and Charles Galk6t•it, mechanics, were bronchi before Mr. Partridge, chtirgetl with violently assaultmg Police-constable Hawkins, No. 224 K. The complainant, who has been very severely injured, said he found Percival in the East India-road, Poplar, at one o'clock that morning, and he laid down on the ground and appeared to be quite helpless. He raised him, and told hint to go home. The prisoner immediately kicked him. The other prisoners then came up and instigated Percival to ill-use him. King kicked and knocked him down, and while be was down Allen came behind him and struck him repeatedly with his fist. After struggling with two of the prisoners on the ground he managed to ri.e. Percival struck him again, and he then drew his staff, and knocked him down with it. Allen then resumed his attack, and he also knocked him down with his staff. A man came up and sprung his rattle, and assistance came. A shower of stones was then hurled at them, and one of them struck him on the helmet, and another on the back. _ .  William Cole, shoemaker, of No. 25, Upper North'beet, Poplar, heard a rattle sprung, and went into the East India-road and saw a row. He could not swear to either of the men. . .  Edward Layton, a police-constable, 290 K, heard cries of "Murder. and saw the prisoners upon the constable Hawkins. He heard King say to Gallafant, " Give it hinp ; serve him out." Both men kicked him. He assisted Hawkins and others in arresting the prisoners. Percival was very drunk. The other prisoners were also the worse for liquor, hut know what they were about. The prisoners, who made light of the charge, said they were drunk, and that they had been knocked about by the police. A witness, named Ann Rent, was called for King, and said the prisoner had lived in her house, No. 8, Park-place, Poplar, for two years, and she knew him to be a very steady and honest man. Mr. Partridge, after a long investigation, said this was a case which must be severely dealt with. A savage and dastardly assault had been committed on the constable Hawkins, who was engaged with a drunken and violent maw, and the prisoner not only instigated that man Percival to illuso the constable, but brutally attacked him. One of the prisoners, like a coward as he was, came behind the constable, and hit him while he was down. Two of the prisoners were knocked down by the constable, who had a right to use his staff after he was ill-used. There was very little difference in the guilt of the prisoners ; if ant, there was a shade in favour of Percival, and he should give him the option of paying a fine. He sentenced him to pay n tine of U. to the queen, or be imprisoned for one month. He sentenced the other prisoners to ono month's imprisonment and hard labour. All the prisoners were mechanics, earning good wages, and he felt quite ashamed of them. Percival paid the fine and was liberated.
The Express. — 1852-04-15 (London, England)

ALLEGED MASSACRES IN TUE INDIAN SEAS.—A Moulmein paper contains an account of shocking massacres, and the destruction of vessels, at one of the Nicobar Islands, detailed in au affidavit made before the auistaut-com missioner of the Tenesserim Provinces, on the 13th ofFebruary, 1862, by Malim Sshio, a merchant, and master of the brig Samna, who had picked up, whilst lying off Noncowry, on the 20th of January last, floating on • log of wood, a Coringee, named Soobooroyloo, who stated that he was one of • crew of forty-five men belonging to a Coringeo craft, from Singapore for Noncowry, to -load cocoa-nuts ; that before her cargo could be completed, she was surrounded by a number of armed boats, whose crews boarded and carried her, and put moat of her people to death ; that he saved his life by, swimming to the shore ; but that he was taken, and imprisoned by the natives upwards of two months. Soobooroyloo also states that his was not the only ship that had been attacked by the natives of Noncowry, for, after he had been a month on shore, an English barque came into the harbour formed by the Islands of Noncowry, Camarata, and Trincutty, and anchored there. For four or tire days a number of boats, more and more every day, went off to her ; at last one day Soobooroyloo saw her settle down and sink. Her long boat came ashore full of Noncowry men ; they brought with them • European lady and her child, a little baby nut two years old. }or four days the poor lady was the victim of their brutal abuse, when death put an end to her sufferings; and she was no sooner dead than they hacked the child to pieces with their knives. Before he left the island, Soobooroyloo fell in with three men. He found they were his countrymen, Coringces, and they proved to be 1 the remnant of the crew of the English barque. They told him that their vessel had been carried, and scuttled by the savages, who had murdered the captain and his mate, and two other Englishmen (passengers, it is presumed), and after plundering the vessel, had brought the captain's wife and his infant daughter away in the long-boat. They could not tell the name of the barque, but she was from Calcutta, with • Lasear erew. They had shipped there tbemeelves ; the vessel had come to the Nieoban for a ca eca et cocoa-nuts, she had on board of her eight bullocks, rate, a small quantity of piece goods, some casks of sad several bags of money in rupees. .1 (Melia liffeatlntanaged to escape the fate of those ships, as I knew beheahmad the character of the men I had to deal with. I kept well out in the offing, in 16 fathoms water, and was very careful nut to allow more than one boat at • time to be alongside of me, and as s -on as I had discharged one boat et onewoauts I made her go well away before I suffered nuethee boat to approach. Soobooroyloo was upwards of two maths and a half on shore, and this affair of the Buglib lamas took plate about a month and a half before ay esedag."
The Express. — 1852-12-23 (London, England)

NEW TIDAL.  This morning, at 8 o'clock, the learned judge took his seat upon the bench, and the same jury were empannelled, with the exception of the gentleman wbo had been attacked with illness on the previous night, another juror being sworn in his place. Mr. Hensley said he was placed in a position of extreme difficulty in this very serious and important case. His learned friend Mr. Seymour, thinking, of course, that in the natural order of things the cue would have concluded on the previous night, had left the city for London, and therefore John Smith was deprived of his very able assistance. Under these circumstances, if he were left to himself, he should have applied to his lordship to postpone the ease to the next assists, in order that it could not be said that there bad been any haste in trying the case, or that the prisoner John Smith had been depraved of the invaluable assistance of his counsel. As far as he was personally concerned for the prisoner Snape, if all other thing, had been equal, he should have asked that' the case should go on now, because be was anxious it should be concluded. However, he had consulted with the attorney for the defence, and also spoken to the prisoners ; he had made them understand their position, and they said under these circumstances they would infinitely prefer that the cur should go on, and he had to ask if his lordship would approve of his conducting the defence of the two prisoners Smith as well as that of Snaps ? The learned Judge said he thought it was as excellent arrangement, and he had no doubt that Mr. Dearsleywould do ;justice to the prisoners. His lordship suggested that those witnesses who had spoken to undisputed facts should not be re-examined, but that he should read over from his notes what they had said at the previous trial, and inquire of them if that was what they could prove. The suggestion of the learned judge was approved of by the learned counsel on both aides, and it was consequently adopted. The same learned counsel appeared for the prosecution se in the first trial ; Mr. Dearsley was for the three prisoners, Mau, Smith, and Ann Smith, the latter of whom was undefended at the previous trial, and Mr. Overeud represented Mary Ann Robinson. Mr. Warren proceeded to state the case to the jury. lie said that owing to an almost unpreeedeuted occurrence, he was called upon to again state the circumstances of a most painful anddeeply interesting case. He was glad that the whole of the Jury, with one exception, had had the advantage of the speeches of his learned friends who defended the prisoners, and the luminous summing up of his lordship. The learned counsel then recapitulated the whole history of the murder, in order that the new juryman might become acquainted with the facts of the case. The witnesses for the prosecution were then examined in the manner agreed upon by the 1 d judge and the commie.  The ease was proceeding when or report left York. BIIFORZht. JURTICII !Kranz*
The Express. — 1852-03-06 (London, England)

CHARGE OF MURDER AGAINST A FARMER.—OR Saturday last the Brecon county magistrates were engaged for several hours in investigating a cdarge preferred against Mr. Thomas Phillips. of l'entrenaboth, in the hamlet of Benny, Brecknockshire, by a discharged servant of his named Hugh Williams. It appeared that upon Williams demanding an arrear of wages due to him about three weeks back, a quarrel ensued, when Williams accused his muter of Mishit/ murdered his illegitimate child by throwing it alive to a sow, who devoured the infant. Thu report having obtained circulation, Phillips felt anxious to retrieve his character, and caused an attorney in Brecon to demand a retractation of the charge. Instead, however, of doing so, Williams at once denounce. his muter before the magistrates as a murderer, and brought a lad, who with himself was in Phillips's employ, to prove the fact. Mr. Phillips voluntarily appeared before the magistrates and declared his wish to meet the charge at once. Hugh Williams was then sworn, and deposed that in the month of March, 1850, he was in the employ of Phillips. One day, as he was coming up towards the fold, he saw Phillips. An infant lay on the ground before him, being devoured by a tow. He saw the child in the sow's mouth, and heard it cry. The sow was eating the lower portion of the body. had seen the child at Phillips's before. There was a female servant in the house. Had heard people say there was something the matter with her. he previous night she was fainting. There was a boy in the service then, named Thomas AVilliams. The girl's name was Margaret Morgan. Whea the sow was eat ing the child witness attempted to stop her. She ran off, and had devoured it all before ho got up to the sow. Witness told Phillips of it then, and he said if he dated to say anything about it he would kill him directly. The witness was cross-examined at some length as to some delusion he had lately laboured under of having been carried away by a ghost many miles across the country, which he gravely ',admitted to have been the fact, much to the surprise of all present.—Thomas Davis was then celled. lie stated that ho was fourteen years of age. Last March twelvemonth he was in the service of Phillips. One day, about dinner time, he saw Phillips bring a little child out of the house on a tilestone, and throw it down before the sow. l'hillips fetched the sow from the cot. Heard the child cry. Hugh Williams came up when the child was half devoured. Margaret Morgan came to the door. Witness was afraid of the sow, and ran away. Told his other and " Peggy of the Post" of it immediately he reached home. His mother's name was Ann Davis. Margaret Morgan was the girl who was looking at the sow eating the child. The witness, who appeared to be au intelligent lad, gave his evidence in a straightforward manner. After heariu the evidence the tang istratia stated their intention of remanding the prisoner for further examination to Saturday nest, when the mother of the boy and other witnesses will be summoned to attend. Heavy bail was tendered for the appearance of Phillips, but refused.
The Express. — 1852-03-06 (London, England)

OMIT. —ANAIL•IIir P. J. Cadmic', hew the let W. T. Rest ,to be bueist..aarg. le ttems. %ft Maori, app to the 6th Drag. Ode  MUTINY AND MURDER ON BOARD A BRITISH Saar.—Yesterday, information we, received in the City, that the barque Ariel, from San Francisco and the Sandwich Islands, bound for India, having a mixed crew of Lucas, Manillarnen, and Europeans, had put into Anjier, and then proceeded on her voyage. Some days after she had sailed, a number of the crew returned in the launch to a place about 14 miles west of Anjier. On being questioned by the authorities their replies Nen considered umativfactory, and in consequence the resident detained them until some tidin •• of the vessel were heard. It subsequently transpired that after getting outside, and when off Java Head, the coloured portion of the crew rose in mutiny, and mur. dered the captain, hie wife, and the remainder of the European. on board ; they then plundered the vessel of all the money and valuables they could lay their hands on, and' not knowing what to do with the ship scuttled her. A large sum of money and some valuable jewellery, spin. rently belonging to the captain's wife, were found upon them. The resident, after be had found the foregoing to be true, forwarded the mutineen and murderers to Batavia, where they will be dealt with according to law. METROPOLITAN AND GENERAL FREEHOLD LAND Noetxrr —A public meeting of the promoters of this institution took place on Thursday evening, at Hawkstons Hall, Weterloo-road. Mr. James Miller, oat of the lollc:tore to the society, occupied the chair, and observed that the benefits held forth by these institutions to the middle end industrial classes were greater than could be derived from an other establishment in which their interests were involved, and ho had ne doubt that this society would be found to carry out successfully the objects stated in the prospectus. Mr. James Beal explained the origia of the movement, and observed that the first meeting of • freehold land society wes composed of only two persons—Mr. James Taylor, of Birmingham, and a friend. I'he result, however, was so far successful that the movement was now attracting general attention, and there were nearly 600 freehold lan t societies in existence, with an annual income of two millions and a halt. In mar yof these institutions the members who had not desired to retain their allotments, had been enabled to let a piece of land, which cost them about '.!01., for sums varying front 3t. to 6/. a year, or to sell them at a profit of from Ulf. to even 30!. or 40!. Ile considered these societies vastly superior to what were called " benefit " societies, or even savings banks; and although their ostensible object was to afford qualifications to vote in the election of members of parliament, they were found to be at the same time the best means of promoting the moral and social elevation of the maws. Resolutions were pared in favour of freehold land societies in general, and the present establishment in particular; and the business terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the chairman.