npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1882-12-22 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

COWARDLY ASSAULT ON POLICEMEN.  At the County Police-court, on Saturday, before J. M. P. Mentigu and S. W. Whet Etqs., two young farm labourers, named Robert Wrixen, of Peorton. Po werst,ck, and Charles Legg, of North Poorton, were charged in custody with being drunk and riotous on the previous night, and further with assaulting P.C. Brown in the execution of his duty. Prisoners pleaded not gui:ty. P.C. Brown said he was on duty at Powerstock about 8.30 last evening, when prisoners were holloaing and swearing at the top of their voices. He asked them to go home quietly, and he was then assaulted. P.C. Custard deposed being with last witness, and corroborated his statement. Both prisoners were " staggering drunk." For the defence prisoners said they were not so drunk as the witnesses made them out to be. Prisoners were tlpro charged with the assault. _ . _  P.C. Brown said that when he advised prisoners to go home quietly Wrixen PAH " Who are you talking to Me I" and witness said 'Yes." Wrixon then said "I will give you quiet, you - " and struck at him with a plough-coult ir, which he had in his hand. Witness caught the weapon (produced), which skinned portons of his hand, but Wrixen pulled it out of witness's hand again, and struck at his face three times w ith his fist. He took him into co 4 edy, when he off crud very desperate resistance, a senile took place, and Legg came to the assistan e of the other prisoner and attempted to thiew P.O. Custard over a wall. He advised Leag to go away, but he took hold of P.C. Custard and the other prisoner. Witness took out his staff and struck him across tho arm to make him let go. Wrixen was handcuffed and taken to witness's Louse, whore he kni»ked about the furniture and breks a chair. Legg came down to the house, so witness apprehended hive, but he bee Imo violent and kicked and bit tho constable. Witness got a conveyance and brought thorn to Bridport. Legg threatened witness all the way, and Wrixen threatened to put a knife into witness as soon as he was at liberty. By the Bench : "It was Wrixen who used the coulter." P.C. Custard then gave evidence fully bearing out that given by the previous witi,e,s. In reply to the Bench, prisoners said they had nothing to say in defence. The Chairman said that for being drunk and riotous. prisoners would each hove two weal& hard lal»ur, but the assault on the police was a much more serious affair, and espscially as he was in the exceation of his ditty. They would take into their considerat on that Wrixen had no doubt the molter was in his hand in the execution of his business as an agricultural labourer, but he might have killed the constable, and have boon mint for trial for murder. Wrixen would have two months' bard labour. Legg, who had attempted a rescue and bitten the police m u, would have aix weeks hard labour, making a total of eight weeks for Legg and ten weeks for Wrixen.  Prianners were removed in custody, looking, as if they had not bargained spending Christmas at Dorchester. Palace.
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1882-06-02 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

JOHN WCASICHY."  (*) The word "seed" was omitted.  The doctor was not at home, and the letter wan handed to a young student—a resident pupil—a gentleman who has since become au eminent physician in the North of Ireland. He at once sent such inede ne as he thought would most likely relieve the sufferer; but he heard next day that al'Caskey was dead. He died within three hours and a-half after eating his dinner, but was alive at the time the messenger returned horn Moneghan with the prescription. There had gone abr, .ad .n the neighbourhood a report th it a liaison exist° 1 between Mrs. M'Caskey and a man who was in the employment of a gentleman in the neighbourhood. The police, taking a hint from I his rumour, plac,d her under arreA. She was brought to Menaghan, and when searched in the police barracks the medicine sent for her husband's relief was found concealed in her dress. It was thus evident she had deliberately abstained from adtniuistering the remedy. Evidence was also given as to one fact which left no doubt of her guilty relations with the person to whom we have referred. The medicel evidence went to show that the symptoms described by the deceased were such as would be produced by a vegetable poison such as aconite. As to the symptoms, there was no evidence except that c mteined in the Ltter written to the doctor, but the descripti ni there given is admitted to be a nate t accurate descril tion of the symptoms of aconite poisoning. Tire jury, on the evidence now stated, found the prisoner guilty of murder. She was shortly after executed, and when standing on the scaffeld, in re esence of an immense multitu le, and just before the rope WAS adjusted, she said in a c'ear, unfaltering voice—" I die for love and loyalty." After the execution it became known th et she had left behind her a written s atement giv.ni, full details of the crime. She said that one of her husband's relatives had dropped (Lai suddenly as he walked through a field on his way to pay a visit to some friends. On in It Wall found that he had put on a vest which belonged to a brother, and that in this vest there was a piece of the root which is known as aconite. He apparently supposed it was a piece of ginger, and ate it. This occurrence directed her attention to the fat ii power of this root, and she gathered it, dried it, and reduced it to powder. In order to form an eititn de of what quantity would form a fatal dose she began to practise on dogs. The mortality of dogs in the neighbourhood ,attracted attention, but of course the cause remained undiscovered. When she had satisfied herself on this p >int she made up her mind to mut der her husband, in order that she might get married to her p,ramour. The presence of the stranger diaconeurted her plans. He narrowly escaped with his life. He was on the point of death four days, and did not quite recover for six months. Such is the story of a remarkable, but uow almost torgotteu,orime.  1111
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1882-06-02 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SIINTENCE.  On Friday, at the Central Criminal Donn, before Mr. Justice Lop, t, Albert Young. 1%, clerk, was charged with maliciously sending, knowing the contents thereof, a letter to General Sir Henry Ponsonby, threatening to murder her Maj-sty the Queen, Prince Leopold, and other persons. A further cent in the indictmemt charged the prisoner with demanding money with menaces from Sir Henry Ponkontty. The prisoner looks at least five or ssven years older than he is desctibed io the indictment, and has a largo scar extending over his left eye. The Attorney-General, in opening the case, said the prisoner at the bar was until a tow weeks before a telesraph clerk in thee trvice of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Itsilway C mpanv, wh me offices were aC Exthorp, close to Doncaster. 0.1 the morning of the 24!1i of April a letter was deliverk d in the ord in. ry manner through the p Ist into the hands of Sir Henry Ponsonby, private secretary to her Majesty the Queen. That letter contained matter of a very disgraceful description, cant sining as it did a threat to murder the Queen and other members of her family. There would be no other questidln for the jury to decide in tkis case exc -pt the. priutipal and priniary ems as to whether the prhoner at the bar was the person who wrote that letter or not. The Attorney-General then read the letter, which was as follows:  April 23. Madani.—l am a RRIISLI Catholic priest, and I have fi'ty men in the parish who have been evicted by landlords. These men have banded themselves together for your destruction, as they blame you for being the cause of their misery. They, however, promise to leave the cmutry on receipt of £lO per man to defray expenses for selves and families. Tnis amount must be in the hands of my dupe, through whom von will receive this, in three weeks from now, or they will commence operations against your life. I know this is treason; that is why I shall make use of a person of et moiling and character in England for the dupe to transmit your reply to me hero in Ireland. I strongly a ivies you to send ille the money, as the men are desperate enough, and they will make s series of attempts against your lire and. thos3 or your eons and daughters., which must succeed in more than one respect. Assuredly you will not hesitate t Pend what will be but a moiety out of each p pilot, if all the members of the Ilval family subscribe among theruselvis for the required amount, rather than endanger so many precious lives. Ask Prince 1.3 iopold how he would like a bullet put through him on his wedding day, of which I wish him many happy returns, and die a lingering death like Garfield. I may add that if no notice is taken of this I shall absolve them of all their misdeeds instead of as now holding them in check by threats of excommunication. (Signed) A
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1882-06-02 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

FRIGHTENED TENANT.—Henry John Roper was of the greatest obstacles taken our, of their way that chaeged with assaulting Ann, wife of Thomas Brinsley, would hinder their progress to better things. The on May ',Otte—Mr. Bowen appeared for defendant.— man who confessed to the murder at Durham gave Complainant said she told Mrs. Roper she ought to himself up to the police because he could not bear the put in a grate ; but Mrs. Roper returned that the terrible drink craving. Let them take the pledge house wouldn't afford it, and she must sell the house, delibie ately, and join a test eel bent of brothers to and if defendant didn't like it, she could leave. After- help him keep it; while, above it all, there is the Coss wards Mr. R per came in and shook a loose handrail, of the good Lord Jesus, who is ready to help and will hook his fist in her face, and cried, "Is this what you give the victory. In the name of the C.E.T.S., he won't pay your rent for?' She returned, " No, sir ; bid them welcome to whatever branch of the army it is a grate." "Then," said he, "you shan't have a they liked to join.—The Rector reminded them they grate; I'll see to that."—Cross-examined by Mr. had another Captain besides the earthy one, the Lord Bowen : She sail she did net refuse ti eay her rent ; Jesus Christ, and there is another citadel to be taken— it was ready for Mr. Roper ; hut she didn't think she that of their own hearts. He move 1 thanks to the should pay now, as she wanted to see into this.—Mr. Yeomanry officers and others who hal subscribed, to Bowen said the case all lay in a nutshell ; this woman those who had cut up the eatables ; aed he was going ' had a grievance atiout her grate, but if landlords had on, but the Rector's f,dlowing w. rls were list in to do everything tenants wanted, house property would applause. Mr. S. S. Melledge and Mr. W. M. Thiselnot pay. Mr. Roper having threatened ti turn her out, ton we saw active in the arrangements, and no doubt she paid off her spite by bringing him before the Court, thanks were to be accorded fur that service, and to all but it was a case in which there was no need of a con. the singers, Ste After the Rector's aldress they joined victien, and he asked them t 3 dismiss the case.—/n iii "Go I Save the Queen." After the meeting, a party answer to Dr. Drew, Mrs. Brinsley said Roper shook of soldiers came up to take the pledge, and Mr. his fist at her in a menacing attitudre—Dr. Drew told Milledg,s pave them the C.E.T.S. badge. On the call , of Sergeant Major O'Meara, the men very heartily Roper he was known to be an excitable man; be could not get away from the assault, and he was fined 2s, ed, gave cheers for the ladies, the Rector, and all who costs, had assisted.
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1886-04-23 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

BIBLE SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the chester auxiliary of the British and Foreign B Society was held at Alington Hall on Thursday e jog under the presidency of the Rev. T. W. 'Kn with whom on the platform were the deputa (Rev. S. W. Orange, sec. of the Madras Auxili Rev. T. Neave, Rev. S. Hobbs, Rev. E. Ludlow, Rev. J. Wernnick. After singing and prayer, Chairman offered a few remarks, in the mu. which he touched upon the absorbing topic of difficulties in Ireland. He said he would not jt the measures which had been brought before Pa ment, and which he prayed,God would never be pas but if they were passed they would hand over Ire to the influences of the Romiih priesthood, to pawer of men who hated with a diabolical hatred Word of God, and who would persecute and mu those who loved that Word. He was talking to a tlemm the other day who hal spent half life in Ireland, and he asked him " think that these horrible murders have , committed, that these dreadful outrages have perpetrated—cattle burnt alive in their sheds— out those who did them having first gone to the p and got absolution for what they were going to And he replied "No." If there was an idea a any of our statesmen—God fortid that he sh accuse them of such an intention—of handing ov• these men the future of Ireland, then he could help saying these statesmen deserved to be hang. the gallows. He had travelled a good deal Rona.an Catholic countries, and knew there Roman Catholics who were men of kindness courtesy, and a certain liberality of sentiment, what had made Ireland the miserable country was, was that Popery which had suppressed Word of God ard trampled under foot the D. oracles ; and on a Bible Society platform he comb he.p saying he prayed God, and he would give a had in the world to prevent such a horrible trophe as that the Roman Cannon* priests s have power in Ireland. But they had to s of the Bible Society on a wider basis than of one country. Wherever the Bible went took a more charitable view of each other's opin The Word of God was the channel of Di grace, and where it was circulated it hrir c mfort, and light, and love. There was nothing that taught the sinner his sinfulness and led him to Saviour. There was greater power which mar not define in the pages of the inspired volume, an Bible Society was a noble organisation. Its ohj was to send out the Word of God throughautl whole world. And, once nrain. he could not 1 saying in the heathen lands the Bible was looked r with comparative indifference, but there was not desire to trample under foot and blaspheme its Ks pages that existed in lands where the Church of It had been too dominant for so many ages. He lire that the Bible Society might continue to send Word of God to every land, and that it might is cease to contend against those who would keel? 1 the Word of life from poor sonls that were thirstun the living God. (Applanse.)—The
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1886-04-23 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE VERDICT.  On Saturday the Attorney-General completed his address, and the Judge summed up. The jury retired at seven minutes to three, and, after an absence of an hur and a quarter, returned to ask two questions respecting the evidence. The jury again retired until five minutes past five, when, upon their being seated and having answered to their names,. . . . .  The Clerk of Arraigns asked: Have you agreed upon yi.)ir verdict? .  'The' Foreman : We have.  The Clerk: Do you find the prisoner' Adelaide Bartlett, guilty or not guilty of the wilful murder of Thomas Edwin Bartlett? . _ _  The Foreman: We have considered the evidence, and, although we think there is the gravest suspicion attaching to the prisoner, we do not think there is sufficient evidence to show how or by whom the chloroform was administered. . .  The Clerk: Do you say that the prisoner is not guilty? The Foreman: Yf.S. At this there was loud and continued cheering in the Court, which was with difficulty suppressed. The Judge: This conduct is an outrage. A Court of Justice is not to be turned into a theatre. Addressing the jury: It only remains for me to express my great sense of the undivided attention which you have given to this case, and the cheerfulness with which you have submitted to the inevitable privations and to the disturbance of your family arrangements. I hope I shall not be insulted again by any exhibition of the character which is so disgraceful in the people who are present on the most solemn occasion upon which men can be called together to perform a public I duty. lam glad to think that it is permitted me to give practical effect to my sense of the recognition due to their services by directing that for five years to come each one of you shall be free from the obligations of serving on a jury. The scene, both inside and outside of Court, pending the verdict, and whilst it was being given, was of a most exciting character. Every inch of standing room inside was occupied, and a very large crowd assembled, and patiently waited outside to learn the result. It was a remarkable fact that the decision of the jury was apparently known outside before it was actually announced in the Court, for whilst the foreman was making his statement, as above, and before 1 he had given the affirmative reply to the clerk, great shouting from outside was heard, and this was kept lup for some minutes. The prisoner—who throughout the whole proceedings before the Coroner, the magistrate, and the judge had been remarkably quiet and composed, except when overcome on Friday by the address of her counsel—upon the verdict being given, fainted, and was taken out of the dock by the two female warders.  We learn that Mrs. Bartlett is suffering from prostration, as the lesult of the strain which she has undergone, and is now under the doctor's care.
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1886-01-01 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

IRELAND.  FATAL FIGHT.  A fatal dispute as to right of way is reported from the village of Fortishill, near Newry. It appears that a man named James Macparland was killed on Saturday night by a man named Pat Macparlaud. Tbe parties are distant relations, and had a long standing dispute as to a right of way, which was renewed on Saturday night, when Pat Macarpland struck James on the head with some iron tongs, smashing his skull in a desperate fashion, so that the brain obtruded. The man died two hours afterwards. Pat has been arrested on a charge of murder.  An inquest has been held at Bridge, near Canterbury, respecting the death of a little girl, named Goldfinch, who died under peculiar circumstances. She was a scholar at the Bridge Elementary School, and a week ago, as she was running up the playground, she came into collision with another child, and received a blow on the forehead, which caused her to fall down. Subsequently she complained of head ache, and the next day she was taken ill, and had to go home. She became worse, and was attended by a medical man, who found her suffering from inflanuna tion of the brain, from which she died. A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned. Some cases of swine fever having occurred at the Royal Dairy in Windsor Park, which is in the occupation of the queen, and the matter having been duly reported to the Windsor authorities entrusted with the carrying out of the provisions of the Contagious Diseases ( A.nimals) Act, the place was on Saturday declared to be an infected area, and measures were adopted to prevent the spreading of the disease.  • Early on Sunday morning a fire occurred at the cotton doubling mills of John Balfe and Co., Stockport. The two top storeys of a building, fifteen windows long, were destroyed, and several thousand pounds' damage done. Among the debris were found the remains of John Bentham, a dyer, a married man with five children. He had assisted in removing finished goods from the mills. Bentham's limbs were burnt away from the trunk, which was also minus the head. Several others had narrow escapes.  The present Duke of Somerset, although the second duke of the realm, will certainly be the poorest. The late duke has bequeathed Somerset House, Parklane, to his daughter, Lady Hermione Graham ; Bulstrode, the place near Maidenhead, where he generally lived, to his daughter, Lady Gweudoliu Ramsden ; a third estate to Lady Ulric& Thynne ; all the Devonshire property to the late Lord St. Mitur's natural son, and a large legacy to his natural daughter. The present duke only inherits Maiden Bradley, near Bath, and the land adjacent to it.— World. Accidents are reported to have occurred at two adjoining pits at Merthy rydvil. At Abercanaid the break down of a pumping-engine resulted in an accumulation of water in the pit to the depth of six feet, and 700 men were thus rendered idle, while in the South Pit a hundred c.illiers narrowly escaped death, old workings having inadvertently been broken into.  H
The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1886-01-01 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

NOTES FROM AMERICA.  South Dorset has not gone unnoticed by the American papers. The New York I oily Tribune, commenting on the situation, says :—" Henry Parkman Sturgis has succeeded in winning a seat for the Liberals in the Tory stronghold of Dorsetshire. Mr. Sturgis is a Bostonian, having been burn in that city in 1847, and recently married a daughter of Viscount Hampden, late speaker of the House of Commons. Six mouths ago he was unknown in the constituency he now represents, and having defeated the local ' squire ' the rage and mortification of the Tories are intense."  The world moves. Four children of Newark, New Jersey, who have been bitten by a supposed mad dog have been sent to Paris for treatment by the now celebrated Dr. Pasteur. Suppose such an idea had been suggested ten years ago! The youngest of the quartette is five years old, and his mother has gone along with them as geneial nurse. The entire expense of this experimental trip across the ocean for inoculation for hydrophobia has been borne by voluntary contributions. America, not to say the whole world, was electrified by the intelligence of the awfully sudden death of the richest individual in the world—William H. Vanderbilt. Mr. Vanderbilt's wealth amounted to not less than 200,000,0005, or when reduced to English currency rather more than £40,000,000. " Billy, the Czar," and "The Railway King" were the popular titles of Mr. Vanderbilt. So vast was his fortune that he would lose and gain millions in a day through the fluctuations of the Stock Exchange. In his will he has not been unmindful to the public, for he has bequeathed a million dollars tJ various charitable and other institutions. To each of his eight children he leaves ten millions apiece ; his wife receives 200,000$ annually for life, and also the Vanderbilt " palace" on Fifth Avenue, with all its furniture and appurtenances. The great bulk of the property goes to his eldest son, Cornelius. . .  One of the most revolting murder cases in the annals of crime is now being tried at Rome in this State. The prisoners are an Italian butcher named Tozzi, his wife son, and daughter. The victim was a rival butcher named Poggi. The motives of the murder were trade jealousy and family disputes. Poggi was first entrapped into Tozzi's cellar, where he was stunned by a blow on his head, then his throat was cut, and while he was dying he was held over a tub, into which his blood flowed. Tozzi and his son then carved the body into small pieces, and the fragments were scattered in a suburban forest, the whole family assisting in the work. The murdered man's blood was afterwards boiled into black-puddings, which were sold in Tozzi's shop. All the prisoners will probably be hanged, :if not lynched beforehand ; but it is pretty safe to say that black-pudding will not meet with a very ready sale in the neighbourhood of Rome for some time to come. _