npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Shropshire Examiner and all round the Wrekin advertiser. — 1877-03-30 (Wenlock, Shropshire, England)

THE OUTRAGE AND MURDER AT MACC LES FIELD.  On Saturday an atrocious murder was committed at Maeolesfield, the victim being a girl eight years of age, the daughter of a widow named Halton, residing in Fence street., Hurdstield. It appears that Halton, who only two months ago lost her husband, worked at Mr. Bamford's silk mill, Poole street. The father &Ad mother of the man in custody (who is a married man residing in Paradise street) live next door to Mrs. Halton. On Friday the 23rd Mrs. Halton wail in prisoner's parents' house; prisoner was also there, and Mrs. Halton made a remark to the effect that she was so ill that she would not go to the mill in the morning, but would send her only daughter, Mary Ann. On Saturday morning two boys appeared at the mill with a note purporting to be ,igned by Mre. Halton, requesting the manager to pay them her wages, 12s. 3d. The mant.ger, having some suspicious. refused to do so, and in a few minutes afterwarcis the girl appeared for her mother's money, which was paid her. She left the mill, saying she was going home, but some hours afterwards her body was found in the canal, near the Hollins Bridge. There were several niarke Of vi ,lenCe about the body, an the pocket of the a'lrl'e frock was cut out. From information afterwards received by the police they went to the house of the prisoner, Henry Lees, cotton operative. The prisoner's wife's sister, seeing the police outside, madethe remark thatthe poi cc were in the street, and asked, "What was up ?” The prisoner thereupon rushed from the Lou -eandscaled await, and was not seen tor several hours. In the interim some further evidence was ascertained, and the police went to apprehend Lees. lie was not at home, hut they found him in an adjoining outhouse with the door locked. It was burst open, and he was taken into custody. The two boys eh,. applied atthemill for the moneyidentilied the prisoner as the man who sent them with the !sae, which was written in pencil, A blacklead pencil warn found upon the prisoner. Another boy speaks to seeing the prisoner walking up Windmill eireet, leaning to the camil, to c.nupany with a girl whom he describes, and the elothine. of the deceased girl answers the description given. there was found on the canal bank, a few yards (rout where the body was discovered, a basket, In which was a dish, and which one of the boys said the prisoner carried. When, qUestioned at the pliers office as to nli,re he liaa teen that day, 6 i6plied :hat, he work:.•ri at Mr. Brier's mill, at Bollington, and that be had been at work all day. The foremen of tha mill was sent for, and, on seeing him, the prisouer became greatly excited. The foreman said the prisoner had not been at work during the week. This fact, combined with the circumstance that he the same morning gave his wife e., makes another link in the chain of evidence azainst Prisoner is a dwarfish dark-comptelioned man, and of somewhat irregular habits. On Monday morning the prisoner was brought before the magistrates charged with the wilful murder of the girl, and was remanded.
Widnes Examiner. — 1905-11-04 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

PETER'S SALE OF WORK. RUNCORN RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL. The annual sale of work in connection with St. Peter's Church was opened on Monday in the schoolroom, John-street. The VICAR, who presided over a large attendance at the opening ceremony, at the outset heartily thanked all who had worked in connection with the sale. One of the good points of such an event as that was that it served to bring the workers together and enabled people to contribute small sums who otherwise would not be able to do their share in helping forward the work of the parish. Their liabilities were not less than they were last year. Tn 1901 they had spent on the Curate's fund and the Mission fund the sum of £2ll. Last year £79 of that amount was obtained from ths sale of work which also contributed £2O to other objects. He hoped they would do equally as well that year. (Applause.) The MAYOR, AYR° was heartily received, said he was pleased to be of service especially as Mr. Percival was a particular friend of his. He was also pleased to be able to do something to further the good objects of the sale, which he had pleasure in declaring open. (Applause.) Councillor John ROBERTS proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor for his services and to the Mayoress for her presence. In their parish they were fortunate in having a large band of capable workers, and he was sure that if the work was carried on in the future as it had been in the past t. Peter's was bound to progress (Applause.) Mr. T. S. STEEL seconded and the vote was heartily accorded. The MAYOR briefly replied. The stalls, which contained ample evidences of the enthusiasm and industry of the promoters of the sale were in charge of the following ladies : Vicarage stall Mesdames Percival,John Taylor, Joseph Tay!or,lieacock, Cowdell and J. Wilkinson and the Misses Young ; refreshment stall: Mesdames Bamforth. Lingley, Webster. F. Webster,and Yenmans,Miss Stanley and Miss Barlow; flower stall:Mrs. Clayton and Miss Boardman;toy stall : Misses Lily and Dolly Percival and Miss Taylor ; sweet stall : Miss Hughes, and Miss Percival ; bran-tub, the Misses Wilkinson.  At the re-opening of the sale on Tuesday afternoon the Vicar announced with regret that Mrs. Frost, who had promised to perform the opening ceremony, was unable to be present owing to the death of her uncle, Mr. Peter Stubs. He was sure all present greatly regretted the cause of her absence. Continuing the Vicar said the proceeds for the previous day amounted to .£SG ss. Bd, and he hoped the result of Tuesday's proceedings would realize anticipations. Having co.amended the objects of the sale. Mr. Percival formally declared it open. The amusement during the sale included various competitions which were entered into with zest.  Arnold Alexander, when charged at Cardiff on ruesday with attempting to murder his mother, said he was sorry he did not finish her. He would do so when he came out.
Widnes Examiner. — 1905-07-01 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

CHAPTER XXI. 111.14 AND CRY.  THERE was little doubt that three of the, murderers had escaped in the motor car, and that the fourth was dead. A body, charred and consumed beyond all recognition, had. been found by the police in the black ruins of the stables. There was no evidence to show whether it was the body of Jordison Or that of one of Ins three servants. No one knew of Susanson's death, and it was commonly supposed that three people had escaped. Holme, indeed, spoke of only having seen one of Jordison's servants, but it was well-known that there had been four men in the house, and it was not extraordinary that a person confined to the four square walls of a loose box should only have come in contact with two of thegn. The Red House hail tumbled down like a .house of .cards. Scarcely one brick was left sunding on another: It resenibled a vast rubbish heap, or a building that had gone through the hands of the house breakers. It wag no longer the semblance of a house, but a mere pile of brick, timber, and plaster. The police had no hope of finding any bodies in the ruins, for they knew that the house had not been inhabited for some time past, and that Jortlison and his Servants had made their home iii the stables and outhouses. But they,removed every brick till the surface was level with the garden. They did this as a matter of form, and did not pursue their investigations into the cellars, which were entirely choked up with rubbish. They found no trace of anything, not even of a single piece of furniture. They came to the conclusion that it had all been fEmoved to the stables and that it had perished in the fire. There was an ' element of weakness in this theory, for it would have been hard to ppet a houseful of furniture. into the stables, but the theory had to serve in default of a better one. Both Lady Heathetstone and Arthur Holme were carefully questioned and cross-examined. The former withheld as tin math l anoiofor Jordison's real name and past history. The latter gave his evidence to the best of his ability, but slurred over the matter Of Arthur Sterious, as an unimportant detail, and some hallucination of Jordison's brain. Other minor witnesses contributed to the general stock of knowledge, and Lord lleatherstone stated what he had seen from the bedroom window. • The sum total of it all was that William Jordison and his servants were responsible for the murders of Lord Overcliffe and William Outen, and that three of them had escaped from the distuct on a very powerful motorcar. The latter had been seen on the old Roman Causev.-ay by two oyster fishermen, whose boat was lying up one of the creeks. And then all ti are of it had vanished as completely as though it had been swallowed up in the ooze of the mashes. The Essex papers/ in commentin. on Ciz. case, said that the only ;Thsfarfory f7,PI vre of the whole affair was the fact Chat three such determined ruffians had escaped from the neighbourhood, and that the fourth was dead. One journal, pro.;:ressive and ultra radical. printed some severs
Widnes Examiner. — 1905-09-16 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

GERALD MS.  CHAPTER X.—l Continual  "I could go on talking all night on m) bobby, my particular bent--every man is ax egoist," he said with a laugh ; "but I won't.' And he changed the subject abruptly 131 asking Ben Nevis about his experiencet abroad, and dinner concluded with the con' versation general.  When the men were left alone over their coffee, Ben Nevis endeavoured to take up th( thread of Sir Hugo's dissertation on detectiola and apply it practically.  "Are there," he asked, lighting a cigarette; "any data in the 'White Rose' murders from which deductions can he drawn ? "  " The trouble is that there are so many," answered Sir Hugo, "and they are so obvious as to be elusive. Besides, they almost frighten one, the deductions are so stupendous: and a detective's first duty is to avoid obviousi yet palpably .false deductions. I could prove to. you, if necessary,' he added with a laugh, growing less • serious and concluding the subject with a paradox, "that the prime mover in the Mornington murder was the King or the Queen or the Duchess of Hampstead herself. You can prove anything if you only care to; it is like the average detective story written backwards." In the box at the theatre Bina fell to the share .of Ben Nevis, whilst Sir Hugo looked after Lady Grizelle, and they found themselves growing very intimate. They had a great deal in common, and Charlie' was an ever ready half-way house between them, giving them a pretext for growing confidential.  Lady -Grizelle walched -them ,with amusecb and by no means dissatisfied, eyes. She had taken a great fancy to the newly returned wanderer, and an idea was beginning to develop in her mind. Bina certainly showed more interest in him than she had ever before noticed her show in anyone of the opposite sex, and he was certainly without being awkward or rough, different in many respects from the crystallised type of man about town. , Their conversation, - though carried on in s. low tone, was particularly animated, and their appreciation of the play in consequence suffered. But the attraction of a man and a women for each other is infinitely more absorbing to both than the finest display of histrionic art or the wittiest comedy. In pursuance of her new idea, Lady Grizelle accepted an invitation from Ben Nevis to supper at the Savoy: but Sir Hugo, pleading for a good night's rest, went straight home from the theatre. They were very merry at supper and all seemed very pleased with themselves. Lady Grizelle felt like a fairy godmother in the elaboration of her plan: for not only was she particularly fond of Bina, but !she was at, the same time not particularly fond of her sister-in-law and loved to thwart her plans. Thus a double feminine motive, combined with caprice, was simultaneously served. "Come down and spend the week-end with me, Lord Ben Nevis," she said, as the hands of the clock began to hint at departure. "I never spend Sunday in town, if I can help it, and 33ina is coming, too." " I shall be delighted," responded Ben Nevis promptly, recklessly throwing all engagements to the winds.
Widnes Examiner. — 1905-12-02 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE WARRINGTON SENSATION. PRISONERS COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.  The circumstances attending the discovery of the rnmains of a child buried under the pantry floor at 63, Grafton-street, were further enquired into by the Warrington magistrates on Tuesday when 13eatrice Waterworth (32),single woman, and Alicia Drury (35), widow, both of 10, Russell-street, were charged with the wilful murder of the infant child of the prisoner Waterworth and also with the concealment of its birth. Mr. Halloway, deputy town clerk, appeared to prosecute on behslf of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr. T. S. Steel defended the prisoners. Mrs. Drury, wife of John Drury, fish dealer, 69, Lairs; street, said the prisoner Drury, who was her daughter-in-law, some seven ruontha ii4o said she " had committed murder for them." Prisoner also said that the baby was born alive and she" took it in the other room and strangled it." Witness said to her" It would have been better to have let it live, and not have had that on your conscience." She then said her husband cursed her when she had done it and helped her to bury it. Witness cross-examined said that she received .C 26 inturance money on the death of her son, and her daughter-in-law also received as few pounds. They did have a dispute about the payment by the prisoner of part of the funeral expenses. It was after her daughterin-law had left her house that she made a statement to the police. .  Annie Atherton 11, Akin-street, said she formerly lived at 65, arafton.street, after the birth of the child she saw Waterworth in bed and asked her where it was. Mrs. Drury, who was in the room at the time said it was born dead and she had burnt it.  Dr. Reginald Smith said he was OR° unable to say whether thechild had lived or not.  Detective Meaco—cli WpOL—tO-I;isiting 63, Graftonstreet, and there finding the bones of a child buried in quick lime under the pantry floor. Wnen before the Chief Constable prisoners made statements. Waterworth said:—"E did not touch the child." Alf and Mrs. Drury came upstairs and I said : What are you doing?' and he said : Nothing.' I said : 'What have you done with it, Mr. Drury?' and be said : • I have buried it in the pantry.' He said : I never he ird it cry.' Mrs. Drury wts not in the room when he said he bad buried it.  Mrs. Drury said :—" That child was never born alive. I wrapped the baby up and my husband took it and put it in the front bedroom. I went out between seven and night o'clock and left my husband in downstairs and Beatrice upstairs. I missed the child end my husband said : I have taken it out of the house' but he would not say where. I saw lime in a piece of paper in de back kitchen. I suspected what bad happened and I asked him if he had buried it in the pantry and he said' I have done it for the best, it was still-born.' Witness added that the prisoners were given the opportunity of `withdrawing the statements if they chose to do so. Both said they wished them to go forward.
Widnes Examiner. — 1912-08-10 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

LOCAL RATES AND LAND VALUES. In 1890 a local rating Act was passed giving powers to local rating authorities to put rates on land values. This was tried, and with enduring success. Take one example of many similar ones. The Town Clerk I of Wellington, in his annual report to the Mayor and Councillors of the city, 1902-3, says: "The result of the first year's trial of this system of rating must be considered a gratifyiLg one, and leaves no room for regret at its adoption. That which was claimed by its exponents has been amply fulfilled ; it encourages improvement, stimulates the use of land, secures the unearned increment to those who have added the value, mulcts all lands in their fair share of taxation, and paralyses the old system under which rental values on lands could, by simple manipulation, reduce local taxation to a farce. It is to be hoped that in the near future legislation will enable the unimproved system to be adopted for all those purposes for which it is now necessary to also undertake an assessment in the annual value basis. It is only stating a fact tl say that much, if not all, of the activity of the building operatfons of the city and surroundings during the past year is due to the influence of this healthy measure. " In 1900 the late Prime Minister (J. R. Seddon), in reply to the question, "Has the land tax, as imposed in New Zealand, been a success ? " said that the answer was in the affirmative and that there was not a single candidate who advocated its repeal. The Australasian system of taxing laud values has done much by its success in breaking through land monopoly, but it is vitiated and weakened by the discriminating way in which the taxes ate imposed. The system of graduations and exemptions adopted is unfair as between land-owners, and leads to land withholding on the part of the smaller monopolists. It tends to burst up the big estates and to leave in their place a greater number of smaller speculators who, exempt from the operation of the tax, are thereby encouraged to keep desired land out of use. But this s another story.  In an article describing early telegraphy upon the Great Western Railway,the August " Railway Magazine " recalls the first case of a criminal being brought to justice by means of the electric telegraph. This event took place a few months after the extension of the system to Slough in 1844. A murder had been committed at Salt Hill, and upon hearing of the occurrence the Vicar of Uptoncum-Chalvey (the Rev. E. T. Champnes) was informed that the last person seen to leave the house was a man wearing the dress of a Quaker. Mr. Champnes at once conceived the idea that the suspected person had probably fled to London, and acting upon this suspicion, hastened to Slough Station, where a man answering to the description was seen by the Vicar to pass through the booking office. Communicating his suspicions to Mr. Howell, the station superintendent,the latter caused a telegram to be sent off.
Widnes Examiner. — 1903-08-01 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

CHAPTER XIII: IN THE TOILS OF THE HUNTER.  FOR one brief moment Tredegar stood irresolute. He was thinking not of himself, but of the woman wh9 had come out to save him, and litho would be compromised for life. He turned, and .grasped her arm roughly. "Scream !" he said, a whisper. "Loud, so they can hear you I Quick !" She was silent 4  "Scream, damn you !" he said, hoarsely ; and he'..,grippc.cl her so tightly with his powerful fingers that she gave A piercing shriek of pain. _ _  - Then he, ran swiftly from her side, as though he had .been surprised in an attempted murder. It did not matter which way he ran. On one side there was the cliff on the other the sea with two boats on it. Before and behind him the dark figures of his pursuers. • He moved rapidly up to those who had landed from the boats, and stopped. "What do you want he said, quietly. " Let me pass Half a dozen guns were levelled at him, and struck aside by the more prudent who saw that the other party , was in the direct line of fire. None of them moved forward.  "Let me pass !" he said. "I am Emrys Tredegar, and you had better not stop me !" "We will stop you all right !" said the voice of John Walroyd ; and some of the men laughed. Tredegar's ' blood boiled. He -could only remember that a fortnight ago he had saved this man's life. "You fools !" he cried. "You are after the wrong man. Let me pass I"  Again they laughed. - Then o he clenched his . fists and went straight for them. He knew the game was up, and that escape was practically impossible. Some, of them Were armed, .and though they would not dare fire while he was in their midst, they would loose a volley directly he got clear of them. It Would, indeed, be a miracle if one of them did not hit him. He realised to the full that they would kill him rather than let him escape. And so-he dashed into their midst for a last good fight. every. muscle in his frame strung  up for a contest that would leave its mark on more than one of his adversaries.  If they had not been so close together they would have moved aside to let him pass and trusted 'to their guns. But very shame kept them in position. The first two went spinning to the shingle. and then half a dozen leaped Upon him and tried to tear him to the groUnd... He tore off two, one with each and shook , the others with such violence -hat . they Aung off their feet and fell 116 env • from him, taking pieces of cloth off in their grips. Then another lot sprang upon him, and he saw the ugly flash of a knife. -He had restrained himself till then. His great Strength had .been almost a handicap, for he !mew that a blow from his ,fist might possibly be mortal. and then he would be- a murderer indeed. But the Nee glitter of steel roused him to a sudlen burst of fury. He catight the man's wri:it with one hand, and dealt him so terrific a Now on the arm with the other that the bone snapped, and the fellow shrieked . with agony as the knifl went tinkling to the  (To be continua.