npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1866-09-04 (London, England)

THAMES. SAVAGE ASSAULT ON A POLICEMAN.—SamueI Percoval, William King, William Allen, and Charles Gallafunt, mechanics, were brought before Mr. Partridge charged with violently assaulting police-constable Hawkins, No. 224 K.  The complainant, who has been very severely injured, said he found Perceval in tho East India-road, Poplar, at 1 o'clock this morning, and he lay down on the ground and appeared to be quite helpless. lie raised him and told him to go home. The prisoner immediately kicked him. The other prisoners then came up and instigated Perceval to ill-use him. King kicked him and knocked him do'wn, and while he 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 rise. Perceval struck him again, and he then dreiv his staff and knocked him down with it. Allen then renewed 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 Colo, shoemaker, of No. 25, Upper North-street, Poplar, heard a rattle spring, and went into the East Indiaroad, and saw a row. lie could not swear to either of the men.  Edward Layton, a police costable, No. 290 K, heard cries of murder, and saw the 'prisoners upon the constable Hawkins. lie heard King say to Gallafunt, "Give it him, serve him out." Both men kicked him. Ho assisted Hawkins and others in arresting the prisoners. Perceval was very drunk. The other prisoners were also the worse for liquor, but knew what they wore about.  Tho prisoners, who made light of the charge, said they wero drunk, and that they had been knocked about by the police.  A witness was called for King.—Ann Rent said the prisoner had lived in her house, No. 8, Park-place, Poplar, for two years, and know 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 boon committed on the constable Dawkins,who was engaged with a drunken and violent man,andnot only instigated the man Perceval to ill use 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 any there was a shade in favour of Percoval, and he should give him the option of paying a fine. I.le sentenced him to pay £5 to the Queen or be imprisoned for one month. Ile sentenced the other prisoners to one month's imprisonment and hard labour. Ali the prisoners were mechanics earning good wages, and ho felt quite ashamed of them. Perceval paid the fine and was liberated.
The Sun. — 1866-09-04 (London, England)

THAMES.  SAVAGE ASSAULT ON A POLICEMAN.—SamueI Percoval, William King, William Allen, and Charles Gallafunt, mechanics, were brought boforo Mr. Partridge charged with violently assaulting police-constable Hawkins, No. 224 K.  The complainant, who has been very severely injured, said he found Perceval in the East India-road, Poplar, at 1 o'clock this morning, and he lay down on the ground and appeared to be quite helpless. He raised him and told him to go home. The prisoner immediately kicked him. Tho other prisoners then came up and instigated Perceval to ill-use him. King kicked him and knocked him down, and while ho 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 rise. Perceval struck him again, and he then drew his staff and knocked him down with it. Allen then renewed 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 ono of thorn struck him on the helmet and another on the back.  William Colo, shoemaker, of No. 25, Upper North-street, Poplar, heard a rattle spring, and went into the East Indiaroad, and saw a row. Ile oould not swear to either of the  men.  Edward Layton, a police costable, No. 290 E, heard cries of murder, and saw the prisoners upon the constable Hawkins. He heard King say to Gallafunt, "Give it him, serve him out." Both men kicked him. Ho assisted Hawkins and others in arresting the prisoners. Perceval was very drunk. The other prisoners were also the worse for liquor, but knew 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 was called for King.—Ann Rent said the prisoner had lived in her house, No. 8, Park-place, Poplar, for two years, and 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 man, and not only instigated the man Perceval to ill use the constable, but brutally attacked him. Ono 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 any there was a shade in favour of Perceval, and he should give him the option of paying a fine. He sentenced him to pay ..C5 to the Queen or be imprisoned for one month. He sentenced the other prisoners to one month's imprisonment and hard labour. All the prisoners wore mechanics earning good wages, and he felt quite ,ashamed of thorn. Porcoval paid the fine and was liberated.
The Sun. — 1866-03-03 (London, England)

ARCH 3:1866. LONDON, .511TURDAY,  The account rendered by the Earl of DERBY to the Upper House last evening of the manner in which he and his co-trustees had discharged their trust in reference to the pension of the late King of the BELGIANS could hardly have failed to have gratified their lordships. Clear and lucid as the noble earl's statements proverbially are, his address, so far as the financial part of it was concerned, left nothing to be desired, while the interest attaching to the retrospect of the past naturally engaged the attention of his hearers. Most of them were old enough to remember the pleasure felt throughout the country at the Princess CHARLOTTE'S auspicious marriage, the warm interest taken '1 in the young couple by all classes of the community, and the cordiality of the hope§ that Were enter- ,  looked into. The work of the Commissioners is very hard, and it is to be feared that it may have injurious effects upon Sir HENRY STORKS, who has, besides his share in the Inquiries before the Court, to transact all the affairs of Government, which task, in such a climate as Jamaica, must be very exhausting. Difficulties have been met with in getting the evidence, but after some exertion it now seems to be getting on in a satisfactory style. The Commissioners have very properly refused to allow Mr. GORRIE and Mr. PAYNE, who represent Mrs. GORDON and the Jamaica Committee, to crossexamine witnesses, deciding that as they represent all parties, it is fit that the examination should be conducted by them alone, and not by those who appear in the interests of parties. Such a resolve is to be highly commended, because in an important affair like this strict impartiality must prevail, and the introduction of particular views and especial prejudices cannot be too strongly condemned. It is very satisfactory to find that general satisfaction prevails as to the course pursued by the Commissioners, and that all concur in praising their effi ciency and energy. Mr. EYRE'S examination did not last long, although it had been expected that it would take up some: considerable time. So far as the answers bore upon the case of GORDON, it seems that they are very conclusive. In reply to questions put by Mr. GURNEY, the Governor stated that he believed the connection of GORDON with the leaders of the outbreak to be personal, political, and religious, and that political feeling ran high in the district to which he was a member. Mr. EYRE also stated that he believed GORDON had led to the insurrection by his language, and as to his bein the instigator g of this particular outbreak, the authorities were aware that he had circulated seditious placards, which contained attacks by name on some of the very persons who were subsequently murdered. This is in itself avery significant fact. Mr. EYRE said, "I have seen the seditious placards in which the attacks were contained, and prior to the capture of
The Sun. — 1866-03-24 (London, England)

THE FENIAN MEETING IN NEW YORK.  At the great Fenian meeting in New York, M. J. Meaney was introduced by the chairman. He said the question now was. Is it Ireland or Canada—O'Mahony or or Roberts ?—(Cries of " O'Mahony ," " Ireland for Ireland, and Canada for Canada.") Ho was not one of those who believed the longest way round was the shortest way home. (Applause.) The Habeas Corpus Act was suspended in Ireland. Did they know what it meant—that every man arrested on suspicion was kept 12 months in prison. (Groans.) That was an evil to be wiped out. But there was another. Those men arrested will be discharged in March, 1867, but there are men in Pentonville Prison— men who perilled all for you—men of Ireland—men who have toiled for you, and to-night, three thousand miles beyond the Atlantic, tho men lie in the cold cells looking for the day of liberation at your hands. (They'll have it.) Will you realise their hopes ? Will you stand and prove their sufferings have not been sufferings for an ungrateful people. (Yes.) He knew what the Habeas Corpus was. •He was arrested, and for eleven months he was in gaol. Ile knew the indignities to which patriots were subjected. He knew what they had to feel—they were associated with felons. Think of that ! (Cheers.) Will you allow that to continue ? (No, no.) How is that negative of yours to be fulfilled? It is by putting down your greenbacks for green bonds—that the green flag should float again over Old Erin. (Yes, yes.) I bind you to that. (Yes.) I want to organise a system of dealing—that you refuse to deal with your grocer, your butcher, or baker except they prove to you that they are bondholders of the Irish Republic. (Great cheering.) A Voice—You'll see ono in my window to-morrow. Another Voice—Yes, and one in mine. (Continued cheering.) I am speaking to men who are strong in the cause ; but I have before me women—God bless them—l have women, the truest patriots in all countries; and the more depressed a country is—the more subservient men are—the stronger are the women in the hope of country and freedom. Hurrah for the men who kept Limerick wall ! But hurrah for the women, the bravest of all ! The speaker concluded amid great applause.  TIIE WIGAN MunnEn.—Last night it was officially rQported that the watch so anxiously sought for in connection with the Wigan murder had been found. On the night when it was committed, Thomas Grime, of Cllorley (now a convict in Dartmoor Prison), was absent from home. Next morning he had a watch, which he had not previously, and which hcafterwards pawned. His brother redeemed it, wore it for some time, and then sold it. When the canal was searched, and a description of the watch was published, he then repurchased it, found it corresponded with the missing one, and gave it to the police. The relatives of the murdered man have since identified it. An habeas corpus has been applied for, and Grime will bo brought before the magistrates as soon-as possible.
The Sun. — 1866-11-02 (London, England)

STREET MURDER IN LIVERPOOL.—At the Liverpool Coroner's Court yesterday an inquest was held on the body of Alexander Montgomery, a coloured seaman. From the evidence it appeared that on Tuesday evening he had a quarrel with another seaman, named Morgan, in Oldhall-street. They had a scuffle, and directly afterwards it was seen that Montgomery had received a stab in the abdomen. Ho was taken to the Northern Hospital, and died in a few minutes. It was shown in evidence that the parties Lad met and quarrelled a short time before, and that in the interval Morgan was heard to threaten that he would kill the deceased before he went to bed. A verdict of " Wilful Murder" against Morgan was returned, Lnd he was committed for trial under the coroner's warrant.  Last evenings meeting, numerously attended by members of the clothing trade, working men, and others, was held at the Cambridge hall, Newman-street, for the purpose of explaining the principles of industrial partnerships, with especial reference to an organisation recently founded in the metropolis. Ihe association, calling itself " The Industrial Partnership of Clothiers (Limited)," with a nominal capital of £25,000, in shares of £1 each, aims at the formation of an establishment in a central position, for the manufacture and sale of articles of clothing, conducting its business according to a system hitherto unknown among shopkeepers in London—that of dividing the profits to arise from its operations in stated proportions between the capitalist, the workman, and the customer. Mr. Hughes, M.P., presided, and in the course of his introductory statement referred to the change made in the law of partnership 18 months ago, when, for the first time, employers of labour were enabled to admit those under thorn to participate in the profits of a business, without risk of their becoming partners, entitled as such to a voice in the management. By that wise kw, of only five clauses, industrial partnerships had been rendered possible. Though London considered itself always in the van of civilisation, the North had taken the lead in this matter. In ono district what was called " a little concern" up there, but which, nevertheless, employed some 80 or 90 men, was already in full work, manufacturing iron rails and wires ; in this partnership the shares were of such small amount that every workman who chose to do so could become a proprietor ; moreover, to those who were unable to pay for shares themselves, shares were allotted in proportion to the amount of work they had done for the concern. At the end of the first half-year's operations, this little company divided no less than 10 per cent. on the capital embarked, besides a further payment of 7i per cent. on the amount of wages earned during the working period. There was another case, that of a colliery in Yorkshire belonging to a Mr. Briggs and his family, which for many years had been a central point in all the troubles arising out of strikes in that district. The divi
The Sun. — 1866-09-21 (London, England)

CHARGE OF WILFUL MURDER.  Thos. Murphy, 29, labourer, was indicted with the wilful murder of Thomas Sullivan. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. According to the evidence it appeared that the parties resided in the same house, in the neighbourhood of Rosemary-lane, and on the evening of the Ist September a quarrel took place between the women, and ultimately the men became involved. Murphy occupied the second floor in Sullivan's house, and as he commenced to destroy the furniture Sullivan went up to protect his property. The parties then gut fighting, and at last cries of Sullivan's wifo were heard crying out send for the police, as Murphy had killed Sullivan. When the police arrived Sullivan was discovered lying dead on the floor. On examination it was found that Sullivan had received a wound on the left side, which penetrated the left ventricle of the heart to the cavity. A blade of a knife was found the next morning in the room in which Sullivan was killed. For the defence it was urged that the wound which caused the death of Sullivan was not given by Murphy, because, had it been so, he would have died instantly, and ho could not have used the words attributed to him after Murphy had left his room. The learned counsel also said it was not his duty to prove how the wound was inflicted, but he thought that the fair inference was that the whole being a drunken quarrel, in which a number of other persons were engaged, the blow had been inflicted by some one, but by whom it was impossible to tell. No knife had been found on Murphy when ho was taken into custody, although the broken blade of one was found in the room the next morning. Ile could not agree to the statement made during the case for the prosecution, viz., that the blade of the knife had been ejected from the wound by the muscular action of the body. The prisoner, he said, was a quiet, well-behaved man, who had served his country during the Russian war, that ho was in the receipt of a pension, and that it was too much to suppose that he would be such a coward as to use the knife in a quarrel. The learned Judge, in summing up the evidence, told the jury that the impression that death instantaneously followed a wound in the heart was a mistake. It had been proved beyond doubt tkat persons had survived such an injury some time. The use of the knife was justifiable against a person who attempted to murder, or against the midnight burglar, because the law could not come to the assistance of the person so assaulted, but under less circumstances than these it was punishable by law. The jury had all the circumstances connected with the case before them, and it was for them to say whether the prisoner was guilty of the crime of murder or manslaughter. The jury, after a brief deliberation, returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter, with a recommendation to mercy, because he was drunk at the time the blow was inflicted. The learned judge sentenced hini to five years' penal servitude.
The Sun. — 1866-09-21 (London, England)

CHARGE OP 'WILFUL MURDER.  Thos. Murphy, 29, labourer, was indicted with the wilful murder of Thomas Sullivan. The prisoner pleaded not guilty.  According to the evidence it appeared that the parties resided in the same house, in the neighbourhood of Rosemary-lane, and on the evening of the Ist September a quarrel took place between the women, and ultimately the men became involved. Murphy occupied the second floor in Sullivan's house, and as he commenced to destroy the furniture Sullivan went up to protect his property. The parties then got fighting, and at last cries of Sullivan's wife were heard crying out send for the police, as Murphy had killed Sullivan. When the police arrived Sullivan was discovered lying dead on the floor. On examination it was found that Sullivan had received a wound on the left side, which penetrated the left ventricle of the heart to the cavity. A blade of a knife was found the next morng in the room in which Sullivan was killed. For the defence it was urged that the wound which caused the death of Sullivan was not given by Murphy, because, had it been so, he would have died instantly, and he could not have used the words attributed to him after Murphy had left his room. The learned counsel also said it was not his duty to prove how the wound was inflicted, but he thought that the fair inference was that the whole being a drunken quarrel, in which a number of other persons were engaged, the blow had been inflicted by some one, but by whom it was impossible to tell. No knife had been found on Murphy when he was taken into custody, although the broken blade of ono was found in the room the next morning. Ho could not agree to the statement- made during tho case for the prosecution, viz., that the blade of the knife had been ejected from the wound by the muscular action of the body. The prisoner, he said, was a quiet, well-behaved man, who had served his country during the Russian war, that he was in the receipt of a pension, and that it was too much to suppose that he would be such a coward as to use the knife in a quarrel. The learned Judge, in summing up the evidence, told the jury that the impression that death instantaneously followed a wound in the heart was a mistake. It had been proved beyond doubt that persons had survived such an injury some time. The use of the knife was justifiable against a person who attempted to murder, or against the midnight burglar, because the law could not come to the assistance of the person so assaulted, but under less circumstances than these it was punishable by law. The jury had all the circumstances connected with the case before them, and it was for them to say whetherthe prisoner was guilty of the crime of murder or manslaughter. Tho jury, after a brief deliberation, returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter, with a recommendation to mercy, because he was drunk at the time the blow was inflicted.  The learned judge sentenced him to five years' penal servitude.
The Sun. — 1866-02-03 (London, England)

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.  (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Finis, Friday Evening.  The Paris papers to-day are remarkably deficient of news, and some of them are compelled to fill up their columns with the despatches upon the subject of Mexico. The following brief description of these documents saves a great deal of trouble to the reader :—" The despatches of the Minister of Foreign Affairs contain a clear and a precise account of the whole of this political question. They describe simply and clearly the causes and the object of the expedition, and what principally occupies attention at this moment is the thought and the resolutions of the Government of the Emperor in consequence of the results which have been obtained." It is stated in a letter from Lisbon that General Prim is imprisoned at Beja, a small town in the province of Alentejo near Estramadura. He was received by the population with great indifference. The belief is that the Spa nish Government is desirous to get rid of the whole affair, and that it will allow the General to go to England, in accordance, it is said, with an application made by him upon the subject. Among many dry facts in the blue-book one circumstance is mentioned. which must excite regret. Founding the opinion upon statistics, it remarks that the dramatic art is on the decay in France. Upon this assertion the Journaldes Debats remarks : —" We shall upon another occasion inquire into the real causes of this decline of the theatrical art, and consider whether that decline is so real and so deep as is asserted." The appeal made by Poncet, the man convicted of the murder of M. Lavargne, near Argenteuil, has been rejected by the Court of Cassation, and he will be executed without delay.  There has been another grand ball at the Tuileries, which passed off very pleasantly. More than 3,000 persons were present, including diplomatists, officers of the army and navy, and the elite of Paris. The Emperor and Empress entered the ball-room at an early hour. Her Majesty, as usual, was dressed with simple elegance, in a white dress trimmed with ivy leaves, and wore the Grand Cordon of Civil Merit of Mexico, recently presented to her by the Emperor Maximilian. The Princess of Hohenzollern wore a dress of white satin, with few ornaments. Dancing continued till past 4 a.m. I have already mentioned that the Emperor intends to be an exhibitor at the Great Exhibition. In section 93, devoted to objects calculated to improve the moral and physical condition of the working classes, models will be placed of dwellings for those classes, desirable on the ground of economy, and as comprising the most healthy characteristics. The Committee of Admission, recollecting that the Emperor had, in 1848, been the promoter and advocate of improved dwellings for labouring men and others, wrote to his Majesty and gave various explanations in regard to the Exhibition. Without delay the Emperor wrote, in answer, that he should not only be an exhibitor, but that he should be glad to contribute from his private funds towards the object contemplated by some working builders of building habitations upon