npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1868-06-06 (London, England)

LORD FAIRFAX.—The motto of this illustrious family, the head of which is at present residing in California, is " Speak and Act." The following anecdote relating to the present peer is authentic, and really deserves recording as being so apposite to the motto. In the spring of the year 1859 Lord Fairfax was walking home, accompanied by the Chief Justice of California and two other friends, when he was met by a Reporter of the Supreme Court of California, named Henry Lee. It appears that Lee thought Lord Fairfax had in some way tried to injure him, and therefore accused him of so doing, a charge which his lordship denied ; Leo rejoined in an insolent and most offensive manner that he did not believe him, substantial y giving the lie, evidently desiring that Lord Fairfax should strike him; ho effected his object, his lordship striking him on the face, and, in return, Lee struck at him with a light cane, within which was concealed a long dagger. Lord Fairfax caught the cane in his left hand; Lee sprang back, drew the dagger quickly from the cane, and inflicted on his lordship two terrible wounds, one through his left breast and the other in his side. Lord Fairfax had drawn a " Derraiger" pistol, and presented it, cocked, in time to prevent Lee making a third thrust. In a moment, Lee threw up his arms and cried out, "Don't kill me, lam unarmed !" (all this occurred in an incredibly short space of time,—before any one had time to interfere, or even realize that a deadly assault had been made.) Lord Fairfax, who is a splendid shot, had him covered at not more than six feet distant, and could have killed him beyond any possible doubt. Still pointing his pistol at Lee's head, his lordship replied, "You miserable coward, you have murdered me—you have assassinated me, and I have your worthless life in my hands ; but, for the sake of your wife and child, I shall spare you." Cries, at this, were raised from the crowd of " Shoot him, Fairfax !" " Kill him !" "aDon't spare bins !" and the like. Standing erect and looking Leo full in the face, and holding the pistol as before, Lord Fairfax replied, " No, I wont't kill him!" and then addressing Lee, said, "Recollect, I have your life in my hands, and I spare it, not on your worthless account, for you are an assassin and a coward, but because of your wife and child." With that he dropped his pistol hand, uncocked the pistol, handed it to a gentleman who was with him, and said in a hurried, low voice, "He has killed me ! support me !"—Froo Debrett's Illustrated Peerage.  A violent thunderstorm, three days back, broke over Chambery, Savoy. A company of the 47th Regiment of the Line, which was practising shooting, broke up when the rain began to fall, and some of the men took shelter under the trees on the roadside. In an instant afterwards the lightning fell upon a chesnut under which were six soldiers, one of whom was killed on the spot, and the others were more or less burnt. On the arms of the man who lost his life appeared the exact delineation of a branch of the tree.
The Sun. — 1868-12-01 (London, England)

THE ELECTION RIOTS.  George Clarke was on Monday brought before the borough magistrates of Cambridge charged with having thrown a stone on the day of the election at Cambridge, by which William Lofts, porter at Christ's College, was killed. Several heads of colleges were on the bench. The facts elicited may be shortly summarised as follows:—Shortly 'after four o'clock on the afternoon of the polling day at Cambridge borough election, a crowd of persons assembled on the market hill. They overturned a cab in Market-street, and seeing there was likely to be a disturbance, Policeconstable Kirbyshire took possession of the cab and drove away with it. The crowd followed along Sidney-street until they came close to Christ's College, when some twenty university men were set upon by the crowd. A free fight ensued; some of the gownsmen took shelter in Christ College gates ; gravel and water were thrown at them, and to protect themselves they partly closed the college gates. The deceased came out of his lodge and asking the under porter why the gates had been closed, proceeded to open them, and waved his hand to keep the crowd quiet. At that moment he was struck over the eye by a stone (produced), and which the prisoner had confessed to Detective Danby he believed he threw, but not with any malicious intent. The stone, prisoner said, was intended for a university man who had thrown it at him and hit his hat. Had deceased been a healthy man the surgeon believed he might have recovered from the effects of the blow, as there were no indications of his brain having sustained any injury. Prisoner declined to say anything at present, and was committed for trial at the assizes, being allowed bail. The adjourned inquest on the body of the deceased was held in the Aldermen's Parlour, Guildhall, before Mr. Gotobed, coroner. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against the accused, who was committed for trial on the .:.oroner's warrant.  At the Bradford Borough Court, on the same day, a tall Irishman, named Michael Brennan, was brought up on the charge of having, on the 17th November, committed a murderous assault upon Mr. J. AV. Ince, a clerk in the service of Messrs. W. Peel and Co., stuff merchants, Bradford. On the afternoon of the 17th ult., during the time of the poll in Bradford, a disturbance was created by some Irish roughs in Silsbridge-lane, an Irish quarter of the town, and an attack made upon the windows of four or five Ripleyite beerhouses, considerable destruction of property being the result. A number of special constables, ender the direction of Adjutant Page, of the Bradford Artillery Volunteers, went to the place to quell the riot, and in the encounter with the mob Mr. Ince, who was one of the special constables, fell to the ground, and when he was in the act of rising the prisoner was seen by Adjutant Page to go behind him and administer two or three heavy blows with a bludgeon on the head. Mr: Ince is lying ill. The prisoner was remanded. dangerously
The Sun. — 1868-02-22 (London, England)

MURDER IN A LUNATIC ASYLUM.  An inquest has been held at the Prestwich As"'Num touching the death of Richard Nuttall Dudson, an inmate of that establishment, who was murdered by another inmate, named Patrick Gilroy, on Tuesday morning last. It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Edward Robert Barker, the resident surgeon, that the deceased, who formerly carried on business as a hatter and barber, at Bury, was admitted to the asylum in July 1853, and had remained in it since. He was rather inclined to be violent, and was so treacherous that the officials in the establishment had to exercise great caution in approaching him. A. day or two ago he received information that Dudson had been killed. It was just a short time before the patients took breakfast. He saw the deceased shortly after seven o'clock, in a bedroom adjoining the dining-hall, to which he had been removed. He was quite dead. There was a comminuted fracture on the left side of his head, which was driven in ; there was also a severe wound on the right side of the head ; and in addition to those wounds the upper and lower jaws were smashed. He was told that the wounds were inflicted by an inmate named Patrick Gilroy, and that they were inflicted with an instrument called a " squeNee" which was used for scrubbing the rooms. (The instrument, which was produced, was similar in form to an ordinary large sweeping brush, but much heavier ; they are known in nautical circles as " swabs," and are used by sailors for- sweeping the decks of vessels.) The wounds were very severe, and the deceased must have died instantaneously, his brain being completely shattered. Gilroy had been in the house since 1857. He was a very irritable person, and could not give a rational answer to any question. He was undoubtedly a person of unsound mind. Neither of the men had ever been under restraint ; in fact, the inmates of that establishment were not subjected to any restraint. He was unable to ascertain whether the deceased gave Gilroy any provocation, but he supposed that he had, and that Gilroy, being a very excitable person, seized the " squeegee " and knocked him on the head. He afterwards spoke to Gilroy about the matter,' but he could not give him a satisfactory answer why he struck the deceased, and merely murmured incoherently. He was undoubtedly of unsound mind, and was not, therefore, responsible for his actions.—Gilroy was brought before the jury, and stated, in reply to Dr. Holland, that the deceased hit him first with a fender, and then he hit him with the "thing" he had in his hand.—The Coroner pointed out that if Gilroy had been a man who was responsible for his actions, it would have been a clear case of wilful murder ; but the jury could only say that the deceased died from injuries inflicted upon him by Gilroy, who, being of unsound mind, was not responsible for his actions. —A verdict in accordance with the coroner's suggestion was recorded.
The Sun. — 1868-08-29 (London, England)

THAMES.  AN AFFRAY ON BOARD AN AMERICAN SKIP.--VVilliam appeared before Mr. Paget charged with cutting and wounding John Holm. Mr. Pelham conducted the defence, and Mr. Stoddart appeared for the prosecution.  The complainant is a Chinaman, and second cook of the American ship Hudson, and the defendant, a Yankee, is the steward of the same vessel. 'The Chinaman's head was almost covered with large surgical plaisters. He produced a large carving knife, which he said was used in cutting up meat on board, and brandished it, regardless of the throats and faces of those near him. He stated, in broken English, in answer to questions by Mr. Stoddart, that on Monday last the Hudson was in the London Dock, and the chief mate struck him, and then the complainant came up into the galley, a cook-house on deck, and asked for a scrubbing brush, and because he did not give him one directly, he took up a knife and cut him on the bead with it.  Mr. Paget—With that great knife ? Witness—Yes, sir. Ile cut me three times on the head with that large knife, and I went to Mr. Ross, a surgeon in Shadwell, who dressed my wounds.  Mr. Paget asked how it was the complainant rested over his injuries until Thursday before he came to that court for process. Mr. Stoddart explained that the complainant went bleeding and wounded to the King David-lane station, Shadwell, and the police refused to interfere because the Hudson was an American ship. Mr. Paget said on the same ground a murder might be committed in the London Dock on board an American ship and the murderer allowed to escape. The Hudson was in our waters in a dock at the time the alleged assault was committed.  In cross-examination by 111 r. Pelham, the Chinaman said that the chief cook gave him the large knife last night.  Mr. Paget—Take it away from him, or he will be doing mischief.  Mr. Pelham said the complainant met with very trifling injury, but not in the way stated, that he was absent two days from, the ship, and that he had a black eye when he returned to the ship. He called Mr. Charles Fowler, an Englishman, who said he was sufercargo of the Hudson. On Monday morning last the defendant asked the complainant why he had been absent from duty two days, to which he made no answer. The defendant then asked the Chinaman for a scrubbing brush, and the complainant told him to go to hell. He caught the complainant, who struck him on the eye. A struggle ensued, and complainant took up a knife and tried to stab Corrison, who took the knife away from him. The complainant seized a cleaver, and attempted to strike the defendant. In the struggle the complainant fell against the ironwork of the cookhouse and injured his head. The complainant cut off with the cleaver.  Mr. Pelham—He did not cut off any person's head ?  Witness—No, sir ; he cut away with it. Mr. Paget believed the defence, and that the Chinaman had first assaulted the Yankee. He dismissed the case.
The Sun. — 1868-08-29 (London, England)

THAMES.  AN AFFRAY ON BOARD AN AUERICAN SKIP.-•William corrison appeared before Mr. Paget charged with cutting and wounding John Holm. Mr. Pelham conducted the defence, and Mr. Stoddart appeared for the prosecution. The complainant is a Chinaman, and second cook of the American ship Hudson, and the defendant, a Yankee, is the steward of the same vessel. The Chinaman's head was almost covered with large surgical plaisters. He produced a large carving, knife, which he said was used in cutting up meat on board, and brandished it, regardless of the throats and faces of those near him. He stated, in broken English, in answer to questions by Mr. Stoddart, that on Monday last the Hudson was in the London Dock, and the chief mate struck him, and then the complainant came up into the galley, a cook-house on deck, and asked for a scrubbing brush, and because he did not give him one directly, he took up a knife and cut him on the head with it.  Mr. Paget—With that great knife ? Witness—Yes, sir. He cut me three times on the head with that large knife, and I went to Mr. Ross, a surgeon in Shadwell, who dressed my wounds.  Mr. Paget asked how it was the complainant rested over his injuries until Thursday before he came to that court for process. Mr. Stoddart explained that the complainant went bleeding and wounded to the King David-lane station, Shadwell, and the police refused to interfere because the Hudson was an American ship.  Mr. Paget said on the same ground a murder might be committed in the London Dock on board an American ship and the murderer allowed to escape. The Hudson was in our waters in a dock at the time the alleged assault was committed.  In cross-examination by Mr. Pelham, the Chinaman said that the chief cook gave him the large knife last Dight. Mr. Paget—Take it away from him, or he will be doing mischief. Mr. Pelham said the complainant met with very trifling injury, but not in the way stated, that he was absent two days from the ship, ani that he had a black eye when he returned to the ship. He called Mr. Charles Fowler, an Englishman, who said he was supercargo of the Hudson. On Monday morning last the defendant asked the complainant why he had been absent from duty two days, to which he made no answer. The defendant then asked the Chinaman for a scrubbing brush, and the complainant told him to go to hell. lie caught the complainant, who struck him on the eye. A struggle ensued, and complainant took up a knife and tried to stab Corrison, who took the knife away from him. The complainant seized a cleaver, and attempted to strike the defendant. In the struggle the complainant fell against the ironwork of the ccokhouse and injured his head. The complainant cut off with the cleaver.  Mr. Pelham—He did not cut off any person's head ?  Witness—No, sir ; he cut away with it. Mr. Paget believed the defence, and that the Chinaman had first assaulted the Yankee. Ile dismissed the case.
The Sun. — 1868-02-04 (London, England)

THE CHARGES AGAINST " COLONEL" BITR/CE.••"! The Morning Post is given to understand that the Crown is in passes.sion of evidence of a character to lead to the belief that the recent attempt to destroy the House of D Aention at Clerkenwell was instigated by " Colonel" Burke, one of the prisoners now in Warwick Gaol await• ing his trial for treason-felony. The probability, there• fore, is, that the Crown will include him in any indict• ment which may be framed against the Desmonds, Barrett. Ann Justice, and others now in custody for wilful murder arising out of the catastrophe. In connection with this subject it may also be added that Mullany, the last sPI prover, has been admitted as a witness for the Crown consequence of a document having been traced to hirg containing references to a certain very high persenag and which document it is not considered desirable shen3s be given in evidence at the trial, either against bluiltY himself or nuy of the other priEontre. It itirS V)* jloll.o4tiOyeil. •  ten days Chancery. ;cepted it, ttle criti 1857, he rears, and ,ng equity ost to Sir Conserva. a Liberal Appeal by have been startling wait until then there 'hancellor.  g enough,  Chancelhere ; the tbury was ,osition at N 2,000 or  urn of the  n he shall ohn Rolt. ick in the :ompetent  sufficient ,ot care to i is about  lan is prere for the Iphie sys!stminstor  he course  n he nomi )ointment t the Lord Dne of the Le learned rge of his Ike them. id but for a seat in. :they the  :r Charles he repro.. al portion, on to the the Low nll Hope, yarn. It Dble mar timself so.  to run the as issued, action he, ors. The er's views  ng a very. .om some  ough, on, id having nstrations  is friends unseemly More preon.  Bernard 1 1853 to Le Liberal  ; his resi.: gar of his'  t-place, of  The de; ,ught two  . Dering. it Norton iservativo had re-57, was Lmerston's, e winning  e English anvassing  ;ring, and  his own 1 of 5,462 majority r Norton, ntagonist, s than in 276. ),d worked divisions as in 1854 lussell to e of war,  ?,sentation because al comma  nce, and Should he rrived at.  s relieved ent at the  Ist waited m to conches. It cab proevery £5O he capital times the the latter er annum )f fodder, ame ; and, a great )hancellor n to taxes  the tax in not exist le matter  vernment well hale inereasinit  he Social ie cost of and eight iminals at  a average re to debit elude any ns, gaols, I.stress in hat many =stances were lying ,erforming et a bare lat useful provision t a society th money I provide ich could amid thus  ief of tht a meeting the Lord 3t that it guardians ut co•opendon MisSeptimus ring of tho n the Cen• on, awl ho rinciple on  en years,, Walei d 43 were rated conIces of the a•ch of the, 17, 14, 18,.. 9.65, they  3unicz.--;  Be Crown .ead to the House of " Colonel" ;-aol await. Lity, there• any indict. s, Barrett• ful murder a with this he last all: Crown ip ed to hirJ person-ag Bs kble shou! 3t ISTullaq in'ef:2l44:
The Sun. — 1868-03-09 (London, England)

MURDER IN NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE.  A man named John Rogers, an itinerant pot-seller, living at Burslem, is in custody at Hanley, charged with the wilful murder of Mary Durwin, an Irishwoman with whom he had cohabited for several years. The circumstances, as at present known, are briefly these :—On Thursday night the prisoner and the murdered woman were seen together in several public-houses in the neighbourhood of Burslem. At the village of Milton they had a violent quarrel, the woman upbraiding her paramour with wasting the money which she earned, and the latter telling her that as she was not his wife she had no claim upon him, and that he did not care how soon she left him. He was proceeding to violence, when the landlord of the house interposed and protected the woman. At a late hour they left the house together, and went through several fields in the direction of Hanley. They were met by two colliers, who, before they came up to them, had heard a woman screaming " Murder," and who on seeing them were satisfied from her appearance that the woman had been grossly illtreated, but they do not appear to have interfered. The deceased and Rogers were not again seen together, but at half-past four o'clock on Friday morning a collier going to his work reported to two men whom he met coming from a pit that he had passed a woman lying on the canal bank, and that she appeared to have been in the water. He asked them to look after her, but they contended that as they bad just left work, while he was fresh from sleep, it was more reasonable to expect that he should charge himself with this act of humanity. The wrangle ended in all three of the men going about their own business with the most perfect indifference as to the fate of the woman. Nothing more was heard of her until seven o'clock on Saturday morning, when her dead body was accidentally discovered in a disused colliery enginehouse a few hundred yards from the bank of the canal. The body, when found, was lying across a wheelbarrow, and a subsequent examination of the locality shewed that in all probability the murderer had first of all endeavoured to bury the body in the shale lying at the mouth of a neighbouring coal-pit, but had abandoned that idea for some reason or other, and had then wheeled it straight the engine-house. A post-mortem examination of the ivaly has been made by Mr. Oldham, surgeon, of Burslem, who is of opinion, from appearances presented by the woman's throat, that she was strangled. In addition to marks of violoice on the throat, there are bruises on both arms, caused ap,:larently by the tight grip of a man's hands. The prison: r, on being taken into custody, said that as he and the womao were walking along the bank of the canal she fell into the water through being very drunk, that he pulled her out at the ris:: of his own life, and then left her.
The Sun. — 1868-03-09 (London, England)

MURDER IN NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE.  A man named John Rogers, an itinerant pot-seller, living at Burslem, is in custody at Hanley, charged with the wilful murder of Mary Durwin, an Irishwoman with whom he had cohabited for several years. The circum• stances, as at present known, are briefly these :—On Thursday night the prisOner and the murdered woman were seen together in several public-houses in the neighbour• hood of Burslem. At the village of Milton they had a violent quarrel, the woman upbraiding her paramour with wasting the money which she earned, and the latter telling her that as she was not his wife she had no claim upon him, and that he did not care how soon she left him. He was proceeding to violence, when the landlord of the house interposed and protected the woman. At a late hour they left the house together, and went through several fields in the direction of Hanley. They were met by two colliers, who, before they came up to them, had heard a woman screaming " Murder," and who on seeing them were satisfied from her appearance that the woman had been grossly illtreated, but they do not appear to have interfered. The deceased and Rogers were not again seen together, but at half-past four o'clock on Friday morning a collier going to his work reported to two men whom he met coming from a pit that he had passed a woman lying on the canal bank, and that she apreared to have been in the water. He asked them to look after her, but they contended that as they had just left work, while he was fresh from sleep, it was more reasonable to expect that he should charge himself with this act of humanity. The wrangle ended in all three of the men going about their own business with the most perfect indifference as to the fate of the woman. Nothing snore was heard of her until seven o'clock on Saturday morning, when her dead body was accidentally discovered in a disused colliery enginehouse a few hundred yards from the bank of the canal. The body, when found, was lying across a wheelbarrow, and a subsequent examination of the locality shewed that in all probability the murderer had first of all endeavoured to bury the body in the shale lying at the mouth of a neighbouring coal-pit, but had abandoned that idea for some reason or other, and had then wheeled it straight to the engine-house. A post-mortem examination of the body has been made by Mr. Oldham, surgeon, of Burslem, who is of opinion, from appearances presented by the woman's throat, that she was strangled. In addition to marks of violence on the throat, there are bruises on both arms, caused apparently by the tight grip of a man's hands. The prisoner, on being taken into custody, said that as he and the woman were walking along the bank of the canal she fell into the water through being very drunk, that he pulled her out at the risk of his own life, and then left her.