npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Poole Telegram. — 1880-07-09 (Poole, Dorset, England)

THE ALLEGED MURDER AT CREWKERNE.  In the Queen's Bench Division on Thursday.— Before the Lord Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Bowen.  _ Mr. Bullen moved in the case of the Queen v. Robert Slade Cohner and Jane Colmer for a rule nisi for a writ of certiorari that the two prisoners might be tried at the Central Criminal Court. They had been committed .for trial for the wilful murder of Mary  Budge, a widow, who underwent an operation in the female prisoner's house, which, according to the evidence, caused her death. It was an operation to procure abortion. She returned home on the following day, and died on the 20th of March in the present year, and the two prisoners were committed for trial on the 28th of April. The Lord Chief Justice—What had the male prisoner to do with it ? Was he a party to the operation ?  _ Mr. Bullen replied that according to what was alleged the operation was performed by the husband at the wife's house. They were living apart, he at Bristol, and she at Yeovil, and he was sent for, and he came to Yeovil and performed the operation which caused the death of Mrs. Budge. The application was made owing to the prejudice which prevailed against the prisoners, so that it was not likely they would be able to obtain a fair trial. Owing to former proceedings against the male prisoner he did not anticipate that justice would be done to him by any jury in that or the adjoining counties. In 1864 he was tried at Taunton for a similar offence, and was acquitted. There were 42 affidavits, but he would read only one Mr. Bullen went on to say even the coroner, who had not accused before him, but who went into the circumstances of the death of Mrs. Budge, seemed almost to have lost his head, if he might use the expression, because he said to the jury that "there was scarcely a paper or a railway station where they did not see Madame Jane Colnier, curer of worms, but if destroyer of babies was put it was more likely to be true." There were several other affidavits, among them that of the prisoners' solicitor, Mr. J. C. Davis, clerk to the justices of Sherburne, who said Mary Budge was well-known in and about the locality, having been brought before the public a good deal owing to the sudden death of her husband, a solicitor, two years ago. She was then left with five children, and much sympathy was expressed for her. Jane Colmer had for many years advertised herself as a herbalist and curer of worms, and it was generally believed in Somersetshire and the adjoining counties, that under the pretence of being curer of warms she carried on illegal practices for the purpose of procuring abortion ; and the coroner at the inquest, in addition to the words quoted above, said "it is not the -first time I have been obliged to investigate a painful case, and been obliged to send the husband for trial for the manslaughter of a young woman." Yule nisi granted.  MR.
The Poole Telegram. — 1881-10-21 (Poole, Dorset, England)

POOLE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21. 1881.  ui bbs attb enbc  POLICE! POLICE! !-A gentleman, living in Longfleet, young, good-looking, a husband, and a father, was subjected to a trying ordeal the other night. During the mysterious hours of darkness, when the good people of Poole are popularly supposed to be wrapped in innocent and lamb-like slumbers—when the Tories .cease from troubling, and the Liberals are at rest—then It was that at an unearthly hour our friend was thrown Into a state of perspiration that a vapour bath would not have brought about. The elbow of his faithful spouse in forcible contact with his ribs, and the whisper "there's thieves in the house," roused him to the consciousness that attempts were being made to force the back entrance. There could be no doubt about it, the rasping of the burglar's file was too distinct to be miatakee. The young gentleman in question is no coward. To throw up the window and challenge the Intruder was the work of a moment. "Speak, or I fire my revolver," was thundered forth, No response was given, and then cries of "Police! Thieves!! Murder! !! awoke the echoes of the night. Assistance speedily 'arrived, but the result was very common-place. There was no deadly struggle with& craped villain, no blazing of revolvers, no feats of bravery to be chronicled in the next Telegram, for the dreaded burglar proved to be a neighbour's donkey, that had strayed into the garden and was rubbing its head up and down the back door to the tune of "God bless the Dike of Argyle."  MuNioirsi,.—The decision which the Liberal party has arrived at will probably surprise no one. Twice they have saved the borough a contest by surrendering a couple of seats. That there must be a limit to this sort of thing is of course evident. The Tories now repeat their demand for an arrangement by which three ot themselves and three Liberals should be returned. The Liberals, we believe, go as far as this—" You shall have two seats out of the six, thus giving you another seat in the Council" If this offer is not accepted, all the six seats will be fought for. The probability is the Tory party will think twice before they decline it,  Lord Wimborne has arrived at Canford, and will visit Poole, I hear to-morrow. Of course that has nothing to do with politics!  I was hardly informed when I stated last week that Dr. Philimits did not desire the honour of again being returned by the Council. The doctor tells me that net only will Ike stand, but he means fighting. A medical man's opinion is of great value when the sanitary requirements of a town are being considered, and it is only to be hoped if Dr. Philpotts is returned again the Council will have the the benefit of a little more of his advice than they have had of late.  The Liberals are clamourous for a fight as they are confident that the result will be to show decisively that the snake of Toryism is not only scotched, but killed entirely as far as Poole is concerned. There is also a not unnatural desire to revenge the defeat of the last general election—a defeat which ought uever to have been sustained.  A
The Poole Telegram. — 1881-02-11 (Poole, Dorset, England)

FACTS AND FANCIES.  "So far so good," se the little boy said when he had finished the first pot of hi 4 mother's jam. Before marriage a girl treqmntly cslls her intended husband her 'treasure;" but when he beCOlllO4 her husband she looks upon him as her "treasurer." The window of • Paris wine merchant's shop where "English is spoken " bears this inscription "Genuine and authenic wine merchants in casks or bottles in  Castles.' A Fort Madison man went home the other evening and found his house locked up. Getting in with considerable difficulty at the window he found on the table this note from his wife: "I have gone out; you will find the doorkey on one aide of the doorstep." "Therein a girl with a fine figure," said Lonardo Tonna& top to hiR friend Frederick Von Weisesnicht, as the ungainly Miss Dromedarious stalked by. "Do you call hers a tine figure r was the astonished query. I do; she has lifo,ooodols. in her own name." fine stood watching a canal boat loaded with ice as it teas being locked into tho canal from Lake Champlain. " What is that boat loaded with I" she a- •• Ice," was the reply. "Oh me,' she exclaimed in surprise, "if the horrid stuff should melt the water wonld sink the boot I" The other evening a bright little girl remarked to a lady visit r, "The robbers csaligsreal my mamma's diamond earrings, 'cause pa's hid them." Visitor: "Where has he hid them, my dear r Intelligent child: "Why, I heard him tell mamma he had put them up the spout, and be fancied they would stay there." "very man," said Mark Lemon one evening at his club, "bas its peculiarities, though I think I am as free from them an most moo; at any reti, I don't know what they are." Nobody contradicted the edit ir of Punch, but after a while Albert Smith asked, '' Which hand do you shave with, uncle I" "With my right hand," replied Lemon. A 1,," returned the other. that's your peculiarity; most people shave with a razor.' "Prisoner at the bar," said the Judge to a man on trial for murder. "is there anything you wish to say before sentence is raised upon you?' "Judge," replied the prisoner, solemnly. "there bas been altcgether too much said already. I knew all along somebody would get hurt if these people didn't keep their mouths shut. It might as well be me, perhaps, as anybody else. Drive on, Judge, and give us as little sentiment as you can get along on. I con stand hanging, but I hots gusb."—American paper. Atter the circus procession two small boys met. One of i them, his face glowing with excitement, said "Oh, I Johnny, did you see that fellow with a snake around his neck r No word front Johnny. "Yet HAM the man in 1 the cage of cools., 7" No word or sign from Johnny, save and except a cloud over his brow. "Well, yet seen the ponies with the red blankets on, didn't Ter 7" "New I didn't.," said Johnny at last, bursting into tears. "I had to stay at home and mind our baby, but I kin lick the stuffin* out o' you."
The Poole Telegram. — 1881-12-23 (Poole, Dorset, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER.  About five o'clock on Friday evening a man named William Staines, who has been a sailor, went to the shop of his brother-in-law, Mr. Smith, an electroplater, at 10, Percival-street, Clerkenwell, London. Some angry words passed between the men, and Staines then took a revolver out of his pocket and fired at Smith's head. The ball lodged in the man's jaw, where it still remains, and he is now lying at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in a precarious state. In the confusion which followed the firing of the revolver Staines made his escape, but was arrested late on Saturday night,  Coact of Xt , . J'lnz Queen will, it is understood, come to London in February in order to open Parliament upon the re. assembling of the members of the Legislature at West. minder Palace. AT the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday Richard Hammet, a printer' 39 years of age, was indicted for the wilful murder of his two children, Albert, aged three years, and Arthur. an infant under twelve months. Fria. crier was a man of excellent character and au affectionatjl father. He had great trouble in his family, his children having scarlet fever, add he lost his only daughter. Added to this he iiiintielf injured one of his legs and became very ill. Whilst in this slate he stabbed the tee children in the neck, and death was instantaneous. He then made a desperate attempt on his own life, from which, however, he reeovered. The medical evidence wee strongly in favour of the hypothesis that at the tiine prisoner copiinitted the deed he was not of sound mind, inasmuch as ti3e erysipelas occasioned from the injury un his leg, and the poisoned blood passing through the brain would render him at times delirious and uuconscinw of what he was doing, and not responsible for his action. The jury found the prisoner not gbilty on the ground of insanity, and he will be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure._ - - • •  Tug Vienna calamity has led the French Prefect of rolice to take energetic measures. He has summoned all the theatres to provid oil lamps as a precaution against the gas going out, to place movable staircases, and to increase the nurnberof doors. Such theatres,moreover,as have not already an efficient water supply and a metallic curtain to shut off the stage from the audience in the event of fire are to supply the deficiency. The new Curtain, it is said, will involve the closing of the Thtfatre Franchais for a month, while the Thelittre Dejazet, being 0. wooden building, has been at once closed as un-afe 4nil will not be re-opened unless entirely reconstructed. A cafe chantant has been similarly dealt with.  SHORTLY before twelve o'clock on Friday night a die *strolls lire broke out at Messrs. Fowler's exteneive steam plough works, Hunslet, Leeds. The works cover nine acres of ground, and considerably more than half has been destroyed. The damage is estimated at from £60,00 to £70,000.  MR.
The Poole Telegram. — 1881-07-15 (Poole, Dorset, England)

THE BRIGHTON RAILWAY TRAGEDY.  TIIE ARREST OF LEFROY.  The arrest of Lefroy (or Mapleton) for the murder of Mr. Gold, was effected on Friday night. Inspcotora Jarvis and Swanson were prosecuting their inquiries in the East-end of Loudon, and visited Smith-street, Stepney. At the house numbered 32 in that street— s private lodgin4-bouse—they discovered Lefroy, who had been lodging in the house since last Thursday week, thme days ufter the murder was committed. and since his stay the re he had acted ii the most reserved manner. He bad never alluded to the murder of Mr. Gol I when conversing with those about him. When the two inqiectors entered the place they found Lefroy seated in a chair. He had a most defected appearanci., and as soon as the police-officers eat red the room he said " I xoecteil you." Swanson replied " Yes; I SDI a p dice-officer," an I Lefroy then answered "Yes, I expect so." Swanson then informed him that he was charged with the murder of Mr. Gold in a railway carriage, and Leroy then turned round and said " I am not compelled te give an answer, am I?" and then added " I am not guilty." His demeanour was very calm and collected, and he made DU attempt whatever at resistance. On being searched, nothing of importance was found upon him, and be denied knowing anything of the gold watch or revolver. It Is poeitively added that Lefroy had never been from his room since he first entered int I o -cupation, and the people who own the house had little idea that they had each a notorious c.iminal under their mof. A cab was at once procured, and Lefroy Was at once conveyed to Scotland Yarl. Lefroy has ma le a full confession of the committal of the murder. When arrested he was in good spirits, but on his being c infined in the cell at Kimpetreet he became depressed. He asked for refreshmen., snd was allowed hy the authorities at the station coffee and sands idles, but orders were given that no knife or fork shoul I be supplied with his fo d. The prisoner said that he had had no male during the day, and that he was particularly desirous of obtaining some refreshment. On being searched not a farthing was found upon his person, From inquiry at the house in which the arrest was made, it appears that on Thursday week a young man, describing himself as an engraver, presented himself at the house of Mrs. Bickers, who lives at 32, Smith-atreet, Stepney, and asked the price of a room, which she happened to have to let. He said that he came from Liverpool, but had left his luggage behind him. Mrs. Bickers, who appears to have been taken with the young man's plausible manner, received him without further question, and, on his taking possession of the room allotted to him, he promised to pay the rent, which amounted to 6s. in advance. This promise, however, he failed to redeem in its entirety, ea he only paid 3s. 6d. At the time of his entrance into the lodging, he did not stipulate for any food to he provided for him and seemed to imply that he should get his own meals.
The Poole Telegram. — 1882-12-15 (Poole, Dorset, England)

DREADFUL MURDERESS.  On the 30'h November, at le a.m.. a dreadful woman, one Kate Nagy, was hanged in Stein-an-Anger, the frontier town between Styria and Hungary. In the annals of crime she lwill occupy one of the first places, for, although she confessed to six murders only. she was convicted of 26, and we may suppose that she committed many more. She found means of obtaining poison from chemists in small provincial towns by pretending to have s house full of rata. The small cakes which she sold in a tiny shop were so universally liked by old and young that she could sell poisoned cakes to the persons who wished to rid themselves of a superfluous relative without arousing enspicion. Her first murder was wobably that of her own husband, and when this remained uncli.c wered she committed a succession of other murder., for which she was paid by the parties concerned. Her victims were ! men, women, and children, old and young, and although her neighbours had lcng suspected her, still no one dared for some tine to accuse her of the dreadful crime. She waa believed to be very pious, lied it was chiefly by her aid that the Dominican friers of Ste'n-an-Anger were able to found a religious scclety, .which gained great influence in the course of years. Although she confessed to six murders, the Court of Justice condemned her only to hard labour for life but the Imporial Council, appealing to the High Court, obtained a death sentence, which was signed by the Emperor about the middle of last month. Ever since the sent. nce was communicated t s Kate Nagy she spent her days and nights in praying and fasting with her tether confessor ever by her side. On Thursday the hangman arrived from Buda Pestle. and Kate Nagy was taken to the ' piece of execution at the other end of the town. When she appeared in the street everyone was surprised to see a meek little woman of about 50 years of age, with a kind, motherly expression in her B°l,ll face. She was escorted by a detachment of Imperial dragoons, and followed by thousands who had come from all parts of the country to see her. As she entered the wooden fence which conceals the gibbett from the eyes of the public, she started, for her daughter came up to her and begged leave to enter with her mother. When she was ref used, she fainted in the arms of some women who had come with her. The hangman fulfilled his terrible task in a few seconds. In the meantime the crowd outside behaved in a most shameful manner. They surrounded the murderess's daughter and declared she must be executed als because such a dreadful woman's entire race should be extirpated once for all. The ruffians would have lynched the girl had not a brave woman stood up in her defence, and by her undaunted courage intimidated those near her until some dragoons came to her rescue. Kate Nagy ref used to name the perms for whom she prepared her poison, so that they cannot be prosecuted.
The Poole Telegram. — 1882-12-29 (Poole, Dorset, England)

TAUNTON.  On Boxing-nigl.t (Tuesday), a young woman named Annie Rowsell was sitting with some companions in the Crown and Tower Inn, in Silver-street, when a man named Fred Ripley, wto had been acquainted w..bh Relievell, entered the room, and after a few Words with the woman the pair left together, and went up the street. It appears that the deceased, who is the mother of three children, had been keeping company with Ripley, but latterly the two had not been on the best of terms, and Rowsell had stated to some friends that Ripley had threatened to kill her. Roe sell, or " .Nance," as she was familiarly caled, was laughing and chatting with a young man. Ripley, who had not been In company with her that evening before he entered the room, said, "Nance, I want to peak to you." The servant at the inn, who was speaking to Ithe deceased at the time, said, "I would not go if I were you." She replied," Oh, yes, I will, perhaps he wants to see me about some collars." A few minutes afterwards she staggered into the front room of the Inn with a frightful gash in her throat. The landlord sent for a cab, and she was conveyed to the hospital, but she expired a few minutes after her admiesion. Ripley was found by the police a few hours afterwards at the residence of his sieter-in-law, at Harmony-row. The deceaeed was an operative at a collar factory, and was not a native of Taunton, although she had lived for sores years in the towu. R,pl .y has been liviug whb his grandmother, who keeps a email shop in East-reach, and is connected with one of the militia battalions of Prince Albert's Somersetehire Light Infantry. On Wednesday Frederick Ripley was brought before Mr. R. A ICiuglake, Mr. Newton, and Colonel Rawiine, at the Taunter* Police-court, and charged with the wilful murder of Anne Rowse'', and was rerasuded till Monday,  When we enlarged the " Telegram," some two years ago, we gave as one of the reasons for the change the fact that our advertisers were pressing upon our news space to an extent that left us no alternative. One of the trade journals noticing this, in a somewhat cynical spirit, referred to our happy perplexity. That writer will see in the ":telegram" of last Friday, Dec. 22n4 abundant proof of the truth of our assertion. Out of 64 columns, rather more than one half-3,1 columns— were occugied with advertisements; not "bumped out" to aid the printer, but dispkwed according to our clients' directions. We have long possessed the assurance from the most satisfactory of all sources—that of the culvertisers the the value of these trade announcements to the parties who make them. • The fact is people READ our advertisements; they do not escape the sight like those set in the smallest type and huddled together. The value of our large and well-sustained circula tion is enhanced to advertisers by the distinctness with which their announcements are set before the public. The result is mutually satisfactory, and at the beginning of a new year we may be allowed the expression of our satisfaction and our thanks.
The Poole Telegram. — 1882-04-14 (Poole, Dorset, England)

LAMSON'S MEDIATOR."  The London Figaro says :—`• Like many good people before him, Sir William Harcourt hap, under stress of temptation, suffered himself to be led astray. We shall not repeat the senseless statement that the convict Lamson has been respiteel 'for a political purpose ;' we believe that, in acceding to the request of the President of the United State, the Home Secretary was inspired by no other motive than a desire to show courtesy to the chief magistra • of the great American Republic. The case against the Home Secrete, y is that Lamson has been convicted by a jury of a cruel murder, which almost everybody in England but the ladies who presented him with bouquets of flowers, feels sure he committed ; that the attempts to prove him mad ou this side the Atlantic have completely failed; that the evideuce which is 'now on its way from America,' might have been In the hands of the solicitor for the defence two or three months ago; that the responsible ruler of another country has been allowed to interfere—fur what is mediation but into' ference— with the course of justice in this; that a precedent has been established which, if not in the present, may, on some other occasion, result in the most serious complications. But we go further than this. We assert that the evidence which is to be submitted to the consideration of the Home Office cannot possibly be worthy of attention. How can it be? Lamson has lived for many years in Europe; he married an English lady ; he practised as a physician in an English town; sufficient is known et his career in England to enable anyone to form an opinion about him; and he is an Englishman. If even it could be proved that he was mad in America, we should reply, he has not beau mad in England. We decline to go back to, or to have anything td do with, his school days, and it is nonsenee to talk about his being mad 'last summer.' The President of the United litatel has, in fact, no more to do with the matter than the Shah of Persia or Cetewayo. But the presumption of Mr. Arthur, and the folly of Sir William Harcourt, will add to the wretched murderer the agony f suspense. It is not conceivable that the respite of a fortnight will be followed either by a final reprieve, or by a commut salt of the capital eetitetice—capital punishment could not survive the scandal. Yet, there is no doubt that the convict is buoyed up with the hope that, as his poweiful friends have already secured the postponement of the execution, they will, by a little more pressure be able either to oh sin his liberation, or to prevent him from expiating his crime on the gallows. Bad as Lamson is, it is to be re,reLted that he should be exposed to torture of this kind—to torture nearly as shocking as the torture to which Percy John was subjected."