npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1847-11-19 (London, England)

MURDEROUS ASSAULT AT BRIGHTON.—On ted Saturday evening it was reported that a man had attemp to murder the potman, at the Railwaypn publichouse, house, which is situated at the north end of s urreystreet, close to the Brighton terminus. It appears from inquiries which we havemade, that a man named William Baxter went into the taproom of the public-house on Saturday evening with a woman of abandoned character, and behaved in such an indecent manner that Mr. Penfold, the landlord, ordered the woman to be turned out, which was done forthwith. Baxter remained for some time afterwards ; and when Mitchell went into the room at a later period of the evening, to tell him it was time to go, Baxter rushed upon him and struck him. The blow was returned by Mitchell, who wasthe stronger of the two, and would have had the best of the fight, if other means than fists had not been resorted to. Baxter, feeling his inefficiency to cope with the potman, drew a knife from his pocket, and inflicted a dreadful wound in Mitchell's eye ; he then made another thrust, and cut him over the other eye, and then stabbed him in the chest, b fly the deadly instrument struck again t the bone,ortunate otherwise it must have been fatal.ek By this time his cries for assistance brought personst to his aid, and the villain h who had inflictedinjury was secured. By some means the savage assailant ilant had got a wound across the back of his hand in the scuffle, and both of them were taken to the County Hospital, the unfortunate potman being covered with blood. Mitchell was already blind in the eye which received the first injury; had the blow fallen on the other eye, he must have been deprived of sight, for the socket was literally gouged out, and presented a shocking sight. The knife bad gone quite into the orbit. The wound over the right temple extended between three and four inches, and the wound across the chest about two inches in breadth. It is consolatory know that the poor fellow is likely trecover,alfith t ostuagti several days must elapse before he will be in to be examined. It is rather singular that the lo t.hienwhich wriston which Baxter received his wound he dislocated some years ago. was a is still in the ho s_pital, and exceedingly sullen. A policeman is with him night and day. The instrument with which the wounds were inflicted has not, we understand, been found. Baxter's occupation was that of a touter for flys, and he has been hanging about the terminus for some time.—Brighton Gazette. The late Sir George Philips, Bart., died possessed of personal property amounting to 30,000/., which, with his freeholds in the counties of Warwick, Worcester, Oxford, Gloucester, Lancaster, and elsewhere, he has left to his son, Sir George Richard Philips, Bart., kt.P his sole executor, 9  I. g ( 2 '.I. s•:. ‘i` <ll 'Ai -• t:_.€ :0" -`- •  vr•J (IVJS' UV!'
The Sun. — 1847-03-09 (London, England)

SURRE I THEATRE. Yesterday evening a very interesting drama, entitled " Lilly Dawson ; or, A Poor Girl's Story," was produced at this theatre. It is the novel of the same name, by that de. servedly popular writer, Mrs. Crowe, in a dramatic dress, by that skilful artist, Mr. Stirling. The plot is as follows: Lilly Dawson (Mrs. H. Vining) is employed as a domestic at the house of Jacob Littlehans, a smuggler, where she is treated with uncommon severity by the family, consisting of two sons and a daughter, the former of whom follow the same honourable vocation as their father and the latter of whom is wedded to a phlegmatic Dutchman, Hans Peffer (Mr. T. Fredericks). " Shadows, clouds, and darkness," rest upon the birth and parentage of Lilly Dawson, but from the confession of Jacob Littlehaus in a moment of mental agony, it appears that he has pre- • served her from a wreck. The crew have been murdered by him and his sons. Luke Littlehaus, from a belief (the grounds for which do not appear) that Lilly Dawson will turn out to.he the child of some great person, determines to marry her; but she dislikes him, and effects her escape, after an attempt has been made upon her life by Luke Littlehaus, who thinks that she had been the witness of a murder which he had committed, through the instrumentality of a blind beggar the girl is enabled to obtain a situation for a period of three years, at the expiration of which, dreading the machinations of Luke Littlehaus, she comes to London, and eventually succeeds in obtaining a situation at a milliner's, from which, however, she is compelled to fly, in consequence of an accusation of having purloined some lace. The real culprit is May Elliot, a youn -r female in the same situation, who acquaints Lilly Da with . the act of which she has been guilty, which the other is too honourable to divulge. May Elliot notwithstanding this noble conduct, influenced by jealousy, betrays Lilly Dawson into the hands of Luke Littlehau's, and who- with a view to his self-preservation, determines to murder her, but kills his sister in mistake. Lilly Dawson escapes and turns out to be the daughter of a General Markham. The murderer is arrested, May Elliot loses her lover, who marries Lilly Dawson, who has been long attached to him, and dramatic justice is rendered to all parties. The piece, in addition to startling and varied incident, without which no drama of the present day can hope for vitality, possesses considerable subordinate merits. The dialogue is correct, and suited to the speakers, and the feelings evolved are natural and suited to the circumstances. Mrs. H. Vining, as Lilly Dawson, gave a most correct embodiment a spirit grown familiar with affliction, but gentle as childhood in nature—a sort of female Smike. Luke Littlehaus was admirably performed by Mr. E. F. Saville, and the other carts were creditably sustained. The piece was announced for repetition amidst considerable applause from a very crowded house.
The Sun. — 1847-03-09 (London, England)

SURREY THEATRE. rovenlay evening a very interesting drama, entitled " Lilly Da., son ; or, A Poor Gin's Story," was producod at this theatre. It. is the novel of the same name, by that de• seryedly popular writer, Mrs. Crowe, in a dramatic dress, by that kilful artist, Mr. Stirling. The plot is as follows' :- Lilly Dawson (Mrs. 11. Vining) is employed as a domestic at the liaise of Jacob Littlehans, a smuggler, whe-e she is treated with uncommen severity by the family, consisting of two sons and a daughter, the former of whom follow the same honourable vocation as their father and the latter of whom is wedded to a phlegmatic Dutchman, Hans Peffer (Mr. T. Fredericks). "Shadows, clouds, and darkness," rest upon the birth and parentage of Lilly Dawson, but from the confession of Jacob Littlehaus in a moment of mental agony, it appears that he has preserved her from a wreck. The crew have been murdered by him and his sons. Luke Littlehaus, from a belief (the grounds for which .do not appear) that Lilly Dawson will turn out to be the child of some great person, determines to marry her; but she dislikes him, and effects her escape, after an attempt has been made upon her life by Luke .Littlehaus, who thinks that she had been the witness of a murder which he had committed, through the instrumentality of a blind beggar the girl is enabled to obtain a situation for a period of three years, at the expiration of which, dreading the machinations of Luke Littlehaus, she comes to London, and eventually succeeds in obtaining a situation at a milliner's, from which, however, she is compelled to fly, in consequence of an accusation of having pus- - • loined some lace. The real culprit is May Elliot, a young female in the same situation, who acquaints Lilly Dawson with the act of which she has been guilty, but which the other is too honourable to divulge. May Elliot notwithstanding this noble conduct, influenced by jealousy, betrays Lilly Dawson into the hands of Luke Littlehau's, and who with a view to his self-preservation, determines to murder her, but kills his sister in mistake. Lilly Dawson escapes and turns out to be the daughter of a General Markham. The murderer is arrested, May Elliot loses her lover, who marries Lilly Dawson, who has been long attached to him, and dramatic iustice is rendered to all I,art ies. The piece, in addition to startling and varied incident, without which no drama of the present day can hope for -vitality, possesses considerable subordinate merits. The dialogue is correct, and suited to the speakers, and the feelings evolved are natural and suited to the circumstances. Mrs. H. Vining, as Lilly Dawson, gave a mast correct embodiment a spirit grown familiar with affliction, but gentle as childhood in nature—a sort of female Smike. Luke Littlehaus was admirably performed by Mr. E. F. Saville, and the other rarts were creditably sustained. The piece was announced for repetition amidst considerable applause from a very crowded house.
The Sun. — 1847-11-17 (London, England)

THE LATE ASSASSINATION AT  CRACOW.  We have received the following details of the late assassination of the President of the Courts fer Political Offences at Cracow, on the evening of the 4th instant. The daring manner in which the crime was committed is truly astonishing. It was at eight o'clock in the evening that the president was returning to his domicile, situated at the end of St. Annestreet, and almost touching St. Anne's Church. The night was densely dark, and he was preceded by an orderly bearing a lantern. They were walking on in silence, when the president suddenly made a remark on the darkness, and said how easy it would be for a man to attack them without being perceived. These prophetic words were the last that passed his lips. Almost at the same moment two tall figures wrapped up in cloaks passed the soldier. On arriving near the president, one of them exclaimed "Ten !" (it is him) whereupon the other tapped him upon the shoulder, and said, "110 w fares it, comrade ?" As the president turned his head towards his unknown questioner, the other stranger fired a pistol at his head, at only a few inches distance, and the unfortunate man fell down dead immediately. Another account states, that one of the men remained in the distance, whilst the other seized the victim by the throat with his left hand, and blew his brains out with the other. A reatdenogulhaNa-er mysterious silence prevailed during this tragic act. The boldness of the act will be doubly wondered at sheingthreiresubpetfih,reerethise ca, s tlguarde. Thehii tsuoosrlesd.,ietruarlza3n.htdeiedteahnorenims when it is known that only a few hundred eds e yardslltinel been so taken by surprise as not to have been capable ofmoment, but the c of doing anything. The report of the pistol was dig tinctly heard in many plNat,irhiteischpof the town. castle,i n flash a murdered man was all they found—allpse of the wasnoenndcoue n,t ystal Ist. tshtpheoet t clue to the murderers was in vain. All the immediately cicsed, and all persons in the es were Up to the present moment nothing h street arrested. discover the assassins. Suspicion as transpired to the political offenders who h ion rests on some of have been setat l • was also but recently that five One of these, a priest, is said escaped from prison., ening letters to the President, to have written threai,--siaelu.t, saying he had frierads in Cracow who would ' pay um off according to. hiz. merits. Placards announcing that the Presiden:7 Zsjaczkowski had ' . ueen assassinated, and olifering :i reward for the apprehension of the murderer, was stuck up next day, but some unknown hands touk. them down, and substituted others to the effect that sixteen other persons were doomed to the same death as the President. The latter is said to have been advised by his friends to be less severe in his proceed • ings against political offenders, but always laughed at them, saying that he knew very well who he had to deal with.  e Tr been n g
The Sun. — 1847-11-17 (London, England)

THE LATE ASSASSINATION AT  CRACOW.  - - - - - : We have received the teilowleg details of the I,.te assassination of the President of the Courts Political Offences at Cracow, on the evenine of the 4th instant. The daring manner in which the cruse was committed is truly astonishing. It was at eight o'clock in the evening that the president was returning to his domicile, situated at the end of St. Annestreet, and almost touching St. Anne's Church. The night was densely dark, and he was preceded by an orderly bearing a lantern. They were walking on in silence, when the president suddenly made a remark on the darkness, and said how easy it would he for a man to attack them without being perceived. De prophetic words were the last that passed his s. Almost at the same moment two tall figures wrapt; d up in cloaks passed the soldier. On arriving near t:-.e president, one of them exclaimed "Ten !" (it is hi::,) whereupon the other tapped him upon the should, r, and said, "How fares it, comrade ?" As the preside nt turned his head towards his unknown questioner, ti►e other stranger fired a pistol at his head, at only a few inches distance, and the unfortunate man fell down dead immediately. Another account states, that one of the men remained in the distance, whilst the other seized the victim by the throat with his left hand, and blew his brains out with the other. A mysterious silence prevailed during this tragic act. The boldness of the act will be doubly wondered at when it is known that only a few hundred yards higher up Caere is a guard house, and the regular sentries before the castle. The orderly seems to have been so taken by surprise as not to have been capal to of doing anything. The report of the pistol was distinctly heard in many parts of the town. A sentinel on duty at the castle, which is situated on an eminence, saw the flash of the pistol. The armed fore was on the spot in a moment, but the corpse of tae murdered man was all they found—all clue to the murderers was in vain. All the gates were immediately closed, and all persons in the street arreste 1. Up to the present moment nothing has transpired to discover the assassins. Suspicion rests on some of the political offenders who have been set at large ; it was also but recently that five escaped from prison. One of these, a priest, is said to have written threatening letters to the President, saying he had friends in Cracow who would pay him off according to his merits. Placards announcing that the President Zajaczkowski had been assassinated, and offering a reward for the apprehension of the murderer, was stuck up next day, but some unknown hands took them down, and substituted others to the effect that sixteen other persons were doomed to the same death as the President. The latter is said to have been advised by his friends to be less severe in his proceed. ings against political offenders, but always laughed at them, saying that he knew very well who he had to deal with.
The Sun. — 1847-04-01 (London, England)

SENTENCE OF DEATH.  At the sitting of the Court this morning, at 9 o'clock, Catherine Foster was placed at the har to receive the fearful sentence which the verdict of Saturday entailed upon her. Proclamation having been made, The CHIEF BARON assumed the black cap, and proceeded to address the prisoner to the following effect:1 " Catterine Foster, you stand convicted of the crime of murder under circumstances which require no words of 1 aggravation from me. It is sufficient to state the fact, that you were married on Wednesday, the 18th of October, and on that day three weeks your husband died in consequence of the administration of poison. It is im possible to doubt that you prepared his food, and administered it, and that yours was the hand which put the poison into it. These are facts which it is :impossible to doubt, and it seems to be equally impossible to escape from the conclusion that your heart and mind went along with your hand, and that the poison was placed in that food for thedeliberate purpose ofprocuring the death of an individual with whom you had so lately formed at the altar of God a connexion the most sacred which can exist on earth between man and woman. I have no desire to enter into the facts of this unhappy case beyond the expression of my entire concurrence in the verdict of the jury; and it only remains for me now to pass upon you the sentence of the law, which, whether in conformity with or obedience to the laws of God, requires that your life should be forfeited on the scaffold. I pray you to make the best use of the time now so short on earth, and to seek for peace and mercy, where alone they are to be found, at the throne of your Redeemer." The Learned JUDGE, whose voice was at times almost inaudible from emotion, concluded his solemn address to the prisoner by passing the last sentence of the law upon her in the usual form, and the prisoner was removed, as on Saturday, without any apparent appreciation of the position in which she stood. Not a single tear glistened in her eye, which was unobservant and inattentive— not a single contraction of the facial muscles betokened the inward workings of suppressed feelings; but calm and composed she received the sentence as she had listened to the overwhelming evidence adduced against her, and she descended from the dock to the dark cell beneath pith as light a step as if she had been convicted of an ordinary larceny. His LORDSHIP then disposed of the two or three remaning cases in the calendar, which were entirely divested of any features of public interest, and the Suffolk assizes terminated at twelve o'clock, as tar as the Crown side was concerned. The labours of his Lordship were materially lightened by the tact that the grand jury threw out, amongst others, four bills for arson, with respect to which class of offences the Learned Judge, in discharging the grand jury, took occasion to remark diet he highly approved their disinclination to find bills on weak evidence, which would, when subjected to a petty jury and sifted, fall to the ground.  WESTERN ClACUlT.—Bodmin, March 29.
The Sun. — 1847-08-25 (London, England)

NARVAEZ. General PAVIA has, it is said, been dismissal from the office of Captain-General of Catalonia, in consequence of a note presented by the British Ambassador, denouncing the atrocious cruelties of which PAVIA had been guilty to his Carllst prisoners. MADRID BOLSA, Aua. 18.—The Three per Cents. were done at 26i fur cash; the Coupons, at 15 ; the Five per Cents., at 17i for paper; and the Debt without Interest, at 5-1.  We have received the Paris papers of Monday. The constant exposures that are taking place of the scandals and corruptions of the haute society of Paris are beginning to tell. The Ministry not daring to accept the challenge thrown out by the National and Courrier Francais—not daring to offer to those journals, by prosecuting them, the opportunity they have so long sought, of publicly proving before a court ofjustice the truth of the charges of corruption which they have brought against it, has adopted the plan of seizing those journals which comment on the revelations so made. This is a confession of weakness on the part of the Ministry for which we were by no means prepared. It is a proof that the lessons of TALLEYRAND have been forgotten. It is worse than a fault—it is a blunder, and a blunder of the very grossest kind. The journals seized are the Gazette de France, the Reforme, the Charirari, and the Union Monarchique. The latter journal thus comments on its seizure : " The Union Monarchique is prosecuted for an article on honesty, and for the reproduction of a few lines from the Charivari, on the overwhelming flood of crimes with which society has been afflicted. To prosecute journals for making moral reflections on scandalous transactions, on extravagance and waste, and on murders, is to us inconceivable. Is a man culpable because he thinks that society has fallen into sickness, when such symptoms of immorality and decomposition are evident in its bosom? No one dare venture to maintain this seriously. The Ministry, by seizing the journals, has fancied that it can put a stop to these redoublable accusations. It will not allow of the imputation that it has thrown France into a frightful condition, both materially and morally; and to escape from the responsibility it has incurred, it relies upon intimidation. It hopes to impose silence upon the press, thinking that the public would not of itself thaw conclusions from the sad events which have put all social principle and public integrity in peril. The Ministers who have had M. Teste for a colleague will not havellpeculation, forfeiture, delapidations, and other scandal ous acts and deeds any longer talked of. For ourseiwps, we have obeyed the dictates of conscience, and we .will persevere in the mission we have undertaken. Strilng in our intentions, we will appear with confidence bef ore the judges given to us by the law, and we shall see whether a jury can be found to punish us for har,.ng spoken honesty, for having invoked honest men, :and for uttering a cry of alarm, not against society as it is, but to preserve its safety, by protecting it from ntew crises."
The Sun. — 1847-07-19 (London, England)

TRIAL OF A WOMAN FOR HANGING HER THREE CHILDREN.--CARMARTHEN, FRIDAY.—At the Assize Court yesterday, before Mr. Justice Cresswell, Mary Hughes, a pleasing looking, middle-aged woman (al• though by her manner it was evident that her mind was deranged), was indicted for the wilful murder of her three children, Sarah, Mary, and Even Hughes, under the most horrible circumstances. The husband of the wretched woman, who is a mason, rented a cottage at the foot of the Llanbyther Mountain, and, on the morning of the 28th of April, when he left for work, the children were in good health, and the mother seemingly in her usual spirits. In the course of the day her sister had occasion to visit the house, but, not finding the unfortunate woman in the building, she proceeded to examine the place, and on entering a loft she was horrorstricken on seeing the three lifeless children, suspended by handkerchiefs from a large beam running across the roof. On being called on to plead to the indictment, she stared steadfastly at the Learned Judge, and seemed tohave no knowledge of what was pssing around. The demand was made to her in Welch, still she heeded not the challenge, and remained mute. The Judge examined the medical officer of the prison as to the capability of her mind to plead, who pronounced her to be insane. The Learned Judge then explained the law to the jury, as to the incapacity of prisoners to plead when their minds hemerpAlloyetesetnyt'sopflaenaseumrein. wereNo affected, and directed them to return a verdict of TO BE CALlGlleurt. thet Guiltyh in her ease. This was accordingly done, and - upon unhappy na a timeppy carriedwm an will,t Y othrker,efore, be detained during identity of an animal soldo NOT —A sucking Tyke, In the The scamp watched every dealerr bought theght north, b y hs twitso oncets t er. and marked with proper e sseeovfidenceto the move of tbe Min and case, cross-examition to which the jected, Presently witnesses put into the box were sobminzCl in chief, the counselwas fcalled, and having been eatshitt: io the question, Which ohrethdeiddefeoant ruse to put as follows:—Counsel—Now, Sir, pray how high V 7 Boy—Sixteen feet, Counsel-- Aahstithhe plaintiff's b brse ? be, Sir? Boy—Six years. Counsel—flow thight ha say he was? Boy--Sixteen hands. counsel high did you recollect yourself, and remember you ate on 'our Counsel—Now, Sir, oath ; you have first sworn he was sixteen feet?l' Sol Sir, Sixteen feet! Did I say sixteen feet? Counsel—you did. Boy—Then, d—me, I'll stick to it ! You aint a catch me contradicting myself, Mister Counselroirn' to Sporting Review. art-1 g Rear-Admiral: Prescott is to be the new Lord of the Admiralty, and will take his place as the junior Lord. Admiral Deans Dundas, now a member of the board, will take the place of Sir Charles Adams as the senior naval Lord, the Hon. Captain Berkeley coming next in rotation—the other members being Lord John Hay and the Hon, William, Cowper,— Obserrer,,