npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1849-11-24 (London, England)

COUR.. TOMER, he is at last adjured by one of his most intimate acquaintance to break a silence which, if longer preserved, would necessarily seem to confirm in the public mind the veracity of the traducer. To Mr. WARREN, the celebrated novelist, is due the merit of having, by his earnest appeals, elicited from his unwilling friend, for once and for ever, a brilliant and conclusive refutation. In spite of reiterated refusals, Mr. \YAERHN renewed his entreaties, and it must be peculiarly gratifying  to bim to find that ultimately those entreaties have proved successful. " You know wall," says Mr. PHILLIPS, in the letter transferred the other evening to our own columns from those of morning Contemporary—" you know well bow strenuously and how repeatedly you pressed me to my vindication, especially after Lord MINMAN'S important conversation with you, and you know the 'tarn disdain with which .1 dissented." Notwithstanding that resolute repulse, the voice of friendship again demanded the vindication, which in obedience to its noble solicitude has at last been granted. Reflecting that almost every one has already perused  the document in which Mr. CHARLES PHILLIPS has finally exposed the falsehood of the various statements made in reference to his line of proceeding in defence of the infamous COURVOISIER, it would be superfluous on our part to transcribe again, one by one, his in controvertible because strictly sequential arguments. Apart from all deliberate explanation, he could scarcely but have stood acquitted in the eyes of even the most suspicious observer from the inferential testimony ziforded as to his integrity; such testimony, for example, as the favourable opinion of Lord DENMAN, and the judicial appointments granted to Mr. PKlLurs by two ex-Chancellors subsequently to the occurrence said to have reflected so much odium upon  his character. Not, however, with such indirect evidences of the truthfulness of his conduct is he contented in a matter to him of such supreme importance. He brings forward as the witnesses of his perfect innocence in those deplorable transactions —Mr. CLARKSON, who was his colleague in defence of the murderer ; Mr. Baron PARKS, who was present throughout the trial; Chief Justice TINDAL, who acted upon the occasion in his judicial capacity ; and the contemporary reports of the four principal 1 morning newspapers, the Times, Herald, Poet, and Chronicle. From the broad and unanswerable facts asseverated by Mr. PHILLIPS, it is conspicuous that so far from endeavouring to throw the crime upon the female servants whom he knew to be innocent, in order to screen the detestable wretch whom he knew to be guilty—Mr. Pnuaars solemnly exclaimed I in the course of his address to the jury, " GOD forbid that any breath of mine should send persons depending on the public for subsistence into the world with a tainted character !" Disproving the declaration that he had acted thus cruelly, he has vindicated himself likewise from the horrible criminality of having appealed to Heaven as to his belief in the innocence of
The Sun. — 1849-11-21 (London, England)

CHINA.  (From the Overland Friend of China of September 28.) Last monthly paper contained a lengthened account of the murder of the Governor of Macao by the Chinese on the 221 of August, the consequent excitement among the Portuguese, and the position of the colony when the overland dispatches were closed. We mentioned that on hearing of the atrocity her Majesty's ship Amazon and her Majesty's steamer Medea went over at once, in order to restore confidence by their appearance ; two American and one French men-of war have been there for the same purp )se. Since the Portuguese soldiers captured a small Chinese fort outside the atrrier, three days after the murder, there have been no acts of hostility on either side ; the number of Chinese killed and wounded on that occasion was not far from 70 ; in Canton exaggeration has swollen the number to over 100. The Chinese within the walls of Macao are quiet— there has been neither riot nor plunder, and the presence in the town of marines belonging to the French and American ships of war will have an excellent effect. The French Minister to China resides in Macao ; and the American Government occupies naval stores there fur the supply of the squadron in the East. At these places respectively there is a French and an American marine guard. The Chinese Commissioner's reply to the dispatch from the Macoa Government informing him of the crime that had been committed, is marked by the cool insolence of its tone. It is said that the answer sent to Mr. Benham's communication was much in the same strain. The Macao Government answered seriously, but it had little if any effect. About the 29th, Government received another communication (we rather think not written by Seu himself) offering to deliver up the head and hand of the late Governor, and also a head said to be that of one of the murderers, provided the Portuguese would release the three Chinese soldiers captured at :the barrier gate on the 25th ultimo. To this the Portuguese could not consent, much value being put on the evidence of the soldiers. It is said they were on guard when the murder was committed, witnessed the whole affair, and feasted in the guard-house with the murderers, the head and hand being there until near midnight, when they embarked for Canton. They reached Canton the following evening when there was much rejoicing within the city. At Whampoa, in sight of the foreign shipping, there was a public procession a few days later. Many Chinese soldiers were present carrying with them the figure of a European on horseback, which they placed in the temple of one of their idols. Rumours are current of rewards and even rank having been conferred on the murderers ; but of this foreigners have no certain knowledge. The authorities at Macao will spare no exertion  to get at the truth; no sane man for a moment can believe that this was the act of mere desperate ruffians. Plunder was not their object; before they comnuttcd the deed a re►reat was secured to Canton, and the very hour of their arrival at the city timed.  CANTON MARKET REPORT, SEPf. 27. IN
The Sun. — 1849-07-05 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. Mary White, an elderly woman, was brought before Mr: Hardwick charged with manslaughter, by cutting the throat of her husband, Peter White, with a knife. Charlotte Tucker deposed that she was a single woman, and occupied the second floor front room, at N 0.15, Hertford-street, Fitzroy-square. The prisoner and her deceased husband lodged in the front parlour. About nine o'clock on the night of the sth of June witness was in her room, when she was alarmed at hearing screams of murder issue from the front parlour, accompanied with the breaking of glass. She looked out of the window and saw several persons about the door. She then ran down stairs, and when near the bottom she heard the deceased say, "For God's sake mike hate down, for my wife has cut my throat." She tried to open the parlour door, but did not succeed, in consequence of its being locked inside. She then wont to the street-door and sent a lad for the police. The prisoner and deceased frequently quarrelled, and witness had seen the deceased strike the prisoner several times. She never heard the prisoner make use of any threat towards the deceased. Golst en, 85 E. said that about twenty-five minutes past nine on Tuesday night. the sth June, his attention was called to 15, in Hertford-street, by the cries of Murder and police." The parlour-door was fasten% d; he got in at the window; the room was in darkness, and he heard a man say, "My wife has cut my throat." He then opened the door and let his brother officer in. They got a light, and found the deceased standing up in the room near to the door, and bleeding verytnuch from a wound in the throat The deceased said, pointing to the prisoner, " My wife has cut my throat." She was standing up near the fireplace, and said " He (the deceased) has struck me three times, and then he got the razor to cut my throat. I wrenched it from his hands, and drew it across his throat." Witness then took deceased to the hospital, and the prisoner was taken to the station by the other constable. Wilby, 77 E, corroborated the evidence of the last witness, and in addition stated that on searching the room he found the knife now produced covered with blood. Mr. Henry Searle Guys said he was house-surgeon at the University Hospital. On the night of the sth of June, about half-past nine, Peter White was brought to the hospital. He appeared faint from the loss of blood which had flowed and was still flowing from a wound in the throat. The wound was two inches and a half in length, and In depth nearly an inch, injuring, but not severing, the windpipe, He lingered until Sunday, July Ist. The immediate cause of his death was inflammation of the lungs, but the primary cause was the wound in the throat. Such a wound would be inflicted by the knife now produced. The depositions made by the deceased previous to his death were then put in and read, and the prisoner was committed to take her trial for manslaughter. W OR S
The Sun. — 1849-02-24 (London, England)

CLERKENIVELL.  John Copeland, a butcher, residing at No. 8, Sumnerstreet, St. Andrew's, Holborn, was charged on suspicion of the wilful murder of his son, John William Copeland. aged fire years. Mrs. Sarah Ba.ndFord, of 29, Acton •street, Gray's Innroad, said she had known the prisoner a year and a half, by his calling to sae her husband. He had always spoken of the deceased as being very dirty. About two months ago, when visiting them, he said he could not breakfast at home cn account of its dirty habits, and he would burn it; her husband was then present. The accused then also said that the child was a thief, and he could not keep anything from it in the shape of eating and drinking. She did not know the child, but had heard him say it was a boy. When she heard him say he would burn it she remonstrated, saying "For God's sake do not do that, Copeland, or you will be taken up," and urged him not to ill-treat the child in any way. He answered that no one would take care of it; ho had tried everything, and could not make it better. Had since heard him say on many occasions, " I wish it was dead." He had represented the child to be strong and healthy, and that nothing would hurt it; that was on an occasion when he told me had put it into a pan of cold water. He has said to me that his wife ill-treated the child, and when she had expressed surprise that the people in the house had not heard of it, he had replied that they could not hear anything of it, and if he complained to her about:it she behaved worse to the child. The prisoner first mentioned to her the melancholy death of his son by burning, after the wife had been committed on the charge of causing its death under a coroner's warrant. His account was, that they had left it for a short period, and on their return it was in flames; that it had a fit the day before; and, further, that three days previously it fell upon the fire, and had done so once before. When he told her of its sad end she reminded him of what he had said to her, remarking that he, no d( übt, had made similar observations to others, which had led to his wife's apprehension; and on asking him why he was not in custody, he said he was never at home to see when the child was ill treated; that the witnesses gave shocking depositions against her before the coroner, but said nothing against him. Mr. James White, surgeon, of Little Warner-street, Clerkenwell, was next heard. He said that on the Friday before the child's death he was called by the prisoner to attend, it at 8, Sumner. street, Back-hill, Hatton-garden. He instantly accompanied him, and saw the deceased lying on some clothes on the floor. There was no bedding in the room, which the prisoner quitted the moment he entered. On examining the child a eyes he found it was alive, and ordered the mother to bring him some water and castor oil, which he administered to it, and also placed its feet in warm water, and thereby caused its revival. After this the poor little sufferer called for bread and butter, with which he supplied it, and it eat voraciously. By Mr.
The Sun. — 1849-02-24 (London, England)

CLERKENWELL.  John Copeland, a butcher, residing at No. 8, Sumnerstreet, St. Andrew's, Holborn, was charged on suspicion of the wilful murder of his son, John William Copeland, aged five years. Mrs. Sarah Bandford, of 29, Acton-street, Gray's Innroad, said she had known the prisoner a year and a half, by his calling to see her husband. He had always spoken of the deceased as being very dirty. About two months ago, when visiting them, ho said he could not breakfast at home ca account of its dirty habits, and he would burn it; her husband was then present. The accused than also said that the child was a thief, and he could not keep anything from it in the shape of eating and drinking. She did not know the child, but bad heard him say it was a boy. When she heard him say he would burn it she remonstrated, saying " For God's sake do not do that, Copeland, er you will be taken up," and urged him not to ill-treat the child in any way. He answered that no one would take care of it; he had tried everything, and could not make it better. Had since beard him say on many occasions, " I wish it was dead." He had represented the child to be strong and healthy, and that nothing would hurt it; that was on an occasion when he told me had put it into a pan of cold water. He has said to me that his wile ill-treated the child, and when she had expressed surprise that the people in the house had not heard of it, he bad replied that they could not hear anything of it, and if he complained to her about:it she behaved worse to the child. The prisoner first mentioned to her the melancholy death of his son by burning, after the wife had been committed on the charge of causing its death under a coroner's warrant. His account was, that they had left it for a short period, and on their return it was in flames; that it had a fit the day before; and, further, that three days previously it fell upon the fire, and had done so once betore. When he told her of its sad end she reminded him of what he had said to her, remarking that he, no d( übt, had made similar observations to others, which had led to his wife's apprehension; and on asking him why he was not in custody, he said he was never at home to see when the child was ill treated; that the witnesses gave shocking depositions against her before the coroner, but said nothing against him. Mr. James White, surgeon, of Little Warner-street, Clerkenwell, was next heard. He said that on the Friday before the child's death he was called by the prisoner to attend it at a, Sumner street, Back-hill, Hatton-garden. He instantly accompanied him, and saw the deceased lying on some clothes on the floor. There was no bedding in the room, which the prisoner quitted the moment he entered. On examining the child s eyes ho found it was alive, and ordered the mother to bring him some water and castor oil, which he administered to it, and also placed its feet in warm water, and thereby caused its revival. After this the poor lathe sufferer called for bread and butter, with which he supplied it, and it eat voraciously. By Mr.
The Sun. — 1849-12-12 (London, England)

WIGJITM.&N.) Jo/in Barnsley was indicted for., having, at Man. cheEter, on the 14th of October last, feloniotnly cut and wounded Jana Barnsley, his wife, with intent to kill end murder her.  Mr. Monk prosecuted ; the prisoner was undefended.  It appeared that the prisoner, who had been out of work for some time, was addicted to drinking, and that he was intoxicated about tea time on the day in question. Entertaining a jealousy with regard to the unfortunate woman (his wife), he accused her of infidelity, and said to her, "No woman can love two men at once," and immediately after he had spoken he got up and stabbed his wife in the neck with a table knife. They then grappled, and both fell down the stairs, in doing which the woman was stabbed three times in the neck. She cried out, " Don't murder me for the sake of my child," and then the prisoner was heard to say, " I have now finished the job." The woman was taken to the Manchester Infirmary, when it was found the prisoner had stabb,cl her twice on the left side of the neck, once on the right side, and once under the chin ; a severe cut also was found upon the right thumb. The table knife with which the wounds were inflicted was found in the prisoner's room covered with blood, and on its being shown to the prisoner at the station-house, he said, " That's the thing with which I did the job." The prisoner, in defence, said that he had been drinking at Bolton, and that at the time he committed the act he was so intoxicated he was not aware what he was doing. His LORDSHIP summed up, and left it to the jury to say with what intent the prisener stabbed his wife. The jury returned a verdict of cutling and wounding, with intent to murder. His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence, alluded to the fatal effects of intoxication, which had nearly caused the prisoner to murder her whom it was his duty to protect, and ordered sentence of death to be recorded, intimating that that sentence would be commuted into transportation for life. John Nelson was charged with' being at large in the city of Manchester without lawful excuse, before the expiration of the term for which he was transported. Mr. Monk conducted the-prosecution ; the prisoner was undefended. It appeared from the evidence of several officers of the detective police in Manchester, that the prisoner, under the name of John Clough, was tried and convicted at the Borough Court of Manchester in 1847 of a burglary committed in the house of a haberdasher named Thomas Keats, for which he was sentenced by the Court to be transported for ten years; in pursuance of which sentence he was sent as a convict to Gibraltar, from which place he escaped in the February of the present year, and having been advertised in the Hue and Cry, the Man • chester police were on the look out, and succeeded in capturing him in October last. The prisoner, in his defence, said that he had been transported under the name of James Crabtree, and having been sent to Gibraltar, he was set at large by the authorities at that place. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty. Sentence —fourteen years' transportation. NISI PItIUS
The Sun. — 1849-06-30 (London, England)

WESTBUR Y, WILTS.  WESTBURY, FRIDAY, JUNE 29.—An adjourned inquest was held here yesterday, before Mr. G. Sylvester, ono of the coroners for Wiltshire, on the body of Richard Smith, an infant about a month old, which has resulted in the committal of the mother. Rebecca Smith, to take her trial for wilful murder at the ensuing Wilts assizes. From the evidence there is reason to conclude that a series of murders has been committed.  The prisoner is the wife of Philip Smith, a labourer at Westbury. She has been married 18 years, and has given birth to 11 children, all of whom, with the Exception of the eldest, died in infancy. The subject of the present inquiry was born on the 16th of May, and died on the 12th of June. The body was exhumed on Saturday lust, and a post mortan examination was made by Mr. G. Shorland, surgeon, of Westbury, in the presence of another surgeon named Gibbs. They were convinced of the presence of arsenic in the body, and the viscera were accordingly carefully sealed up and sent to Mr. llerapath, of Bristol, for further analyzation. On th• following Monday a jury was sworn to investigate the case, when it was shown that on the 7th of June, five days before the child died, the prisoner went to a person named Prudence Mead, and requested her to accompany her to the shop of Mr. Taylor, druggist, of Westbury, to purchase arsenic, which she said a sister of hers residing at Bratton, near Westbury, wanted to destroy rats.  The purchase of the poison was likewise proved by Mr Taylor's apprentice, who put a label on it, and warned her as to its deadly properties. Mr. G. Shorland, surgeon, and registrar of births and deaths for ,Westbury, deposed, that the child's death was registered by the mother on the 13th of June, the day after its death. She declared she cid not know the cause of death, but that the child had been ailing for a little time, and, as it appeared no satisfactory reason could be assigned, the cause of death was registered as unknown. The inquiry was then adjourned. Mr. W. Herapath, of Bristol, now said, he received the contents of the deceased's stomach from Mr. Shorland on the 24th instant, and on subjecting them to anal) sis, found them to consist principally of milk and arsenious acid in solution, and an exceedingly light trace of arsenic not dissolved. He had no doubt that the infant to which the viscera belonged had died from the effect of arsenic, and he believed that white arsenic had been administered, and that it had been given at more than one time.  Atter some other unimportant evidence had been adduced, the Coroner recapitulated the whole to the jury who, having deliberated a short time, returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against Rebecca Smith." The prisoner, a sullen•looking woman, apparently about fifty years of age, maintained an aspect of the most stolid indifference throughout the proceedings.