npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Brighouse Gazette and Local Railway Guide. — 1895-07-06 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

BARNARD 3.The work associated with the name of Dr. Bernardo has long been recognized by all who are interested in philanthropic agencies. For 29 years Dr. Barnardo's Homes' have kept open doors for waif, orphan and destitute children, without distinction of age, sex, oreed, birth-place, or physical condition. The results attained have contrihute 1 to the diminution of crime, to a larger recognition of the claims of childhood, and to that broader spirit of sympathy in dealing with the young which happily now prevails. Over 26000 children have been rescued by the Homes from undoubted misery and degradation. sal trained for useful and honourable lives, while 7,500 selected emigrants whose subsequent careers have been highly suooesf al, have been sent to the Colonies. Nasty 5,000 boy and girls are now under training in the Institution. This year Dr. Barnard° reaches his Jubiliee Birthday, and it is felt that the occasion should not be allow to pass without some recognition of the services Dr. Barnard° has rendered to the cause of humanity and more especially to waif and destitute children. With this object in view, a movement bas been set on foot to promote a Jubilee Testimonial to Dr. Bernardo. Cheques may be made payable to 'The Barnard° Testimonial Fund' and forwarded to the bankers, Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, and Co, 1, Pall Mall East, S.W„ with whom an account has been opened by the committee, whose names are as follow : Lord Brassey, Lord Kinnaird, Lora Polwarth. the Arohdeacon of London, Colonel Howard Vincent, Mr Samuel Gurney Sheppard, Mr. Howard Williams.  toOdo.  et the Ossetia 001os tor all Tor ststioners  In the London Times some time ago there was an article entitled ' Murderous Millinery', in which the editor deplored the use of birds and feathers for adorment. He said he had hoped the faebion was being discont.nued, but, passing the shops he noticed the window.* again fuel with the beautiful plumage of birds. Many ladies who wear feathers do not know that the fashion neoestitates the slaughter of millions of birds every year, and that some of the most beautiful species have already beoome extinct. So great is the demand, and so profitable the traffic, that at certain seasons, in India, the natives leave their ploughs and take their shotguns to kill birds. The beautiful bird of paradise is now rarely seen, and other birds of gorgeous plumage are almost extorminated. Then the cruelty practiced on captured birds in order to retain the pristine beauty of their plumage is barbarous; the poor creatures often being fliyed alive. The exquisite heron is tame when breeding, and easily captured ; the old birds are taken and their young are left in the nest to die of starvation. Their plumes— the egerets—are in such demand, and the slaughter had been so great, that these beautiful birds, once so numerous in the south, are now rarely seen. Were these facts generally known, we should see tow feathered women, for women are kind, not cruel.
Halifax Local Opinion. — 1892-10-11 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

THE HA'PORTH.  his mouth, an iron hook being used to close the nostrils and prevent him from making the slightest noise. He was told that to resist meant death, but, nevertheless, he kicked, struggled, and tried in every way to give the alarm. He was then knocked on the head with a mallet, a dagger was plunged into his breast, and the conspirators believed him dead.  One man put the globe into his breeches pocket, Blood hid the crown under his cloak, and the third man tried desperately to file the sceptre in two it being too long to carry away in its entirety. While all this was going on Edwards's son, who had just returned from sea, reached the Tower. He was met by the "sentinel," who asked him his business, to which Edwards replied that he belonged to the house.  Supposing that the young man wished to see his father, the warden, Edwards we tit upstairs and promised to send his father down. Hunt—the "sentinel "  immediately gave the alarm, and the conspirators took to flight. The old man Edwards, who had only been feigning death, immediately pulled the gag from his mouth and yelled, "Murder! Treason!" His daughter heard the outcry and rushed to his side. Seeing her father wounded, she immediately ran out upon Tower Hill, and cried, "Treason ! the crown is stolen."  The alarm being thus given Blood and his companions found themselves in danger. They nudged each other's arms and thereby aroused suspicion, whereupon they quickened their steps. Young Edwards and an officer of the Tower named Captain Beckman were by this time on the trail of the fugitives, who had got beyond the main guard. The alarm was again given, and the sentry at the drawbridge challenged the men. Blood drew a pistol and discharged it at the soldier, who was so terrified that he immediately dropped. At the ward-house, for some unaccountable reason, no effort was made to stop, the thieves and they gained the street. They then led the mob an excited chase, the miscreants making their way towards their horses, which were tied at St. Catherine's gate. Young Edwards and Beckman were close at their heels, however, and Blood fired his pistol at Beckman. Beckman dodged the shot and immediately grappled with his opponent, from under whose cloak he wrested the crown. Ed wards tackled Parrot and took the globe from him.  Hunt and the other conspirator, however, had stood not upon the order of going, and had reached their horses, upon which they had galloped away. A cart, however, turned abruptly in the street ?I,head of them, and into this they ran, lint being struck in the head by a pole and dismounted. Both were captured. The ending of the story is as interesting as the beginning. The King (Charles II.) heard the case himself and affected to be much impressed by the gallantry of Blood and his fellow-conspirators. He was inclined to be clement with them, but when Blood (who, by the way, must have had a rare knowledge of the King's character said in a nonchalant manner
Halifax Local Opinion. — 1892-09-27 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

ORIGIN OF A POPULAR CUSTOM.  HE custom of pledging in drinking is said to have had its origin in the murder of Edward, King of the West Saxons, commonly styled the "Martyr." According to some historians, Edward had only reached the twelfth year of his age when he was crowned at Kingstonupon-Thames by the celebrated Archbishop Dunstan. This prelate had warmly eqpoused his cause in opposition to Queen Elfrida., his step-mother, whose ambition prompted her to strive for the succession of his half and younger brother Ethelred. Edward lived four years after his accession, his reign being marked by no event of importance. His death alone was memorable and tragical. He was hunting one day in Dorsetshire, on March 18 978, when, being led by the chase near Corfe Castle, where Elfrida resided, he took the opportunity of paying her a visit, unattended by any of his retinue—and he thereby presented her with the very opportunity for which she had so long wished. After he had remounted his horse, he desired some liquor to he brought to him; and, while he was holding the cup in his hand, a servant of Elfrida approached him and gave him a stab behind. The prince, finding himself wounded, put spurs to his horse, but, becoming faint from the loss of blood, he fell from the saddle; and, his foot clinging to the stirrup, he was dragged along by his unruly horse till he expired. Being tracked by the blood, his body was found, and was privately interred at Wareham by his servants. The youth and innocence of this prince, together with his tragical death, begat sach compassion for him among the people that they gave him the appellation of Martyr," though his murder had no connection with any religious principle or opinion. This foul and wicked murder of the youthful and unsuspecting monarch naturally struck the whole nation with horror and dismay. No man considered himself safe after so dreadful a violation of hospitality; and every means were resorted to whereby to testify their detestation of the deed. Hard drinking, the then prevailing vice of the people, gave way before the danger attending its indulgence. No man would trust himself in the unguarded posture of drinking without some security from the much-dreaded stroke of treachery. Hence, as we learn from William of IVialmesbury, each man required the protection of his neighbour before he would venture, in society, to lift to his lips the much-prized " wassail-bowl " ; and hence also originated the familiar expression of "pledging," yet retained in common usage, when one friend passes the compliment to another of desiring him first to partake of the social glass. It is interesting to note that another curious custom, evidently derived from  the same ancient or'i-gin, still survives in certain places in connection with the passing of the "loving-cup." Each person as he drinks from it does so standing, the one on each side of him standing at the same time, as if in readiness to shield him from any sudden attack.  - • „„ • '
The Halifax Comet. — 1893-05-27 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

EMING WITH DEPARTED SPIRITS.  (fly Tai anises own Special Commissioner.)  ELDERS of flippant and elliptical disposition, and particularly those addicted to the cheap and objectionable habit of making feeble jokes out of flimsy material—such, for example, as the headline of this article—are warned off. To begin with, all the jokes that can possibly be squeezed out of this subject are as dead and done for as the fallen leaves of the autumn before last; in the next place, I am actuated by an idea that the majority of my readers will prefer that I should deal in a becomingly serious manner with a subject which is intensely solemn and im t even in this matterof-fs.et and dou ; •- age to a much larger tiercentage of the population than is generally supposed. I refer, of course, to the much Milunderstood and discredited creed, faith, or doctrine which, for lack of a better name, is called spiritualism. For the benefit of my younger readers I may be excused if I devote a few lines to a brief reference to the historical aspect of a subject that has made a huge noise in the world. Spiritualism, as we 'mow it, first saw the light under the name of "table-rapping" in "the year of revolutions," 1848. The locale was a small American township, the scene an isolated farmhouse inhabited by a family named Fox. Soon after these people took up their residence they were puzzled and generally rendered uncomfortable by the frequent recurrence of loud knocks in various parts of the house. These appeared much more pronounced when Kate Fox, a fifteen-year-old daughter, was about. Naturally the visitation soon got wind, and the house became notorious. The usual wild and exaggerated stories of " hauntings " were followed by the usually cavalier free-and-easy explanations, more puzzling than the mystery they pretended to solve. One day, when the rappines were in full blast, Miss Kate, in a spirit of wrathful impatience, imitated them, at the same time exhorting Bogey to hold his noise. To her astonishment, the raps were repeated precisely as she had made them. A few experiments showed that Bogey was an intelligent "something," for he or it replied when requested to give one, two, or three knocks. In short, a code of communication was set up, and by its means the Foxes learned that the disturber of their was the restless spirit of a man who peacea been brutally murdered by a former occupant of the house. Inquiry proved that not one, but many persons had met a foul death in the place; for search revealed the remains of over a dozen bodies in various portions of the foundations. Thus was established the modern belief in the possibility of communication with departed spirits. Spiritualism became a craze. The Foxes toured throughout Europe, expounding the principles of " mediumship," and narrating their experiences. The whole of civilisation was affected by the new craze. Other mediums, genuine and otherwise—and particularly otherwise—arose, notably Douglas Home, who made converts among crowned heads;  Next week *6 ehan epaltltil/406 tritesh) attraction in the prize list-- ~ • , A 4 v • • . •
The Halifax Comet. — 1893-11-25 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

CHARACTER COUPON.  CRIMES PREVENTED AND DISCOVERED BY DREAMS.  ANY years ago, at Holytown, a butcher, named Bone, had on a certain day to go to a neighbouring town to Jarohne° cattle. A few nights previous to his setting out on the journey he dreamt that he was stopped at a particular point in the road by two mon in blue clothes, and there murdered for the money he carried. He mentioned the dream to his wife, whose appreciation—or tho want of it—manifested itself in a laugh. The dream, however, was repeated more than once, and finally the man determined to ride in the company of a neighbour who was also going, to the same town. When they arrived at the place pictured in the dream two men, dressed in blue, were observed standing under the shelter of some bees. Seeing that the butcher was not alone, the men made off, and the inference is that a crime was thus prevented. Another instance occurred in a family of the name of Rutherford, living in Scotland. A lady dreamt that her aunt had been murdered by a coloured MAUL So realistic was the vision, and so impressed was she with it, that in the morning she started by train for her relative's house. Her surprise may be better imagined than described when, on reaching the door, she was ushered in by the assassin of her dream. She informed the family of her fears and of the reason of her visit, and a strict watch was placed over the coloured servant.  One night the man was observed carrying a coal-scuttle full of coals upstairs. He was accosted and interrogated. He replied that he was about to make up a fire in his mistress's room. On making inquiries it was ascertained that he had received .no orders to do so. The coals were emptied out of the coal-scuttle, and, hidden beneath them, was found a large knife, with which, the man confessed, he had intended murdering the lady, in order to rob her. A case of the perpetrator of a crime being discovered by similar agency occurred some years ago, also in Scotland. A pedlar had been found cruelly murdered in one of the country districts. No clue could be obtained which would afford a starting-point to the police in their investigations. The pack which had been carried by the murdered man was missing, and the vigilance of the authorities was expended in endeavouring to trace it and its contents. But their diligence was in vain.  Some days afterwards a man came forward and made a communication to the police to the effect that the pedlar pack was buried in a certain spot. He had dreamt it. The authorities were cynical and suspicious. The man himself was arrested and charged with the crime, and although he emphatically asserted his innocence, yet the fact that the pack was found in the precise !spot indicated seemed to warrant the police in their belief that he himself was the assassin. Eventually, however, the real murderer was run to earth, and he confessed the crime.  • A German physician —1;1.1s related that a patient, whom he was attending, once told him that he dreamt that certain men were in  —Thou write him a polite little note asking him if—  .At,‘, 0.
The Halifax Comet. — 1893-06-03 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

THE GREAT  BLACKMAILING CASE.  DETECTIVE WILSON'S REPOBT.  PART V.  I  DID not expect to be able to keep out our besiegers for lopg, and the frail lock was not calculated to stand much _  iaan assault; but I piled up ' furniture against it, and . finished the defence 144; A Iritlkerw from :one oafprre padnetlos. be a .1 L ell breakyour neck as soon we get hold . . .. ..' " bawled out some ruffian, and I did ~ . .. very oomfortable on hearing the . .., 0,• I knew the gentry of such a howl(' :T.ere• not over-particular as to the way they tested those Who incurred their displeasure. 7V40 police, unfortunately, were too used to :. In Stamford Stteet to be likely to in.... - - in. thiii instance, for, even if called, I 1. • that they too often kept out of the •i • for one or two constables were no •:. ~. for the brutes who infest this locality, se .recent police reports show only too glumly. Then came a rush against the door, us if several people had thrown all their - • . t against it, and a sofa, which I had ~ ... on the top of my rampart, came umbling down. -I hastily replaced it, and tllisi opening the window began to yell out fit the police. , My. opponents' reply to this was the redonbling of their efforts, but my barricade proved more effective than they had expected, and I managed to hold my own for a time. The lock was forced back, but I wedged the fireirons underneath the door and they held it fast. Then Fergusson commenced a parley. " You therol'? hp Galled out. "We don't want to hurtyout blitif yeti 'don't give up nu wife you'll get iiito trouble." wife! His speech staggered me for a .: wept, but Miss Frickers had by this .. lie recovered consciousness, and heard  lam not his wife," she cried, "and I bonier will be. Oh, sir," and she clung to my arms, "do help me to escape from this place ! " "I am here for that purpose," I answered, and then, callingout to those on the landing, I said, "lam willing to go if Miss Frickers is allowed to leave with me."  "We won't agree to that," yelled Fergusson, and then came another assault which forced the door back several inches at the tlt was a most awkward situation for me to be *cod in, for my duty was to find out who had murdered Mr. Soaxnes, and I was losing my time in rescuing Miss Fiickers instead. Still, I felt sure that Mr. Abel would have wished me to do this, and I thought and hoped the proprietors of the COMET would approve of my conduct under the circumstances; yet it was very, very provoking to be thrown off the trail hke this. I kept up a continual cry for the police, while inch by inch the door was forced back, and at last it gave way and fell backwards, throwing the heaped-up furniture into the middle of the room. Fortunately, Miss Friokers,au4 I were by the •window, and  f ' *I f 11::4 Lri.  li
The Halifax Comet. — 1893-10-07 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

HAUNTED HOUSES.  A STUDY IN GHOST-LORE-IN THREE PARTS.  P • IL_T I I.—cuutimied.  Here's a knocking indeed I Knock! knook I knock ! . . . Who's there, I' the mune el Beelsebab P . . . . Who's there, i' the devil's name P Knock! knock: knock !—Never at quiet.—Macbeth.  NHAPPILY, howover, for the parish elork,•the ghost was induced to make some  promises_ which were tho  moans of utterly destroyin its reputation. It • , in answer to the V. Mr. Aldritch of Clerkenwell, that it would not only follow the little Miss Parsons wherever she went, but would also attend him, or any other gentleman, into tho vault under St. John's Church where , the body of the murdered woman was ' deposited, and would there give notice of its presence by a distinct knock upon the coffin. .its a preliminary, the girl was conveyed to the house of Mr. Aldritch, near the church, where a large party of ladies and gentlemen, eminent for their acquirements, their rank, or their wealth, had assembled. About ten on the night of the first of February the girl, having been brought from Cock Lane in a coach, was put to bed by several ladies in the house of Mr. Aldritch, a strict examination having been previously made that nothing was hidden in the bed-clothes. While the gentlemen in the adjoining chamber were deliberating whether they should proceed in a body to the vault, they were summoned into the bedroom by the ladies, who affirmed, in great alarm, that the ghost was come, and that they heard the kneels and scratches. The gentlemen entered accordingly, with a determmation to suffer no deception. The little girl, on being asked whether she saw the ghost, replied, " No ; but she felt it cn her -'back like a mouse." She was then required to put her hands out of bed, and they being held by some of the ladies, the spirit was summoned in the usual manner to answer, if it were in the room. The question was several times put with great solemnity; but the customary knock was not heard in reply in the walls, neither was there any scratching. The ghost was then asked to render itself visible, but it did not choose to grant the request. It was next solicited to give some token of its presence by a suund of any sort, or by touching the hand or cheek of any lady or gentleman in the room; but oven with this request the ghost would not comply. There was now a considerable pause? and .ono of the clergymen went downstairs to interrogate the father of the girl, who was waiting the result of the experiment. He positively denied that there was any deception, and even went so far as to say that he himself, upon one occasion, had seen and conversed with the awful ghost. This having been communicated to the company-, it was unanimously resolved to give the ghost another trial; and the clergyman called out in a loud voice to the supposed spirit that the gentleman to whom it had promised to appear in the vault was about to repair to that place, where he claimed the fulfilment of its promise. At one hour  it jiff k: 4 No: %,
The Halifax Comet. — 1893-07-01 (Halifax, West Yorkshire, England)

MURDER DETECTED BY THE ORDEAL OF TOUCH. THE superstitious feeling that there is ever present a persecuting witness of murder that will in his own time bring it to light may be a set-off against the absolution • and so strong is this feeling that the murderer himself sometimes cannot bear. it, but gives himself up to justice rather than endure his misery. Then there is the touching of the body, as a test of guilt or innocence, whether Providence choose to mark the criminal by miraculous change, if that change in the bleeding body be not some natural sympathy, we know not how elicited, but called miraculous because we understand not the operation; or whether the illusion is only in the mind's eye of the guilty, who sees gushing the blood that he has once shed (as Shakespeare finely conceives in Lady Macbeth in vain washing the little hand), and confesses the deed; the ordeal may have prevented many a murder, by the notoriety of the discovery. Take an example from the" State Trials." " On the trial of Philip Standsfield for the murder of his father is the following extraordinary evidenoe (in Scotland, Edinburgh). Deposition of Humphrey Spurway —viz. : "When the chirurgeons had caused the body of Sir James to be by their servants, sewn up again, and his grave-cloathes put on, a speech was made to this purpose: It is requisite now that those of Sir James Standsfield's relations and nearest friends should take him off from the place where he now lies, and lift him into his coffin.' So I saw Mr. James Rowe at the left side of Sir James's head and shoulder, and Mr. Philip Standsfield at the right side of his head and shoulder • and, going to lift off the body, I saw Mr:Philip drop the head of his father upon the form, and much blood in hand, and himself flying. off from the body, crying, Lord, have mercy upon me,' or upon us,' wiping off the blood on his clothes, and so laying himself over a seat in the church; some, supposing that he would swaiff or swoon awi.y, i led for a bottle of water for him."  Sir George hi'lienzie takes this notice of the above evidence, in his speech to the inquest: "But they, fully persuaded that Sir James was murdered by his own son, sent out some chirurgeons and friends, who, having raised the body, did see it bleed miraculously upon touching it. In which God Almighty himself was pleased to bear a share in the testimonies which we produce: that Divine Power which makes the blood circulate during life has ofttimes, in all nations, opened a passage to it after death upon such occasions, but most in this case."  "WHAT is your name ? " asked a teacher of a boy. "My name's Jule," was the reply. Whereupon the teacher impressively said, "You should have said, Julius, sir. And now, my lad," turning to another boy, "what is your name ? " "Bilious, sir."  —A very handsome tooilet-set is the prize offered.