npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Star. — 1830-09-07 (London, England)

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OP AN OLD LADY.  A considerable sensation was yesterday morning created in Canterbury. place, Lambeth, and the surrounding neighbourhood, in consequence of the sudden dissolution of Mrs. Dance, an elderly lady of independent fortune, who resided with her dater, at No. 24, at the above place. The particulars of this unaccountable and mysterious affair are as fol. low :—Mn. Dance, it appears, was a widow, and most respectabLecs fleeted, and for the last four years lived with her daughter, Miss who is about 40 years of age, In the above house. Both mother daughter were remarkably eccentric, and so rarely was any one seen to visit them, that their dwelling seemed deserted and desolate. They kept no arrant, and for the last six months the old lady had been confined to her effsmber, where she was waited upon by her daughter, who seldom allowed any one to see her. Yesterday morning a suspicion was excited in the neighbourhood in consequence of the parlour shutters being closed, and these suspicions were considerably strengthened upon Mr. Bluson, who occupies the adjoining house, knocking loudly at the door without ha being opened. A general opinion prevailed that the old lady and her daughter had been murdered, and information having been conveyed to the police station house, the superintendent despatched two constables to the house immediately. It being found impossible to ob. tain an entrance the front way, the officers gained admission to the rear by going through Mr. Bluson's house, and succeeded in effecting an entrance through a back window. On entering the house they found every thing quiet, and no appearance of the house having been plan. dered. Hoeing searched the lower part of the house, they proceeded up stairs, when, on entering the bed-room of the old lady, they, undrawing' the curtains, saw her lying on the bed lifeless, and her daughter lying by her side, in a state of the deepest lethargy, as if produced by some powerful narcotic.  Mr. Beck, a surgeon, who lived opposite, was instantly sent for, and as promptly attended; he examiwd the old lady, and gave it as his opinion that she had been dead some hours; there were several bruises and black marks about her thrust, as if she had been strangled in her sleep. On searching the room, a phial, which had contained laudanum, was found, which led Mr. Beck to believe that the deceased and her daughter had taken some of that poison, but on drawing off the contents of the stomach from the latter, be saw nothing to warrant that opinion, as no appearance of laudanum could be The stomach-pump was subsequently applied to the deceased, but with little result ; so that, with the exception of the marks about the throat, no criterion can be formed as to the muse of her death, which is at present involved in the deepest mystery. The survivor, who appears to be labouring under an aberration of mind, refuses to make any disclosures. She is still in the house under the care of the Polio*
Star. — 1830-04-01 (London, England)

ACCIDENTAL FIRE.—The beautiful romantic cottage of the Surgeon-general at Louth Bray, county of Wicklow, was on Thursday night totally destroyed, in consequence of a chimney haying buret, and the fire communicating to the thatch, which blazed with a rapidity that may be easily imagined, and soon laid waste the whole fabric. Upon the alarm being given, the peasantry from the surrounding mountains flew to the spot, and used every passible exertion to save the property ; a great portion of which consisted of books, plate, paintings, furniture, and many of the classical deco. rations, was, on Friday morning, lodged at the barrack of Glancree. We understand the premises were not insured.—Morning Register. EXECUTION IN KlLKENNY.—Elizabeth Kealy, for the murder of her aunt, Elizabeth Dooly, underwent the extreme sentence of the law at the front of our county gaol on Thursday last. She uttered, on being removed from the dock, bitter execrations upon her prosecutors. But this violence soon subsided into a placid and truly Christian consideration of her fate. From the time of her confinement in the convict cell to that appointed for her execution she eat little or no food. On Wednesday she was visited by her husband and some of her elder children. The interview was more than could be encountered by the guardians of the prison. They recoiled from the bitter scene, and the only incident of which they could inform us was, that both husband and chit. dren knelt down and joined her in fervent prayer. She took occasion to state subsequently that they had no participation whatever in her guilt. When the hour of her execution was announced by the tolling of the gaol knell, she was led to the press-room, the front doors of which opened upon some thousands of spectators, about one o'clock. The Rev. Mr. Gorman, and she (leaning on his arm) advanced towards the drop, and remained there while they recited that sublime prayer the 50th psalm. When this was concluded, the executioner proceeded with the adjustments of death. Her arms were bound—her footing gave way, and she passed into eternity._ Kilkenny Journal. A Correspondent, who resides near Ecclefechan, states as certain that a ewe, the property of Mr. Maxwell, Corriemains, dropped a few days ago no fewer than five lambs, which are all strong, healthy,. lint' likely to do well. The said prolific ewe, though only three years old, has already given birth to nine lambs. Such an animal irr perfectly invaluable; if allowed to live long enough, she will go far to stock a farm with her own progeny, and we may say of her, in the words of an excellent old song, " The ewie wi' the crooked horn, A' that kent ber could hae sworn 411,441:42 Sic a ewie ne'er was shorn, Hereabouts or far awa." When she dies she should be buried me sunny spot, where her great great grandsons and great gr ghters may crop iu the merry months of spring the sod that greens the grave of their s.. illustrious ancestor.—Dumfries Courier. .c.
Star. — 1830-09-03 (London, England)

THACTIIER V. HEAT).  This was an action to recover compensation in damages for an assault.  Mr. COLTMAN stated the cue on the part of the plaintiff.—He said this was not a case of an ordinary nature, fur there was very great teason to fear that the plaintiff, on whom a most violent assault had been committed, would never again be able to follow his usual occupation ; and he was of opinion that when the Jury had heard the whole case, they would have no doubt or hesitation that some handsome com. pensation ought to be meted out to him. From the time the trans.. action took place, to the present period, the plaintiff had not been able to follow his business, and now it was very likely he would have to subsist the remainder of his life on the reluctant allowance of parish relief. The plaintiff is muter of a vessel called the latona, which, at the time of the assault, was lying at St. Ives, in Corn. wall. The defendant is muter and part owner of the Birmingham stearn.packet. The plaintiff bad taken his passage in the Bir. mingham, as a deck passenger, for Dublin, intending to go to Cork, and from thence to his own vessel. When he got on board the steamer he was desirous of becoming a cabin passenger, and for that purpose went and tendered the difference to the Captain. lie (the Learned Counsel) was unable to prove what conversation then took place between them, but he should prove that the defendant seised him by the collar in a very violent manner, pushed him with his knee from thequarter-deck on tothe main deck, where he fellwith so much violence, that the spectators on the pier.head called out •' Throw the murderer overboard." After this took place the Captain put off immediately. A short time after, however, the man was sent on shore in a boat, carried home in a very bad state, and was unable to leave his bed for nine weeks ; and up to the present time can only walk with the assistance of crutches. He therefore hoped the Jury would award considerable damages, as a compensation for the injury his client had suffered. The Learned Counsel then called three witnesses, whose testimony went to prove the above statement. Mr. ALnzasow (with whom was Mt. HALL) addressed the Jury for the defendant. Ile ebserved that in his opinion, the case did not deserve the grave construction which had been put upon it by the learned Counsel on the other side, although he was not disposed to treat it as not deserving the consideration of the Jury. He then went on at some length to contend, that the injury sustained was one to be attributed to accident, and to the state of drunkenness in which the plaintiff was at the time, than to any fault of the defendant. Several witnesses were called for that purpose, to prove that the defendant bad not kicked him, but that the plaintiff's conduct was very turbulent, and that the defendant had led him to the edge of the quarter-deck, and that he fell from it on to the main-deck. Mr. COLTMAN replied. The Learned JUDGE summed up, and the Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 801.
Star. — 1830-09-03 (London, England)

THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.  Situ—Observing in your Paper of Saturday last a Latter, in which " A Freeholder" inquires whether you really think medical knowledge, as well as legal, necessary in a Coroner, with reference to the election which is a!,out to take place for the County of Middlesex ; I beg to send you the following remarks, leaving your Correspondent to draw his own inference, and vote accordingly. That Coroners are very ancient officers at common law, is admitted by all, and they arc so called because they deal principally with the Pleas of the Crown. In fotnier days they were also the principal Conservators of the Peace within their counties, and may now bind to the peace any person who makes an affray in their presence—See Hawk. p. c. 2nd b. c. 8. Coroners are of three kinds-Ist. By virtue of office..-2nd. By Charter or Commission.-3rd. By Election. On the Rest and second points, I would observe, that the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench is, by virtue of his office, principal Coroner of England, and may, if he please, exercise the jurisdic. dun of Coroner in any part of England ; that the Mayor of London is by charter Coroner of London ; and that in other corporate placel the Chief Magistrates are also Coroners within their respective jurisdic. Lions. Is not this decisive of the opinion of our ancestors on the important point at issue ? and can any instance be found of the King's Sergeant Surgeon, or any other member of that profession, holding the situation of Coroner by virtue of his office, or by charter or commission ? Let us now look at the duties which the Coroner has to perform : these are in great measure ascertained by stet. 4th Edw. I. and consist principally in enquiring, when any person is slain, or dies suddenly, or in prison. concerning the manner of his death ; and if any be found guilty of murder or other homicide, the Coroner is to commit them to prison for further trial, and is also to enquire whether any deodand has accrued to the King, or the lord of the franchise, by the death. Can any one doubt the necessity of legal knowledge for the discharge of these duties under ordinary circumstances ? and are not the facts which distinguish murder from manslaughter frequently so complicated, as to require, in addition to legal knowledge, an acquaintance with the rules of evidence, and experience in the practice of the Courts of Law, In order to lay the case properly before the Jury, and prevent the committal of a person for murder who has been guilty of an inferior crime. If the Coroner is deficient in these points, he must either discharge his duty under a fearful responsibility, or be must at his own expense procure legal assistance; but whether he is acquainted with the art of surgery or not, persons skilled in medicine or surgery, according to the nature of the case, must be examined as witnesses, and on their testimony, and not on the opinion of the Coroner, the Jury must deliver their verdict. Weymouth, August 30. G. A.
Star. — 1830-05-20 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQ UESTS.  Yesterday an inquest was held at the Workhouse, Royal Hill, Greenwich, on the body of Ann White, aged 89, who was killed under the following circumstances The deceased, who was an inmate of the workhouse, was crossing the road at Royal Hill, on Wednesday afternoon, when she was run over by a horse which was galloping at a most furious rate, and rode by a boy named Webb, who appeared to have no command over the animal. It appeared that Webb was returning from Blackheath Fair, at a gentle trot, when a boy, in a butcher's dress, struck the horse a smart blow on the hinder part, and he galloped off and rode over the deceased. The Jury returned a verdict of " Manslaughter against some person or persons unknown ;" and ordered the description of the butcher's boy to be advertised, and a reward offered for his apprehension. Yesterday an inquest was held was held before Mr. STIRLING, the Coroner, at the Wellesley Arms, Robertstreet, Chelsea, on the body of a fine new-born male infant, which was found under circumstances that left no doubt that it had, if not actually destroyed by violence, been wilfully left to perish by its unnatural mother. It appeared from the evidence, which was very lengthy, that on Saturday night last, between the hours of eleven and twelve, the infant was discovered wrapped la a piece of cloth, in the passage of the house of Mr. Wake, a coal dealer in Paradise row, Chelsea. A lodger named M'Carthy, who first discovered the child, communicated the circumstance to Mr. Wake, and  the latter gave information to a police-man of the division B, who, with the inspector, accompanied Mr. Wake back to his house, and subsequently Mr. Shaw, a medical gentleman, was sent for, who examined the body, and pronounced it to have been born alive. It further appeared that there were several lodgers residing in Mr. Wake's house, and that free ingress to the passage could be obtained until a late hour at night, the door being on the latch. A great number of persons living in the neighbourhood were called by desire of the Jury, with the view of ascertaining, if possible, who was the mother of the child ; but no satisfactory information could be elicited on that head.  Mr. Shaw, the surgeon, stated that there were no material marks of violence internally, but that the head of the child was slightly bruised. He had no doubt that the infant was born alive, and had lived some time after its birth. He was not prepared, however, to say that the child's death was produced by violence.  . . The Jury, after consulting a short time, returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown."  A fire took place in a thatched house at Bridport, on Friday night, and twelve or thirteen families were burnt out before the flames could be arrested ; it was with some difficulty that the inmates were saved. Very little doubt exits that the fire was the work of an incendiary.
Star. — 1824-02-10 (London, England)

IRISH MINES A D COLLIERIES.  A Meeting was held on Thursday, at the Chamber of Commerce, Dublin, for considering the propriety of forming a Joint Stock Company to work the Mines of Ireland. A Committee of twenty-one Members was appointed, and it was resolved to open a subscription for Four Thousand Shares at 251. each, or to raise a Capital of 100,0001. for the proposed object. The Dublin Journal justly remarks on this subject—" We have always thought that the improvement of Ireland must proceed from the energies of the people themselves, and not through Parliamentary grants. It has been too much the practice to rely solely on the assistance of Government for the execution of important works, and public money has not been generally applied w ith that judicious economy which is requisite to ensure success and profit. Every member of a Joint Stock Company has a direct interest in the proper application of the funds, and by each watching the conduct of the other, there is little chance of embezzlement or fraud without immediate detection and exposure.— The mineral resources of Ireland are probably equal to those of almost any country in Europe, but they have not been called forth by any well-digested plan of operations. Individual means are not equal to the magnitude of the undertaking, and it is only through the power of combination that the Mines of Ireland can be wrought with advantage."  !d, b'  Monday, a dress-maker of Brighton was fines, oy u. Bench of Magistrates, £5. 12s. for having in her pos. session some French silk, belonging to a Lady of fashion, from whom she had directions to make it into a dress.  The body of an elderly man was found in Beverley Beck, on Wednesday morning, and on inquiry proved to be that of a person named Jackson, of Soutliburn, near 1)d/field, who, on his return from Hull, the preceding evening, is supposed to have missed his road and fallen in.  An Inquest was held yesterday on the body of Jane Rooke, late servant to Mr. Abrahams, in lioundsditch, who fell or jumped from the window of her master's house ; when J. Biven, a watchman, deposed, that on Saturday morning he heard a scream of" Thieves! Fire," &c. and saw the deceased sitting on, or leaning from the fourth story window of Mr. Abrahams' house. She called for a ladder. Witness begged her to keep in, as he saw no danger. She continued to cry " Fire !" and call for a ladder ; the patrol ran and got a ladder, but she fell before it arrived. Witness picked her up and carried her to Mr. Bater's house, where he left her. She fell upon her head, and never spoke after; she had night clothes and black stockings on. Several other witnesses were called, after which the Jury returned a verdict that—The deceased came to her death in consequence of having attempted to escape out of a window in her master's house, in her alarm, fearing that she would be either burned or murdered.
Star. — 1824-03-04 (London, England)

PRICE OF STOCKS AT ONE O'CLOCK. 3 per Cent. Reduced 94% 95 917/8 8 per Cent. Cons. 94 943/4-31/g per Cent. 102% 'A r 4 per Cents. Old 102% /s % 103 4 per Cents. New 108 1077 s 1081/8 India Stock 2801/e 282—Bonds 745. 71s. pre. South Sea Stock 106% Exchequer Rills (1.:1,000) 445. 465. 45% India for Acct. 283—Consols tor Acct. 913 A tia  We have received a further supply of Charleston Papels, but not of later date than those which we an. nounced yesterday. It is stated in one of them that a vessel from Vera Cruz had brought intelligence that the troops in the castle of St. Juan aeUlloa were nearly reduced to extremity for want of provisions, and that disturbances had in consequence taken place among them. Another vessel, from Alvarado, is also said to have clmmtmicated information, that on the anival in Mexico of the news of the overthrow of the Constitutional systerti in Spain, two of the fortified places in the interior had declared for Ferairsa ND, but this latter fact is considered to rest on very doubtful ant hority.  It appears by the last letters from Constantinople, that the SULTAN has entirely changed his conduct towards the Greek population of that capital. They a:e now treated• with more leniency, and a promise has been made to them, that if they remain tranquil, and the Porte should succeed in its efforts to crush Greek independence, many of the humiliating distinctions with which they are now afflicted shall be removed. The SULTAN has issued a Firman, authorising the Greeks who had been banished to return to the capital, and calling on all the public functionaries to afford them:proiection. The Pacha of Salonica has also been publicly tlfanked for the promptitude with which he punished the Aga of the Janissaries, and the leaders of the revolt, in which the house of the French Consul was attacked, and his son nearly murdered, on account of the protection which the latter had afforded to a Greek child, who had been forcibly seized by' a Nlusselman the door of a Greek Church, on pr;tence that he was a slave. In consequence of the extraordinary mildness ef the weather, two or three symptoms of the plague had manifested themselves in the quarter adjoining the Para, but by prompt attention they had heen•subdued, and no danger of infe:tion was appretended.  THE KING —The isery unfavourable state of the weather has fur several days pt evented his Maacsxv from riding out; but he has select dinner parties almost every evening at Windsor Castle. The Cabinet Ministers dined with the CHANCELLOR of the Exenscluea yesterday. The Duke of CASIBUIDGE returned to Hanover en the 13th ult. in excellent health, alter having been on a• visit to Berlin and Brunswick. The property belonging to the Pi incess A UOVSTA his been removing from the late Queen (7siatturrirs's Palace since I Monday, to her Royal Highness's intended reLdence in the King's 1 Palace, St. James's: the apartments were formerly occupied by Mr. Caavaas, the Lqih
Star. — 1824-06-23 (London, England)

PRICE OF STOCKS AT ONE O'CLOCK. S per Cent. Reduced 945/8 4 1,4 s per Cent. Cons. shut-31 per Cents. 101% 4 per Cents. Old 101-4 per Cents. New shut 4 per Cents. Assented 101 IA % /8 India Bonds 81 80 Exch. Bills of £l,OOO (2d.) 20 19 26 ; (11.4d.)20 19 21 Do. of .C5OO (2d.) 21 27 Do. Small (2d.) 20 25 ; (11/2d.) 25 Do. Commercial 16. Concols tor Acct. 9534 3/4 This forenoon we received the Jamaica Royal Gazette to the Bth of May, and the Courant to the 16th. The former, in a Supplement and two Postscripts, extending to thirty•two pages, contains copious extracts from the E2glish Papers, and some intemperate articles from the Colonial Journals, on the case of Mr. Su ITII, the Missionary. The Guiana Chronicle, after noticing the remission of the sentence by his MAJESTY, says—  " Thus then arc the wicked allowed to excape through the vacillating nature of those in power, and the influence of the bigotry al arty. Fortunate, indeed, is it for the real friends of humanity, tha the hand of strayzu removed the wretched criminal tb a place of severer account, before this sentence was made known, which would have given a license to indulge in all the criminalities of mankind in any other part of the world than this. Comfortable is it for those who feel the happiness of respected laws, that the guilty sun was ushered to another world, before he was let loose upon this: A Traitor, rosinvoir convicted, and a Murderer, morally 50... Agaia—" Why was not Thistlewood banished from Catu-street, and called upon to enter into recognizances, not to follow up his treasonable practices in any other part of London ? Why were nut Haggarty and Holloway banished front Hounslow-heath, and calkd upon to enter into recognizances not to commit murder upon any of his Majesty's heaths for the future r The writer concludes by declaring, that had the Governor put the sentence on Mr. SMITH into execution he would have done an incalculable benefit to the Colony. The Demerara Roma Gazette, on the other hand, after vindicating the character of the Court Martial, claims for his MAJESTY the royal prerogative of mercy, and for the Governor approbation of his conduct in recommending Mr. SMITH to mercy. Tke Court of Policy of Demerara had passed votes of thanks, and some more substantial proofs of their approbation—in the shape of pieces of plate and swords —to the principal Officers of the several Regiments engaged in suppiessing the insurrection in that. Colony. A considerable portion of the Jamaica Gazette is filled with an account of a dispute between the Officers of the 91st Regiment and two Gentlemen of Kingston, relative to a point of etiquette on the celebration of the KING's birth-day. The parties had, however, been bound over to keep the peace. The Gazette states, that Lieut.-Colonel DAWSON, the account of whose death we were first able to contradict, had arrived at Kingston in the FORTE frigate. The Garcuat cutter, Lieutenant Cawernr, sailed from Port Royal on the ad of May, for Carthagena, having on board dispatches from Vice-Admiral Sir