npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1829-01-27 (London, England)

TREACHERY DISCOVERED.  The following particulars disclose o'ne of the most wicked attempts to ruin and ultimately destroy a respectable tradesman that was ever discovered :—Mr. Christopher Traylen, a general shopkeeper and tallovi-chandler, at Debden, near Saffron Walden, had his dwelling-house and premises, with the principal part of his stock, consumed by fire in the night of Easter Monday. the 16th of April, 1827. Mr. Traylen had any doubt in his own mind but tbs, it was the work of an incendiary; he knew he was beset by a discarded journe vPian, who had corrupted his apprentices., and that he was frequently defrauded. and rol's'oed by them, but it was a cosis ''.3llle tilne before he could get evidence sillo prosecute. However, at the last ass et: assizes, he succeeded in convicting Thomas Rutherford, one of his apprentices, who was visited with a slight punishment, in consequence, it is supposed, of some strong affidavits made in his favour, when bailed out of prison, previously to his trial, together with the perjured evidence offered to the Court on 'the latter event, which the guilty parties have since admitted ; it has also come to Mr. Traylen's knowledge, that these miscreants had so conspired together, that in the event of Rutherford's acquittal, they meant instantly to prefer a bill of indictment against Mr. Traylen, for arson, and to give false evidence in furtherance of their plan ; but after Rutherford was in prison, under his sentence, he learnt that a fellow-apprentice at home was about to confess his errors : he (Rutherford) sent to a magistrate, and requested that he might also be permitted to disclose the truth, the result of which was, the apprehension of John Cock, the journeyman, and others. Such was the effect of the charge as concerned Cock, that he took the first opportunity he could of cutting his throat, but the wound did not prove mortal ; on the contrary, from his apptarance, and from the evidence of a surgeon, on Tuesday, it is likely he will recover skinciently to be able to take his trial in March, until which period he will remain in. gaol. It is due to the character of Mr. Traylen, that these circumstances should be made public, because such was the impression of the governors of the Hertford and Cambridge Fireoffice, that they resisted his claim upon them in the first instance, although they very fairly afterwards agreed to refer the matter to the arbitration of respectable persons in the neighbourhood, who ultimately awarded to Mr. Traylen his whole claim of 9001. To such an extent had the malice of Cock carried him, that nothing short of this unfortunate man's destruction, it would appear, could satisfy hiM. He procured a brace of pistols for the apprentices, under the pretence of affording them amusement in shooting at rats about the premises ; but when he gave them to the young mrn, he is said to have observed, " Now you have got pistols, if Traylen says any thing to you, or strikes you, shoot him." Providentially the minds of the young men were not so hardened as to induce them to add to their  other crimes that of murder.— Chebnyinil Chronicle.
The Sun. — 1829-03-23 (London, England)

FRIDAY, MARCH 20.  James Cliffe, aged 29, stood indicted for the wilful murder of his wife, Catherine Cliffe, at Manchester. Thomas Trimperly said—l keep the King's Arms, George-row, Manchester. On the evening of the 2d of January the prisoner came to my house, with about ten more. They asked for a room to themselves, and I showed them to the club-room. They had eight pots of beer.— Cliffe's wife came there about twenty minutes before ten o'clock. I showed her into the room. They came to the bar and asked me for a new year's gift. Cliffe was about half drunk. They left about 20 suinutes after 10 o'clock. I gave the deceased a light ; she went away, and returned in about 10 minutes, and asked again for a light, and said " Oh, dear ! what a man my husband is !" She appeared greatly agitated. Henry Riumier said-1 went to the King's Arms public-house, on the 2d of January, about nine o'clock in the evening. I left a little after Cliffe. His wife went out with him. I asked if I might ride his horse ;he said he must, and we both got on together. A man in company said to Cliffe, if he would get off and go home with his wife, he would treat him with a glass. He gut off, and went into the King's Arms. I rode the horse backward and forward. It was rather frightened. Cliffe's wife asked me to ride it away, and not to let Cliffe get on any more. I was told that Cliffe had walked on. I followed. I rode  up, and first saw the tvatchman taking Cliffe from his wife. She was at the side of him ; I cannot say whether she wae' standing up or not. I heard her shriek. It must have come from her, as I saw him kick her several times. She was standing up when I first saw him kick her. He kicked  her about the back. 1 heard the prisoner say, when the watchman separated him from his wife, and threatened to take him away. " thee, thou devil, I'll pay thee before morning ; thou think'st thou Last got off; I'll have thy life before morning." Cliffe knew what he was doing. Some one took the horse away, and I saw no more. Mr. W. Chalk—l am a surgeon at Manchester. I was called on to see the deceased. I saw her between 11 and 12 on the night of the 2d of January. She was in bed, partly dressed. She we, in a state of insensibility. There were blows and marks of violence on her head. I cannot say how they were inflicted. Kicks to the extent she received would alone havo been likely to cense death. I cannot say that any of the wounds were occasioned by a fall.  The Jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, found the prisoner guilty of the murder. Mr. Justice Baxter then passed the awful sentence of death on the prisoner, whom he ordered to be executed on Monday next. • The prisoner burst into tears, and was removed frem the bar. Charles Tranor was indicted for the wilful murder of William Madder, at Manchester. The Jury found the prisoner guilty of manslaughter. His Loicosuir then sentenced the prisoner to be transported_fer life.
The Sun. — 1829-03-23 (London, England)

HUNTINGDON, MARCH 21.  William Angel, aged 23, was indicted for the wilful murder of John Grange, at the parish of Warboys, on the 6th of September last, by shooting him with a gun loaded with gunpowder and leaden shot. Jane Roblett examined—On Saturday, the 7th of September, 1 was lodging in the house of Robert East, at Warboys. Ann Hawkes was lodging there also. The prisoner came to assist East in his harvest-field. About 11 o'clock on the night 1 have mentioned, there was a great snob of people collected about the house, throwing stones at it. The prisoner went out of the house to look after his horse and gig, and when he came in, Mrs. East requested bins "to go out and still them." He went out, and returned in half an hour with his lip cut; be said they had b en knocking him about, and if they were not off, be would shoot some of them. A gun hung on a beam in the room. It was loaded, and the prisoner used to go out and watch the corn with it. He took the gun down from the beam, and went out directly. I did not hear bins say anything about its being loaded He uncorked (coked) the gun in the house. I heard the gun go off as soon as he got out. He came in again, and began to load the gun anew. While he was loading it, East said to him, " Angel, you've shot somebody." I did not hear his answer. The gun was taken fi otn him by Huggins. East again said to him, " You've shot a man; go out and own it." Prisoner went out, and never returned.  Cross-examined by Mr. Gl;Nxixo—When the prisoner came in after he had been to still the mob, his lip was cut and his face bleeding. 11is hat was knocked off. He complained of very bad usage. He was in a great passion. He reached the gun down directly. He did not stop to say any thing. Martiii Hodson-1 heard the gun, and saw John Grange stagger back and fall. lie died very soon. The prisoner, in his defence, said they were knocking him about very much. He called no witnesses. The Jury, after a minute's deliberation, found the prisoner Guilty of Manslaughter. The Learned Be gox, in passing sentence on the prisoner, said that the verdict was a very proper one, but the crime amounted to one of the most aggravated cases of manslaughter he had ever witnessed. Under these circumstance, the Learned Judge sentence I the prisoner to be transported for the whole term of his natural life. John Bishop was indicted for stealing twenty sheep, the property of Mr. T. Lindsell, of Hemingford Grey. The facts were wholly uninteresting ; and the prisoner was found Guilty. The Learned BARON passed the awful sentence of "Death" on the unhappy man, holding out to him no hopes of mercy on this side the grave, in consequence of the magnitude of the theft, and the circumstance that the prisoner did not appear to be actuated by want to the perpetration of the crime.
The Sun. — 1829-07-01 (London, England)

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.  " Irish Parliaments and the Forty Shilling Freeholders" is a remarkably strong, vehement, and declamatory tirade against the measures of the existing Government with regard to Ireland. It works up one point, however, with the spirit of which we heartily coincide, namely, the monstrous impolicy of sending back Mr. O'Connell to be re-elected for Clare, and thereby renewing the disturbances of that already quite sufficiently disturbed country. " Maxims on Mankind" are shrewd and practical, but harp too much on the stale subject of love. " The Bridges of London" is a sensible business-like article, from which we extract the following excellent remarks respecting Waterloo Bridge  . _ " When Canova, the sculptor, was in London, the gentleman who lionized him to the different curiosities, and the various works of art in our city, told him that he would first shew him a bridge constructed by the trades. men of London, and afterwards conduct him to one which had been built by order of the Government. Canova was accordingly first taken to Waterloo Bridge. Astonished at the extent and splendour of the erection, he pronounced it the finest structure of the kind he had ever seen, and wondered, if this was the work of the tradesmen, what must be that which had been constructed under the patronage of the Government. His conductor, who no doubt had a little of the radical in his composition, then led him to the wooden bridge, which at that time existed xerois the canal in St. James's Park, as the work of the British Government. Wbat a bathos in comparison of the mssmi.ficent appearance o Waterloo ; yet what a correct  illustration of the character of our country, where almost ' all the splendid public works of charity or art are the produce of the people, and not of the Government. " How often when we pass this bridge are we led to regret that it is still left in the bands of the speculators ; not only from the unprofitable nature of a speculation which ought to have had, and which deserved such a different result, but for the honour of our country. The Government ought to purchase this bridge, and should pride itself in preserving all the passages across the Thames free. " What must Canova have felt at having to pay a penny before he could enter upon one of the most splendid works of art which our metropolis possesses. For our own parts, we would have the Government pay the orginal cost of the bridge, and remunerate the speculators for a work which does us so much credit. They could, however, at this period, purchase it for one-fourth of the money expended, and might thus, at a comparatively trifling expence, con, duce greatly to the convenience of the inhabitants, and to the respectability of the metropolis, by abolishing a toll which is really a disgrace to a city like ours."  " Walks in Ireland" is a powerfully told tale of the death of a murderer. It is just the fitting and requisite length. " Notes of the Month" are sharp, pertinent, and replete with lively and various epigrammatic points. On the whole, the number is a superior one.
The Sun. — 1829-07-01 (London, England)

THE MURDER ON BLACKHEATH.  On inquiry at Guy's Hospital yesterday, Lambourn was pronounced not to be out of danger. In consequence of the determined attempt he made to tear open the wound he inflicted in his throat, it has been found necessary to put him under restraint by placing a strait waistcoat on him, and he now lies at the Hospital, bound in such a manner, that if ever so inclined to deprive himself of life, he could not effect his purpose. The fellow, who seems about 65 years of age, has been a wood-cutter, at Deddington, near Oxford, and obtained his livelihood by cutting the stub-wood for the staves of brooms and mops. He married the unfortunate victim of his revenge in 1823, at which time she was living as a single woman in the family of Mr. Davidson, in whose service she was when she died. Mr. Davidson then resided at Kilburn. After they had been married a year or two, he for the first time discovered, that instead of his wife being a spinster, as she represented herself to be, she had had four illegitimate children by various men of her acquaintance. This discovery brought on much unhappiness, and was the cause of his ill treatment towards her, which ended in her deserting her home. The miserable man, although thus deceived, declares that he had a very great partiality towards her, and had, after she had left him, taken her before a Magistrate, thinking he could order her back to his arms; but the magistrate told him he had no power to interfere, and she again went off. The unhappy man in alluding to this circumstance yesterday morning, said that when the magistrate declined to interfere between them, she left him with a grin upon her countenance, since which all his affection for her had ceased. He stated, as well as he was able, to two or three gentlemen who stood at his bed side, that he was a widower when he married the unfortunate woman, and had a family of eight children, all of whom were grown up, and with the exception of one daughter who lived cook in a family at No. 16, Charing-cross, were living in the country. In alluding to his deceased wife, he said, " Ah, she was a bad one ! God rest her soul now she is dead ! I hope she is happy." A gentleman standing by said, f` It is very nicked of you to bless and curse her at the same moment and in one breath." The unhappy man replied angrily, " I did not curse her; I said she was a bad one, only." He then attributed the fatal end to which he had brought his wife to Mr. and Mrs. -, the latter of whom had written the letter to him for his wife, desiring him not to come near her. He further said, " Whenever I have called to see my wife, they said " Come up stairs, Sarah, and don't waste your time with that old fool." He says that he ca:ne to London for the purpose of chastising his wife, but not to murder her.  Before Burford, the officer, went away, he requested he would call upon his daughter, at 16, Charing-cross, and desire her to cull and see him. He also desired him to write to his brother, and several of his children, informing them of the affair. The whole of which Burford promised to do.
The Sun. — 1829-11-24 (London, England)

THE KING U. WM.:ATKINSON AND  WM. MILNER,  These defendants had been committed to York Castle on the Coroner's Inquisition, for the wilful murder of Thomas Holmes on the 26th of October last, at Skirlow Moor, in the county of York. Mr. J. WILLIAMS now applied to the Court to admit the defendants to bail. It appeared by the depositions before the Coroner, that the defendants were both gamekeepers to Sir W. Ingleby, and that the deceased was a labourer. The latter was, at eleven o'clock on the above night, in company with two other lahourers, named Motley and Thackery, going to the house of a farmer, who had appointed them to come and receive their harvest wages. Holmes and Thackery were going first, and had a lurcher with them, but no instrument for the purpose of killing game. The two defendants suddenly rushed out upon them ; the night was very dark, and a scuffle ensued, in which Thackery was knocked down and stabbed with some short sharp instrument, and he heard Holmes cry out that he was stabbed and killed. The two Motleys came up and joined in the fight, one of them having only a small stick, and the other of their party having no offensive weapon; but they were ultimately, however, obliged to run away, for fear of being killed. Holmes went to a neighbouring house, where be arrived at one o'clock, and knocked violently. The occupier, John Wetheral, thought some one was trying to break in, and would not admit him, although Holmes told him he had been out night-hunting, and was badly hurt. He begged them to assist him in getting to Shaw Mill. Another man kindly offered to assist him, and, finding he could not walk, got a cart, and took him to Shaw Mill, where he died the next day. When about half way to Shaw Mill, Holmes cried out violently that his bowels were coming out, and begged his conductor for God's sake, to let him get out of the cart and die on the road. Witness saw that his bowels were protruding. Mr. Cooper, surgeon, attended Holmes at four o'clock in the morning, and found his intestines, which were violently inflamed and partly mortified, protruding. He had a wound about two inches long, slanting downwards i❑ the lower part of the abdomen. Holmes told him that he had been out poaching with the two 'Motleys and Thackery, and had been stabbed in a struggle with the keepers. The deceased died in a few hours after witness saw him. The defendants produced an affidavit from their master, Sir W. Ingleby, in which he stated that Atkinson had been in his service seven years, and Milner one year, and that he had known both defendants for several years before as well behaved and humane men. The COURT ordered them to be di.ebarged out of custody, upon their entering into their ows recognizances for 400/. each, and finding two sureties for 1001. each Bail was immediately put in.
The Sun. — 1829-03-09 (London, England)

CARLISLE, 111 ARCH 6.  Jane Baty was indicted for the wilful murder of her bastard ehild, by stuffing hay into its mouth on the 30th January lag. Mrs. Elizabeth Watson examined—l am the wife of Mr. Vatson, a farmer, residing at Westward Parks, about twelve miles from Carlisle. On the 30th of January last, the prisoner was in my service. She came to me at the preceding Martinmas. A sister of her's, called Margaret, was in my service at the same time. Before the 30th of January I had observed the prisoner's appearance, and several times told her that I thought she was pregnent. She denied that she was so. Our dinner hour is between twelve and one. A little after dinner en the 30th of January, I had occasion to go into the ovenhouse. I there saw the prisoner. She was standing almost- double. There was blood on the ground where she was standing. Her arms were folded up in her apron, and I saw blood upon them. I told her that I thought she had had a miscarriage. She denied that she had, and ascribed the appearance to other causes. She then went into the house. I followed her, and saw more blood in the place where she stood. A dead child was afterwards brought into the house by Joseph Atkinson. The prisoner cried very much, and begged for mercy. Joseph Atkinson, on the afternoon of the 30th of January, found the dead body of a newly born child in Mr. Watson's oven-house. The body was placed behind a set pot which was fastened to the wall.l There was a fire under the set pot, which appeared to witness to have been only recently lighted. The child's mouth was stuffed full of hay. Mr. Thomas Nixon examined.-1 am a surgeon, residing at Wigton. I examined the dead body of a child, which was shewn to me at Mr. Watson's on the 31st of January. It was the body of a newly-born child, and was full grown. I examined the lungs ; I am sure that they had been inflated. I found the mouth full of hay, which appeared to have been pressed in with considerable force. The mouth was completely filled. With such a quantity of hay in the mouth no child could live long. I examined the umbilical cord, and found that it had been cut. The consequence of the cutting of that card would be a considerable hemorrhage. I afterwards examined the prisoner, and found that she had recently been delivered of a child. Cross-examined.—The lungs might be inflated, and the child still not be born alive. The rupture of the umbilical cord might also have produced the death of the child.  The Jury, after a few moments' deliberation, returned a verdict of " Not guilty of murder, but guilty of concealing the birth of the child." The Learned BARON sentenced the prisoner to be imprisoned for 18 months in the county gaol, and to be there kept to hard labour. This case terminated the Assizes, which have been remarkably short and uninteresting.
The Sun. — 1829-03-09 (London, England)

LENT ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.  OXFORD.--MARCH 6.  Janes Barker, a decent-looking countryman, aged 29, was capitally charged with having feloniously assaulted Mary Ann Saunders. Mary Ann Saunders, a pale, delicate-looking girl of 17, examined. She was respectably attired, and wore a black bonnet, and a blue silk shawl with a flowered border. She said, I was brought up in the charity-school, at Oxford, and after that I went into the service of Mr. Looker, who is an attorney in Oxford. Mr. Looker is married, and has a family. After that I came home to wait upon my mother who was ill. I remember the day on which the prisoner came to our house with Mrs. Tippins. He said he had no doubt I should do for the place they had been talking of. He said it was eight pounds a year wages, and I was to have the privilege of selling the meat after it came front table, which would be worth, at least, five shillings a week more. After .my godmother had gone I agreed to go with the prisoner in half an hour. In about that time started for the purpose, as I thought, of going to Beckley; however, he told me we should not have to walk far, as his mistress was. in Oxford with a horse and gig. When we got to the Cape of Good Hope public-house, the prisoner asked me to go in to wait his mistress's coming with the gig. I went in, and he called for a pint of beer. We stayed there a quarter of an hour. I did not drink any thing. At the end of the quarter of an hour he said we must go on, and his mistress would overtake us. We went on about a hundred yards, and then coming to another public-house he recommended me to drink. After some little time I consented to drink some gin and water. I drank a large glass of gin and water, which the prisoner paid for. We stayed there half an hour, and when we left the lamps were just lighted. We proceeded a mile and a half along the turnpike road, and then turned up Barton-lane, and proceeded to the bottom of that lane, and up some fields. The prisoner said that the way across the fields was a mile and a half nearer than along the road. After passing across three large fields we came to a gate. The prisoner got over it and told me to follow him. Up to this time the prisoner had behaved with propriety. We proceeded down by the hedge side and the prisoner made au attack upon me. It was quite dark by this time. I begged him to let me go. He would not let me, and I cried murder. The prisoner said if I would not be quiet he would stop my mouth. I was very much agitated, and I resisted as much as I could, but he continued his assaults, and unfortunately succeeded. The Jury, after a short consultation, found the prisoner Guilty. As soon as the verdict was returned, Mr. Justice PARK proceed to pass sentence of Death upon the prisoner, earnestly advising him to make his peace with his Maker, as he could expect no mercy on this side of the grave.