npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1861-10-03 (London, England)

MURDER.  The post-mortem ex amination has been made, and the conclusion of ;the surgeons leave no doubt that death arose from the pressure of the poker upon the throat, producing strangulation. On Tuesday asixth pr isoner was apprehended ; he had been "out of the w© y" from the time when the robbery was discovered ; but returned to the town during the afternoon of Tuesday. When he was apprehended he said it was " all right," and that he was "going to g ive himself up." The police ";want" only one other• man to complete the arrest of the whole gang ; an.d this arrest is supposed to be a question of only a few hours. Maddocks is a ret arned convict. He was sent out for five years ab out seven years ago, and has, therefore, been back I Avo years. The post mortem examination, at the se ame time that it reveals the cause of death, shows also that the deceased offered considerable resistanc:e before he died, for there are evidences of injury to the spine which could not have existed on Sat urday night. The prisoners were removed from Bilston to the county gaol at Stafford yesterday. During the time that they were being manacled in the police-station Lilley indulged in great rib aldry. Taking hold of the escort chain by which they were to be connected in companies, he placed it round Jukes's neck, and interlarding his expressions with oaths, he said, " This is the way they will hang you up when they get you to Stafford." He then indulged in libidinous expressions re) ative to his liasons in that town, told the pollee; they had got " a good catch," gave regimental con nands to the other prisoners, and was driven from the station in a cab shouting "We are off to Cl arlestown." Jones seemed to have lost mnchof theconfidence which he displayed before the magistra. tes, and Lilley's buffoonery scarcely extorted even the sorriest smile from them. With the exception .of Lilley, all the prisoners are beginning more than ever to feel the very serious position in which they are placed. Against Jones, who is a returned convict, and whose proper name is Mullighan, the evidence is very strong. It is the knee of his trousers that corresponds with the marks in the cellar. In his possession was found some studs that had belonged to the deceased; and at the time of his arrest he had soot upon his hand which corresponded with the blackened face of the murdered man. This sooty hand was remarked upon by the sergeant of police, but the prisoner declined to account for it, and when he was again brought up from his cell, he had washed the sooty hand cleaner than the other. So great is the fear which the inhabitants of Bilston are suffering, that they have memorialised the commissioners of the town to call a public meeting to ennsitior the hest stops to be taken to obtain the security of life and property in the township (luring the night. The Chairman has called the meeting for Tuesday evening next.  There is a project for forming a tradesmen's patrol.
The Sun. — 1861-10-03 (London, England)

BILS7ON MURDER.  The post-mortem examination has been made, and the conclusion of the surgeons leave no doubt that death arose from the pressure of the poker upon the throat, producing strangulation. On Tuesday a sixth prisoner was apprehended ; he had been " out of the way" from the time when the robbery was discovered ; but returned to the town during the afternoon of Tuesday. When he was apprehended he said it was " all right," and that he was " going to give himself up." The police ";want" only one other man to complete the arrest of the whole gang ; and this arrest is supposed to be a question of only a few hours. Maddocks is a returned convict. He was sent out for five years about seven years ago, and has, therefore, been back two years. The post mortem, examination, at the same time that it reveals the cause of death, shows also that the deceased offered considerable resistance before he died, for there are evidences of injury to the spine which could not have existed on Saturday night. The prisoners were removed from Bilston to the county gaol at Stafford yesterday. During the time that they were being manacled in the police-station Lilley indulged in great ribaldry. Taking hold of the escort chain by which they were to be connected in companies, he placed it round Jukes's neck, and interlarding his expressions with oaths, he said, " This is the way they will hang you up when they get you to Stafford.' He then indulged in libidinous expressions relative to his liasons in that town, told the police they had got " a good catch," gave regimental commands to the other prisoners, and was driven from the station in a cab shouting "We are off to Charlestown." Jones seemed to have lost much of the confidence which he displayed before the magistrates, and Lilley's buffoonery scarcely extorted even the sorriest smile from them. With the exception of Lilley, all the prisoners are beginning more than ever to feel the very serious position in which they are placed. Against Jones, who is a returned convict, and whose proper name is Mullighan, the evidence is verystrong. It is the knee of his trousers that corresponds with the marks in the cellar. In his possession was found some studs that had belonged to the deceased; and at the time of his arrest he had soot upon his hand which corresponded with the blackened face of the murdered man. This sooty hand was remarked upon by the sergeant of police, but the prisoner declined to account for it, and when he was again brought up from his cell, he had washed the sooty hand cleaner than the other. So great is the fear which the inhabitants of Bilston are suffering, that they have memorialised the commissioners of the town to call a public meeting to consider the best steps to be taken to obtain the security of life and property in the township during the night. The Chairman has called the meeting for Tuesday evening next. There is a project for forming a tradesmen's patrol.
The Sun. — 1861-05-01 (London, England)

CONVICTION FOR WIPE MURDER.  At the Circuit Court, Perth, on Thursday, Alexander Hutchison, labourer and quarrier, Dundee, was placed at the bar, charged with the murder of his wife, Christina Fowler, on Saturday, the Gth of April, by striking her with a poker, and otherwise maltreating her. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased was very much addicted to drink, and that having got money from her husband to go and pay a grocer's account, she paid part of it, and came home in a state of intoxication, having fallen several times in the street on her way, and been helped up by the passers-by. The only direct witness of what subsequently occurred was the eldest daughter of the prisoner and deceased, a child of only six years of age, and whose statement was to a great extent corroborated by two boys in the next house, who overheard through the brick partition what was going on. She stated that as soon as her mother came in her father gave her a " skelp" on the side of the head, knocked her down and trampled upon her, and hit her on the head with a poker. He then took off her clothes while she was lying, and trailed her " but and hen" the house before he went to bed. He hit her more than twice on the head while she was lying on the floor, and witness was crying all the time, but afraid to say anything, and her younger sister was crying "Mammy, mammy." The wretched woman appeared to have died immediately, for shortly afterwards some boys, finding the door open, peeped in, and saw the woman lying motionless on the floor, and the man sitting over her with his hands clasped.  The two boys deposed to having heard " an awful noise," and the sound of several blows, the woman crying " Murder," and moaning. After a blow, they heard a man's voice say, " That will surely spane (wean) you from drinking." The boys stated to their father, when he came in, what they had seen, but the latter did not believe them, and went to bed. The next morning the prisoner called in two female neighbours, stating that he was afraid she was dead, and when charged by them with having killed her he denied that he had laid hinds on her. Drs. Grei,g and Webster were examined as to the state of the body, and gave it as their opinion that the deceased had died from injuries inflicted by external violence. _ _  • _ _ The prisoner in his declaration stated that he was 43 years of age, and that he had married the deceased in 1841, she being then 19. He denied having assaulted her. Several witnesses, in cross-examination, deposed that the prisoner was a quiet, industrious, and sober man, and that the deceased had for years given herself up to drinking, tnat she was constantly pawning articles for drink, and had been twice convicted of theft. Mr. Ivory, advocate-deputy, addressed the jury for the Crown, and Mr. J. Campbell Smith for the prisoner. The jury found the prisoner guilty, but recommended him to mercy on account of the great provocation he had received. Lord Ardmillan sentenced the prisoner to be mooted at Dundee on May 22.
The Sun. — 1861-09-27 (London, England)

THE ALLEGED MURDER IN WESTMINSTER.  The prisoner said—" I am an innocent man.".  William Maloney, 40, labourer, was indicted for the wilful ;murder of .his wife, Mary Maloney, on the 2d of September. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr. Clarke and Mr. Orridge prosecuted, and Mr. sleigh defended the prisoner. Mr. Clark having stated the case against the prisoner, called the following witnesses : Eliza Duckwell said —T live with my father, in Legeourt. Known deceased about ten months. Last saw her alive about 10 minutes after 12 on the Monday. I met her n Peter-street. Catherine Welsh was with me. (Deceased was going towards home. •We made some fun of a young man, and she want away laughing. She was quite sober. She had a pot of beer in a can. After his:l went into my own house, No. 4 in the court, four dsors from tho deceased. I had some milk, which I was in the act of putting on the table, when my brother ran in, and said, " Mr. Maloney is fighting, and his smock is all over blood." With this I ran out into the court and sa w Maloney standing between the window and street door. He was looking at the sleeve of his smock on which was blood. It was his right sleeve. I saw blood in the passage, and his little girl, about seven years old, crying. She was in the court. I looked through the window and saw deceased lying on the floor, resting on her elbow, and she gradually sunk down. She rose up again a very little way from the ground to put her hand to her forehead. I saw blood coming from her shoulder. I said, " Oh, Mr. Maloney, your wife is dead ; how was it done ?" He said she did it herself. He repeated this three times. I ran down the court, and met my father half way. Samuel Gordon, 241 B, said—About 25 minutes after twelve on Monday, the 2d of September, I was in Peterstreet, and a man said, " I think there was murder in Legcourt." Ido not know the man. It was not Saunders. I went to the spot, and saw several people. As I got to the door I met Mr. Payne, and he told me a woman had been stabbed, and that she was quite dead. I saw a quantity of blood on the floor, a woman lying on the bed with blood about her dross. I saw a wound in her neck on the left side. I asked the woman how it was done, and a man sitting at the end of the table made answer and said, ,f She done it herself. I was sitting down eating my dinner when she picked up the knife and stabbed herself, and then threw the knife away." I cleared the room of the people and searched it, and told Maloney to get up and move his chair, and after lifting the tea-tray I found the knife sticking in the board behind it. The serf eant then came, and he was taken to the station. He there repeated his former statement, that she had done it herself. By Mr. Sleigh—l did not ask the prisoner how the ltg Iwoman came to her death. The statement he made was quite voluntary.  1012 1 1  98; ; 11; I  93 71
The Sun. — 1861-09-27 (London, England)

ATTEMPT TO MURDER A WIFE.—At the Glasgow Circuit Court on 'Wednesday, before the Lord JusticeClerk, Lachlan M'Lean, a spirit-dealer, Greenock, was tried for attempting to murder his.wile in June last. It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner had been indulging. in drink for some days, and that while in a state of excitement he had fired a pistol at his wife, inflicting serious injuries on her face and head. 111‘Lean pleaded guilty to assault aS common law, without intent, but his plea was not accepted, and a number of witnesses were examined. The prisoner's wife, in the course of her evidence, said : ‘. My husband was usually a sober-living man. I am aware he received an injury in his head in America, by a boiler-plate falling upon it, and I knew a change in his temper when he got drink. This occurred some years ago. He was always kind when in sobriety, and I do not wish him to be punished more than he has got, as lam well now. I thought his mind was affected at the time he was drinking, as I know he would not hurt a hair of my head. Now,  my lord, and gentlemen of the jury, I" beg for mercy; -  hope you will be :as lenetive' as you can to him." Dr. Auld and Dr. Wallace were of opinion that the woman was  in a dangerous state, and recommended her to bo removed  t i..the infirmary. About a month afterward i she was  out of danger, but her face would be considerably de formed from the effects of the wound. The prisoner's  deehration was then read. He stated that he had purchased the pistol for the purpose of shooting rabbits while in the Highlands, during Greenock fair ; that he had fired it at his wife's head for the purpose of frightening her, and thereby cause her to desist from abusing him, but with no intention of injuring her person. Mr. Shand addressed the jury for the prosecution, and, while adhering to the charge under the statute, he restricted the pains of law; so that, in the event' of their returning a verdict of guilty, his lordship would be able to impose any punishment he might deem fitting, instead of sentence of death, which was provided for by the statute. Mr. Muir then addressed the jury for the panel, after which the Lord Justice-Clerk summed up: The jury, without retiring, returned a verdict finding the prisoner guilty as libelled. The I Lord Justice-Clerk then sentenced the prisoner to fifteen years' renal servitt4le.-05fekoan,  , r 7 r , A LI ~ k •  PARIS, SErT. 27.  The 1: oniteur of to-day says :  "The French military officers who were present at the manoeuvres of the Prussian army have returned to Paris, penetrated with gratitude for the kind reception which was given them by the King and the Royal family, and delighted with the frank spirit of cordiality which they met with among the Prussian officers. The officers report most favourably of the fine bearing, discipline, and instruction of the Prussian army, qualities which are so justly attributed to it."
The Sun. — 1861-11-18 (London, England)

WARRANTO.  MURDEROUS POACHING, AFFAIR.  Early on Friday morning the neighbourhood of Lambton Castle, the seat of Lord Durham, on the banks of the Wear, was thrown into a state of great excitement by the report that the Lambton gamekeepers had been severely handled during the night iby a gang of poachers. It appears that a gang of poachers have been suspected of making depredations in the woods adjoining Lambton Castle, but nothing had been seen of them until between 2 and 3 o'clock on Friday morning. At that time four of Lord Durham's gamekeepers, named Smart, Colpits, Bowery, and Ferguson were going their rounds, and when near to Pictree they heard reports as of discharging guns. They heard about ten shots, and from the direction of the noise they supposed ; the men to be in that portion of the wood adjacent to the south turnpike. Suspecting that the men 2 had ceased poaching for the night, and that they 2 would in all probability make along the turnpike 2in the direction of the Barley-mow publichouse, the 7 watchers took a short cut from Pictree to the Bar leymow , mow and there lay in wait. The watchers had not 1 waited long before they espied a lot of navvy-2 looking men approachintr under the cover of the 4 hedge on the opposite side of the road. As the men 0 approached the watchers perceived that there were 3 eight of them, and they had some game in their 2 2 possession, and three guns. Smart, when the poachers 1 came opposite to where he was concealed, went up to - them and asked where they were going, upon which one of them felled him to the ground with a gun from behind. Bowery, Ferguson, and Colpits rushed to the assistance of their companion, but were immediately overpowered and knocked down. The contest was severe, and, in spite of the great courage and prowess of the watchers, the superior number of the poachers told severely. The men eventually managed to make their escape, and left behind them many traces of their desperate encounter. The whole of the watchers are more or less hurt. Ferguson seems to have been most fortunate, as he es3aped with only a bruise or two on the body ; but Smart and Bowery sustained several severe wounds upon the head, besides bruises on other parts of the body. Colpits, who had a severe and determined straggle with two of the poachers, was left in a hopeless state. After the melee he was found lying on the road insensible, his head and face covered with blood, which proceeded from three large wounds on the head, caused by the butt:end of a gun. His companions had him conveyed home, where surgical aid was called in. In addition to the wounds mentioned, it was found that Colpits had two of his ribs broken away from the backbone. The injuries, though very severe, have happily not men have been pronounced dangerous. Though the got off the police are on their track, and are likely to succeed in, capturing them all.  A
The Sun. — 1861-01-21 (London, England)

THE ARCHIPELAGOO.  A communication of the 4th from N "ytilene in he Archipelago has the following:—  " We have here at the present mom ent a very interesting case going forward. Is m ail Pasha (kulaksis-Oglou), ci decant governor co f our island, has been brought to trial, and it is to b hoped that a signal example will be made of hii A brief sketch of his career may be interesting; as an item of contemporary history. Since the tit a e of Sultan Mahmoud, the Pasha has been a kind, t )f Derc beg of the place. Ismail, in addition to hav'in g inherited a:large fortune, had much increased it b: 7 the gross abuses he practised during his Gover ac vent. His father's fortune had been left ( qually between him and his brother, but 313 mail wanting to have it all, used the mos t unscrupulous means to obtain his bro th er's por• tion. The brother had [a son an ii daughter. INDI4iI succeeded in obtaining the Iha nd of the  latter, for his son ; and, it is asserted that after some time, with a demoniacal spirit, he sctually excited his nephew to commit parricide. By the most artful means this crime was accomplished. The wretched youth as soon as the deed was done was arrested, brought up before the authorities, tried, and sentenced. Ismail immediately sent to the capital to obtain the necessary firman, and the miserable wretch was in due course executed. There still remained the daughter who had been married to his son. To get rid of her he did not attempt to counsel his son to commit another murder, but coolly advised, or rather, compelled him, to renounce her altogether. For two years the poor girl remained immured under the closest surveillance, and in the interim her fortune was of course entirely absorbed by her husband, and herself was left without anything, being merely kept as a close prisoner. After remaining in this state for upwards of two years, Arif Effendi, happening to visit Mytilene, heard something about the unfortunate female. On his return to the capital he mentioned the matter in influential quarters, and Emin Bey was despatched with full powers to prosecute an inquiry. On his arrival he ascertained that the story was true; he obtained the immediate liberation of the girl, and by virtue of the powers with which he was invested, superseded the governor, previously to ulterior proceedings. Ismail, finding matters going against him, offered to restore the girl's fortune, but her reply to this overture was that she would not be satisfied until she had full satisfaction for her father's murder and brother's execution. Ismail, it is said, has endeavoured to bribe Emin Bey, and has also addressed some tangible arguments to the capital to see what can be done at headquarters. In the meantime the daughter of the murdered man arrived at Constantinople, and has already spoken with the Sultan. Emin Bey, although appointed Minister of Justice, declares his intention of remaining at Mytilene till he finishes this affair."
The Sun. — 1861-08-03 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY OUTRAGE.  A very extraordinary matter is at present occupying the attention of the police. On the 31st ultimo a gentleman named 111‘Kenzie, resident at Pimlico, received a letter requesting an interview to the writer, " Agnes Roney," at a house in Herbert-street, New North-road. Having a knowledge of this person from a previous introduction at Madrid, Mr. M'Kenzie duly attended the appointment, and met the young woman. While conversing with her two men named Emil Schelk and Carl Hemmel, whom he had also known at Madrid, suddenly entered the apartment, and without uttering a word seized him by the throat and wrists, Schelk then observing, " I have an account to settle with you, and will do it now, by murdering you." Mr. M'Kenzie, almost strangled by the united efforts of the men, was fast losing consciousness, when the woman Roney interfered, saying, " Don't," or "You shall not murder the man," and it would appear that this induced them to release him; on finding that he was thus enthralled he dashed at Schelk and succeeded in getting him on the ground; this, however, was scarcely accomplished when Hemmel made a furious attack upon him, got the best of the struggle, flung him heavily, knelt on his chest, and tightly grasped his throat. The now almost overpowered gentleman yet continued at intervals to call "Murder" and " Police," upon which Schelk said, " Stop his n@ise," " Choke him." A towel, or some such article, was partly thrust into his mouth ; then there was a call for a rope to hang him. This was brought in by the woman Roney, who in some way again used her influence, for the cord was tightened round his legs and arms instead of his throat, and having been thus secured, he was carried into an adjoining apartment. The threats to murder him if he made the slightest outcry, er did not comply with all that would be required of him, were frequently repeated—the men holding at the same time heavy bludgeons. There was then a brief consultation; some papers were brought and placed on a bed, which Mr. M'Kenzie was required to sign, and under fear of his life did so— his right hand being relieved for that purpose, while the other was secured to his leg; after which all three decamped, taking the documents, whatever they were, with them. This outrage was stated to have lasted from shortly after 1 o'clock midday until 20 minutes past 5, when by the assistance of a girl who entered the room Mr. M'Kenzie was enabled to escape. Information of what had occurred was subsequently communicated to the police, and it has been ascertained by Edes, a warrant officer of the N division, that the three persons named had not since been seen in theneighbourhood, that the woman lodged in the house, and on the arrival of Mr. M'Kenzie sent for the men, who came in a cab shortly afterwards; also that she procured a rope from the yard attached to the premises, but not any outcry was heard. It is understood that Mr. Humphreys has procured a warrant for the parties mentioned, who are Germans.