npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1848-10-02 (London, England)

PLATT—Prisoners at the bar, William Dowling, William Lacy, Thomas, Fay, and William Cutfey, you have been tried by two juries of your country; you William Dowling by one, and the other prisoners by another, and they have arrived at the only conclusion that could be come to by twelve upright and reasonable gentlemen, upon the evidence that had been adduced before them, that you were guilty of the offences with which yoti were charged. There can be no doubt, it is quite clear you intended to levy war against the Queen, to compel her by force and arms to alter her counsels; and with regard to you William Dowling, it is evident that your object in joining with the others was to dismember the empire and separate Ireland by force and arms from this country. What right had you to set up your understanding against the experience of mankind and the result of ancient wisdom ? You have chosen to call that which the constitution of the country has branded as felony, patriotism. Was it patriotism for a number of people to conspire in secret, and to endeavour to carry out the misery, wretchedness, and spoil projected by them at theiremeeting on the 15th of August? Could it be said that devoting a peaceful city to flames, destroying innocent citizens, taking, possession of the government by force and bloodshed, was patriotism? The law said that such acts were acts of felony, and nothing could bse more clear than that they were so. It is lamentabre to find that persons of education, apparently possessing feelings of manly energy and independence, should have lent themselves to such proceedings with such a desperate object. The jury have found that you were guilty of the crime laid to your charge, and no one who has heard the evidence can doubt, after the proceedings at the meeting on the 15th of August, that you intended on the following day, when the shades of-night descended upon this unfortunate metropolis, that a scene of murder, tiring, and robbery should have filled this unhappy city, and that you intended to have assumed the government of the country, and have governed it as you pleased. "You have been convicted of this most daring defence of the law, and the Court would not be doing its duty, either to the law or to the country, if when such an offence was duly established, it did not make a most severe example of all those who were brought within the pale of the law. I therefore feel it my duty to order that you be severally transported beyond the seas, to such place as her Majesty, by the advice of her Privy Council shall direct and appoint, for the term of your natural lives. When the sentence was pronounced, Fay exclaimed, in a loud voice—" This is the baptism of felony in England," and he then looked up to the gallery and called " Good by, my flowers; good by, fellow-countrymen," The other prisoners made no observation. The Court then adjourned until Monday morning at ten o'clock.
The Sun. — 1848-09-27 (London, England)

THAMES. Handlion Murray, a broker, of 11, Angel-gardens, Shadwell, appeared before Mr. Yardley, charged with assaulting Eliza Gregory, and putting her in fear, and also with levying an. excessive distress in the cottage of her husband, Joseph. Gregory, of 1, Church-road, Stepney. Murray attempted to break open the door of the house with a thick ,piece of wood, but after thumping away for some time he was unable to do so; another man, named Peter:Russell, a broker, next thumped at the door with no better success. The door was then forced, and the lock broken off by Murray and two others with an iron bar. Slu. Tay no sooner entered than he took a pistol from his pocket, and presenting it in the direction of the inmates , consisting of Mrs. Gregory and three other women, sr ore with a ttemendous oath he would shoot the first pe :son who interfered with him iu the execution of his dt ty, and that hi, had been to a magistrate who authorize !d him to carry firearms for the protection of his life. The women were overwhelmed with terror and clung to each other. Mrs. Gregory, who was very ill,.sank do wn on her bed, and Murray directed one of his men to re move it, aril rudely pulled her off the bed. An inventory of all the goods on tho premises was then mad out, and the broker and his companions were about to remove everything off the premises, when Mrs. G tegory called in Mr. Jenkins of the Royal Duke, close i iy, who acted the part of a good Samaritan by redeeming the things for 2/. 4s• costs. Mr. YARDLEY said, the distress was decidedly illegal, and that Murray bad no mare right to break into the cottage than.a loroker would.,have to force open the door  of a gentleman's mansion after obtaining an entrance into his park. A more unwarrantable and oppressive proceeding ha had never heard of, and he made an or(: r on Murray for the return of the money paid by L'lr. Jenkins, and to pay the whole of the, costs. Ile was not quite satisfit-d that Murray had legally committed an assault in ex ibiting the pistol, and he would be dischrged as rt-garded that part of the case, but if it-hod. been proved that he actually presented it at Mrs. Gmgory or the other women he would have inflicted a vary heavy penalty. As it was, he considered the defendant's conduct most tyrannical and improper, and he warned him not to exhibit a pistol again when he levied for rent. Patrick Collins, an Irish labourer, who has been in custody a fortnight, was brought up on remand, charged with feloniously wounding a young man named George Baggs, with intent to murder or to do him grievous bodily harm. The prisoner, in defence, said he was drunk at the time the affray took place, and did not know what he was about.  Mr. YARDLEY committed the prisoner for trial for the felony.
The Sun. — 1848-09-27 (London, England)

THAMES. Hann:lion Murray, a broker, of 11, Angel-gardens, Shadwell, appeared before Mr. Yardley, charged with assaulting Eliza Gregory, and putting her in fear, and also with levying an excessive distress in the cottage of her husband, Joseph Gregory, of 1, Church-road, Stepney. Murray attempted to break open the door of the house with a thick pieco of wood, but after thumping away for some time he was unable to do so; another man, named Peter Bussell, a brukvr, next thumped at the door with no better success. The door was then forced, and the lock broken off by Murray and two others with an iron bar. Murray no sooner entered than he took a pistol from his pocket, and presenting it in the direction of the inmates, consisting of Mrs. Gregory and three other women, swore with a tremendous oath he would shoot the first person who interfered with him in the execution of his duty, and that he had been to a magistrate who authorized him to carry firearms for the protection of his life. The women were overwhelmed with terror and clung to each other. Mrs. Gregory, who was very ill, sank down on her bed, and Murray directed one of his men to remove it, and rudely pulled her off the bed. An inventory of all the goods on th o premises was then made out, and the broker and his companions were shout to remove everything off the premises, when Mrs. Gregory called in Mr. Jenkins of the Royal Duke, close by, who acted the part of a good Samaritan by redeeming the things for 2/. costs. Mr. YARDLEY said, the distress was decidedly illegal, and that Murray had no more right to break into the cottage than a broker would have to force open the door  of a gentleman's mansion after obtaining an entrance into his park. A more unwarrantable and oppressive proceeding he had never heard of, and he made an order on Murray for the return of the money paid by Mr. Jenkins, and to pay the whole of the costs. He was not quite satisfied that Murray had legally committed en assault in exhibiting the pistol, and he would be discharged as rtgrarcled that part of the case, but if it had been proved that he actually presented it at Mrs. Gregory or the other womea he would have inflicted a very heavy penalty. As it was, he considered the defendant's conduct most tyrannical and improper, and he warned him not to exhibit a pistol again when he levied for rent. Patrick Coldns, an Irish labourer, who has been in custody a fortnight, was brought up on remand, charged with feloniously wounding a young man named George Baggy, with intent to murder or to do him grievous bodily harm. The prisoner, in defence, said he was drunk at the time the affray took place, and did not know what he was about.  Mr. YARDLEY committed tho prisoner for tric,l for the felony.
The Sun. — 1848-01-11 (London, England)

THAMES.  William Sheridan, a cowkeeper, of No. 28, Springstreet, Shadwell, was brought before Mr. Yardley on a warrant, charged with threatening to murder his wife, Emma Sheridan. The complainant, a very respectable young woman, who appeared to be very thin and careworn, stated that on Monday last her husband mislaid his gloves, and he accused her of concealing them, and said he would break everything in the house. She searched in all directions for them, but her husband would not be pacified, and, after striking her in the back, kicking her out of doors several times, and otherwise ill-using her, he threatened to murder her. She then sought refuge in the house of her sister, by whose advice she purchased a new pair of gloves for her husband, who went to a ball with a female relative, an Irishwoman, who was formerly his housekeeper, and her brother, and did not return till a late hour, when he commenced ill-using her again, and made use of the most dreadful threats towards her. On Tuesday night her husband went to a raffle with his cousin, and did not return home till three o'clock the next morning. A few minutes after he had gat into his bed his cousin entered with a light, and, after making use of a vile expression, laid hold of the complainant's night-cap, and after tearing it off, seized her by the hair of the head, which she tore out by the roots, and beat and scratched her in a most savage manner, without any interference on the part of her husband , who was lying by her side. The cousin then seized a chair, and was about to strike her with it, when :she was prevented by the entrance of her (the cousin's) sister, and was with difficulty removed from the room. In the morning, when she arose, her husband again kicked her and beat her, and threatened that he would murder her on his return. She was so terrified by his`threats, and had received so much ill-usage from him, that she took the opportunity of his absence a few hours afterwards, to run away from her home, and had since been living with her sister. The complainant then went over an inventory of her husband's effects, and said she had been married to him 15 months, and brought him a house full of furniture, and 501. in money—that he was possessed of three cows, six pigs, a goat, a mare, and a cart, and that he had done everything in his power to render her miserable, break her heart, and drive her from her home, that he might introduce into his house his Irish counsin, wllo lived with him as his house• keeper before complainant was married to him. Among other acts of brutality he had frequently held knives to her throat, and horsewhipped her in bed. The sister of the complainant stated that Mrs. Sheridan had frequently come to her house for safety, with bruises on her face, and that her person was now covered with marks and discolourations caused by the defendant's brutal treatment. • The defendant, in reply to the charge, said his wife
The Sun. — 1848-01-11 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER.-011 Wednesday, at the Old Town Hall, Ashton-under-Lyne, William Ratcliffe, and Mary, the wife of Thomas Duckworth, who have been twice remanded on the charge ut attempting to drown a female in the canal at Woodend, Dukinfield, were again brought before the magistrates. From the evidence adduced and the statement of Ann Scrimmager, who swore to the identity of the prisoner itatchtfe, and to his having struck her on the head, and then thrown her into the canal, and it having been proved that he had at ♦allous times threatened to take her life, the bench, after a short consultation, discharged the female prisoner. The male prisoner was fully committed.  MORTALITY IN TEM MUSICAL AND DRAMATIS Pnoressioes.--During the past year " Time has thinned" the musical and dramatic professions of many of those whose talents had contributed to the public gratification. The sweet singer, of English birth and European reputation, Madame Albertazzi, no longer graces our concert-rooms and theatres ; Mrs. Martyn, better known as Miss Inverarity, who was cotemporanecus with Miss Shirreff, at Covent-garden, many years ago; Madlle. Mars, the great French actress ; Mrs. Egerton ; Mr. Charles Taylor, who is associated with the playgoing and dinner-frequenting reminiscences of our predecessors; Rooke, who, at a late period of his life, exhibited such rare abilities as an English operatic -:(.lmposer; Whittaker, equally eminent at the beginning of the present century, and whose popularity may be called to mind by the association of his name with his compositions of " Paddy Carey," and " 0 rest thee, babe ;" Sir John Rogers, a well known amateur and composer; Dr. Essex, Messrs. Parke, Powell, H. J. Banister, Ireland, Hawkins (the well known glee singer), Moralt, C. Keating, Betts, Yarnold, and %Calla ; Messrs. Wieland, W. L. Redo, Buckingham, Hollings. worth, W. Smith, and other members of both the dramatic and musical professions, will no longer contribute to lighten the cares of the public, by whom the arduous nature of their avocations is little understood or appreciated. And lastly, the great German composer, whose rich exuberance of melody was heightened by the purest science ever wedded to exquisite fancy; who, not disdaining to please the ear, scorned to make his art subservient to the exhibition of his wonderful and varied musical erudition,—Mendelssohn, the greatest composer of the day, is no more! Living little more than halt the time allotted to man, he has bequeathed a name of enduring reputation, and left behind him c,,mpositiens, which, had his life been spared, give evidence of his ability to achieve works which would have deserved to rank with those of Mozart and Beethoven.—Dramatic and Musical Review, Letters from Marseilles received yesterday mention the stoppage of Messrs. Crozet, Nephew, and Co„ a firm chiefly in the Swedish trade, with liabilities for 40,0001 From Amsterdam, also, we have an announce. ment of a failure, the parties being Messrs. Kramer and Son, general merchants, with liabilities for 20,0001. In neither case is any account given of the prospects of liquidation.
The Sun. — 1848-06-19 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE. WORSHIP-STREE7:  Benjamin Rawlings, Joseph Dean, Bevan Laybon, John ll' hile, and J times North, five athletic young felse,wi tnacdh ward, da: workhouse, lows, all of whom, with the exception of the last, had been repeatedly in custody, where charged before Mr. Arnold, with having been concerned in a desperate assault and robbery upon John Jackson, a simple-look • ing country lad, in the ward appropriated to the reception of casual paupers at Shoreditch workhouse. t: ,loua nrd house less w situation. between s a tss anden thirtyg admittedhe The complainant stated that he had been for some time out of work, and vagrantsfi iiinim a wheresebsleir fm and u s w destitute, on the preceding evening he applied for a night's shelter intond thefor t yti rn a mS otherhp eo rrd Without divesting himself of his clothing, he threw himself upon one of the beds, and fell asleep ; but t's was roughly aroused about five in the morning by the prisoners, who told him they felt satisfied he had some money about him, and were determined to have it. The prisuners then threw themselves upon him, and three of them held him forcibly down while the others stripped off his stockings, and afterwards proceeded to rifle his pockets, from which they abstracted his comb and handkerchief. On raising the cry of " murder," one of the prisoners snatched a thick rug from an adjoining bed, in which they enveloped his head, and drew the folds so tightly round his mouth that his breath was stopped, and he was almost suffocated. He succeeded by a desperate effort in releasing himself and made towards the door, but found it fastened on the outside, and while endeavouring to force it he was again dragged back by the prisoners, who renewed their attack; and he was still aching in every part of his person from the brutal violence to which he was subjected. One of the watchmen, whose attention was attracted to the uproar, at length hastened to his assistance, followed by Mr. Elmsley, the superintendent of the ward, and other officers, to whom he pointed out the prisoners, and the whole of them were secured. The complainant's evidence was fully corroborated by four other paupers, who had witnessed the occurrence, but were too much terrified to render him any assistance, as the prisoners had threatened one of them if he ventured to interfere, that they would knock his teeth down his throat. Mr. Elmsley, the superintendent, stated that all the prisoners had been a burthen to the parish for a long time past, and from their lawless and turbulent propensities scenes scarcely less outrageous than the present were of almost nightly occurrence in the ward in question. Mr. ARNOLD expressed his intention to commit the whole of the prisoners to Newgate upon the charge, and considered it was incumbent upon the parish authorities to conduct the prosecution, but if they declined to do so an application must be made to the Poor-law Commissioners, in order that the ends of justice might no be defeated. The prisoners were ordered to be brought up again next week for the formal completion of the depositions.
The Sun. — 1848-05-30 (London, England)

MANSLAUGHTER. On Friday afternoon the inhabitants of the neighbourhood of Toxteth Park, Liverpool, were much alarmed by the report that a deliberate murder had taken place in Simpson-street. The circumstances of the case are these :—The person charged with the shocking crime is a respectable butcher, named Unsworth, residing in Simpson-street. About noon on Friday, a man named Vallamy came to the shop, and some words took place between himself and the butcher. A man, named John Clarke, who knew Vallamy, was passing, and succeeded, with the assistance of two other persons, in getting him away from the butcher's door. Clarke then, for some object or other which does not appear, was in the act of going towards the butcher's shop when the latter met him near the door, and, having a large knife in his hand, deliberately plunged it into the unfortunate man's right side. The deadly weapon entered the man's bowels, from the effect of which he died in a few minutes. The inquest on the body was held on Saturday afternoon last. Mr. Blair, barrister, appeared on behalf of the prisoner. The first witness examined was Michael Vallamy, who said that on Friday, between twelve and one o'clock in the afternoon, he was going along Simpson-street, and saw the prisoner in his shop. He bid him good morning, and said, " I did not expect that your wife would go up and prosecute those two lads who were fighting in the street last night." The prisoner said he could not help it. Whilst the conversation was going on the prisoner continued in his shop, and he (the witness) outside. Just at that moment the deceased, John Clarke, came up, and asked him what ho was doing there. He answered nothing, only talking to the butcher a bit. The prisoner then said, " There is another Irish scoundrel now." Directly after using these words the prisoner lifted up his knife and came outside the door. He went towards Clarke, and drove the knife into Clarke's bowels. Clarke cried out, " God have mercy, I'm done." The prisoner then went back into the shop. There was no altercation between the deceased and the prisoner at all. The prisoner, without any provocation, took up the knife, came out of the shop, and stabbed the deceased in the way he had described.  Several other witnesses were examined, and the jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict of manslaughter against the prisoner. •  - - Principal contents of the Observer, May 28th : Upwards of three folio columns of her Majesty's birthday, drawing-room, and illuminations; two columns and a-half of the Great Free-labour Meeting at the London Tavern, on Saturday; Marylebone and St. Pancras. vestry meetings, near two columns; Convocation of the Clergy, intended Address on Monday to the Queen, near a column; a column and a half of Births, Marriages, and Deaths; about one hundred useful advertisements; and twenty-five columns of Foreign and Domestic News. The extensive publication of the Observer corn mences at six o'clock on Sunday mornings. Monday's edition, best for the country and abroad, at four o'clock on Monday afternoon
The Sun. — 1848-02-26 (London, England)

WEST, Q.C.—ls about seventeen years of age. Was servant to the late Mr. Lloyd. Remembers the day he was shot. Was driving the gig in which his master was, and when above a mile from home, two men were walking before them, and when the gig overtook them, one went each side, and the prisoner told witness to come down. Mr. Lloyd asked what for, and they said they wanted to shoot him ; and Mr. Lloyd said, " Pull away boys." Witness cried out, " Don't kill my master," and immediately one of them fired (identifies the prisoaer as the man who fired the shot). The prisoner told the other man to fire, and he tried, but the pistol would not go off. Saw the prisoner about a fortnight after, among five or six others, and pointed him out as the man who shot his master. In the cross-examination of this witness his first informations were read, in which he stated that he believed the prisoner Donoghue was the man that shot his master. To account for this, he said he had been then going into the town of Elphin every day, and that he was afraid to positively swear against him. Patrick Holmes was the next witness, who proved that he was going an old road to the Rev. Mr. Lloyd's on that day to get a bottle of wine, which Mr. Lloyd had promised to his wife, who was sick, and that coming towards a fort of rising ground he lost sight of Mr. Lloyd, and he heard a sout from some person, and then heard a shot, and going over the rising ground, he saw the body of Mr. Lloyd in the gig. He appeared dead. He then saw two men coming from where the smoke was, and they beckoned to him to go back, and he did, as he saw pistols with them. Ho knew Flanagan, but he did not know the prisoner before that day (identifies him as ens of the men); a man named Coghlan shook hands with Flanagan and said, " Well done, boys—you took down the old fellow." Thomas Brehery proved to having seen two men that day running across the fields, and that the prisoner was one of them, havinz a pistol or a short gun concealed under his coat. Mr. Bunee addressed the jury for the prisoner in an eloquent speech, contending that there was a discrepancy in the evidence, and that some of the evidence could not be relied on. The Judge delivered a long and able charge to the jury, who, without leaving the box, found a verdict of Guilty. Roscommon, Feb. 23, half-past five o'clock, This moment the jury have returned a verdict of guilty against Thomas Donoghue, for the murder of the Rev. John Lloyd, on the 28th of November last. The Judge was deeply affected on hearing the verdict, and, after some minutes'deliberation,addressed the AttorneyGeneral in a low voice, when his Lordship had the pri soner removed to his former cell, and postponed passing the awful sentence until morning. The Court never was so densely crowded, and before the Judge charged the jury, the whole assembly anticipated the just verdict of this the foulest murder that ever disgraced any country. Six o'clock, Wednesday evening. Three persons are this moment committed for the murder of Major Mahon.