npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1835-11-07 (London, England)

TIM FRIKENT TIMES.  BY THEODORE S. FAY. In 3 Vols. London : Macrone, 1835. This is a tale of American life. The author, in his Preface, says it is founded on an actual occurrence, which happened some years ago in New York ; and we are bound to believe him. Had he preserved silence on this point, we should have affirmed that the idea of the story was taken from Grattan's beautiful tale of the " Magic Lantern." Count Claremont is the very counterpart of the stalwart and mysterious student of Gottingen, and many of the incidents so strikingly resemble those related in that extraordinary fiction, that we  can hardly divest ourselves of the belief, that Mr. Fa] must have been reading Grattan's tale immediate], before writing his own. We subjoin the leading inci dents, without regard to the transpositions adopted b the author :  Count Claremont—the principal personage in the talc, though ranked only as second—is an Italian adventurer, who, from an episode in the story, appears to have studied for some time in a German University.  There he distinguished himself for his brutality, and his extraordinary skill as a professed duellist. After killing several of his fellow-students, he was obliged to fly the country, and subsequently won the affection of an Italian girl, whom he married, and whose only brother he killed in a duel, for resenting the injury done to the honour of his family. From Italy he fled to America, and being in possession of considerable wealth, created himself a Count, and an officer in  the French army. SG important a personage, espe cially as he had the advantage of a good exterior, am the reputation of a marrying bachelor, was not liable to be treated with indifference by the democratic mobility of the New World. On the contrary, the first men in the Union courted his intimacy, while their wives and daughters absolutely doated upon him. While paying his addresses to one of the latter the self-created Count quarreled with Norman Leslie, the son of a Member of Congress, and the hero of these volutnesA conviction of the real character of the Count had flashed across the mind of the young American : in his rage he gave vent to his feelings, and the consequence was a vow, on the Counts part, that he would have the life of the man who had dishonoured him. The Count subsequently prevailed upon a young lady to elope with him to Italy ; his wife, who had followed him, acted as his accomplice ; and as the lady, on the day of her mysterious disappearance, had been in the company of Leslie, suspicion fell upon him that he had murdered her. The Count remained in New York to assist at his prosecution ; he was tried and acquitted ; but such was the strong feeling against him, that he was constrained to fly to Italy. The details of his wanderings are unimportant. At Rome, during the celebration of the Carnival, he encountered his old and deadly enemy Claremont. We forgot to mention that Claremont had thrice previously attempted to assassinate •him, and that on one occasion, Leslie had received wounds which. nearly cost him his life. While Claremont Is in the
The Sun. — 1835-07-09 (London, England)

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1835.  none outside. He then left the house, and soon came back again in company with a waterman. He ordered a pint of sixpenny beer for the waterman, and half -a glass of brandy and water for himself. He drank the brandy and water, and then went out with the waterman, and soon after returned with the same waterman and another. He gave a glass of rum to each of the watermen, and drank another half glass of brandy and water himself. He then left the house with the two watermen. It was then about half-past seven o'clock. Witness did not see prisoner afterwards until yesterday, when he was in the custody of the police. Prisoner's dress was negligent at the time he was at witness's house ; but witness thinks he had a control over himself, and knew whether he was doing right or wrong. No other witnesses presented themselves. a. The CORONER then asked the Jury if they wished the evidence, or any part of it, to be read over to them ? They replied in the negative. The Coroner then expounded the law, as far as it regarded the case before them. Ile said, the first question for them to consider was, whether the prisoner had committed the act. If satisfied of that, then they were to make up their minds as to his state of mind at the time, and whether there was any malice existing ; or whether it was the effect of paroxysms of passion. He then pointed out the difference which existed between murder and manslaughter. The habitual drunkenness of a party, he said, was no extenuation, but heightened the offence. He also said, that if they believed him to be a lunatic, and distracted, it was their duty so to express it. He hoped they would weigh the evidence which had been given on oath, and not attend to any thing they might have heard cut of Court. It was at this time a quarter to 4 o'clock. The Jury then retired to an outer room, and remained in deliberation for one hour and a minute and a half, when they returned to the Court. The Foreman said, the Jury found the prisoner, Henry John Honey, GUILT;: OF Wterut. Mulinaa, he having, on Sunday last, cut the deceased's throat with a razor. The Court was then dissolved. The town still continues in a very excited state. The deceased's body was yesterday morning removed from Kingstreet to her own mother's house in Old Town-street, where it now lays. The prisoner continues in a very desponding state, and ects nothing ;he speaks seldom. Two constables are constantly with him, to take care of him. Yesterday, at his own request, he was visited by the Rev. Mr. Odgers, Unitarian Minister, and subsequently by the Rev. Mr. Smith, the Curate of the parish church. To-day he was visited by the Rev. Mr. Courtenay, Vicar of Charles parish. He is now in custody under the Coroner's warrant, and will be conveyed from hence, either to-morrow or the day after, to the County Gaol at Exeter. He will be tried at the ensuing Devon Assizes, which commence on the 25th inst.
The Sun. — 1835-06-18 (London, England)

MEMBER-opposed the Bill, and contended that the objects proposed would not be attained by it. From his experience of many years on circuit, he could say that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, no speech was made by the Counsel for the prosecution in cases of minor felony. It was seldom or never done, except in cases of arson, rape, or murder. He considered that it was the duty of the Judge to look after the interests of the prisoner, and to see that justice was done him. The present Bill would be the cause of having great injustice done towards prisoners. The remarks he had just made were intended for the benefit of prisoners. If Courts were multiplied, the present Bill might be introduced, but until they were, and until Judges had more time, the Bill would be totally inoperative. The present Bill would tend to double the expenses attendant on the administration of justice, and the whole of the time of the Courts would be occupied with the speeches of Counsel. The title of the Bill ought to be altered, and it ought to be called a " Bill to give Prisoners to Counsel."—( A laugh.) Mr. C. FE RG US SON had never heard any thing in the shape of argument to prove that prisoners ought not to have Counsel except in cases of life and death. He had seen prisoners suffer because their cases were not properly explained to the Jury, and it was time that the present system should be put an end, to, and that prisoners should be allowed Counsel in cases of felony. Mr. BL A CKB UR NE said that in the northern circuit he had always seen Counsel open the case for the prisoner, and if the practice was different in the midland circuit, it should be altered and made the same. It ought not to be left to the prosecutor to say whether the prisoner was to be defended or not. He contended that the little time of the Courts would bo taken up if the Bill were permitted to pass. More time was lost now through the necessity of the Counsel putting questions to give the Jury a better Idea of the circumstances of cases, and the present Bill, in nine cases out of ten, would be the cause of a saving of time. In the course of his practice he always found that misdemeanours occupied less time than felonies. In burglaries, for instance, many minute circumstances might arise that it would be necessary for Counsel to explain to the Jury, and in which the prisoner required to have Counsel more than in cases of assault, in which punishment might not amount to more than a fine of five shillings. He would give his most cordial assent to the Bill.  Mr. POULTER wished that the prosecutor and the prisoner should be placed on an equal footing. The chief question was, which was the best method of doing so. What he would propose was that the prisoner's Counsel should address the Jury in all cases in which the prosecutor's Counsel had exercised such a right. In civil cases much injustice was now down, and a great part of the time at Westminster Hall was taken up on questions being raised as to whether judgments were right or wrong. He had not known any case of hardship, or of any one being innocently convicted from want of Counsel.  Mr. 0' C 0
The Sun. — 1835-12-02 (London, England)

LIWN, THE PARRICIDE.—John Linn, who, it may be recollected, was convicted, about two years ago, at Carrickfergus assizes, for the murder of his father (a respectable tradesman of Belfast), but was acquitted on the ground of insanity, and confined accordingly at the Belfast district lunatic asylum, made his escape from it, on Saturday morning. Where he has fled to is altogether unknown ; but, it is supposed probable, that he will endeavour to make off to America—and, should he do so, it will be a happy riddance to this part of the country, in which, long previously to the atrocious and unnatural crime he had imbrued his hand in, he .was a dread and a terror, by reason of an innate lawlessness 3nd ferociousness of disposition, which was termed insanvj but, in point of fact, was nothing more or less tha.a; •orking of a most ungoverable and "turbulent temp ar, ited into action by too free a use of ardent spirits.  '~  " Her Majesty the Queen. Regent, taking into consideration the present Condition of the regulars, and cognizant of the preceding transactions which have taken place in the departinent under my, charge, and of the representations of ecclesiastical orders of both sexes, has been pleased to resolve that the whole matter being considered by a commission composed of individuals of intelligence, known rectitude, and religious sentiments, a bill should be drawn up, which shall determine in a suitable manner the future lot of the regulars. At the same time Her Majesty has been pleased to appoint your Excellency President of  ---- -*.--,-.11,-.---b- - :-. - - ~•-,7 NK-N- - - -.------" - / 1 .. / 6/ e-- -4.-•6-/--(..... ~e/--...,2 ----OL---' ..,,-, 4, - -.. i . , -... '. . (11e6.4.,,e..........„L.4/; - . !I is Commission, and the following individuals to cot' , V7O7IrPI ?PP' P.',h t ((// 14,,,....-.0& • , .... , -*-- ' Don Joaquim Quintanilla, Presbyter, formerly R( , -•, ' ' - ~....1.-..- 0-,-„ ~, .- for and Professor of the University of Valencia. ~, ~v........ . . ......... d 1415 ~........ .14.-4' ,I_,"N.i; ~,,, ~ :. -), N . •-", 61k ' .N"--I=_V '"-- -4,.._ -4'.., " Don Manuel Lopez Santaella, Canon of Jaen. 0 /:, I 17,, , 0 - -;- - -,..1 -,-.?` "The Marquis de Cervallos. 3'4 . )i' -s_, .."' Z' 0,7 ' C , 1..,, v,4 . i rii7Ze .a.., .r.f7-, , ~„s•• f‘ - „ ,:, , ---47 .- - ~ 1,,02.1"..4 ' I may. f' f , 1 v -a • , . 4 ..,',-.1 ~ - . e,.. ~ ...„. •, ~ ~,4 ..1.- iv ~. c ' , .4- - 5.1 ! ' 1t : " Don Juan Felipe Martinez Remaelia, of the Herne -"..lr_-,. s,• , - i • ', 0.- / .7. , pLrtment. ''' '..,lfii. ". ' ) + ' r ' ;• .....----/ <;:i 011111 i ZZ 1 ' .1 ' 11N '"" 01T.1/41, S:,,N.M-_,, _,, A § 3 u  De " Don Aniceto Alvaro, of the Finance Department ; and " Don Juan Donoso Cortes, of the Department of Grace and Justice. " By Royal older I intimate this to your Excellency for your information, that you may make arrangements for the meeting of the individuals above-mentioned to carry into effect the sovereign resolution, to which end all the documents relative to the subject shall be furnished from my depai tment. " God grant your Excellency many years, " Madrid, Nov. 20, 1835.
The Sun. — 1835-05-20 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUEST.  Last night, at seven o'clock, an inquisition was held before Mr. PAYNE, in the spacious dining and commercial hall attached to the George Hotel, in Aldermanbury, on the bodies of Samuel Holden and Frances Anne Holden, which were discovered that morning in the Vestry-room of Aldermanbury parish, with their throats cut. Elizabeth Holden, the daughter of the deceased persons, resided with them. At seven o'clock that morning she took the milk to the Vestry, where she was to have breakfasted with her parents. She found the church outer-door ajar, and, passing onward, came to the vestry-door, which she found close shut. She supposed her parents were at breakfast, and opened the door, when she discovered the bodies. Witness passed the previous evening with her father and mother. The latter was only mother-in-law to witness, whose father had been married to her about two years, and they had one child. They passed the last night in a friendly manner, but witness's father was very desponding. He had been much changed for a fortnight past, and both her brother and herself had noticed the change, and that he did not at times know what he was about. Her father laboured under apprehensions of being arrested, and his fears at times amounted to delirium.  Sarah Reynolds, of Angel, place, Milton-street, was aunt to the deceased woman, who was 42 years old. Had frequently seen her since her marriage ; sometimes very happy, and sometimes very miserable. She saw her last on Thursday, at her house, when she appeared in great trouble about the execution her husband had put in the house against her lodgers. Witness had reason to believe his wife was afraid of him. She bad often come crying to witness about the trouble she was iu, because her husband used her ill.  William Holden, a young man, son of the deceased, left his father about half-past five o'clock the previous evening. Witness had been with them in the church all day, and they appeared quite friendly and loving, like children, as if they would eat one another. For the last fortnight or three weeks his father had been like a child, quite senseless. He talked of having to go to prison in his old age through his lodgers. He was 72 years old. Mr. Linnicar, surgeon, of Aldermanbury, was called in to see the bodies. They were warm, but quite dead. From the position of the bodies supposes the woman must have been sitting on a chair which was close by, .and that the murderer came behind, and, raising her chin with one hand, with the other made a cut from left to right. It is witness's opinion, from the way in which the bodies lay, and from all the circumstances of the case, that the husband first deprived her of life, and then himself.  The Jury by their verdict declared, " That Samuel Holden cut his wife's throat, and afterwards his own, being in a state of temporary derangement."
The Sun. — 1847-05-18 (London, England)

POOR-LAW ADMINISTRATION BILL.  The Order of the Day for the second reading of the Poor-law Administration Bill being read, Mr. BANKES presented a petition from a union in Dorsetshire, complaining of the conduct of the auditor for neglect of duty, and that they had received no redress from the Poor-law Commissioners. The petition was ordered to lie on the table. Mr. FERRAND said he was thankful to his Right Hon. Friend, the Attorney-General, for the manly manner in which he had answered his question. Notwithstanding, however, the high respect ‘‘ hick he entertained for the legal knowledge of his Learned Friend, he would be enabled to produce much higher authority to bear out his own view of the case. He could not but express his astonishment at the declaration made by the Right Honourable Baronet, the Secretary for the Home Department, that Mr. Mott had not been dismissed particularly when it had been stated by the Right lion. Baronet who had preceded the Home Secretary in that office, had declared that he had been dismissed, and that the Hon. Member for Bolton knew the cause why he had been removed. He would leave that between them ; but he could not but observe that something wrong had been said to one or the other of them. He was ready to admit that the Right Hon. Baronet had said what he believed to be true. At the close of last session the present Secretary for the Home Department had give a pledge that a Committee would be appointed in the present session to inquire into the poor-laws. Sir GEORGE GREY denied that he had given any such pledge. Mr. FERRAND said there could be no doubt that he had been so reported in all the papers. The Noble Lord the First Lord of the Treasury, had also declared that he was prepared to defend the conduct of the Poor•law Commissioners. He would that night have an opportunity of doing it. lie hoped he would do so, and prove that the new prior law had obtained for the people the blessings which were held out would follow in its train— that it had been a blessing, and not a curse. He, at all  whenever any thing was said against the Poor-law Commissioners, the Noble Lord rose with great chivalry and defended them ; and when the late Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir J. Graham) began to be ;itti; .:,-rieezeable with respect to the law, the Lord got up and protested against any alteration in law, and his sentiments were loudly cheered. " Unit, mity of practice" was, no doubt, a grand principle ; but it was one which had been tested and had been found fallacious. Now he (11r. Ferrand) had seen the bodies of persons who had been starved to death by this law. He once attended a jury, who felt desirous to return a verdict of " wilful murder " against the relieving officer, and the coroner agreed with them, because it was well known to them that the man had refused to afford the woman who had died relief ; but when the man was taxed with this, he drew the printed instructions of the Poor-law Commissioners from his pocket and threw them on the table, and in the most insulting manner snapped his fingers at the jury. Sir
The Sun. — 1847-08-19 (London, England)

POISONING AT WARRINGTON. The inquest on the body of Job Mather, whose death was suspected to have been caused by the administration of arsenic, was resumed on Monday last. Ann Mather, his wife, the party accused was present, having been apprehended at Ashton-under•Lyne. John Davis, M.D., said that he had examined the body. He had no doubt the deceased died from inflammation of the stomach and intestines, but whether it arose from poison or from natural causes he was not able to state. James Barker was present at the disinterment of the body, and could swear to its identity. James Jones, chief constable, said, in consequence of information received, I apprehended the prisoner Ann Mather, at Ashton-under-Lyne. I found ,her at the house of her sister, and told her that she must prepare to come to Warrington with me. She immediately replied, she supposed it was in consequence of the rumours that had got out that she had poisoned Job. I said it was partly in consequence of that. I further added, that I had received information from Jane Houghton that the had been with her twice to purchase arsenic. The prisoner replied she had been with her, once to Mr. Barton's and once to Mr. Wood's, the druggist; but that she (the prisoner) had purchased it to kill bugs. Witness saw portions of the body sealed up in two jars by Dr. Davis. He delivered those jars to Dr. Brett. Dr. Brett said he examined the contents of the jars. On analysing a portion of the stomach and intestines be discovered the presence of arsenic sufficient to cause the death of an adult.  Jane Houghton testified to having accompanied the prisoner when she bought the arsenic. She said it was to kill bugs with. The prisoner desired her not to mention that she had bought arsenic a second time. Elisa Taylor said she had • n deceased quite well on the Monday morning. lu,. '; evening he was taken ill. She saw him on ' ...esday, when he said he was better, having get rid of the burning pain in his stomach. Mrs. Mather seemed to pay him every atNation.  William Warburton gave similar evidence to that of the last witness. Deceased complained greatly of a soreness in his belly and a constant desire to vomit. Shortly More his death he had a fit and was greatly convulsed. He remained in it for a few minutes and then recovered, but the fits followed each other in rapid succession till he died. The stewards of the different sick clubs of which the deceased was a member then proved the payment of the sums to the widow, altogether 21L This closed the evidence. The prisoner declined making any statement, and the jury, having consulted together for a few minutes, returned a verdict of " wilful murder," whereupon the prisoner was committed to take her trial.  FATAL ACClDENT.—Yesterday evening, between seven and eight o'clock, a number of youths were bathing in the Thames opposite Cheyne-walk, Chelsea, when one of them, named William Cordourg, residing at 10, Webber-row, Brompton-road, was carried out of his depth by the current, and, being unable to swim, was drowned before assistance could reach him. The drags were procured, but the body was not recovered. _f S