npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1860-05-12 (London, England)

THAMES.  THE TERROR OF WAPPING WORKHOUSE.—Elizabeth Travers, a bold, violent, and ill-conducted woman, about 20 years of age, a pauper chargeable to the Stepney Union, was brought before Mr. Selfe, charged with violently assaulting Julia Flower, assistant matron of the Wapping pocr-house, in which the adult females of the union are lodged and maintained. The prisoner has been several times before the magistates of this court for assaults on other paupers, and disorderly conduct in the workhouse, and is answerable for muoh of the insubordination which has prevailed in the building, and has led to inquiries on the part of the Central Poor Law Board and the Board of Guardians of the Stepney Union.  It appeared from the evidence of Mrs. Flower, a most respectable and well-conducted woman, that while her husband was taking in the bread and weighing it, the prisoner annoyed him and the baker, used disgusting language, and alluding to the infirmity of Mr. Flower, being pock-marked, said he had more specks in his face than would fill a bushel measure. She also called him cribbage-face, laughed at him, and applied foul epithets to the baker who was delivering the bread. Mrs. Flower repeatedly begged of the prisoner to desist, which she refused to do. Mrs. Flower endeavoured to remove her, and the prisoner swore at her, attacked her in a furious manner, and struck her a violent blow on her breast. Mrs. Flower seized the prisoner, but although a strong woman was no match for her fury ; she tore her dress, attempted to strangle her, and got her finger in her mouth and bit it. Mrs. ]lower, with difficulty, extricated her finger and called upon her husband to assist in securing the prisoner. He did so, and the prisoner then made an attack upon him, threw him down, and scored his face with her nails, which were both long and sharp. Both Mr. and Mrs. Flower bore marks of the injuries they had received. Mrs. Flower also said, " You can't tell, sir, what I have to put up with from that woman. She has been abusing me for the last fort night. She came behind me one day and threw me down, and laughed at me. She is the terror of the place." Mr. Selfe—l know she is. She has been convicted several times.  Mrs. Flower—Five or six times. The prisoner—lt's a lie—only four times. Roche—She has been convicted three times for violent assaults on the pauper females, and been convicted of disorderly conduct. The prisoner—l was knocked about yesterday. I was nearly murdered. Look at my head how it has been thumped. (There was nothing the matter with her head.) • Mr. Selfe—You are a most desperate woman—a nuisance and a terror to the other inmates, Your conduct all the  year round has been very bad. I sentence you to six weeks' imprisonment and hard labour for an aggravated assault. The prisoner immediately struck the top of the dock in front of her, and exclaimed, " That humbugging sentence will take as much effect upon me as a blister on this board."
The Sun. — 1860-07-05 (London, England)

PARIS, JULY 5.  The Russian Ambassador, Count Kisseleff, has officially informed M. Thouvenel that the Court of St. Petersburg, having examined the three proposals of France for the definitive settlement of the question of the annexation of Savoy, has resolved upon giving preference to the assembling of a European Conference at Paris. The Duke de Grammont has completed bis cure at the waters of Vichy, and is about to resume his functions as Ambassador at Rome.  ROME, JULY 4,  The Reforms which the Papal Government has decided upon granting are to be promulgated shortly in a motiz-proprio. Among other concessions the Pope grants to the Consulta of State a deliberative vote on all financial questions, on which until now it had only a consultative vote.  ______ But these reforms are to be granted on condition of the integrity of the patrimony of St. Peter being  guaranteed.  VIENNA, THURSDAY,  The new Minister of Finance, Herr von Plener, has so arrang,d that coupons of the national loan falling due on the Ist inst. will be paid in specie, in all foreign capitals, at the rate of 2 francs 45 centimes per florin.  PARIS, JULY 5,  The Moniteur, of this morning, announces that, during the absence of M. Magne, M. Fould will undertake the direction of the Ministry of Finance  MARSEILLES, JULY 4  GENOA, JULY 4 (via Marseilles.  Foreign Affairs - l'Signor Natolie.  Interior Signor Daita. War Signor Orsini. Public Safety Signor Laporta.  . Giovanni.  A project of law has been presented to the Corps Legislatif, for authorising the City of Paris to issue 287,618 obligations of 500 francs each.  The Courrier de Marseilles states that a skirmish took place on the 30th ult., near Messina, between some aetachments of Garibaldians and a portion of the Royal troops.  Advices from Palermo state that a new Ministry had been appointed in Sieily by Garibaldi, as follows :  _ Religion ... . Don Lanza, Benedictine. Public Instruction Signor Loggia. Finance  MARSEILLES, JULY 4  Advices from Beyrout to the 21st ult. state that the Druses, reinforced by hordes of plundering Kurdes and Bedouins, had attacked the town of Zahli, the last refuge of the Christians. The town was entirely burnt down, and 1,000 Christians were murdered.  .. _ Deril Kamar, in consequence of the inhabitants having been unarmed, was plundered and deserted. Other acts of incendiarism, pillage, and murder had been perpretrated in the Anti-Lebanon. It was said that the children at the school in Malahala had been killed, notwithstanding that they were under the protection of the French flag, and that the French Consul had sent to withdraw the children from the Catholic colleges. The Turkish military reinforcements had not arrived at Beyr'ut.  Advices from Constantinople to the 27th state that the Sultan had written to the Grand Vizier, congratulating him on the results of his mission, and had assembled the Ministers, to whom he declared that he would support them against all rivalry.
The Sun. — 1860-08-23 (London, England)

CHRISTOPHER GAGG." Mr. Superintendent Wolfe produced two letters from Mr. Superintendent Barber, of Portsmouth, one written after he had seen the prisoner's brother, and the other after he had gone to the publichouse referred to by the prisoner. A letter from Mr. William Kimber, landlord of the Anchor Inn, Godalming, was also put in. The circumstances, to a certain extent, confirmed the account the prisoner gave of himself after being brought to Trowbridge. After an adjournment, for the purpose of waiting the-arrival of a train by which it was possible the prisoner's brother might come from Portsmouth, and it having been ascertained that he was not present, Mr. Superintendent Wolfe identified the handwriting of the two letter:, from Mr. Superintendent Barber.  Mr. Dunn, solicitor to Mr. Kent—ln order that there may be no kind of misapprehension arising from the story told by the prisoner, I ask the Bench to put one or two questions to him, which I now submit to them.  The Chairman (to the prisoner)—I am going to put some questions on behalf of Mr. Dunn, who appears here for Mr. Kent. Have you ever seen Mr. Kent in your life P Prisoner—No, sir ; I never have.  The Chairman—Have you over seen any of his family ? Prisoner—No, sir. The Chairman—Previously to your apprehension had you ever been to Road ? Prisoner—No, sir. _  The Chairman—ls the story you originally told the police as to your having murdered Francis S aville Kent true or untrue ?  Prisoner—Not true, sir.  The Rev. R. Crawley—What made you say so ? Prisoner—l don't know what could possess me to make the statement T have. I felt if I had not done it I could not live, and that I could chuck myself on the line when any train was coming. I don't know what could possess me. My life seems now, sir, to be a burden to me. Mr. Stancombe—You gave some reason for it. You told me it was in consequence of your wife going away from you. Prisoner—That is the principal cause. My life is such a burden to me that I don't care about living any longer. The Chairman—l think it right it should be known to the public that Mr. Inspector Whicher, the detective officer in London, has made particular inquiries respecting your wife and family. He has taken some trouble in doing so, and what he has ascertained has been very satisfactory as regards your wife. She appears to be living in a very respectable and comfortable manner with her mother, and from her industry—her own industry —supporting her children, deriving no assistance from you to enable her to do so.  Prisoner—l have not had it in my power to give it to her. I did so when I could.  The Rev. R. Crawley—Did she run away from you, or did you desert her ? isoner—She ran away from me. The Chairman—l am prepared to state that that
The Sun. — 1860-09-06 (London, England)

THE MURDER OF A GIRL NEAR  PONTEFRACT.  We gave an account yesterday of the murder of a young girl named Elizabeth Mitchell, who was shot dead in the house of her master, Mr. Spinks, of Upton Farm, near Pontefract, on Sunday evening. It was also stated that the deceased's fellow-servant, George Thorpe, a lad of 17, was taken into custody on suspicion of having committed the crime. The inquest on the girl's body was opened yesterday. Mr. Spinks stated that he left home on Sunday afternoon, the prisoner (George Thorpe) and deceased remaining in charge of the house. He had a gun, with some powder and shot, in the house; and on his return at night. after the murder, he found appearances which led him to believe that the gun had been recently discharged. Annie Cookson, a girl of 16, stated that on Sunday afternoon she went into Mr. Spinks's house, and found deceased and prisoner alone. Prisoner began teasing them, and some scuffing took place, but the lad did not appear to be angry, although he once uttered an oath against deceased. Witness quitted the house with deceased's sister, leaving deceased and prisoner alone. Soon afterwards (about six o'clock) she returned, and found the girl dead in the coalhouse. Meeting the prisoner, she questioned him respecting the mysterious death, but he stoutly denied all knowledge of what had taken place. A neighbour deposed to hearing the report of a gun from the direction of Mr. Spinks's house about half-past five on Sunday evening, while another witness deposed that he saw the prisoner coming hurriedly away from the house about the same time. Mr. Joseph Thorpe, joiner, Leeds, who was on a visit to Upton, was among the first to respond to the call of alarm raised by the girl Cookson. In a short time the prisoner came in, and the first words he uttered as he looked at the body were, " Well, this is a d—d queer thing, however." To Mr. Thorpe the prisoner repeatedly asserted his innocence, but prevaricated as to the time he last saw the girl. Mr. Ibbeson, surgeon, who was called in about two hours after the discovery of the body, found blood still oozing from a wound on the point of the shoulder blade. The girl's stays and chemise had been burnt quite black, and had a circular hole burnt out about the size of a florin. It was as if the gun had been discharged close to her body. The seventh rib was fractured, and the heart shattered nearly to pieces, and the left lung wounded. Fiftythree shot-corns had lodged in the heart and lung. Death would be instantaneous. It was proved that the shot extracted from the body of the deceased corresponded with those which Mr. SiAnks had kept in the house, and Superintendent Hall found two marks of blood on the smock worn by the prisoner on Sunday. When these spots were shown to the prisoner, he said not a word. The prisoner when taken into custody trembled violently. The evidence disclosed no motive for the crime. No violence had been offered to the girl before she was murdered. The Jury found a verdict of wilful murder against the prisoner, who was thereupon committed for trial. Thorpe will be examined before the magistrates to-day.
The Sun. — 1860-04-17 (London, England)

HERS AT  BEECII WOOD, ILERTY.  The final inquest before the coroner, Mr. F. Day, was held on Saturday afternoon, at Beechwood Farm. The only witness who made any additions to his former depositions was William Holloway, who, it will be remembered, called at Cane's cottage on the night of the occurrence, at about 20 minutes to 12 o'clock, and saw Cane and Bliss there, whom he knew, and two other men whom he did not know. He stated that all four pen were standing up with their caps on. They looked like men who were going out; he told his wife so when he got home ; they were strong-built men, lie might know one of them again, whose side-face he saw. Ile saw Cane and Bliss together at Cane's cottage on the morning of that day, between 8 and 9 o'clock. When he was in Cane's cottage at night he saw one gun only, which stood in a corner. He heard of the terrible occurrence the next day, and it occurred to him that it was very likely the keepers were shot by the men whom he saw on the night before. William Burgess said they had had no poachers in the preserves since the occurrence. Police-constable Townsend said that on a piece of paper taken out of the body of the deceased there were the words " Houghton Regis" printed. The corner of the summons which was found in the wood having the word " ough" written on it, was picked up on the Saturday previous to the night of the fatal affray. We may here remark that Dunstable, Houghton, and Houghton Regis are one and the same place, and that it joins Dunstable and Totternhoe, the latter being the place where Bliss lives. In summing up, the coroner said he did not attribute, under the circumstances, so much importance to Burgess's declaring that he believed it to be Cane's voice which he heard in the wood. To his mind that part of the evidence was moat important which proves that Burgess struck at the gun raised at him, and shows the state of Cane's gun on the morning of the murder. Stringer's evidence was most material in connexion with these circumstances, as it shows the condition the gun was in when he parted with it on the previous morning. Holloway's evidence lie considered was also of the greatest importance, as it shows that Cane and Bliss were together on Wednesday morn. ing, and also as late as a quarter to 12 o'clock on the night of the murder. The jury consulted together for about half an hour, and then returned a verdict of wilful murder against Cane and Bliss. A doubt has been raised -whether the murder of Seabrook, the gamekeeper, was committed in the county of Herts or Beds, the parish of Flamstead, in which the mansion of Sir Thomas Sebright and much of his preserves are situated, being in Herts, and other parts of the woods in the parish of Whipsnade, in Beds. The keepers were In the county of Beds when they were shot at, and Seabrook fell with his head in Herts and his feet in Beds.
The Sun. — 1860-04-06 (London, England)

CRIME IN FRANCE.  The Court of Assizes of the Bas-Rhin three days ago tried a married woman named liaumesser, of Elseheim, for the murder of her daughter. This woman, who possessed a detestable reputation in the village from the impiety and obscenity of her language, and from the violence of her character, took an intense antipathy to one of her two daughters, Jeannette, aged 21 years, and frequently illtreated her in the most shameful way, and often threatened to murder her. On the 2d December last the poor young female, who was at home with her mother, was heard by the neighbours to cry loudly for help from an up-stairs room, and the neighbours afterwards heard a noise similar to that which would have been occasioned by beating the head of a person against a wall. One of the neighbours sent her son, at boy of _thirteen, to threaten the woman, that if she did not cease ill-treating her daughter, she would send for the police; bet the woman in a furious rage turned the boy out of the house, and fastened the door. He, however, looked through the keyhole and saw her take up a large knife and rush on her daughter; at the same moment he heard the latter cry " Holy Virgin ! protect me !" and then he heard a strange noise, which he compared to that which would have been caused by a calf having its throat cut. All at once the noise ceased, but the woman was heard for some time after moving to and fro in her house as if busily engaged in some unusual operation; and after a while she was seen to go into the yard to wash some articles stained with blood. The neighbours, after some hesitation, sent for her husband, who was at work in the village ; and the woman, in answer to his inquiries as to where Jeannette was, said that she had had to correct her for some fault, and that she had gone away; but would no doubt soon return. The man was satisfied, and observing nothing unusual in the housereturnedt• work. Two days, however, passed away, and nothing was seen of the girl. The gendarmes were then informed by the neighbours of what had taken place, and they went to the woman's house, to arrest her; but having heard that she had been denounced she took to flight across the fields. She was, however, pursued capture ptutraekaen ihornritboleeduisstcoodvy. ery Awba os umt a tdhee; atime of he g tar aedr up from a' hole near a windmill at some distance from the village some fragments of flesh, and on the hole being examined there were, horrible to relate, found in it breasts, part of a trunk,' the legs, and the intestines of a young female, also the fragments of a skull—the feet and hands had disappeared, probably from having been devoured by wild animals. The woman, hearing of this discovery, related with revolting coolness that the remains in question were those of her daughter' whom she had murdered and dismembered •, and she detailed with great minuteness the horrible operations ! Among other things, she stated that after the murder she had smashed the skull of her daughter to extract the brain, and had burned the brain in the fire ! The jury declared her guilty, and the court con, demned her to death.
The Sun. — 1860-04-06 (London, England)

CRIME IN FRANCE.  The Court of Assizes of the Bas• Rhin three days ago tried a married woman named Liaumesser, of Elseheim, for the murder of her daughter. This woman, who possessed a detestable reputation in the village from the impiety and obscenity of her language, and from the violence of her character, took an intense antipathy to one of her two daughters, Jeannette, aged 21 years, and frequently illtreated her in the most shameful way, and often threatened to murder her. On tke 2d December last the poor young female, who was at home with her mother, was heard by the neighbours to cry loudly for help from an up-stairs room, and the neighbours afterwards heard a noise similar to that which would have been occasioned by heating the head of a person against a wall. One of the neighbours sent her son, a boy of thirteen, to threaten the woman, that if she did not cease ill-treating her daughter, she would send for the police; but the woman in a furious rage turned the boy out of the house, and fastened the door. He, however, looked through the keyhole and saw her take up a large knife and rush on her daughter; at the same moment he heard the latter cry " Eioly Virgin ! protect me !" and then he heard a strange noise, which he compared to that which would have been caused by a calf having its throat cut. All at once the noise ceased, but the woman was heard for some time after moving to and fro in her house as if ' busily engaged in some unusual operation; and after a while she was seen to go into the yard to wash some articles stained with blood. The neighbours, after some hesitation, sent for her husband, who was at work in the village ; and the woman, in answer to his inquiries as to where Jeannette was, said that she had had to correct her for some fault, and that she had gone away, but would no doubt soon return. The man was satisfied, and observing nothing unusual in the housereturnedi• work. Two days, however, passed away, and nothing was seen of the girl. The gendarmes were then informed by the neigbours of what had taken place, and they went to the woman's house, to arrest her; but having heard that she had been denounced she took to flight across the fields. She was, however, pursued and taken into custody. About the time of her capture a horrible discovery was made; a dog turned up from a hole near a windmill at some distance from the village some fragments of flesh, and on the hole being examined there were, horrible to relate, found iu it breasts, part of a trunk,' the legs, and the intestines of a young female, also the fragments of a skull—the feet and hands had disappeared, probably from having been devoured by wild animals. The woman, hearing of this discovery, related with revolting coolness that the remains in question were those of her daughter, whom she had murdered and dismembered ; and she detailed with great minuteness the horrible operations ! Among other things, she stated that after the murder she had smashed the skull of her daughter to extract the brain, and had burned the brain in the fire ! The jury declared her guilty, and the court condemned her to death.