npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Widnes Examiner. — 1892-09-10 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SHOE-DEALER--" What size, madame ?" Madame —4,l—er—think twos." Shoe-dealer (taking her measure)—" Ah, yes, twos. A pair of two twos, four altogether. (To boy)—jarnes, a pair of ladies' French kids, No. 4." AT a meeting in Whitechapel a pertinent answer was given to a question asked by a candidate for Parliamentary honours. "What," said he, "did a Lord Mayor ever do for you ?" "Give you six months," was the reply. "How was your son, when you heard from him last ?" "He wrote me that he was so ill that he could neither sit nor stand." "Thou if he tells the truth he must lie." ifon—" Say, Jack, where can I get a two-foot rule ?" Jack—" Here." Torn— • Thanks, hand it over." Jack "Well don't wear tight shoes." SOMEBODY has written a book entitled "What shall my son be ?" Upon which someone frankly replies, " If the boy is as bad as the book, the chances are he will be hanged." NIAGARA FALLS are said to be receding inch by I inch, as time goes on. There are so many American thieves living in that vicinity that the Falls are probably afraid of being stolen. A LADY writer asks: "Why don't batchelors marry?" That's so—why don't they? Come to ; think about it, we have never yet seen a batchelor who was married. It's lamentable, too. "What is a swell affair, Jim?" "Swell affair? lemme see. Ah, yes, I know—a boil." " Seinething else. Try again." "No. Give it up. I hate conundrums anyhow." "A hill, ye know. Don't ye see, a bill is a swell affair, and besides , all hills have got crests." "Are you acquainted with Pete Johnson?" I "Yes, he is a perfect brute." "I don't think he Is a perfect brute. He may be a brute, but he is not a perfect one, because he lacks instinct. A perfect brute has instinct." FRANK WALLER was arrested in Butler, Ga., on the supposition that he was Bill Walker, who was .charged with murder. When taken to Forsyth for identification and told that he didn't look at all I like Walker, he grinned and said, "1 knowed wasn't Bill Walker." "HAVE you voted, Uncle Johnson ?" "Yes, sah! I voted early dis mo'ning de Republican ticket, sah! Den at noon I voted for de Dimmycrats, and jist afore de polls closed I deposited a ballot for de Prohibitionist. Yes, sah, I allers vote. I'm too good a Christian to neglect my duty, sal." A PHYSICIAN, p.issing by a gravestone cutter's shop, called out—"aood morning, neighbour, hard at work, I see. You finieh your gravestones as far as 'ln memory of,' and then wait, I suppose, to see who wants a monument next." " Why, yes," replied the old joker, "unless somebody's sick, and you are doctoring 'em, then I keep right on." THEY were talking about expenses and how some men got r_ch. Said one—" My butcher and baker have made money enough out of me to build themselves splendid residences." "And," responded the other, "the piblicans I patronised have built whole blocks out of what I owe them." AN exalted Irishman who was declaiming about justice to Ireland, was asked by a friend, "What is it really that you and your countrymen want ?" He replied, "We do not know what we want, sir ; but by the powers, we are determined to have it I"
Widnes Examiner. — 1892-04-16 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

FROM THE PRISONER. At the inquest the only witneas called was Florence Adams, who stated that she wrote Gurd declining to !have anything further told° with him in coneequence of I.his.bad reputation..- 'She heard that whiliit' he was an attendant at the asylum he borrowed money from patients and others, The hanns of marriage were published a second time, and then they were withdrawn. On Sunday last she received the following letter from the accused:—" My dear Flo,—Please forgive me tor taking the liberty of writing to you heain, but do please read this before you throw it into the fire. Oh, my dear, I am broken-hearted, and-have sent to ask your forgiveness. My dear,! know that lam guilty, but it is through you Fin, my dear, that I was in such difficulties. You know, Flo, my dear, or at least you must think, that it • has cost me a lot of money to do as I have, when I have been out with you. Now, dear Flo, that lam ruined you look on me with scorn, but never mind when I can I will return tio Devizes and pay every penny, and follow you to the end of the world,- I will have bitter revenge some day, first on you and your old neople or some one. Take notice of this for I mean it, that is if you give me up. But, oh, Flo darling, do please forgive me for the wrong I have done you; and don't get married just yet. Give me time, piri dear, to get over this and pay what I owe. I will Pay every penny When I can. Indeed I will, my dear Flo, if you will only have Mercy on me. Do ask Harry (the murdered Ame.le) and dad to think of me as well as they can, for if any poor wretch was in need of their pity! am. I have done no crime, and only owe sonie money which I will pay as soon as I can. Lam going to America. Now, dear, don't tell where lam going, mV dear, I mean not to the police. For the sake of better times fknow you will not, my dear. I will take care of the ring until we meet again, and I know we shall some day, and then if you are a wife you shall die. P.S.-0i), my dear, have' mercy on me, and don't get married." The letter closed with three crosses, representing kisses.  THROAT IRRITATION AND potion. —Soreness end dryness tick big and irritation. inuring coup mid affecting the voice. For thebe mlitoms use Ep s Glycerine Jujubes. in contact with the glands at the moment they are excited by the act of sucking. the Glycerine in these agreeable confections becomes actively htalug. old only ix bo-es. tins Is lid., labered JAMES Fees •t Co., liomaeopathtc Chemho s, London." Dr, Moo,e, 111 his work on "Noce MO Throat Di:wages," says "The GIN (Trine Jujubes prepared by James bwis and Co . are of undoubted service as a curative or p. li.i v, aaent." a bile Dr. ir,ordon Holmes. iiiienior Physician to the Sfunici: al Throat and Bar Infirmary, write, : " Alter an extended trial% I have found your Glycerine Jujubes oi considerable benefit in almost all forms of throat clisease."--itivt.
Widnes Examiner. — 1906-10-06 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

UNCLE NED.  Dear Uncle Ned,—l have tong read the stories in the "Children's Corner," and I wish to become a member. I am sending you a story called  DEATH'S TIMEPIECE,  (Concluded from last week.)  When they left me I could not move a limb and my head was kept still by that horrible steel cap. I looked at the time; it was ten minutes past four, and already the point had started on its way. Hours, which seemed like years to me, paseed by, and at seven o'clock the point was about two feet from my mouth, still coming on so slowly yet so surely. The horror and awful feeling I went through in those 4ong hours baffles all description. That point, with ite deathly meaning, always coming on, never stopping. I became light headed, and screamed for it to go back, but the giggles outside only increased to laughter. At eight o'clock it touched my lips, and I shuddered and screamed; but only a giggle 'came from outside. That fearful point was still coming. I opened my mouth and let the point in till at last it touched the back of my gullet. Then everythng seemed to swim before me, and I fainted. As I did so, I,thought I heard a crash, and a bell rang, and A knew no more. When I awoke it was half-pat nine,. and I was still in the chair. \At my feet was the longest part of the bar, while a piece still show&l through the dial. Outside there was a hum of several voices and some one was banging at the door. Whit( did it mean? Why wasn't I dead? S - the door' burst 'open, and there stood spector and twenty police. The next day I had somewhat got over my horrible adventure, but I was not satisfied as to how I was saved. So having seen the police inspector and told him my tale, be told me the following:—  iuddenly the i"  'lie in  The man whom we ,caught in your room we coaxed and got him to betray his league, and he told'us that they had told him that they would kill him if he would not no as he was bidden. They also told him that if he did not return safe in a quarter of an hour they would know that you had betrayed kim, and they would find some way to have vengeance. So we at once went ,to the place, and caught all of them, and saved, you, but Eta to the broken bar we know nothing about it. The wounded leader is in there, ask him. This brought the solution to my mind. When I sprang on the leader and brought the bar down, that must have broken it and when it came out to the broken part it fell off. Be that as it may, I know that now I have married the girl I was to murder, and I am the only existing one of the "Secret of Secrets."  rITZROY
Widnes Examiner. — 1906-11-24 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

CHAPTER V. "HE WILL WORK ILL TO ME.*  "Not in bed, Miss Celia?" Celia Verde shook her head. "What a ridiculous thing to say! " she answered. "You can see I'm not. can't you ? Do you hear those horrible guns ? Some poor wretch making a dash for freedom. I was just saying my prayers when the first boomed out, and I prayed that he might get safe away." Emily looked shocked. "Oh, Miss Celia, and he may be a murderer!"  _ . "Yes, I know. It was an impulse. I ought not to have done it; but I always feel so sorry for them. It's natural they should try to get away. It's horrible they should be hunted with guns like wild beasts. Of course I know some of them are worse than wild beasts, and yet--" she leant her cheek upon her pretty hand. "I am I sorry I did what I did—l suppose my nerves are . rather to pieces to night; but directly the prayer wat3 prayed, I felt it would be answered, that the man would get safely away, that in the future he would work ill to me and mine. I felt quite I frightened—that's why I sent for you." Lady Caroline's maid was in her dressinggown. She had been in bed when her young mistress's bell had rung, but not asleep. She still trembled at the remembrance of the ghost I she had seen. She still looked pale and afraid. "I'm glad you did ring, miss," she said, "but you ought to be in bed. You ought to get a good night's rest so as to look your very best to. Morrow. Do you know what time it is ?" Celia looked round at the clock. It was past twelve. "I haven't been thinking of the time she answered, "and I don't want to go to bed. Directly I am asleep it will be to-morrow-or so it will seem to me—and I don't know that I want to-morrow hero—to-morrow that is to change my life. You won't understand that, ! Emily, r daxesay. You've most likely got a! young man. You think it's very delightful to be with him. You love your Sunday out, but you'vo I never yet stood, as it were, upon the threshold ,of married life. I think that must make any girl I a little afraid. One stands at the portals of ' , the unknown, and the unknown is to be entered-until death us do part." Emily looked more than interested. "But if ! you love him, Miss Celia, it seems to me you'd feel quite safe even in taking an unknown journey." "But suppose you don't?" Celia answered. I "You know, Emily, was engaged before. I was going to marry Mr. Brandon's brother. Everyone tells me he was not so satisfactory as my husband of toorrbw, but I loved him better. I! think had been going to marry him I should have said to the hours that separated us, ' hurry, hurry ! ' whereas now lam saying, lag, lag! I am holding them back with all my might, ' perhaps because I've such a queer feeling all ilay long that Dick Brandon is near me. He can't be, of course, because he is dead—dead and buried in far-off Africa. But perhaps .(
Widnes Examiner. — 1906-09-29 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

UNCLE NED.  DEATH'S TIMEPIECE.  At the time my story begins I wae in Spain enjoying a well earned holiday from my London office. I was staying at the same hotel as a very beautiful young lady: This young lady was also from London, and had come with her father and mother. The latter was a very fragile woman. Every evening I played cards with the lady and her father, and became very friendly with both. One morning the servant brought me a letter which, to my horror, read as follows:  "You are ordered by the "Secret of Secrets League" to kill a young lady residing at your hotel. This night one of the League will meet you in your room, and will point out to you this lady. 'Remember, disobedience is ' Death.' "  Now, some years ago, when I was young and foolish, I joined a league who called themselves the "Secret of Secrets." This letter was an order from them to murder perhaps the young lady I played cards with. After I had read it I felt sick and ill, but I determined not to do it. Leaving the hotel I went to the police Inspector, explained matters privately and briefly, obtained three policemen and hid them in a cupboard in my room. About nine o'clock my man came and was captured after having passed the sign with me. After this I went out as I felt very faint, and as I was strolling along I was suddenly borne to the ground, and a dirty rag was stuffed in my mouth. I was caught by several members of the "Secret of Secrets." They blindfolded me, and carried me some distance till they stopped at a door, which they opened. , Having thrown me inside they proceeded to unbind me. Then one of them took the lead to a room upstairs. Having opened a door and pushed me in, the leader, who was a very powerfully-built fellow, said to me with El grin, "Now this is your room." I looked. On one side of the room was the dial of a Large clock about 10 feet high. In the middle of the dial of this clock and protruding from the centre of the hands was a steel point. In line with this point about six feet back was a curious chair, with. straps all over it. There was a hollow for the head to fit in, and a steel cap to keep it in it place. Having shown me this they took me to a small place behind this enormous clock. Here were the works. Running right through the middle of them was a round bar, one end was the point I had seen in the dial, the other end fitted in a socket which was made to aclvance towards the works by a chain fitted to a wheel. Three inches above my head were several of these bare of different lengths. The leader took one of the longest down and put it in the 'clock in the place of the other, which he took out. Then he said, "You have betrayed one of us, and now you shall die in a manner you will not appreciate. We shall strap you in the chair which I first showed you-, and this bar will gradually advance toward you till the point goes through you." Seeing this was to be my fate I leapt upon the man, bringing down the bars above. One of these wounded the leader severely. I was then instantly dragged into the chair and strapped. '
Widnes Examiner. — 1900-08-17 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

BRUTAL FATHER SMARTLY DEALT WITH.  William ad Clara Bibby, of 12, Warburton-street, were summoned at the Borough Police Court on Tuesday before Alderman Sutton (in the chair) and Mr. Birchall, for neglecting and abandoning their three children, Richard Stanley, William, and James. The male defendant pleaded guilty and the female defendant net guilty.—Mr. Browne, who appeared for the N.S.P. C.C. Society, said the male defendant was a forge labourer and earned 194 per week. He also sold ice cream and made profit on that. Detective Delahay had reason to go to the house on the 7th of July to serve a sumnaens on the man for breaking a window at the house of his father-in-law. He foetid the house empty and in a terrible condition. The floor did not appear to have been washed for months. There was very little furniture—two broken chairs and an old table. In the back place there was no furniture at all. Upstairs in the front room there was an old bed. stead covered with a dirty sack. In the back place was something similar. The detective made inquiries and foune! that the children were wandering about the street.—Mr. Birchall : Do you say that he made ice cream in tele place P—Mr. Browne: No sir, he bought it outside I hope. (Laughter.) Cmetinuing, he said the child res were afterwards taken in by the grandmother and subsequently were removed to the Workhouse. The wile made allegations against the husband, and the husband's friends made al'egations against the wife. He (Mr. Browne) and the Inspector tioeught that trouble had been caused by the interference oh the mother-inlaw. The wife left the house because the man had stood over her with a knife, and the neighbours bad had to get.her through the window to prevent.as they said,his murdering her. The cuildren were in a wretched filthy, and negleeted condition. That was purely the wife's fault. She had however, been suffering from a tumour in the neck, and had been an inmate of the Infirmary fteon July 17th to 31st.— Detective Delahaye Inspector Hackett, and Mr. Garnett (relieviug officer) gave evidence in support. —lda Woods, I€l, Warhurton-street, said she had seen Bibby illuse his wife.—Ellen Potts, 14, Warberton-etreet, said she bad given the wife food.—Biboy stated that he had lost work through his wife's neglect. She stayed out two or three nights ira a week. The children always had plenty to eat. She had driven him away.—Mrs. Bibby was sworn, and said she had only had two weeks' wages trom her husband since Christmas. He had been laying out the money and drinking. At one time he was on the shop book for eleven pints of beer. She had been living on dry bread and sugar. He was a good husband, but had been ruined by a drunken mother. One day he threatened to murder her. He said ; "I will operate upon you. I will burst that (the tumour) with my fist. lam going to murder you and put you nine feet under the sod."—Mrs. Cowen gave evidence, and the charge against the wife was withdrawn.—Bibby was committed to gaol for two months with hard labour.
Widnes Examiner. — 1900-07-06 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

BURDETT-COUTTS'S complaints and details , having been corroborated and supplemented bY independent testimony, we are in a position to sal that the Government defence is inadequate,and that everything, from top to bottom, must be subject te investigation. The Government ought to see, politi(ally, that more harm will be done to it by policy of evasion and suppression than by one et frankness and straightforwardness. The excuse hitherto offered can only be accepted if they ara found to be based upon facts. Mr. WyNniaadS defence is not,final, and it ought to be impossiole for anybody to suspect that the object of the Government is to bolster up that defence rather than to lay bare the truth, let the consequehces be what they may. The surprise of the Governtnen that anybody should question the organisation it had set up for hospitals, and that at Bloemfontein under the eye of Lord ROBERTS himsolf, graVe scandals should have occurred, and men should have died for want of adequate medical attention and nursing, may be natural and not affected. 13'1 it is part of the case against it that it seemed to be' unaware that anything had gone amiss, and that lives were being daily lost that ought to have been saved, and would have been saved, by the simple-4 provisions. The relatives of the dead and the in' valided seem to have the strongest claim for 91 perfect inquiry, and they cannot be lett out of the question. Blame will be found to rest somewhere, and the investigators have to -,discovor who were responsible and what ought to have been done • Ignorance cannot be pleaded, and the plea et military exigency is too shallow to cover negler° when no operations were proceeding.  QUITE apart from the tempo The Chinese Problem. ary military efforts demanded by the situation there ar6 , some very grave problems connected with that we are bound to face. On the Continent toi7 much attention is being given to the techniefil military question as to whether we are at war wit': China, and whethersoine formal declaration shoill' not be made of the fact. The murder of Baroo Ketteler would now seem to be sufficientit authenticated to be accepted as a fact, and it is s' complication which would, under ordinary circurastances, justify Germany in declaring war. 13° we hardly think it will formally take place. Wd are in ignorance of the precise condition of affitir4 ,at Pekin and of the continuance of the Govora" ment which has favoured the Boxer revolutie°' It may have been superseded,it may not command ! the support of other parts of China, arid the rebellion may turn out to have been local, 00411 with some sympathetic movements elsewhere. , a matter of fact, we are not at war with Chio*r. and we cannot implicate the whole 0A the Chinese Army in what has happen in the north. We are not sure 04, the commander of the Taku forts was ECtil*e under any superior orders when he opened fir upon the allied fleet. There is the same ditlietilttil about Tientsin, and respecting the forces wilicA effectually barred the path to Pekin of Advair.'
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-12-10 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

OUR OUTRAGED LITTLE PUPPY DOGS. By " Mica." . ' Good-bye to all our peace of mind, • Good-bye to all hilarity, . Good-bye to even common sense, And sentiment and charity., Oh! what a mighty fuss there is, Oh! what a state .our laws are in, Wtien even little puppy dogs , Are often without cause run in. • Oh l Justice must be mad or drunk, Or drunk or mad, I don't know which, • It seems in such a bursting state— About RS full as any vetch. It scarcely can itself contain, It's over-fed like prize show•hogs, And vents it's callous choleric rage On harmless little puppy dogs. Ah, woe, it is a doleful tale ; , • It is too much, it is too bad, To think that at this time of year - Our pnpy dogs should all be mad! And 'tis a. cause of jwholesonie"grief— .. Each little dog should, oh! be a . k Sad victim to that dread disease That's known as hydrophobia! And monstrous muzzles- they must wear, , So that they may not bite us, oh! - Which; ta& epitomise their ba,rk, i. . That they may not affright us, oh! And now When carnal -puppy dogs Are-weaned, and would be guzzling • • Our tender flesh, 'tis wise that we ' Should straightway be them muzzling. Our "peelers" brave upon'their beats, • , Wi ; tt staff in hand so steady are, f ; , And e er are on the alert, , For " peelers" always ready are To capture anything that's loose— A pint or two of "feurpenny," And always very zealons are . To take it into custody. But latterly the " peelers' " hearts Are thumping hard in rapture, oh! A gallant member of the force • Had made a splendid capture, oh! Whirst on his beat with thoughtful face, And looks, enough to puwale one Oh! joy! he saw a puppy dog Thathad'nt got a muzzle on! It was a little dog," at large," As small a dog as you might see, , But "peelers" very cautious are: And very cautious too was he. • He crept upon it unawares, As stealthily as any mouse, And heedless of all danger bore It bravely to the Station-house. Three days it yelled, three nights it howled, No owner ever came for it, And on the fourth they council held • And found to-live it was'nt fit: The dog was mad 7—of course it was: . Who would'nt be if they were served In such an inconsistent way, • And treatment got they ne'er deserved? "To make assurance doubly st.iie " ,• They doubly charged the blunderbuss, - Then led the unwilling captive forth— He shivered hard, poor little cuss! • Oh! horror, let me close the scene, .. I cannot on much further go— • ', They let sunshine into that pup, And did a bloody murder, oh! ! ! 'Oh ! little dogs, and bigger dogs— Beware; beware; I say to you ; • Be sure and keep your muzzles on, , Or else the day you'll surely rue! For oh, our polimmen watchful are, And mighty cute and sly are you, . If you escape their vigilance-- • When once they've " sot " their eye on you Widnes, Dec. 13th, 1887.