npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1862-05-14 (London, England)

CRIMINAL COURT--THIS DAY  OLD COURT.  (Before Mr. Justice Willes.) John Haines surrendered to an indictment charging him with the manslaughter of Thomas Mitchell. The Judge said he did not think there was evidence to bear out the charge. The Jury therefore at once returned a verdict of not guilty, and the defendant was discharged. ATTEMPTING TO MURDER, George Waite, labourer, aged 40, was indicted for feloniously attempting to murder his wife. There was also a second indictment, charging him with assaulting her to do grievous bodily harm. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. From the evidence of the wife it appeared that the prisoner had been drinking to excess for two or three weeks, and been unable to go to work, as he tt as suffering from delirium frowns, and labouring under the delusion that people were in his room. He continued in this state during the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On the evening of Thursday the 30th of April the wife went to bed about 10 o'clock, but got up at half-past 12 to give the prisoner his medicine. Ile then urged her to come into bed, and immediately she did so he thrust a file used in sharpening a saw into her stomach. She got the file from him, when he got out of bed and seized an axe, which was lying among some firewood, and struck her some blows on the side of the head, inflicting several very severe wounds. She got away and ran down stairs, when the prisoner threw the axe after her. The wife was afterwards taken to St. Mary's Hospital, and the prisoner was conveyed to the station-house. The police-constable said, when he asked the prisoner why he had injured his wife, he said it was a good job she got out of the way, or it would have been worse for her. Dr. Brown, of Kensal-green, said when he examined the woman he found two incised wounds on the head—one over the right ear three inches in extent , and annexeoe over the left about an inch. Such an instrument as produce the injury. On the abdomen he found a number of bruises, and also some wounds, as if from a pointed weapon—a file, for instance. At the station I saw the pri - sonar, and found him labouring sander delirium tremens, and he said he was jealous of his wife with a Jim Cockwell. A person suffering so severely from deli, ium tremens as the prisoner would, to a great extent, render him incapable of knowing right from wrong. The learned Judge, in summing up the evidence, said he must impress upon the jury that drunkenness must not be considered as any excuse for crime. The jury found the prisoner guilty of unlawful wounding. Mr. Ribton said the prosecutrix wished to .recommend the prisoner to mercy. The learned Judge said that was invariably the case; the person injured always being most anxious that the offender should escape punishment. He then sentenced the prisoner to 18 months' hard labour in the House of Correction.
The Sun. — 1862-02-03 (London, England)

SUPPOSED MFRDER OF TWO  CHILDREN.  In the village of Preton, situate about .half a mile to the south of Yversham, a woman named Harriet Wright is suspeted of having murdered her twoillegitimate childiet by administering poison to them. It is also suspected that the death of another of her children some time previously was not the result of natual causes. The woman is cohabiting with a mar named George Smith, the reputed father of the tvo children, twins (a boy and a girl). On Friday aternoon the county coroner, Mr. T. T. Delasaux, hell an inquest on the bodies, when  Mr. W. N. Spond, swgeon, of Faversham, said— About eight months slice I attended the mother of the deceased children aid delivered her of twins, a boy and girl. They wee both healthy full-grown lying on a bd quite dead but warm. I children. I was sent Dr yesterday morning, about eight o'clock, and on wing to the house I found the children examined them both ecternally, but could not discover any marks or brans on their bodies. There was great pallor and lividity of the skin, which attracted my attention, but from what cause it was produced lam unableto say. I have since made a post-mortem examintion of the bodies of the deceased. I opened tin abdomen of the boy, and Found the contents perfectly healthy, without any inflammation, I Mtn examined the lungs, and found them healthy. The heart was gorged with fluid flood, but from That cause I am unable to say. I next examined the lead, and found the brain full of fluid blood. The vindpipe and gullet were free. The child did not dit from natural causes. I believe, from my exambation of the body, that death was produced from the effects of some sleeping or composing medicine but I was unable to discover that any medicine of that kind had been given to the children. Tte female child presented the same appearance as the boy in every particular. The mother said she iad only given the children a little magnesia. George Smith was then sent for, and the nature of the inquiry explained to him, The coroner cautioned him that he was not obliged to say anything without he liked, bat that if he did it might be used against him. lie was not sworn, but he stated that he was the faller of the deceased children. They were quite well, with the exception of cold, when they went to led. They were awake when he went to bed, abort two o'clock in the morning. One child slept on oae side of the mother and the other on the other silt). Did not hear anything of them again till between seven and eight o'clock, when they were both dead but warm. Nothing but magnesia had been given to them as he knew of. The Coroner thenpointed out to the jury the responsible duty they had to perform, and suggested that the stomachs of the children should be sent to Dr. Taylor for the purpose of being analysed. This was ordered to be done, and the inquiry was adjourned for a week.
The Sun. — 1862-02-03 (London, England)

SUPPOSED MURDER OF TWO  CHIL.DR EN.  In the village of Preston, situate about half a mile to the south of Faversham, a woman named Harriet Wright is suspected of having murdered her two illegitimate children by administering poison to them. It is also suspected that the death of another of her children some time previously was not the result of natural causes. The woman is cohabiting with a man named George Smith, the reputed father of the two children, twins (a boy and a girl). On Friday afternoon the county coroner, Mr. T. T. Delasaux, held an inquest on the bodies, when  Mr. W. N. Spond, surgeon, of Faversham, said— Abouteight months since I attended the mother of the deceased children and delivered her of twins, a boy and girl. They were both healthy full-grown children. I was sent for yesterday morning, about eight o'clock, and on going to the house I found the children lying on a bed quite dead but warm. I examined them both externally, but could not discover any marks or bruises on their bodies. There was great pallor and lividity of the skin, which attracted my attention, but from what cause it was produced lam unable to say. I have since made a post-mortem examination of the bodies of the deceased. I opened the abdomen of the boy, and found the contents perfectly healthy, without any inflammation, I then examined the lungs, and found them healthy. The heart was gorged with fluid flood, but from what cause I am unable to say. I next examined the head, and found the brain full of fluid blood. The windpipe and gullet were free. The child did not die from natural causes. I believe, from my examination of the body, that death was produced from the effects of some sleeping or composing medicine ; but I was unable to discover that any medicine of that kind had been given to the children. The female child presented the same appearance as the boy in every particular. The mother said she had only given the children a little magnesia. George Smith was then sent for, and the nature of the inquiry explained to him. The coroner cautioned him that he was not obliged to say anything without he liked, but that if he did it might be used against him. He was not sworn, but he stated that he was the father of the deceased children. They were quite well, with the exception of cold, when they went to bed. They were awake when he went to bed, about two o'clock in the morning. One child slept on one side of the mother and the other on the other side. Did not hear anything of them again till between seven and eight o'clock, when they were both dead but warm. Nothing but magnesia had been given to them as he knew of. The Coroner then pointed out to the jury the responsible duty they had to perform, and suggested that the stomachs of the children should be sent to Dr. Taylor for the purpose of being analysed. This was ordered to be done, and the inquiry was adjourned for a week.
The Sun. — 1862-06-25 (London, England)

THE GIPSY MURDER.—An inquest was held at the Waterloo Inn, Hants, on Monday evening by the coroner for the county on the body of Eliza Colt Lee, the wife of Edward Lee, a gipsy of the well known Lee tribe. The chief witness examined was John Wyatt, a boy eight years old, who stated that he was a nephew of the deceased, and was travelling with her and her husband Edward Lee in, their van. They had returned from Ascot Races and had stopped at Waterloo on Friday night last, and left again next morning. On leaving the village the prisoner got up into the cart, and seized his wife, who was sitting on a chair near the door, and pressing her head over the half hatoh of the glom., out hor throat with a razor and then threw her out of the cart under the horse's heels, getting out of the cart himself and sitting down by the roadside, where he remained until taken into custody by the county police almost immediately afterwards. Lee told the policeman who took him into custody that he had cut his wife's throat, and did it to die. It appeared, further, that Ike had been jealous of his wife's conduct when at Ascot .7:1, said that she had slept with another man while there, however, deceased had denied. The jury retarneclaswajltvhecurdiet of wilful murder against the prisoner, who wter Gaa committed, on the coroner's warrant, to Win_ch.f! rewain, for trial at the ensuing assizes. The burialh:feti.affen in an of the =fortunate woman, who is said tnoaondav; evening advanced state of pregnancy,took at Waterloo, a largo number of At the Court SALARY OF THE CITY CORONEltro•ugh t up from the of Aldermen yesterday a report wreasferenee to the office of Court of Quarter Session having it appeared by this report coroner of the City of Londor.Le gen gippsliaeribelng present. tieman. who at present that Mr. Sergeant Payn the c'd to the corporation a view holds that office, ; lieur of his present mode of remunedtha.e-plioevisions of a recent act of parlia• At first it seemed there was some ration by way Teeasct of parliament was intended to apply mtheonbtt,atiinfixinged under the doubt whether t ~_nneden, but the opinion of the taken,Attorneyand this opinion b • • being in favour General ha g b the coroner, the law officers of the een of the view taken y to the City on were consulted upon the subject. These filmit appeared, concurred in the opinion of the corpora General, and the court had consequently taken the matter into consideration, and had fixed the salary of Atiotonarirn'oesy,. the coroner at £7OO per annum, that sum to include travel . ling and all other expenses. The coroner, it appeared, wag dissatisfied with the amount awarded to him, and exercised the power given by the act of parliament of appealing to the Secretary of State, and Sir G. Grey, having consideredf the circumstances, had fixed the salary at £750, which amount will in future be paid out of the CRY crib. Theil report wa agreed to,
The Sun. — 1862-10-22 (London, England)

BRUTAL MURDER OF A GIRL.--HEREFORD, ruesyears old. On the other side, his affections are alive, even day.—Last night Mary Corbett, a girl of 16 or 17 years of vehement, delicate in their instinct as a dog'sor an infant's ; age, in the service of Mr. Skerrett, farmer, of Ullinswick, he will detect the step of anyone dear to him, in a crowd, ' in thivounty, was sent by her mistress to a shop at some and will burst into tears, hat if not kindly spoken to. His he can repeat, without the loss distance to purchase some candles. As she did not return nifenlo a discourse of fifteen minutes in length, f during the nigh', a search was set on foot by the parish whichsyllable, he dces not understand a word. Songs, too, in French constable and others, which resulted in the finding of the body in an orchard. Marks were first discovered near to or German, after a single hearing, he renders not only litethe side of the turnpike road, along which the girl would e, rgll in words, but in notes, style, and expression His have to pass, and it appeared as if two or three persons had voice, however, is discordant, and of small compass. In mmic, his boy of 12 years old, born blind, utterly ignorant been there engaged in a struggle. From this spot footmarks were somewhat indistinctly traced across some fields into an of a note, ignorant of every phase of so-called musical science, interprets severely classical composers with a clearorchard, where they discovered the body of the poor girl in ness of conception in which he excels, and a skill in mesuch a state underneath a tree as to lead to the conclusion charism equal to our second-rate artists. His concerts that her person had been violated. Her neck bore marks usually include any themes selected by the auch.esnee, from as if she had been strangled, the ribbon of her bonnet, which the higher grades of Italian or German oper understand 11: that not an ha; t iI ic o r catPo r e: was on, having been pressed into the skin of her neck, hension of the meaning of music, as a_pwmerp while her mouth was full of blood. The authorities were t fe whatever 'lB at once informed of the sad event, and the Hertfordshiremastery fingering, constabulary force having been put into operation, two of the mere material part ; thhe mara cclearal voice an d which vivid; bfeewren souls dthus,ersuitttor, a a withsds e s 8 , ase YePbeut means to him, ramamen, named George Hope and Wm. Wenner, one of whom ts. One could fancy is a returned convict, were at once suspected of being conend, as with rn—intent or soul of the theme.yTon, was What God nected in some way with the offence. The body was renever traitor to thet to by this moved to the Prince of Wales public-house, where Mr. Nor the Devil mean say or that harmony, what e man cried aloud to another • 1 hi the soul of one tic effects, and ns:t fort?. mi, t sboy• the coroner for this division of the county, will to that faithful • Lanwerne, suspected knows, and is awitness.—biekens's cc hold an inquest on Thursday next. The men (4. the Year Round." had been drinking at a public-house in the neighbourhood.
The Sun. — 1862-04-11 (London, England)

CRIMINAL COURT--T  OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Mellor.)  Henry Joseph Walker, aged 21, a private in the Royal Artillery, was indicted for a rape on a young girl, aged 15. There was also a second indictment against him for stealing 10s. from her person, The case rested entirely upon the credibility of the prosecutrix, who deposed that on the evening of the 4th of March, about half-p%st eight in the evening, she was proceeding on her way from Greenwich to Woolwich when she met the prisoner and another soldier named Jonathan Leather. She walked, with them to Woolwich, as they offered to show her the way over the common, and on their arrival at the stables of the camp, at Woolwich Common, the prisoner and the other man asked her to enter the stables, and on her refusing they dragged her in, and they eaoh committed the offence charged, the prisoner taking from her 10s. and 214. She resisted as much as she could, and she was so far corroborated that one of the sentries heard cries of " help" and " murder," and also that at half-past eleven at night both men were found absent, and on another sentry going to the stables he found the prosecutris lying on some straw. She complained first of the loss of her money, but afterwards of illusage. She went to the Shooters-hill Police-station, and in consequence of her information the man Leather was taken into custody.  The prosecutrix gave a very unsatisfactory account of how she obtained the money, whic'l she said she carried in a paper bag with some biscuits, and which was the remains of the proceeds of a cheque, of which she refused to tell how she became possessed.  The learned judge here summed up the case, remarking upon the unsatisfactory statement the prosecutrix had given of herself.  The jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict of guilty with intent.  Jonathan Leathers, aged 19, a private in the Royal Artillery, was indicted for a similar offence. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and at the same time one of them expressed regret that both prisoners had n as it would greatly have assisted themot hb The Learned i ne the r i performance together,of their duty. Tsaid that could not have been done, as they were for two distant offences. If, however, the jury wished to make any recommendation in the former case, as he had not yet sentenced the prisoner, he was quite ready to give effect to it; at the same time he must observe that the former case was different from that they had just concluded, as the prosecutrix's statement had been confirmed by the sentry.  The jury however made no recommendation. The prisoner Walker was then called up for sentence. The learned Judge said, under all the circumstances of the case, he thought that justice would be satisfied in passing a very lenient sentence. lie therefore ordered the prisoner to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for three months.
The Sun. — 1862-04-11 (London, England)

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING,  CRIMINAL COURT--'  IS DAY.  OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Mellor.)  Henry Joseph Walker, aged 21, a private in the Royal Artillery, was indicted for a /ape on a young girl, aged 15. There was also a second indictment against him for stealing 10s. from her person. The case rested entirely upon the credibility of the pro.. secutrix, who deposed that on• the evening of the 4th of March, about half-past eight in the evening, she was proreeding on her way from Greenwich to Woolwich when she met the prisoner and another soldier named Jonathan Leather. She walked, with them to Woolwich, as they offered to show her the way over the common, and on their arrival at the stables of the camp, at Woolwich Common, the prisoner and the other man asked her to enter the stables, and on her refusing they dragged her in, and they each committed the offence charged, the prisoner taking  from her 10s. and 20. She resisted as much as she could,  and she was so far corroborated that one of the sentries heard cries of " help" and " murder," and also that at halt-past eleven at night both men were found absent, and on another sentry going to the stables he found the prosecutrix lying on some straw. She complained first of the loss of her money, but afterwards of illusage. She went to the Shooters-hill Police-station, and in consequence of her information the man Leather was taken into custody.  The prosecutrix gave .a very unsatisfactory account of how she obtained the money, which she said she carried in tipper bag with some biscuits, and which was the remains of the proceeds of a cheque, of which she refused to tell Low she became possessed.  The learned judge here summed up the case, remarking upon the unsatisfactory statement the prosecutrix had given of herself.  The jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict of guilty with intent. Jonathan Leathers, aged 19, a private in the Royal Artillery, was indicted for a similar offence. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty, and at the same time one of them expressed regret that both prisoners had not been tried together, as it would greatly have assisted them in the performance of their duty. The Learned Judge said that could not have been done, as they were for two distant offences. If, however, the jury wished to make any recommendation in the former case, as he had not yet sentenced the prisoner, he was quite ready to give effect to it; at the same time he must observe that the former case was different from that they had just concluded, as the prosecutrix's statement had been confirmed by the sentry. The jury however made no recommendation.  The prisoner Walker was then called up for sentence. The learned Judge said, under all the circumstances of the case, he thought that justice would be satisfied in passing a very lenient sentence. He therefore ordered the prisoner to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for three months.
The Sun. — 1862-07-31 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER BY A CLE.RGY MAN AT EXEIER. ,  On Tuesday the inhabitants of the city of Exeter, especially of the lower part of the city, were thrown into the wildest state of alarm, in consequence of the report that was circulated to the effect that the Rev. George Henry Parminter had committed a most diabolical crime. It is with satisfaction that we are etaabled to correct this report. We are atilt, however, called upon to narrate a very sad story, though there has happily been an absence of criminality. For some time past the rev. gentleman, who is the rector of the united parishes of St. John and Sr. George, has been in a most melancholy state of mind, owing to pecuniary difficulties, and of late he has exhibited some symptoms of insanity. Early on Tuesday morning, whilst suffering from a severe attack of brain fever, the rev. gentleman, in the absence of Mrs. Parminter, got out of bed, possesssed himself of a pocket knife, and then walked to the nurstry, where several of his child, en were asleep, under the charge of the nursemaid. It would seem that he very quietly walked to the bedside of his only daughter, a little girl of about four or five years of age, to whom he is devotedly attached, and attempted to cut her throat, but only succeeded in severing the stein of the neck sufficient to draw blood. Mr. Parminter on his return to his own room was met by his wife, to whom he said, "Poor little Mary, I have done it." His wife immediately rushed to the assistance of his child, who did not seem the least frightened, and euceeeded in stopping the flowing of the blood before the medical gentleman for whom she had sent had arrived. the fever was raging so high at the time that the poor unfortunate gentleman seized a poker, but was prevented by his eons from d Sing any mischief, and was ultimately induced to retire to his bed, where he is now confined, in the most prostrate state of night body as well as of mind. The little girl, we unerouthheis derstand, is not much hurt. Mr. Parminter has a large family, who are now plunged into the deepest sorrow. Mr. Parminter is slowly progressing. He was to have -met the committee appointed to take the necessary steps for repairing the parish church this (Wednesday) evening. He has always been a most faithful and loving pastor, and his abated. of several men.. kindness has been universally shown to his poorer was somewhat, calm, Exeter, Tuesday, 10.15 p.m, parishioners. parting wiferirtn. whilst blessing,shel itt I: aa girl, idsrel weiwnhbgabsa ibbseueut Since writing the above, we have been informed arhumetaptvvra:ictgnohgeßetndhcoto.iblenems: time Wad: gentleman has surgeon,h a s been that the rev. gentleman attempted to strangle his care of wisildolu3t, exclaiming Parminter is now in the charge th day the danger. Mr. eersathbeelryn al . the fever During for his family to be brought to the bedside to receive his for his daughter, to whom ntnodlnoud in his calls he is most devotedly °mow News.