npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1846-04-24 (London, England)

COMMERCIAL NEWS  CITY, QUARTER TO THREE. There was a fair business doing in Cotton at Liverpool yesterday, and the sales reached nearly 7,000 bags, nearly all to the trade. Prices were steady. Shares continued to improve, and a good business vra- done. The sale of Railway Shares by Messrs. Wickham was well attended yesterday, and very good prices were obtained, 2,700 shares being purchased :—Cornwall and Central Devon, 30s 6d—South Midland, 395—North Staff ,rdshire, 85s— Bridgewater and Minehead, 19s—Eastern Counties York Extension. 314 6d—Ditto, 30s—East Indian, lls—London and Manchester ( Remington), 18s—Sheffield, Buxton, and Leek Potteries, 13s 6d—Goole and Doncaster, 80s—North Kent, 265—Oxford and Salisbury Direct, 7s—Great Kent Atmospheric, 335—Midland and Eastern Counties, 19s— Metropolitan Railways Junction, Is—Louvain and Jemeppe, 25s 6d—South Eastern and Dover, No. 4. 46s—Warwick and Worcester, 155—Shrewsbury and Birmingham, 41s—London and York, 355--Waveney Valley, 155—Northumberland and Lancashire, 23s 6d—Norsbern and Southern Connecting, 17s —Cornwall and Central Devon, 30s fid. There has been an arrival from Hobart Town, with advices of January 10. The colony was still annoyed in particular districts, Prosser's Plain's, for instance, with small bands of bushrangers, but we are glad to find that the police were more on the alert, and that captures were more frequent. The war steamer Driver had arrived, en route for New Zealand.  We know not whether there are many such priests in Ireland as the Rev. J. SAVAGE, of Mullingar, the patron of the murdered martyr and the sainted SEERY ; but if only a few such firebrands are scattered throughout each county, all the mystery of the numerous assassinations that degrade the Irish people may he easily clesred up. This SEERT, it will be remembered, was convicted of attempting to assassinate Sir FRANCIS Homaise, and convicted on evidence about which there cannot be the possibility of a doubt. He was well known to his intended victim, he had lived with him as a sort of land steward, and afterwards rented a farm belonging to Sir FRANCIS, who, on being fired at on a moonlight night, seized the assassin by the collar, held up his face to the light to see if he was known;and distinctly recognised his old tenant. There could be nu mistake as to the identity in a case of this kind; Sir FRANCIS HOPEINS could have no interest in swearing away the life of an innocent man, and he in the most solemn manner, and with the fullest conviction of the truth of his statement, distinctly declared on oath that SEER? was the assassin. His evidence was firmly believed by almost every respectable person in the neighbourhood, and no one whose opinion was unbiassed had any doubt whatever of the man's guilt. The priest SAVAGE, however, took a different view of the case, raised this assassin to the rank of a martyr (without the slightest intention, of course, to encourage other assassins), and has been engaged ever since in collecting subscriptions " for the protection and support of the afflicted widow and helpless orphans of the late martyred
The Sun. — 1846-07-16 (London, England)

PLATT.) Thomas Sharmer was indicted for having feloniously shot at Thomas Brealy, with intent to kill and murder him. There was a second count charging the intent to be to do grievous bodily harm. Mr. Poulden conducted the prosecution. Mr. Missing appeared for the defence. Mr. POULDEN stated the case to the jury, and it is one of so singular a character, that it has been thought best to set out the evidence at length. The first witness called was Thomas Brealy—ln February last I was working at that time with Mr. Boverstock as time-keeper. He was erecting a mansion. The prisoner also worked there as foreman. I lodged with the prisoner, in New-street, Andover. I remember the 7th of February. On that day I got up at half-past five, and I think asked the prisoner for a light. I had been in the habit of going to my work with the prisoner, but did not on that morning. I first saw him about half-past twelve. I was at my work on the landing of the mansion ;he came to me twice. He said, "Brealy, I want to speak to you." I said, " Very well," and accompanied him into the clerk of the works' office. When I got there we went into a room, and the prisoner locked the door and took out the key. I stood by the fire-place. He then said, " Now, Brealy, I want that 321. that you have of mine—that you have taken out of my cupboard drawers in my room." I said, " What 321. ? I have never been in your room but once in my life. I have only Is. 9d. in my pocket until to-night." He said, " You have it." I said, " No, I have not.' He then said, " Will you tell me where it is ?" I replied, " I cannot tell about a thing I know nothing at all of." He then said, " Very well, then, I have something for you." He immediately put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a pistol, and said, as he presented the pistol, " You are a murdered man." He then fired directly, and I fell. The next thing I remember is that the door was broken open, and a man named Dyer, who had been working in the next room, came in to my assistance. I tried to get up, and fell into the passage. I was supported by a man named Serrage. I heard som one say (I think Boverstock, my employer), " Good God, Brealy, you have shot yourself." I said, "I have not," and pointed to the prisoner, and said, "He has done it." I was then taken into Sharmer's office. After..l had been there some time, Sharmer, the prisoner, came to me. I said to him, " Sharmer, I freely forgive you- --I for what you have done to me, and as I shall have to appear before God in few minutes, I proclaim Ply owu inucceuce,  and say I know nothing of your money." He then said, " Very well, Brealy, then I shall be hung, and you will be saved." This is all I remember that passed at this time. Mr. Smith, the surgeon, attended me. I have been laid up for some time ; pieces of bone have constantly been working out of my jaw. I had never taken any money from the prisoner.  Cross-examined by Mr.
The Sun. — 1846-05-11 (London, England)

MAY 11 1846.  EXHIBI'T'ION OF THE ROYAL  ACADEMY.  eee The catalogue of the exhibition attic Royal Academy, this year, contains a list of no less than 1,521 works of art. It is natural to seppoee that among such a❑ iliateem e number (the pictures alone amount to 1,390) there must've a great deal of rubbi:di, but the rubbish does not preponderate, and the exhibition of 1846 is certainly an improvement upon that of last year. Of portraits there are a goodly numbs•, among which we may re fee 69 and 199, portrei's of her Majesty and Prince Albert, painted for Christ's Hospital, by F. Grant, A. Her Majesty is represented on horseback, and Prince Albert is standirg by the side of his charger. As portraits they are life-like, and as works of art they rise to the reek of historical pictures. Mr. Grant has exhibited artisiical talents of the highest order iu these magnificent paintings, which are great in every sense of the word. The picture of the Exhibition is 14, " Ordeal by Touch," D. Maclis.e, A.—" The belief that the corpse of a murdered person would bleed on the touch, or at the approach of the murd,rer, was universal among the northern nations."—Sir Walter Scott. The corpse of the murdered is expos • d in the church, before the high altar. At its bead stands the bishop —at its feet sit the judges, watching intently ale process of the ordeal. The accused, who is advancing towards the corpse from the side of the bishop, is in the act of stretching ont his arm (which seems actnally to quiver with nervous excitement), and putting his finger on the wcund ; but he dares not look at the dead man—his face is studiously averted from the contemplation of the cot pse. Admirably contrasted with the holy calm of the bishop, the fixed attention of the judges, and the trepidation of the accused, is theintense agony and indignation Of the widow, who bends in grief over the curse of her murdered husband ; and, not comprehending the meaning of the horrible scene . at which she is called on to assist, her little girl, who seems to shrink in vague horror from the dead end from the living, and clings in fright to her mother for pro-. tection. Around and in the back-ground are stern-loekmg teen clad in mail, while ever tie altar appears the image of Christ in agony on the cross, and above all, like ministers of mercy contemplating in pity and sorrow the scene below are the Madonna and child. The finishing cf this is perfect, and the effect of the light shining on the armour of the mail-clad men is marvellous.  Ez;tic Orchids, in collections of not fewer than tweet -1 -  ch.s.—Large Gold Mr. Roberson ; Gold Knightia.K, Mr. Mylatn ; Gold Banksian, Messrs. Roleson. Exotic Orchid?, in collections of twelvespecies.—Gold Knightian, Mr G. Withers ; Gold Bat:did:in, Mr. Car. run ; Silver Gilt, Messrs. Veitch, Mr. 11. Plant, Mr. Hunt. Exotic Orchids, in collections of six species.—Gold Banksian, Mr. G. Eyles, gardener to Sir G. Larpent ; Silver Gilt, Mr. G. Green.
The Sun. — 1846-02-12 (London, England)

CITY OF. LONDON.-NOTICE.  " At the next me: Ling of the Board of Guardians, on l'ues lay, the lOth of February, the Vice-Chairman and Mr. Conder will call the attention of the board to the subject of the asylum districts for the houseless poor." He c infidently hoped that an asylum would be raised, which would not only ba adapted as a temporary accommodation, but would be a model for all the places of she description built upon the principles of humanity. 'rhe delay which had taken place would be an excuse for taking more trouble in providing for the afflicting exigencies which daily appeared.—(Hear, hear.) It w.:s part of the cruel operation of the poor-law, that the po a-' who were condemned to the neglect and scorn to which he had adverted, had no person to whom they could make any appeal. They are growled at, and told to walk otf to Peckham, and it was in vain they looked to a magistrate to abate the harshness of the judgment. It was disgraceful that they could not appeal to the humanity •of a magistrate. If a miscreant committed ctn..- e -or four murders, the language ready fer him was that he had been instigated by the devil, and he 13;comes at once an object of compassion ; bat here were hundreds of individuals who had no crime b ' which society (judging from the the law) app• atad to look upon as presentt t tmostha tposition ounfpPa. rodvoen or tafyb le of all o ffe nces.—(llear. ) Alderman COPELAND most willingly seconded the motian..- For -a series of years, since the poor-law had been enacted,' poverty had been considered, and persecuted, as a crime. Ilis opinion of the treatment which the poor. received at the hands of the authorities obliged him to say that the law was very harshly administered ; and he trusted that the day had arrived when complaints of inhumanity and insensibility to the sufferings of the destitute would be made upon all sides constantly and loudly.—(hear.) As the law of settlement is under discussion in the House of Commons, he hoped an opnaittinity would be taken to make such alterations as would ameliorate the condition to which the crowds of poor, who had nothing to look tc bat the poor-law, were reduced. He was quite aware of the difficulties which presented themselves, but it was impossible to allow Things to remain as they are.—(dear.) Sir P. LauluE approved of the motion. Alderman WILSON said that whatever might be the result of the labours of the Committee, he was sure the discussion which had taken place woul i do infinite good. —(Hear.) He was sorry that the City of London Union was so late with its benevolence, but he hoped it would make amends for the long deity. He had witnessed cruelties to the poor in many different shapes, and he had recently seen it exercised in the collection of rates, and the refusal to assist the family which paid those rates for numbers of years, because the house was not rated at lot. a-year.—(llear.) The motion was unanimously carried.
The Sun. — 1846-05-20 (London, England)

THE SELF-ACCUSED SELF-ACCUSED THIEF AND MURDERER. -. . At Hammersmith Police-court, on Monday, Henry Norman, the man who recently accused himself of havingd at comitted numerous atrocities too great for belief, was placem the,bar for examination, having been brought up from Liverpool, where he was apprehended. The greatest curiosity was manifested to behold him, and the Court was consequently crowded. The offence of which he was first accused was the robbe of Mr. Hoof, builder, in whose service the prisoner was as ry clerk when he absconded, about three weeks since, with upwards of 501. The prisoner was most respectably dressed. He is about five feet six inches high, dark hair and eyes, pale thin face, and took his station quite unconcerned at the serious situation in which he was placed. A solicitor said he attended on the part of Mr. Hoof, to przercutrinnl.his case. Ho then called clerk to Mr. Roof, Smith, who deposed that he was chief 4 andic lived in Brown's-buildings, • oo who, up to the 18th of nirv' Highstreet, Kensington. Hoof's service. On that day the prisoner, Henry Norman, was also a clerk in Mr. eleven o'clock in the forenoon, the 18th of April), about with gave the prisoner 521. in gold and silver moneys, directions to go, as he had before, with it to the Equitable Company's works, at Stanford-bridge, King's-road, Fulham, 454 is employ. and with with him the other men in Mr.'llaonodr. pay fitness the foreman, gold and 71. in -Ive shillings, et n tnt b e bar, had not seen ness believed he gave the prisoner silver, and he was to pay the foreman twaand jointly with him the other men. the prisOner since, until he then saw him George Arnold deposed that he was foreman ove ITADf's men at the gas factory. On the forenoon of Saturday, the the 18th of April, he saw the prisoner between ten and eleven.' o'clock. He .saw the prisoner in Mr. Hoof's office at Medeley. House, Kensington, since which time be had not d not attain seen him until in that Court. The prisoner on that nay bring witness any money, neither did he pay any of the men at the factory, Mr. Clive, here asked Inspector Havill. if the case was quite complete for the depositions to be taken ? Inspector Havill said, Mr. Hoots case was fully complete, but he had .to apply that-the prisoner might be remanded, as he had reasons to beL'f.lve that, if time were given, other charges of a mat serious' cll.tracter would be brought for' ward against the prisoner. Mr. Clive asked the prisoner if he wished to say anything • at that stage of the inquiry ? ! The prisoner said he had nothing at present to say on the subject. Mr. Clive then said, sufficient evidence had been taken to warrant him in remanding the prisoner for a week. The prisoner. was then removed from the bar, and accom▪ panied the gaoler with a smile playing on his countenance.
The Sun. — 1834-04-22 (London, England)

LAMBETH-STREET.  Saturday, while the magistrates were sitting with grave countenances, considering how many special constables should be sworn in and be compelled to make a holiday on Monday under pretence of keeping the peace, the silence of the office was broken by sundry loud thumps upon the floor, which were produced by the timber toe of a short, fat, heavy, good-natured-looking fellow, named William Vandersteen, who presented himself at the bar with a dead fowl in one hand and a placard in the other.  He was followed by a lean, delicate-looking personage, who called himself Mr. Stanley (not the ExSecretary for Ireland), and proceeded to lodge a complaint against Vandersteen in a tone of dismal despondency. He stated that, unfortunately for his happiness, he was a neighbour of the defendant, who kept fowls, and the nasty creatures were continually flying over his garden and picking up all his mustard and cress. On Friday morning, about three o'clock, he saw a hen tearing up his mignionette bed, and determining to rid himself of the annoyance, he went down and killed it with a broomstick. About ten o'clock the wife of the defendant came for it, and immediately afterwards it was hung out of the defendant's door, which is next but one to his own, in Mile-Endroad, with a placard, which caused a dreadful mob to assemble about the premises. The magistrate asked what was the nature of the placard ? The defendant immediately handed it up to the Bench. It was as follows : " April 18th.—This is the hen that the oilman killed next door but one this morning, for flying over into his yard. Is it a neighbourly action? " Ah," exclaimed the complainant, " that is not all. He put up another this morning, when he discovered your Worships had granted me a peace-warrant." Shields, the officer, said he had taken a copy of the second placard, around which there was a mob of people laughing at the joke. The following is a copy, verbatim et literatirn : ,6 This is the hen wot clacked in the morn, And awakened the oilman before it was dawn ; In a fright he arose and jumped out of bed, And beat the poor hen until it was dead. And there it did lay until ten in the day, When its mistress went in and fetch'd it away ; And when she had searched it, to her great surprise, She found its back broken and bruised likewise. So, if this you call friendship, pray keep it from me, For such friendship as this 1 ne'er want to see." Mr. NORTON said the placard, though improper, was by no means ill-nature', and, with a promise it should not be repeated, he should dismiss the case, dividing the expenses between the parties. The defendant agreed to restrain his poetical effusions, but thought it very hard he should be put to any expense after losing his fowl. He then picked up his hen, saying, " Poor thing, I heard her pray for her murderer to the very last."
The Sun. — 1834-03-26 (London, England)

WOOLWICH PETTY SESSIONS.  THEMURDER OP MR. RICH ARDS ON— AN 0 THER HIGHWAY ROBBERY. On Monday afternoon a Petty Sessions was held before Messrs. STACE and SMITH, county magistrates, at Wool wick, when a man named John Reeve, alias Long Bob the Bi!deatcher, was charge.] with the following daring highway robbery. On Thursday last two of the In-me-patrol apprehended the prisoner and another man named Richard Brown, at Shooter's-bill, on suspicion of having attempted to rob a gentleman near Hendon, in Middltsex. The prisoners said that they knew nothing about it, and ti at they came from Yarmouth. As the patrols were conveying them to Woolwich the prisoner Brown hegeed to be allowed to go into a shed on the road for a minute, which was consented to, and they waited outside. Finding that be was vety long they went in, when it was discovered that he bad made his escape out at the back of the shed, and the prisoner Reeve only was brought to Woolwich, where he was soon recognised as a well known depredator on the town. It also appeired that when the patrols apprehended the prisoner Brown, the man who made his escape exclaimed, What, apprehend me for htghway robbery and murder," without anything b ing said to him about murder. This, although perhaps trifling in itself, induced the authorities at Woolwich to send to the Home office, when one of the constable, employed at Easom and the neighbourhood in endeavouring to trace out the murderers of the late Mr. Riehamson w,s sent down on Monday morning- to attend the examination of the prisoner. A master shoemaker at Woolwich on last Sunday fortnight was returning home through Wickhatn-lane, near El'ham, in Kent, about half-past nine in the evening, when he was stopped by ttso men, who each drew a large bludgeon from under their clothes, and demanded his money, or they would have his lite. He did not comply at first, but they were about to strike him with their bludgeons, and he delivered up his watch and all the silver he bad in his picket. Tice prisoner was one of the men who stopped and robin d him, and the man who escaped answered the description of the other who robbed him. The magistrates fully committed the prisoner for trial for this highway robbery. The constable from the Home Office was called in, and on being asked to look at the prisoner, said that he ex +city answered the description of one of the men who was seen coming from the spot when the unfit; tunate Mr. Rich• ardson was murdered, and, from the description given to him of Brown by the patrols, be should think be was the other.  The magistrates directed the constables to make every search atter Brown, and a communicati,n to be instantly sent to Epsom, informing the inirgistrates of the above circinstanc:s, and the prisoner was ordered to be re. mended.  It is expected he will be sent down to Ep,oin for fur ther exatnio4tion.  Chateaubriand mentions it as a curious coin cidenev, that when he was Minister for Foreign Affrirs in France, Mr. Canning filled the same post in England, and Martinez de la Rosa in Spain—a triumvirate of poets, he  . srs, of which history does not afford another example.
The Sun. — 1857-12-10 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SILIOIDE THE  CALED,)NIAN ROAD.  Yesterday Mr. Wei. Payne held an inquest at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, on the body of George Goble, who died in this hospital from injuries he had sustained from a pistol-shot, inflicted by himself after an attempt to murder his wife, on Saturday, the 7th November. Harriet Morris, of No. 22, Bennington-street, Caledonian-road, said the deceased was her father, who was 71vears of age, and by trade a plasterer. She lived in the same house with him, but on the night of Saturday, the 7th Nov., her mother slept with her because she was ill. She heard nothing of her father during the night. Between 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning her mother gut up, and shortly after she had gone down stairs she beard her mother cry out for assistance. She ran down stairs, and on Ong into the room she saw her father striking her mother on the head with a hammer, which caused a sever- cut. Witness pulled her mother out of the room, and having returned she saw her father sittiog on the bed with a pistol in his hand. Witness then ran away, closing the door after her, and calling out "Murder." Iturae" diately afterwards she heard the report of a pistol, and a lodger came down, and a policeman being sent for, they went into the room, and found that the deceased had attempted his life. A doctor was sent for, and he directed his removal to the hospital. He was quite alone when he shot himself. She thought that he had not been right in his %dud fur some time, as six months ago he attempted to poison himself. She thought his mind was disturbed in consequence of being out of work. Tee wife of the deceased said her husband had been out of work for some time, which had preyed upon his mind, and he bad not been right since he attempted to poison himself. There bad been no quarrel between them. He went behind her on the morning in question, and, without any provocation, struck her on the back of the head with a hammer, which caused her to bleed profusely, and her daughter dragged her out of the room. She knew that her husband had a pistol, but he always kept it locked up. Mr. Francis Wakefield Skey, house surgeon of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, said he saw the deceased on his admission. He was bleeding from the mouth. Both augles were enlarged. The tongue was lascerated, with several holes in the palate and right cheek. He afterwards extracted some shot from his tongue, and several shot had come away since. He gradually sank, and. died on Monday from the wound. He had not been in a proper state of mind since he bad been in the hospital. He often said that he would put an end to himself if be recovered, and that he should not have cared if he recovered, and that he should not have cared if he had killed his wife.  The Coroner carefully summed up the evidence, and The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity.  Country Markets.