npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Northern Guardian. — 1892-06-09 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

AND CON FEB :I IDX  AIN-TIM CRIME.  ......... - A SPAN  NH WOMAIV GACI:EO  ND STRANGLNIT,  from Mseiri(l says ::—The police heft  A telegram hare_ just succeeded in unravelling a peculiarly hoerible murder mystery which hut for soror weeks past engaged their attention. On the 25th April last, some boys who, were at play in a littlefrequented street in the outskirts of the city noticed resting against the wall of a laundry a sack of the kind generally used by Madrid washerwomen to carry linen to and from the houses af their customers. Ita presence did not excite any suspicion until one of the lade, happening to lean against it, was struck by the fact that its contents appeared to be of a much more solid character than any geed, usually conveyed in a laundry sack. In the ontlying quarters of Madrid a good deal of  SMUGGLING GOES ON, and some women, whose attention the boys directed to the matter, concluded that a quantity of contraband merchandise, suddenly abandoned for sorne reason or other, had been accidentally diecovered. The police were communicated with, and ea arriving upon the scene proceeded to' open the mysterious sack. Untying it at the invuth, they extracted a quantity of female clothing torn le shreds, and there then appeared the hesafof a dead woman. Finding themselves confronted by what was evidently- a shocking crime, the police laid the sack on the ground, and ripped it open. The and, body of an elderly woman, which had been. tightly packed in the bag, her clothing being used as parliing, was disclosed to view. The nose of deceased was bruised as if by a blow or fall, and tied firmly over her mouth was a calico kerchief of the kind ordinarily worn by Spanish women of the pane classes. The kerchief was PO twisted and Ueda to form, together with a quantity of black woek which had been stuffed into the mouth, an effected gag. The face was  SO DISFIG UR ED that it is impossible to identify the features of tie deceased. By means of the clothing, however, the murdered woman was recognised as Ramona Tomas, who lived in the topmost story of a house hari by, along with her grandson, a boy of twelve, who serves as a chorister at the church of ,See Sebastian. The motive of the crime was suggested by the fact that old Ramona was believed to have saved a good deal of money, and was in the habit of lendingitout in small sums to poorer neighbours at a very high rate of interest. Fora time the police were unable to obtain any clue to the perpetrators of the murder, but suspicion was directed against a man named John Pintado, who lived near tile laundry where the body was discovered, mid whose wife had been seen in the oompany of the deceased at a place outside Madrid. The couple, who were known to be in Ramona's debt, were aexirdingly placed under arrest and severely cross-examined. Important circumstances in the evidence were discovered at the house they occupied, including a sack resembling that in which the body had been packed, and a quantity of black wood similar to that with which the
The Northern Guardian. — 1892-04-30 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THE WHEATLEY HILL CASE.  PRISONER AGAIN BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES. ADMITTED TO BAIL  To-day—before the county justices at Castle Eden —Joseph Pearson, master blacksmith, Wheatley Hill, again came up for trial charged on remand with the attempted murder of James Atkin, miner, of the same place, on the 25th inst. The magistrates on the Bench were the Rev. J. Burdon (chairman), Rev. R. Taylor, and Major Burdon. Mr. Forrest, of Durham, appeared to prosecute, and Mr. Edward Bell, of Sunderland, defended. The circumstances of the case, briefly, are that on Monday night last the accused, who is employed at Wheatley Hill colliery, and has been engaged in part of the pumping operations during the strike, was returning home from work, when he was set upon, it is alleged, by a crowd of men, women, and children, mostly non-workers. He WSW armed with a revolver, which he drew and fired into the air as a warning to the crowd. The crowd, it is stated, paid no heed to this, however, and the accused tired again, indiscriminately, into the crowd, with the result that the prosecutor was wounded in the left thigh and he had to be carried home. There was quite a flutter of excitement in court when the ease was called on this morning. The accused, who is a man of very respectable appearance, dark complexioned, with well-trimmed beard, and standing above the middle height, appeared in the dock to be fully conscious of the grave nature of the charge against him. Prosecutor was unable to appear. Mr. Forrest said that the only thing to do to-day VJEW to ask the Bench for a further remand, as, owing to the critical condition of Atkin, he was still unable to appear. He called Dr. Symington, assistant to Dr. Nesbitt, Wheatley Hill, who deposed that prosecutor's condition was now very favourable. He was not fit, however, to attend court.  Mr. Itorrest : Might symptoms arise which might culminate in his death?  Mr. Bell • Is he past the critical stage? .... • - Witness : Yes.  . _ Mr. Bell, addressing the magistrates:, said the charge was originally preferred by the police, and was then one of unlawful shooting; but since his friend had got hold of it, it was increased to one of attempted murder. With all respect to Mr. Forrest, and after going carefully into the facts, he must confess that he could not see any evidence or trace of attempted murder. He, therefore, asked the Bench to admit his client to bail; and he understood that the police who began those proceedings did not oppose his application.  Superintendent Webster; Not if the man is out of danger. Mr. Forrest said the bail would have to be substantial and good. The charge was second to the gravest that could be brought against a man under the English law. The police would have to be satisfied that the sureties were worth the amount for which they were bound.  The Bench admitted the accused to bail, himself in the sum of £5O and two sureties of £5O each; and the case was adjourned for a fortnight.
The Northern Guardian. — 1892-06-23 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

IRE NORTHERN GUARDIAN, THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1892.  Durham would never have taken place. If the pitmen in the late strike had had txmficlence in the colliery owners, or even in their delegates, that terrible deadlock would never have arisen. (Cheers.) _ . . .  Councillor MARTIN seconded the propoSition. It was supported by Mr. Matthew Harrison, and carried amid great enthusiasm. Repeated cheers for Mr. Richardson closed a magnificent business meeting.  ane statement only, and that was of the ridiculous nonsense that their opponents used during that memorable General Election about disunion and disintegration of the Empire. (Cheers.) Irish Members, and men like Mr. Molloy, were as anxious for the continuance of of the power of the United Kingdom as he was himself. (Cheeis.) lie would not speak Icing, bid he 'wished to say that there were two matters about which „  THEIR POLITICAL OPPONENTS boasted. One was their foreign policy and the other was technical education. With reference to foreign policy, the present Government said that during tne six years we have had no war. That might be true; but we had had big bills to pay and nothing to show for them. He would tell them how the Foreign Office had been engaged. Some time ago a relative of Lord Salisbury's, the Prime Minister, succeeded in inducing the Shah of Persia to give him a kmonopoly in the tobacco interest of the country. He (the speaker) understood that he bought the monopoly for a sum of £15,0003, but that monopoly was found to be so unpopular with the people of the country that the Persian Government WM obliged to commence to treat for iepurchasing it. They offered £300,000 to repur base that monopoly, but that relative of Lord Salisbury's, not satisfied with the sum, induced the Foreign Office to use their influence with Persia, and the result was that the Persians had to agree to pay £500,000 for what they sold for £15.000. The reason he nientioned that was because a friend of his had ONLY THAT DAY told him that he had a son in Persia occupying aim important position, and owing to the pressure brought by the Foreign Office upon the Persians to pay ! more than a fair amount the priests were preaching the murder of all Europeans, so that the lives of the ,! latter were put in jeopardy, and his friend's son's among them for a whole ten clays. That was the foreign policy of the Government. It was a policy that was no credit to the country. (Cheers.) Referring to technical education, he said that it was the sturdy opposition of the Liberal members that caused the Government to abandon their scheme or compensation to brewers, and to take up technical instruction with the money. He declared himself against house to house canvassing. It was a great injustice for employers or their officials to ask working men which way they were going to vote. He had also received a clear and definite statement that day of something else that was going on. It was not only with regard to working men, but also with regard to some of
The Northern Guardian. — 1892-09-08 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THE DOUGLAS TRAGEDY.  SCENE AT THE INQUEST. VERDICT: WILFUL MURDER.  The inquest was resumed yesterday at Douglas, Isle of Man, on the body of Mrs Cooper, who was found dead with a wound in her breast in a room of the Regent Hotel, in that town, on Saturday morning. The steward of the steamer Mona's Isle, who was the first witness called, contradicted the statement already made that deceased was drunk when she arrived at Douglas in the steamer on Friday night. Police-Constable Whitfield, who arrested Cooper, the husband of deceased, stated that when he saw deceased lying on the floor he said to accused, "Why, she is dead; who has done this?" Cooper replied, "I don't know. I have been to Dumbell's bank in company with Mr Bradshaw, and on my return I found her like this." Witness asked him if he found her on the floor, anti Cooper answered that he found her in a faint on the bed, and got her on to the floor and poured some water over her. He afterwards said, "I must go downstairs and have a drink." Witness told him he could not go out of the room. Cooper said, "I must go," and made for the door. Police-constable Warren stated that when Cooper was arresteu he exclaimed, "Oh, my Cod ! Let me kiss her before lam taken away." The night-dress worn by deceased, covered with blood, was produced, and Warren stated that he found it on the floor with one of the sleeves torn out. When the night-dress was shown in court, Cooper seemed for the first time to be affected. The constable also produced a washhand basin three-parts filled with blood, and a knife which he said he found lying beside it. The sheet, pillows, and bolster were all smeared with blood, and the cuffs of the shirt which Cooper was wearing at the time had blood on them. There was also blood in a wardrobe drawer, and an attempt appeared to have been made to wash bloodstains from some towels and handkerchiefs, and a portion of deceased's under linen appeared to have been used to wipe the floor. Mr Brooks, manager of the firm of E. J. & F. Cooper, of Manchester, of which the deceased's father is the principal partner, was called to prove that on Friday last they had received a draft settlement from Cooper's solicitors, which he was goingtomake upon his wife. It had reference to money that he wished to settle upon her. The Coroner then summed up, and during his address to the jury Cooper fainted, and had to be removed Irons court. After a consultation, the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder. The verdict was received with applause on the part of those in court. The prisoner was then formally committed on the coroner's warrant for the wilful murder of his wife. The body of Mrs Cooper was yesterday morning removed by her family to Birmingham for interment in the family grave there.
The Northern Guardian. — 1892-07-20 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

THE FUTURE.  WHEN the two elections yet to poll are over Mr Gladstone, unless he is again unfortunate, will be in possession of a majority of 42. That is giving him all the Parneßites, the Anti-Parnellites, and the Labour Members. It is still possible that Lord Salisbury will refuse to accept without a test the claim that Mr Gladstone will have a majority in reality, as he now has on paper. The Nationalists have intimated that they are not to be considered as anything but a separate and independent Irish Party. A similar announcement has been made by the Labour men, so that if it be Lord Salisbury's intention to remain in office until the reality 3f a majority on either side is proven, he is acting perfectly within his rights and in a spirit that no one can condemn. We do not think, however, that it will affect the ultimate state of affairs. Should he not feel disposed to resign without debate, a Queen's speech will be read upon the assembling of the new Parliament, the Opposition will move an amendment of want of confidence to the Address, and unless the Nationalists desert their Gladstonian allies the amendment is sure to be carried. Then, at least, Lord Salisbury would resign, and it would fall to Mr Gladstone to form an Administration. We have as yet read no speculiettions as to the individuals of which that Administration will consist ; but we may rest assured that Mr Gladstone is still on the very threshold of his difficulties. His motley sections of supporters may all demand a slice of the spoil, and the Prime Minister will be helpless. If he goes into office with the aid of the Nationalists, the latter may justly claim some distinction for at least one or two of their leaders. Mr Davitt, for instance, who knows something of prison life, and is supposed to sympathise greatly with one or two gentlemen of the Fenian type who are now absent from public life owing to circumstances over which they have no control, might cast his eyes modestly in the direction of the Home Secretaryship. Or what greater political novelty could we have than a real Irish Irish Secretary Mr Balfour we know from Gladstonian orators, only made a poor fist at the job, judged by the old traditions ; and considering that there are no boycottings, no outrages, no political prisoners, and few evictions at the present time, we may take it that Mr Jackson has failed absolutely. Things were a little more lively and agreeable under the regime of Mr Gladstone, but even the past has nothing to offer in comparison with the possibilities opened up by the prospect of an Irish Secretary for Ireland. The Irish have always been able to make things hum when the country was under their own control. They object to the firm government of Lord Salisbury, but that, we suppose, is only because they can do the business so much better themselves. During that wonderful Parliament which takes the name ,of Grattan, they passed fifty-four Coercion Acts, organised a very exciting Rebellion, murdered and outraged on every side, and by the exercise of that brilliant intellect which the Gladstonians are never tired of applaud
The Northern Guardian. — 1895-01-16 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

GENERAL PURPOSES 00333IITTEE. I should a man eminent and respected in his profession, The alum read the report of the above committee j wealthy, and free from care, suddenly and without , "There is Mr. Prescott," suggested Mrs. Fairfield,' containing the following resolutions :—" That Mr 1 any warning commit such a deed? That was the with some hesitation. "He is the only one whot, Tickle be informed, in reply to his letter of the 4th j question everybody was asking; and there was no knows the circumstances, except Dr. Davis and we inst., that the Board hardly know him." were prepared to take up the I answer to it. On Captain Everett's own showing, . ; loan of £8,130 in the following way, namely, I there was no anxiety or trouble in the doctor's mind , "Why should we not ask Mr. Prescott's., help iii £4,130 on the completion of the mortgage, and the I about his nephew; and no other cause had been . asked Dora of herself. It was now some month* balance by instalments of £2,000 each, to be paid I mentioned which was worthy of discussion. sinee she had refused his offer; and since tie time on the 30th of March and 29th of June next. Also, The doctor had been murdered. That was the con- there had been no trace of love-making in his Manner. that the Board be recommended to carry out the . elusion of the press, and of the public; and there was He had been alwaylfni. Fairfield recommendes attentive, always kind, but d alterations and improvements at the Galley's Field only one man at whom the finger of suspicion pointed nothing more. If site suggested by Mr Bottomley in their entirety, 1 —the man who alone had had the opportunity of him as the one to apply to for advice, surely she could at the estimated cost of £1,290. It was also , committing it—the man who, possibly at least, had a resolved that the Board be recommended to in- 1 very strong motive for desiring the old man's death. not be doing wrong in asking him. " I will write a note and ask him to come round at struct the teachers not to send scholars after I It was on Wednesday merning—the Wednesday of once," said Dora, escaping to her own room. i absentees after this notice." , the week after that on which the inquest was held— Having gained that refuge, she first of all wrote a Councillor FOXTON said he thought the Board that a quiet, self-possessed man, plainly dressed in few lines to Harvey Prescott,dark clothes, called at number 16, Oswald Street, Mrs. Fairfield as soon as he could. That did not begging him to call oni should hesitate before they adopted that portion of the report referring to the alterations to the Piccadilly, where Captain Everett had his rooms, take her long. Having dispatched the note, she Galley's Field site. It was a matter to which they The quiet, self-possessed man was accompanied by a timed again to her writing-table and wrote as fast ought to give grave consideration before they constable in plain clothes, who waited in the hall, as the pen would fly over the paper. adopted it. The £1,290 was a big item of expendi- while his superior was shown to the captain's room. , "
The Northern Guardian. — 1895-01-18 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL.  An article appeared in the St. James's Ga:ette yesterday, hinting at the Duke of Devonshire as Premier in the next Government. There is no intention of Lord Salisbury giving up the chieftainship of the Unionist Party ; nor is there any desire on the part of any other Unionist leader to see anyone but Lord Salisbury in the chief place. The ambitious schemes attributed to Mr Chamberlain are imaginary. If he joins the next Unionist Government it will be from patriotic motives, not personal ambition.  So far as its immediate effects are concerned not much is likely to come, a London correspondent says, of the threatened Parnellite demonstration on the Address in regard to the imprisoned dynamitards. Safe in the assurance of the Unionist support on the question, the Government can afford to snap their fingers at Mr Redmond and his followers, and the only result of the action taken will probably be to show once more how profound are the sympathies of certain Radicals for the ruffians who practised, as well as preached, the gospel of indiscriminate murder. But though the Government are fairly certain to come well out of the business, their continued refusal of amnesty to Daly and his associates will not improve the already sufficiently strained relations which exist between them and the Parnellites.  Mr Secretary AFquith builds his hopes for next Session on his new Factory Bill. This is to be a larger and more thorough-going measure than his Bill of last Session. That Bill was so unsatisfactory to workmen as well as employers that Mr Asquith was not sorry to have to withdraw it. He is now in the conciliatory mood befitting the member of a Cabinet whose life bangs on a thread, and he is quite willing to refer his Bill to the Grand  Aril,..  Committee on Trade if the House should get as far as to deal with Bills.  —ooo— approaching a garotting scare is just now prevalent in the central districts of the West End. Of late there have been numerous street outrages with w view to robbery in this neighbourhood, some of them of a very daring and brutal character. One of the worst lincidents has just been brought to light through the , medium of a coroner's inquest. The victim in this case was an old gentleman who was waylaid after midnight in Shaftesbury Avenue by four ruffians, knocked senseless, and then robbed of all he possessed. He was subsequently picked up by a passer-by and taken home, where, after considerable suffering, he succumbed to his injuries. His assailants are still at large, and so far as can be seen are likely to be so.  —OOO It is understood that one of the Australian Colonies will shortly call for tenders for the supply of 350 miles of railway material, the order amounting in the aggregate to about 30,000 tons. The gross value of the contract will be in the neighbourhood of £90,000.