npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1823-08-04 (London, England)

NAM. HOIMOCKS, FAQ., M.P.—(Further account)—[From the Leeds Mercury.]—On Sunday last a horrible attempt was made to murder Samuel Horrocks, Esq., the head of the great manufacturing house of Horrocks and Co., of Preston, and one of the Represntatives of that borough in Parliament. The atrocious intention of the desperado was happily not fully executed, though the wounds he inflicted, and the manner of inflicting them, were of a nature to give a dreadful shock to the. stoutest frame. One of our correspondents at Preston, writing under datedf,the 30:h ult., says..." I have juat returned from hearing the examination of the man who yaeterday made the diabolical at. tempt on the life of Mr. Horrocks, and I thought a few particulars might not be unacceptable to you. The first witness called stated, that as he was looking out of his window, near the gates leading to Mr. Miller's house, about one o'clock on Sun. day, he saw Mr. Horrocks coming 'towards the gates, and the prisoner about three paid. behind blip ; when, just as Mr. Horrocks was opening. the gates, he saw the prisoner draw from under his coat a butcher's cleaver, with which he struck him a violent blow on the back of his head. Mr. Ilorrocks stantly turned round, but the villain repeated his blows three or four times, while Mr. Horrocks endeavoured to ward them off with his arm ; he then threw the cleaver at his head, at which time the witness and others rushed forward, seized him and took him into Mr. Miller's house, where Mr. florrock; was also taken, bleeding very profusely from the wound in his head. The prissoner, on being asked what could induce him to commit so atrocious a crime, said, that he had made up his mind about two years ago, to destroy both Mr. HorrOcks and Mr. Miller, for having reduced wages 20. per cent. about that time ; the prisoner is a spinner, though not in Mr. Horrocks' employ); that he intended to have shot them, but never could raise money to buy a pair of pistols ; that it was Mr. Miller he was lying iii wait for that morning, as he sup. posed fir. Horrocks was confined to his house; he added, that he was perfectly in his senses, and that he had not taken any liquor for the last 13 days. He repeatedly said, the only regret he felt was, that he had not completed his intentions, and that he was more happy at the present moment than be had been for the last.two years. Mr. Horrocks was not able to at. tend (though I am happy to say he is not considered in dan. ger) ; his clothes, were produced ; his shirt was completely deluged with blood, his hat, fortunately a new and strong one, was cut through about two inches above the rim, On Wednesday the prisoner underwent another examination in Mr. Horrocks's bedroom, where he again expressed himself in the same terms as before, after which he was committed to Lan_ caster Cattle to take his trial for the offence at the approaching Assizes. lam happy to add,.that up to the present hour our worthy representative is advancing towards recovery. The name of the assassin is Hiding; he is a spinner."  , who was
The Sun. — 1823-12-30 (London, England)

HUG 11 COURT OF JUSTICIARY.  EDINBURGH, DEC. 23.  The Court met this morning, at the usual hour, when Catherine Paterson was brought to the bar, accused of the murder of Margaret Baird, or Dunlop, in her own house, on the South Bridge, on the night of the 11th, or morning of the 12th of August last, by inflicting on her head and body certain wounds, of which she died on the 14th of October following. The indictment contained another charge, namely, that of assaulting, striking, and maiming the smelt] argaret Baird, and severely wounding her, to the great effusion of her blood, and imminent danger of her life. Paterson pleaded Not •  It appeared from tha evidence..that op the !light in giostion, a number of men and women were in Ilaird's house, which natericaurone, on the South 13rifige, with an entry from Niddry-street ; that a quarrel took phiee among the women, several of whom were drunk ; and after much gross and ahu. sive language, they bad recourse to blows. The prisoner Paterson, in a paroxysm of rage and passion, dashed several culinary articles through a window, by which the kitchen received a borrowed light from Mrs. Baird's bed. room. In this lied-room Baird and two other women were standing at the time, and the former was first struck on the side by a tea-boiler thrown by Paterson, and afterwards cut on the cheek by a waali•liand basin. Paterson after this sallied from the kitchen, armed with a smoothing iron, and meeting Mrs; Baird in the passage, struck her a blow with it, which laid open her skull. The police were called in, , who disarmed the prisoner, and took the whole party to the police.ollice. Mrs. Baird's wounds were there dressed by the surgeon of the establishment, and she was sent back to her house, the other women being next day sentenced, to '3O day's' confinement in Britiewell for rioting and fighting. Dr. Black, the police surgeon, visited Mrs. Baird the next day, and although he thought the wound was not dangerous, urged her to go to the Royal Infirmary, where it would have been carefully treated. She, however, neglected this advice, and continued for some time to carry on her disgraceful occupation, and in the use of spirituous liquors, to which she was much addicted. About a fortnight before she died, it was proved she had a ball in her house, and was drunk, and danced herself on the occasion. Several of her cronies, who had undergone their punishmept in Bridewell, visited. her afterwards, and found her in apparent good health, though still complaining of the wound in her head. Ten days before her death. Dr. Black again saw her, and found that a slight erysipelas, or inflammation, had taken place, which gradually became worse, and *as followed ify de. lirlum and death. Erysipelas might have taken place without the blow ; but if there was any risk attending the wound, indulgence in intoxication, or other irregularities, was certainly the very worst treatment which could have been given to it. After the evidence, the Lout
The Sun. — 1846-02-02 (London, England)

COMMERCIAL NEWS.  CITY, QUARTER TO THREE,  The sales of Cotton at Liverpool, on Saturday, were 5,000 bales, all to the trade, and at about former prices. There was some improvement in Shares, and the market closed better. There are dates of Dec. 13 from the Cape of Good Hope. The colony, although prospering in respect to seasons, &c., was suffering from political excitement, and the emigration from Natal had act ceased. The new point of attraction now to the Dutch farmers was a piece withm eight days' march of Delagoa Bay. About three hundred men had arrived there ; and the country, as is usual with new settlements, is described as being more fertile than the districts the adventurous farmers had just quitted. There had been a shocking murder committed by the Caffres on the frontiers of the colony, the Rev. Mr. Scholtz, a newly arrived missionary, being the victim. The hard road had been firmed at last across the Cape Downs. The schooner Charles, with 140 tons of guano had been wrecked on the Bird Islands, and although the crew were saved, they lost all their own effects as well as the ship.  Nothing ;:eridifferent to what has previously come to hand is contained in the American advices. .  The English investments have not been quite sustained at the elevated point of Saturday, but this arises probably from the comparatively limited business that has been doing. Consols have realised 94% % for present transfer, and 95 to % for time. The premium on Exchequer Bills has been also rather lower, viz., 255. to 28s. In Bunk and India Stock we have heard of no bargains. Sc uth Sea Sto k is 105 to 106. The New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents. have been 97% to %, and the Three per Cents. 95 to %. Money is rather tight still. For foreign stocks the demand has not been active, but still there is rather more doing than there 'was at the close of last week. Spanish Five per Cents. have been 28 to 1%, and the Three per Cents. 3814 to %. Portuguese Three per Cents. have been 5914. Mexican Stock is heavy at 30% for the Five per Cents., and at 16 for the Deferred. Buenos Ayres Bonds are worth 411/._,, Equador 314, and Peruvian 38. French Five per Cents. have been marked 122 f. 50c., with the exchange at 25f. 70c. Dutch Two and a Half per Cents. have been 59%, and the Four per Cents. 94 to %. Shares are steady, but rather dull. Caledonian are 14% ; Chester and Holyhead, 21 to 22; Eastern Counties, 221 s to 14 ex. dividend; Great Western, 169%; Birmingham, 229 to 230 ; Blanchvale, 91s ; Croydon, 221/., to 3./t ; London and York, 4% %; Midland, 152 ex div. ,• Brighton, 69 to 681 A ; North British, 24:i • North Kent, 2%; SouthEastern 3834 ; Lichmond, from 17 to 16%; Trent Valley, 21 to 14 ; Newcastle and Darlington, 45% ex all.; York and North Midland, 102 ex.all.; Dutch Rhenish, 7%; and Great Northern of France, 14% to 15.
The Sun. — 1846-03-17 (London, England)

ADELPHI.  Honour to Mr. Stirling Coyne for writing, honour to the Adelphi management for producing, one of the most glorious farces that has ever been acted. Reader, are you getting plethoric, fat, heavy, and stupid ?—has your medical man prescribed for you wick a view to shake your sides, and to stimulate your absorbents?—do you wish to enjoy yourself, to laugh, to scream for halt an hour ? Go and-see the new Adelphi farce. It is AI. although it is entitled,' Did you ever send your wife to Camberwell? 'A question- as dull as ever counsel put to witness, but the answer 'to which aff,rds matter for infieite mirth. Mr. Chesterfield Honeybun (Mr. Wright) did send his wife to Camberwell—a wife whom he had Married-Without the consent-of relations—a wife, more-over, young, pretty (Miss Woolgar acted the part), and jealous ; and during their absence from their tittle, Mrs. Crank (Mrs. F. Matthews). with her baby, takes possessioi of the said attic. Mrs. Crank, imaeining that the attic is the lodging of her husband, Mr. Isaac Crank (Mr. 0. Sthith), clockmsk'r of Stoke who has Coma. up to London on busines, she leaves her child in the bed, and goes out to seek her husband. Crank, hearing a -child cry, enters the room, and recognising his own blessed " baht9 ," ,4hich he had thought safe- and sound at Stoke P. jis, incautiously becomes jealous. No sooner hay he left than Heneybun enters, and, finding the baby in his bed, and fearing his wFe's jealousy, hides it nehind a the t of drawers: As be leaves, his aunt enters to bring about a reconciliation, fancies it is a juvenile Honeybun, and takes i awae to adopt it. Crank returns, meets Howybun. at:cases him as the se-ducer ot his wife, seiz ,s him by the throat, throws him against the draw. rs, which fall, and, as Honeybun believes, " t.quisbcd" the child. Afraid of being accused of murder he gets out on the roof of the house, and Mrs. Crank emering tired by her walk very quietly fn,conces herself in Hone) bun's bed. Driven in by a shower of rain, Heneyhun finds her there, and at the same time hears his j,,alotts wiFe aseonding the stairs. Faecy Wright in this qumtdary. Words minuet do justice to the rich butt eur with which this scenewas given. • The dialogue, what we could catch of it, was pointed, but -the shouts of laughter were so loud, and so continuous that it was impossible to hear two consecutive senteneee. To increase the confusion Crank enters and finds Honeybun on his knees before-Mrs. Crnnk. He imploring her forgiveness for what he (tails. bakeeide ; he is. however, relieved by the entrance-. of. Aunt J,well with the baby, and then it comes out that lives on the- floor below, anti that Mrs. Crank has mistaken the room. The piece ends with a declaration on part of Honeybun of his intenden to seed his wife to Cambekrwell. every night, a prlhiise which, we tieiOt he will for some fifty. night's tea ct)rue. The, n.rtis!,,L,, baby, and ali were called for at the fall of the euetein, and in this instance moct certainly the honour was richly deserved.
The Sun. — 1846-04-27 (London, England)

ATTEMPT AT MURDER IN DRURY-LANE.  CAPTURE OF THE ALLEGED ASSASSIN.  On Saturday night, a few minutes before nine o'clock, the neighbourhood of Drury-lane was thrown into the greatest state of consternation by the commission of another of those horrible acts of attempted assassinatiun which in this instance, as in the recent one, will, without doubt, prove fatal in its consequences. It appears from information obtained by the reporter from those who were witnesses of the diabolical deed, that about ten minutes before nine o'clock the unfortunate victim, a lithographic printer, named Blewett, residing at 18, White Hart-yard, Drury-lane, was returning home from his employment, and walking down Drury-lane, from the direction of Great Queenstreet, towards Princes-street. On the arrival of the unfortunate man near Morgan's dining-rooms, situate at the corner of Princes-street, a youth was observed to step before him and fire a pistol directly at his dbreast. A man named Samuel Sandered, who was rinking cutside the public-houso exactly opposite, hearing the report, ran across the road, and succeeded in catching Blewett in his arms, as he was staggering. The poor fellow exclaimed, " Oh, I am shot,"and the blood was 'seen issuing from the front of his shirt. At th. moment the youth who had fired, took to his heels, 'ls the direction of Great Queen-street, pursued bypoiclenconstable Dunsford, 83 F. The wounded man was conveyed to the shop of a surgeon, in Drury-lane, where on opening his shirt, it was discovered that he had received a bullet wound in the left breast, from which the blood was flowing. He was conveyed to King's College Hospital, where, on being examined by Mr. Walker, the house surgeon, it was ascertained that the ball had entered the left breast, and passed out at the right breast. He is also of opinion that the wound Is mortal. Immediate information was forwarded relative to the sad occurrence to the wife of Blewett, and she lost no time in proceeding to the bedside of her unfortunate husband at the hospital. He was at this time able to speak, and stated that he was wholly unconscious of who had shot him, and that he had not the slightest quarrel with any person.  - On inspection of the pistol, it was found to have been recently discharged. It is a heavy barrelled pistol, such as is used by the police, with a flint lock upon it, and the bullets are rather small for it, being about double the size of a pea. William Hathaway, residing in Drury-lane, states that he was close to the youth when he fired, and was so stunned with the suddenness of the report that he could not tell whether he took deliberate aim or not ; but he saw him stand for a second afterwards with the pistol in his hand ; and it was not until he saw the assassin run away that he recovered himself; and then he called "Police !" and pointed him out, whilst running, to the constable. Dunsford, the police-constable, continued his pursuit, without losing sight of the accused, until he arrived iu Little Queen-street (singularly enough, the place where the murderer Wick was captured), and where 11,1 took the prisoner into custody.
The Sun. — 1846-01-20 (London, England)

ASSISTANT-JUDGE, in passing sentence, said this boy had neither father nor mother, nor any one to look after him or give him instruction. His father had .been dead two years, and since then he had been going about the streets. What was he to do with him ? The state of the law was this—it put a certain definition upon cases of felony ; a child under eight years of age could not be guilty of felony, because he is not at an age to know right from wrong ; but at the age of fourteen they were to be tried and punished as felons ; and there was no provision at all for children between the ages of seven and fourteen. There was one instance of a boy eleven years old having been hanged for murder ; but in that case it was shown that he knew he had done wrong as he had hid himself in a wood. The state of things that existed then did not exist now, the state of property was not the same, society and knowledge were not as in the present day—yet the very same definition was put upon those cases, as in those barbarous ages. The effect was, that if a bey were convicted of an offence, he must either be convicted of a felony, and punished accordingly-, or receive no punishment whatever under 14. No means were provided by the law for the reformation of juvenile offenders. The county of Middlesex had set an example to all the counties in England, by the establishment of schools for children iu the prisons. He considered such a subject should not be optional upon the magistracy, but imperative, and that the State itself should interfere, and see that proper places were provided fir the juvenile offenders ,of the country, fur it was perfect nonsense to imagine that children ought to be punished as' grown persons. He. did want to see something done for these poor children. Within the last eighteen months he had seen no fewer than three hundred of these little creatures, between the ages of seven and f urteen, who had been placed at the criminal bar without any. provision whereby they could be saved fr: an destruction ; in fact, the law had provided no place to which they could be sent. A short time since, a child of eight years old, who had bar twice con vieted previously, was breught before him for the third time; he was of course obliged to send him to prison, but he said to the Bend.) at the time that they were sending him to gaol to harden him. In the present case be should send the prisoner to Westminster Bridewell, where there was a good school, and .where he would have the benefit of mural and feligious instruction during his confleement. The sentence, therefore, was,, that he be imprisoned fur the term of six months, and kept to hard leleour. ,lanaesFllutt, IG, was found Guilty of stealing seven linon shirts, and othvr articles, the property of John  Tayix*. • The
The Sun. — 1846-01-24 (London, England)

MURDER OF THE EARL OF MOR LEY'S GAMEKEEPER. SALTRAM, THURSDAT.—This morning an inquest was held at the Union Inn, Underwood, by Mr. A. B. Boney, (as the body of Edward Tothill, the gamekeeper, whose unfortunate death in an affray with poachers has been already mentioned. Application was made for the admission of the pres., but the Coroner refused to allow any but the witnesses to be present at the proceedings. It is, however, understood that the evidence of Mr. Belvin, the head-keeper, wasp in substance, as follows : "At four o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, the 21st inst., I was out in Earl Morley's preserves with a party of assistance, nine in number. The deceased, Edward rothill, was the second keeper. The first intimation we had that there were poachers out was from reports of suns in the Morefield preserve. We proceeded in that direction, and came up with the poachers, who were armed, and had dogs with them. In the hope of deterring the party we fired upon the dogs, and they ran away. I then challenged the poachers to stand, which they refused, and three shots were fired at us. One of the keepers, named Belevin, was struck in the shoulder, though not seriously injured. Judging from their number and daring character that our lives were in danger, I ordered the keepers to fire in the direction from whence the last two tiaLhes appeared, and after discharging their guns to rush in upon the gang. They did so, and while I was reloading my gun, I heard one of the keepers call to me for assistance. I ran towards him, and found him struggling with one of the poachers, named William Foote Read, whom the keeper had by this time got down. My assistant, Timothy Ilpierf was endeavouring to wrest from Read a double-bane gun. In the 'struggle Read got away and discharged the' gun at Loper, but fortunately without effect, the charge passed over his head. I enough to render any assistance, but fr wLobasupterrneoctiemivmmrejearnetig --hms7an'NsVass a fseeet: nldoiatitai cakilneodckteod TRotehaidll fl,drodwthnef, rhanantdhdceu Calling the men together, we went in search of afterwards heard another shot further down the plantation. Totbill, and found him lying on his face ; he had either a gun or pistol wound in the breast, and was quite dead. Next morning, when sufficiently light, I proceeded with some assistance to the place, and close to where the body of Tothill lay, we found three hats belonging to the party who had escaped ; one of the hats had several shots through it, so that I have no doubt but that some of the party were wounded." Several witnesses are still to be examined, and it is probaUle that the inquest will last for at least another day. It appears that the man in custody, who was not actually prey sent when the murder was committed, was formerly a surveyor, but has latterly kept a butcher's shop. He has -received some small shots in the head, but is not considered in danger.
The Sun. — 1846-04-24 (London, England)

WORSHIP-ST.R EE T. Jane Dove, a scantily-attired and emaciated. look widow, was placed at the bar, before Mr. Broughton, charged. with having threatened to murder three of her children, Of ages varying from 3 to 11 years. It appeared that as a weaver named Savage was passing through John-street, Bethnal-green, shortly before one o'clock on Sunday morning, a little boy ran up to him in great terror and agitation, and implored his assistance, as his mother had armed herself with a knife, and was about to murder all the family. He, witness, immediately applied to police-constable Fowler, with whom he accompanied the boyto the house and on entering a back room, in which there were two childre,t asleep, they found the prisoner pacing UP and down in a state vf extreme excitement, and on communicating to her the substance of her son's statement, she threw herself into a chair, and bursting into tears, said that it had been her intention to destroy her childen first, and then cut her own throat. On asking the son for the weapon his mother had attempted to use, he handed the constable a table-knife, together with a whetstone, on which he said the prisoner had sharpened it just before he ran into the street. The appearance of the place denoted the last stage of poverty and destitution, and the only articles of furniture in the room, besides an old deal table and a couple of broken chaises was a wretched bed in one of the corners for the indiscriminate use of the unhappy family. The prisoner's son, an intelligent boy, eleven years of :sige was then examined, and stated that after putting the other children to bed, and sharpening the knife fur some time upon the stone, his mother suddenly started up, and declaring that she would murder the whole of them, attempted to seize bold of him, but he contrived to elude her grasp, and hastened out for assistance.  The prisoner's daughter, a young married woman, here stepped forward, and stated that her mother had obtaine f a scanty subsistence by washing for poor families in the neighbourhood, but that latterly she had been unable to obtain sill employment, and the whole family had since been wholly dependent on the labour of the two elder boys, who earned a few shillings a week at paper staining. She felt satisfied that her mother's mind had become unsettled through the misery of her situation. Upon being called upon for her defence, the prisoner, who was obviously labouring under acute mental suffering, disclaimed any deliberate design to injure her children, and besought the magistrate to allow her to return home. Mr. BROUGHTON said that it was certainly a very vela r choly case, but as it was perfectly manifest that the woman 9 mind was in a state of positive derangement, and that the lives of her children would be in jeopardy if she were set at large, he felt it his duty to commit her to prison, where every attention would be shown to her, and he should direct into their parish officers, in the mean time, to take the case 11to their consideration, and adopt proper stops fur the protection of the prisoner and her family.