npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Poole Telegram. — 1886-04-02 (Poole, Dorset, England)

ROMANTIC ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.  At West Rant, Ellett Elizabeth Oroubh, 19, a single womanliving at 21, Mayfield-road, Hertnitroad, Plaistow, was cbarged, on remand, with attempting to commit suicide by cutting her throat with a razor.—The evidence showed that the prisoner for BOUM time past had been keeping corn piny with a young man named Walter Porter; and on Sunday evening, the 21st inst., she called at the house of Catherine MaGovarin, a friend. MaGovarin, k ocying she looked strange, invited her to have a cup of tea, but prisoner said she could not take anything as she had fallen out with Walter, adding, "If he does not speak to me to-night I will do away with myself. He had 'the best' of me three months ago, and ever since he has been playing the fool with me. Will you come with me and try and find him? If he speaks to me to-night I'll give him up the razor." MeGovarin and prisoner left the house together. and, meeting Walter, McGovarin asked him tt speak to the prisoner, but lie said he would not, and when told that prisoner had a razor, and said she would "do away" with herself if he did not speak to her, he replied, "I can't help it. If she will be headstrong she can do so." He then went into is publichouse, but afterwards be went to the prisoner and demanded the razor, saying if she did not give it up he would give her in charge. To this prisoner replied, "Very well, do so," and Porter went away. Prisoner followed him, and asked, 'What is it to be? Are we going to be friends, or not?" and his answer being "No," she asked, "You will not, then? You see this razor?' and at the same time producing the razor, and drawing it across her throat, she added, "You will repent the day."—Mr. Phillips said he had had a letter from the chaplain, who said prisoner was willing to go into a home.—Prisoner: Yes, sir, I will go.—Mr. Phillips: Very well. You are now discharged, and I hope you'll never be so foolish again.
The Poole Telegram. — 1886-04-02 (Poole, Dorset, England)

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY AT BRIGH TON. MURDER AND SUICIDE.  George Henry Metcalfe, 32, landlord of the Lion Inn, St. J^mes's-street, Brighton, has not been very happy with his wife, aged 26, to whom he had been married only three years. During the past few days he had ceased to live in the house, and one day this week the license of the inn was transferred to the wife's father, who took the business to keep a home for his daughter. About three o'clock on Friday afternoon Metcalfe went to the house and sat for some little time in the bar parlour talking to the barmaid. At length he went upstairs. The next minute the barmaid heard shots, and saw Metcalfe standing on :a flight of stairs in the upper part of the house firing at his wife, who was on the landing. Two shots were fired in the barmaid's presence, and the unfortunate woman dropped on the landing mortally wounde.l. Metcalfe then ran into the bedroom and blew his own brains out by firing into his mouth. The shot passed through his head and into the ceiling. He died almost instantaneously, but his wife lingered in great sufferim; for about an hour and a half. When she died she was suffering from three wounds one in the the neck (in which the bullet was plainly visible) another in the ribs, and a third in her arm. Two medical men were at once summoned; bet it was MD from the outset that she was past aid. .  She repeatedly made incoherent ejaculations as to her sufferings, but was not able to give any account of the occurence. The revolver with which the deed was committed. was a five-barrelled one, and was purchased within the last few days at a local pawnbroker's. Metcalfe had given it out that he was about to emigrate, and it is rumoured that a breach of promise suit wa6 pending against him.
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-01-04 (Poole, Dorset, England)

THE DEATH OF A MAN AND WOMAN ON THE RAILWAY.  An inquest was held at Long Ditton on Monday evening, touching tie death co' R ibert and Eliza Williams (otherWiS3 Pearce), a man and woman, both about 50 years of age, whose bddies wsrt f mad, shockingly mutlated, om the L indon and Siuth-Western Railway, about 500 yards from the flamp'on-court Junction signal-box, on tho morning of the 264 h ult. The bodies were i entifii as those of a man and woman who gained a living as hawkers or field labiurers, and who had been staying at a common lodging-house in Kingston for the last three montos, and it was stated that they were quite cheerful when they left there on Christmas Day morning, and, as they were steady, industrious people, there was no reason to suspect that they would c inamit suicide. It was given in evidence that the driver of the 536 train from Salisbury not red pieces of flesh and of a shawl on his engine when he reached Vauxhall on the evening of Cnristmas Day, and that on the following m- ruing the signalman stati.ined at Hampton Court Junction, Henry Morris. said he saw the bodies lying on the line as decried, the woman being nearly cut to pieces. The dr.ver stated that he felt no shock ti the engine on passing the spot but that one of the buffers was "driven home," as if it came in cont ict with the deceased. The night was dark and foggy, and he saw nothing of them. It was stated that the deceived, were last seen going to Claygate in the at ternoon, and, as this was known to be a near out back to their ldtginse which people sometime used, though they had no right to cross the line, the jury were satisfted that the deceased wer in the act of crossing th lino when the train earns upon them unexpect .dly and cut them down. There being., however, ne trent evidence on the point, they returned an open verdict oi found dead on the railway.
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-03-14 (Poole, Dorset, England)

EXTRAORDINARY DISAPPEARANCE OF A FISHERMAN.  A most extraordinary o,lcurrence took place here on Sunday last, when a fisherman named James Pearce disappeared in a most unaccountable manner. Pearce. who is of a somewhat eccentric character, and who is about 4111 years of age, resided with his father, in Chesil. He went to bed on Saturday night with his father, and Rot up, so it is stated, ab )ut 2 a.m. on the following morning—a not unusual hour for this extraordinary individual to arise. When his father came downstairs he saw his eon had been out, because of two nieces of board that bad been brought in. He did not return, but this did not cruse the elder Pearce any uneasiness, knowing what an eccentric character his son was, and therefore he said nothing. However the day wore on with no sign of him, and as night cause on Pearce became anxious, and set about making inquiries, when he ascertained that his son's hat had beau discovered on the Chesil Beach about eight o'clock between the Cove and Cove Inn. Later in the day his waistcoat was picked up at the water's edge, about half-a-mile west of the railway station, and not far from the spot where the men found this they distinctly saw a body in the trough of the breakers, but were not able to distinguish the features. It is thought probable that this was the body "of Pearce, both the father and brother having identified the clothes, and it is their opinion that the unfortunate man was taken with a fit whilst walking on the beach, and rolled into the bay and was drowned. Others, knowing his peculiarities, are inclined to the belief that he committed suicide by deliberately walkimg into the water, whilst others consider it very doubtful whether he has been drowned at all. However, nothing has since been heard of him.
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-01-18 (Poole, Dorset, England)

SAD DEATH BY DROWNING OF A YOUNG LADY.  The town of Wareham was deeply distressed on Friday night by hearing of the unlitnely end of a young lady very much respect ,d in the p arieh —Miss Emilie Annie ieenehron, the d 'lighter of the highly esteemed Congregation el mi deter, Rev. W. Deneham, who has had the superintendence of thet church for the last nine or ten years. The deceased, who was only 25 yea-s ef age, has for some time past suffered from melancholia, for which she has been treated by Dr, Daniel, and although her lownees of spirits had been very manifest, she had never said eny thing that was calculated to lead her Mende to believe she Was tired of her life. 01 Friday evenine, about h elf-past eieht, she left her home, informing her parents th,t she was wag for a waik. Dr. Daniel had pure previously seen her, and she then appeared as usual. About an hour after am .n d wer, a labourer, was t Iby another named Spicer that he had seen something fl )ating in the water near the club beat house. He rowed towards it, and aaw it was a body fully dressed. He did not tike it into his beet. as the boat behne leaky he wae afraid it might sink it. He however at once gave information to the police, and Superintendent Felthane with several constables proceeded t) search for it, and after some trouble " dragged " it from the bo't me of Radcliffe hole, where it had floated and sunk. It was then discovered to be the body of Mite Densharn, and information was at once given I) her friends, who, of course, were terribly grieved. An inquest veal hell on Se.urdey at the Town Hall, before Dr. Webster, coroner, when be addition ti evi lance given to the ab aye effect Miss Selby, a friend of the deceased, was c ailed, and ,tated that she had seen nothing in her demeanour to lead her t ) the belief that she hatended to c amolt suicide. ede 3 knew nothing of the deceased h lying suffered from a dieapp .intment in love. The jury returned an open verdict of " Found Drowned." The funeral t ,ok place yesterday ( \fon lay) after. no ex. and wee attended by the chief members of the congregation, and a lerge number of othere. The Rev. E. Evans of Poole performed the mournful rites. Among the mourners was D. Stainthorpe, an intimate friend of the family.
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-06-06 (Poole, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE AND SLEEPLESSNESS.  The circumstances attsnding the death of the Dean of Bangor—albeit they ate infinitely distressing—present no novel features. The reverend gentleman wee a man of considerable intellectual " power," which is the same thing as saying that he was conetitutionslly liable t t intervals of mental deoreseion. All highly intellec ual men are exposed to this evil. A pendulum will always swing just as far in one direction as it does in the ether. Great power of mind implies els great weakness under c-rtain conditions. The m tree' is not that great minds occasionally beceme de-anged, but that they so often easape derangement. Steeples nese Cleans net m -rely unrest, but starvation of the cerebrum. The brain cannot recuperate, or, in other words, it cennot rest. PaYaiologically, recuperation and rest are t e same thing. Sleep is simply physiological rest. The only Cause for regret in these Cases is that the blunder should ever be come mitted of surmising that a et mefying drug which throws the brain let, a condition that mimics and burlesques sleep can do good. It is d-c -pHs,. to give narcotics tn a eget, of this type. The stupor simply masks the danger. Better far let the insomnia's patient exhaust himself than stupefy him. Chloral, bromide, and the rest of the poisons that produce • semblance of sleep are so many snares in snub cases. Sleeplessness is a malady of the most formidable character, but is not to be treated by Intoxicating the organ upon which the stress of the trouble fa Is. Suicide, which occurs at the very outset of derangement and is apt to appear a sane act, is the Vertical issue of failure of nut -ition that results frcan want of •lop. it is curious to note how a sleepless patient will set to work with all the calmness and forethought of inteligent sanity to cempass his death. He is not inasne In any t chnical Sense Re has no delusion. He does not act, or suppose himeslf to act, under an "influence." He simply wants to die, and, perhaps, not until after he has made an attempt to kill himself will he exhibit any of the formulates symptoms of mental disease.—Lancet.
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-12-24 (Poole, Dorset, England)

THE MURDER NEAR UXBRIDGE. SENTENCE OF DEATH.  The trial of Elizabeth Gibbons for the murder of her husband at Hayes, near Uxbridge, on November 15th, was resumed at the Central Criminal Court on Friday, before Mr. Justice Hawkins, Mr. Polaud and Mr. Montagu Williams again prosecuted : Mr. Grain and Mr. lickell defended the prisoner. Mr. Poland proceeded to address the jury for the prosecution, commenting upon the fact that Mr. Grain had called no witness on the prisoner's behalf. The evidence he had put forward was practically uncontested, and it was upon that that the jury would have to decide. Referring to the fondness o• GI hbons for the young girl who called him "Uncle," he pointed out that differences had arisen between the prisoner and her husband on that subject. Up to the day before his death Gibbous was in hia ordinary health and spirits, and had written a kindly letter to the little girl stating his intention of going to Taunion. It Was also shown that on his return he was in the same state of health. After simper he had gone into the bedroom and partially removed his clothing. The prisoner was there also, and then some little altercation arising between them about goiv to see the little girl, this cheerful and happy man was stated by the prisoner to have behaved like • madman, and to have repeatedly shot himself with a revolver. If the man had done as the prisoner had stated, then it was one of the most extraordinary and determined cases of suicide ever known. While the man was weltering in his blood on the floor, it was necessary the prisoner should at 013 Ce give the alarm. To her friend, Mrs. S3WI33STI, who came in, she had made no statement, but subsequently to the police-constable and others had made a variety of statements, which were of a widely different character, He asked the jury whether they could believe those different accounts ; and b iond that he would contend it was extremely improbable that Gibbons was the kind of man who would have committed suic.cle. Beyond that it was shown that Gibbons was a right-handed man who, if he had shot himself, would have taken the revolver in his right hand. If that were so, it was absolutely clear that two of the wounds could have not been inflicted by the deceased. He did not contend that the woman bad wilfully planned the murder because Gibbons was spending money on the child and had devised plans for her benefit, but that after an altercation with her husband ' she had angrily taken up the revolver and shot him : and that then, seeing her safety depended upon his not living to tale the tell, had fired other shots.—Mr. Grain then addressed the jury for the defenee.—Mr. Justice Hawkins, in eumming up, pointed out the improbability of suicide. —The jury after about half-en-bour's deliberation returned with a verdict of guilty. The Judge in passing sentence held out no hope of merey.—The prisoner was removed In a fainting condition
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-01-25 (Poole, Dorset, England)

ROMANTIC SUICIDE. The Dublin coroner on Tuesday afternoon held an inquest on the body of a woman named Marian Stanley, who committed suicide by taking poison. She had formed a connection with a young man of superior position, and was induced by him to leave I.er home and go into lodgbir, where she represented bereelf as a married woman. A day or two back, however, 8110 received a letter from her lover, stating that, from religious motives, he had decided to terminate the intimacy, enclosing her XS. She thereupon destroyed herself.  blown down and u ire 4 Wei e broken. At Cokraio great damage was done by the high tides inundating the houses and flooding the gasworke. Wedne.olay was the annual winter fair ut Newtownards, clunty Down, hut owing to the severity of the gale all cut of door business bad to be suspended. The mail steamer St. Clair, from Lerwick, which arrived at Kirkwall on Wednesday, brlught detail of several shipping casualties in the Shetland Islands by the storm of Sunday and Monday. The sloop Frowl of Lerwick, which carried the =ails from that place to the island of Fouls, was driven from her anchorage in Lerwick Bay, and is bent ved to have been wrecked on one of the adjacent islands or driven on the southern mainland of Shetland. The smack Cynthia, which drove ashore os Bressey Island on Sunday, was floated off the following day, hut was again driven ashore on Tuesday morning. Two men, named Smith and Fuleston, the former steward of her Majesty's cutter Earle, were drowned by the capsizing of a boat while crossing from Orna Island to the Scalloway  steam r. Toe Lizzie Burroughs is ashore in the Orkneys. and on Wednesday assistance was sent to her from Kirkwall. A fearful storm raged in Bantry Bay. where several small crafts were driven ashore. Her Majekty's ships Imogene, Britoma:t, and Valiant rode out the gale with extra cables down, and the Brit( mart got steam up. The schooner Twin Sisters, from Belfast to Ayr, went ashore at the latter place in the evening. The crew were tiken off by means of the rocket apparatus. The steamer Blenayon, which recently put into Stornoway disabled, and while being towed through Pentland Firth last Sunday was lost by the tug which had her in tow, raid subsequeLt y abandoned by her crew, was on Wednesday towed by two tugs into Lughope Harbour, one of the harbours of refuge ire the South Lies of Orkney.
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-08-15 (Poole, Dorset, England)

SHOCKING CASE OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDE  BY A GIRL.  At the County Petty Sessions on Saturday, before Mr. H. B. Middleton, Clone! Stewart, Mr. 4lt. Warry, Mr. G. %V. Floyer, and Major-General Henning, C. 8., Sarah Vaßard, the young girl who attempted to commit suicide by throwing herself into the sea at Wyke Regis, was I rJught up on remand. —The evidence previously adduced was now read over to the prisoner and witnesses. The prisoner appeared rcuch affected, and apparently recognised her position most acately.—The first witness called was Mona. P. E. Tapernonic, CE., of Weymouth, who spoke with a slight French accent. From his statement it appeared that he was sitting on the railway bridge engaged with a book, when two little boys passed with a bag to collect shingle. Prisoner then came by from the direction of Portland, and by her appearance he thought she was a street 1. irl. She continued to look at him, so he got up and walked away. Her looks were very strange as well as her conduct. At first she took off her hat and placed it on the embankment, and she then took It up and put it on again. He was afraid she was about to do something wrong, but being well-known In Weymouth he did not like to be seen speaking to r, PO he told one of the lads (Hopkins) to go and tell her not to do an) thing wtong, as he was impressed with the idea that she we conteri plating suicide.— James Watts, a lad of Wyke Regis, said he saw prisoner seated on one of the piles, and then saw her walking in the water nes rly waist high. She said she should sit on the pile and let the waves come round her. She afterwards went out of the water and seated herself upon the bank, when Hopkins came, and he asked him to remain there whilst he went to call the coast-guard. Afterwards pri.oner prostrated herself in the water, but she kept her head out of the water. (Laughter.)—Superintendent Gale said that on Tuesday evening, as he was returning from Portland, he was informed that a young woman had attempted to drown herself. He ran to the railway near the bridge. where he sow the prisoner with a number of people around her. He asked her if she kne yv what she had been doing, anal she said 'Yes," and that. she intended drowning herself. She was crying bitterly at the time, and maid that she had been out all night with a sailor, and had slept at the  Cvnb-ian at Portland, and was afraid to go home.— The mother of the prisoner, who was in court, sail her daughter had been very strange of late, anl she had asked the Weymouth police to watch LT. Vines+ also had a son who was equally strange, and the sister had every appearance of being afflicted like her brother.—The Bench committed prisoner to take her trial at the ensuing Quarter Sessionii.—The mother, on hearing the sentence, ran screaming out of the 6ourt, expressing her de' ermina tion to commit suicide, and the attention of the police was directed to her.
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-06-27 (Poole, Dorset, England)

STRANGE SUICIDE.  Oa Friday the Denutr C ninty Cu.onfr, Mr. Tames n:ff. held an inquiry at the Hanover Inn, Hanover-roil. High Beach. Fink, on the body of Jane Margaret Gibbings, aged 19 years, who committed suicide under very romantic ciraumdmces. Mrs. May Ann Gibhingg, a widow, livin z at Nile-cottages, High Beach-ro id, said her daughter Ii id hen in service as a housemaid, but laterly had town staying with witness. See had beet keeping comoany with a young man, and had been very strange in her manner owing to a quarrel she had with him. Oa Wednesday morning her dead body was found in a water tank attached to the premises. In her dreae pocket was found the fuliowing extr tordii,ary letter :—Tuesday night —My doer Mother,—When you hear of my distressing end you will. I know, break your heart. When I got into bed, and had been there more than half an hour, the devil paid me a vieit. He eto id talking t ma for some time. and told me that he had seen Charlsy—my young man —with anther young woman. I said to myself. "Now, w 1 at can Ido r To think he who I have loved so much should leave me for another. All of a sudden I thought of the water-butt, and the more I tried to keep away from it the more the devil tried to get me into the water. He said to me at last, "If you jump in I will get Charley to bring you out 'S My head is raving, and I feel on tire. I cannot say anything more. I have left my photograph in my box. Give it to Charley, and tell him that if it had not been for him I should not have killed myself. I. however, did it for the best. Now, mother, dear, what we+ the good of my living I was miserable ant could not be happy without Charley. Good-bye mother. Givekind love to all.—Your lovtag daughter,
The Poole Telegram. — 1884-05-30 (Poole, Dorset, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE IN WILTSHIRE.  On Saturday an inquest was held at Dunge Farm, midway between Trowbridge and Westbury, before Mr. F. T. Sylvester, coroner, on the bady of James C ,x, 16, who was found dead hanging from a beam in his master's stable. Cowles Barnett, labourer, said he saw , deceased after he came from ploughing on T aureday after- ' noon. Hi Wag in the yard going t awards the stable from the barn. Au hour afterwards, as the deceased did not Come out of the stable, witness wen: to see whets he was, as the horses were not turned out to grass, and found him hanging by the neck by a cart-rape, fr )m a beam seven feet from Vie ground ; bet the drop being too long he was on his knees, showing the determined nature of the act. In answer to a question from ajur r, Barnett eaid when he saw deceased going azro=s to the stable he had his pocket handkerchief tied across his mouth, and in reply to witness he said his master had told him he had too much mouth, and he had tied it up and was not go:ng to speak again. Mr. T. Beaven, the master, Was then called in, and said on Thursday, when the workmen were at dinner in the kitchen, decasssd made use of language that he did not approve of, and he told him if he did not alter his behaviour he would have to find another master. This, it seemed, had so offended the deceased, who was of a sullen temper, that he committed the rash act which cost him his life. The jury wore of opinion that the deceased was not in his right mind when he committed the act, and returned a ver lict of 'Temporary insanity."