npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-08-09 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DECAPITATED ON THE RAILWAY.  In London, on Friday evening in last week, Dr. Hardwick° held an inquiry at the St. Pancras Coroner's Court Iv; to the death of Mrs. Frances Jane Resta, 49, of 27, London-street, Paddington, who was found dead, with her head severed from her body, on the Metropolitan (Underground) Railway between the King's-cross and Gower-street stations on Vuesday previous. Mr. neaten, brother of the deceased, said she Buffered from absence of mind and occasional depression. On Tuescay morning she went out and he expected her home about three p.m. He felt no anxiety till the evening, when he bought an evening paper and there read of a woman having been found killed on the railway. He made inquiries and found it was his sister. He thought that she must have fallen out of the railway carriage in opening the door to get more air, as at home she would always have the windows and doors wide open, complaining she could not get enough freah air. She nearly met with a similar accident a short time ago on the London and South-Western Railway through her absence of mind. Arthur Crumplin, porter, said he was on the down platform at Gower-street station at 9.20 on Tuesday, and noticed the door on the off-side of a second-class carriage open. He jumped down to close it, and then saw an umbrella on the seat, but no one in the carriage. He informed the brakesman of the train and also the guard and inspector of what he had seen, and was told to get a lamp and go down the tunnel. He did so, and in the six-foot way, about 250 yards from the Gower-street station, he found the body of a woman with the head and one of the arms missing. He found them afterwards about two yards from the body, and his belief was that a down train must have run over her.  George Waring, brakesman, said it was his duty to lock all doors at the Mansion-house station, and he was sure he did so. The compartment in which the umbrella was found was next to his brake-van.  Mr. Chief Inspector Gordon said a great many passengers carried keys and opened the carriage doors. He had frequently seen them do so. There were a lot of schoolboys who travelled upon the line and they nearly all had kes s. He had made inquiries and could not ascertain how th 4 door came open unless Mrs. Regal had herself opened it. The jury returned a verdict of " Death from decapitation from being run over by a train on the Metropolitan Underground Railway, but whether from suicide or accidental cause there was not sufficient evidence to show."  •
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-01-25 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

STORY.  In his report for 1877-78 Captain Bneton,"A.Raistant Agent, Governor-Greneral, Rajpootana, &ion an account of a curious event which occurred in the State of Bikaneer. Early one morning about 70 (Jr 80 Sidds, or Hindoo fakirs, who held villages and occupied 'extensive lands, rushed into his (Impound, msking a great disturbance and shouting out that their chief priest, the Mobunt, had been unjustly arrested by the durbar, and that unless he was immedittely released they would all kill themselves opposite his door. These people are in the habit of mutilating themselves or even committing suicide, when they consider themselves oppressed or ill-treated by the durbar. Captain. Burton, however, failed to pacify *ism, and accordingly consulted the Bikaneer vakeel in the presence of the Sidds. The vakeel stated that there were several grave charges against the Sidds who had been arrested, that their cases would be carefully investigated, and that it was right Juseoonath, the priest; should remain in confinement until he had answered the complaints against him. Th,- Siddis were still as stubborn as ever; they declared the raj was oppressiug them, and bsing armed with swords, knives, and daggers, which they frequently flourished, they said they would commit suicide unless their request was acceded to. After this they, in 'a body, went and sat outside the compt.und for two days, making much noise. On the third day it was reported to Captain Burton that the Sidds had prepared four excavations, in each of which a man was seated ready to be buried alive, while the others declared they were about to destroy themselves. At first they refused' to desist, but eventually became quiet, though they would take no food; and about the fifth day some were even dying of hunger. On the sixth day Jussonath was released on bail; on the seventh the Sidds partook of food, and on the eighth they left the spot where they had encamped themselves. It appeared there were many points to be argued between the durbar and these Sidds, and that both parties were to blame, the former wishing to extoot, in the shape of revenue, as much money as possible from the latter, who were trying to evade payment. The matter, however, was amicably settled after several months, and the Sidds returned to their villages.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-08-30 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE FRUIT CROPS.  The reports on the fruit crop (says the Chamber of Agriculture Journal) are not very encouraging. They tell of sad disasters to apricot trees owing to the remarkable season which we have experienced. Branch. dying has been unusually prevalent, and many trees have died outright. Peaches and nectarines have suffered greatly from blisters, and so backward are their fruits that in many places they will never ripen except under glass copings. Pears, though in some cases rusty and cracking, are better this year than apples, which are generally a thin crop, and the fruit still keeps dropping upon the trees. The latter, too, are in some places almost leafless. Cherries, with the exception of Morellos, cracked and rotted on the trees. Even as far north as Durham, the Morello has been better on standards than on walls, a fact worth noting, seeing that, in addition to its fruit, the growth of the tree Itself is highly ornamental. It is, however, a capital tree for the walls of cottages and outbuildings. Indeed, many cottagers in some parts of Kent manage to pay their rent with the money which they get for their Morellos. Damsons are everywhere reported to be good, and in some places even heavy crops. Next these stand Victoria and the Orleans, plums that seldom fail. Nuts are good in many places, but walnuts are a failure. All small fruits have been heavy crops, but flavourless; and gooseberries have been in many places ttripped of thtirleavea by the gooseberry caterpillar.  From official statistics just publielad it appears that the number of suicides iu Prussia since 1874 has gone on itlcrbahing to an alarming extent. Whereas in that year 2,82 e of such cases occurred, the list in 1877 showed total of 4,330, divided between 3,559 males and 771 females.  At. a regatta at Dundee on Saturday a pleasure yacht was caught in a ::quall near Tay bridge and capsized. All the crew were saved except Alexander Allan, a sail maker, whose body has not been recovered. The deceased has left a widow and three children Mr. Gosclv-n on Tuesday night addressed a crowded meeting at Ripon, when he explained that his reason for giving up the intention of again contesting an election in the City of London was the danger which arose through the representation of minorities and the consequent splitting up of votes lie entered at length into a criticism of the home and foreign policy of the Government, and at the conclusion of his speech a resolution was passed accepting his candidature for the representation of Upon.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-01-11 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

TRESPASS.—At the Police Court, on Monday, before Messrs. H. Smith and G. B. Harrison, Thomas Cogzell, fruitererof Woll Aston, was charged with being on land belonging to Mr. Foley, in search of game on the 30th ult. Arthur Toy, under gamekeeper, in the employ of Mr. Foley, said on the above date he saw (4fendant and a man named Cutler in the road leading from the Gig Mill to Stewpony. They had a dog and were beating the gorse bushes on the side of the road. The dog ran after a rabbit on to some land belonging to Mr. Turdley. Defendant said he was walking along the road with Cutler and they had the dog with them but they did not leave the road, and the dog did not follow a rabbit. The Bench were of opinion that there was no intention on the part of defendant to go in pursuit of game and dismissed the case.  • ATTEMPTED SUlClDE.—Charles Parton, carpenter of Upper Arley, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by hanging on the 31st ult.—Police-constable Yeavearyear said he was called into the house of defendant on the morning of the 31st ult, and found him on his knees by the bedside. There was a pool of blood in front of him. He had tried to hang himself with some cord but it had broken. Defendant was a carpenter by trade and formerly worked for Mr. R. Woodward at Arley Castle, but owing to his intemperate habits he had lost his situation there and since that time had not done any work.—Defendant said he did not know what he had been doing. He had been drinking freely, but was very sorry for it. Mr. Evers said they were sorry to see a respectable looking man like defendant on so serious a charge. If he would promise to refrain from drinking to such an extent they would discharge him. Defendant promised to off leave drinking and was discharged. DRONRENNEss.—Joseph Partridge, boat builder, of Brierley Hill, was charged with being drunk and incapable at Brierley Hill on the 3rd inst. Police-constable Eden proved the case and said he found defendant drunk and risieep in the Market Place, Brierley Hill. Two previous convictions were proved against defendant by Police-constable Hollin's, and defendant was fined 103 ; .n default 14 days —Arthur Corns, Benjim;n Guest, and George Rogers, labourers, of Wombourn, were charged with being drunk and disorderly, on the 26th ult.—Police-constable Clayton proved the offence and said defendants were notorious characters in:the district. —Police-sergeant Boon said defendants set the police at defiance. He proved seven previous convictions igainst Corns, two against Guest, and one against Rogers, Corns was fined 20s and costs ; in default one month, and the other two were fined lOs and costs ; in default 14 days.—John Gild, of Wombonrn, lwas charged with being drunk and incapable at Himley on the 26tn Polic.!.-conatable Enoch proved the case and defendant was fined 5s ; including costs.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1879-10-04 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSER  SIGNAL AND ESCAPE BALLOONS.  M. llenry Coxwell, Tottenham, has sent lite following letter to the papers for publioation :  Sir,—For war purpoftes no military equipment will be complete without provisling for these special requirements. They may be said to comprise the two great lesions taught by the Franao-German war and the surprises in South Africa, as also the more recent massacre at the Cabal residency.  In Paris, our clever neighbours had the sense and ingenuity to make use of balloons in a desperate emergency ; and I beg to suggest that when our own war balloons are told off for foreign service airostatio signals and escape balloons should not be overlooked.  Signals of a simple semaphore character, such as those I devised in the year 1854, would do to begin with.  Balloon signals cannot be very well superseded by the heliograph, because the former are designed for a particular kind of use, and are not dependent on the sun's rays or artificial light. Secondly, it muAt be obvious that one of the most appropriate uses to which balloons can be turned would be to effect an escape from beleaguered towns when all other means of exit are barred.  Precious, indeed, would be the appliance in the hour of need which could thus get away with valuable lives and document& I contend that in eve:), forbrese and city where the lives of national representatives are imperilled, there should be provided escape balloon., one on the gas, the other on the hoteair principle, so that one or the other might be made available during the day or night, according to the facilities afforded for inflation and departure. It would be well to make such arrangements in our colonies and empire, and thus utilise the regions of space for obiects so important.  Sinemza.—A correspondent from Dresden writes to the Augsburger Zei‘ung that the number of suicides has greatly increased in Saxony. The statistics for 1878 show that there were 1,126 oases of suicide corn. mitted of which 215 were women. In 749 cases death was caused by hanging, in 217 by drowning, in 88 by shooting. The causes which led to commit the crime were—in 284 owes, melancholy; in 105, weariness of life; in 94, drunkenness and distemper; in 90, mental disturbances; in 89, poverty; in 65, physical suffering; in 39, unhappy lave affairs. The ages of those oom. mitting 'suicide varied generally between 90 and 14, while eight individuals had not attained their 14th year, and four were between 80 and 90 years of age. The number of suicides in England, or in London at any rate, during the last few weeks has also been three times as great as it was last year at the same time. It is supposed that the bad weather, the lack of sunshine, frequent rain, the recent storms and inundations, have had a bad influence on the minds of the inhabitants.—British Medical Jourmul.  "VoxD
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1869-01-16 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DREADFUL TRAGEDY.  On Monday afternoon a shocking and determined attempt to commit suicide was made at Ealing (near London) by a young lady named Lloyd, twenty-three years of age, by throwing herself from the parapet of a bridge in front of an express Great Western train. It appears that Miss Lloyd, who belongs to Devomi shire, has recently lost by death her father, who was a minister, and also her mother ; and these bereavements had preyed upon her mind to such an extent as to render it necessary she should have a constant attendant. A change of scene bring ;idvised, she went a few weeks ago to Ealing, and took apartments at Ivy Lodge, on the Uxbridge-road, which immediately faces the railway. On Monday afternoon she and one of her nurses were out for a walk on Ealing common, and they thence strolled as forts the Hangerhill Bridge, which is over the railway. Just as the 12.25 p.m. express from Paddington was approaching, the unfortunate lady suddenly leaped upon the parapet of the bridge, and sprang off on the London side, falling a depth of thirty feet. The express dashed upon her, and, 841 she had fallen upon one of the rails, the train literally cut off both her feet above the ankle, and otherwise frightfully mutilated her, as it carried her forward several yards in the direction of Ealing Station. The nurse tried in vain to save the poor lady from leaping from the bridge, and seeing what had occurred, at once raised an alarm. Dr. George Cooper, one of the Middlesex magistrates, was driving past at the time, and at once rendered the necessary surgical aid, MA had the'sufferer removed to her lodgings. , Mr. Goodchild and Mr. Sumwerhayea, surgeons, were also in attendance, lad after consultation, they expressed their opinion that she had received too severe a shock to her nervous system to admit of the amputation of her fractured limbo, which was the only chance of awing her life. Later on Monday evening the unfortunate lady was fast sinking and it was feared that he could not many hours survive the effects of so terrible a leap.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1869-04-10 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EMPLOYMENT.— On Monday, John Leaver, aged 48, a snuff manufacturer, living in Birmingham, committed suicide by hanging himself in a wash-house. The deceased appeared to have been at considerable pains in preparing the rope with which he hung himself; it was about half an inch in thickness, and that part which formed the noose was padded with cloth, apparently for the purpose of preventing it hurting his neck. The deceased had been out of employment for a long time, and this, added to the fact that he was considerably reduced in his social position, led him to put an end to his existence.—On Saturday night Joseph Hiclup, about fifty years of age, a labourer, living in Birmingham, went to his brother's house, a short distance from where he himself was lodging, and remained there a short time. At the time of the occurrence there was only a little chi in the house, daughter ot his brother. The deceased rose up from his seat for the ' purpose, an he Said, of going home, but before he had reached the char, the girl's lack being towards him, he placed a pistol which he had provided himself with in his month aud discharged it, killing himself. He had been ill and out of employment for nearly twelve months past, and it is believed that his troubles affected bin mind. He was not married. THE PHARMACY Aur.—Accolding to the new Pharmacy Act, which came into operation at the beginning of thin year, no one can commence business as a chemist and druggist in Great Britain without being registered as such, after examination. To obtain the subordinate title of chemist and druggist, it will be necessary to liasa a minor examination in prescriptions, practical dispensing, pharmacy, materia medics, botany, and chemistry. The candidate must be able to read prescriptions without abbreviation, translate them into English, and give both a literal and idiomatic rendering of the Latin directions for use. He must also possess a knowledge of the elementary structure of plants, their names, the orders to which they belong, thi countries from which they are obtained, and the preparations into which they enter. In the major examination, which confers the higher title of pharmaceutical chemist, with exemption from serving on juries, all the above subjects are carried further. The candidate must translate English prescriptions into Latin, detect errors in Latin prescriptions, know when a dose is unusually large, be acquainted with the means of detecting poisons and the antidotes to be given, be able to distinguish spurious from genuine drugs, and show a familiarity with the laws of chemical combination, and both the Linnean and the natural system of botany.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1869-08-21 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY.  Every one residing In Naples has been horrified by the details of a murder, which was comm tted last Thursday night, in a first-class carriage of the night train to Rome and Fiorence. The particulars are thus given by the correspondent of The Times:— The victim was the Contessa Armanda Sartores Ribrandi Cattaneo da Nov ara—a long name, but you must take it as it is. Separated from her husband, to which it is necessary to allude, she came from Voghera, in the north of Italy, to Naples about a fortnight since, and took lodgings at San Paolo, a village near Nola. Here she was in the habit of receiving every evening several officers of a cavalry regiment, among whom was a Lieutenant Negri. One evening last week, the cries of the Countess, ins half-suffocated tone, were heard beseeching for help, on whichthelandlord, Signor Contieri, went out on the staircase, tired a shot, and met Negri running down. He then went to the Countess, who confessed that she had come to San Paolo in order to see Negri, who had some letters or papers of hers which be refused to give up; that after her " scciety had left her that evening he returned, having sent away the servants under some excuse and closed the doors, when he endeavoured to force her to write a letter to her friends stating she had committed suicide. Nk hat could have been the motive for this can only be imagined. On her hesitating to do this he snatched a dagger from her hand, which she carried for self-defence, and was in the act of striking her, when she fled to another room, followed by her maddened lover. Toe dagger was again uplifted, when the pistol-shot tired by the landlord seemed to paralyze him, and he made his escape. In Contaeri's apartment she remained all the night, and Negri returned to ask her pardon, insisting also on rema.ning in another room. On the next day (Wednesday) several of the officers of the regiment, hearing of the affair, came to the house to protect the Countess, who determined to return to Voghera the next day—Thursday last. Two officers and the landlord. Contieri, accompanied her as far as Caserta, where they left her, the Countess refusing their society any further, adding that she had no longer any fear. On the train arriving at laoletta, the station on the Roman frontier, the body of the unfortunate woman was found extended on the floor of the carriage, a revolver at her feet, a pistol-shot in her head, and her hands covered with blood and cut as if by glass. More than this is not known at present. Some assert they Raw Negri get into a third-class carriage, dressed as a civilian, in the same train by which the Countess left, and that his cap was found near her. If so, he is sumpected of having walked along the footboard to her carriage, and of having shot her through the Window. Of him nothing has yet been heard. This horrible tragedy, which I report almost in the same words that it is deseribed in all the journals of Naples,
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1869-08-21 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

REWARDS FOR BRAVERY.  On Tuesday, at a meeting of the Royal Humane Society, in London, the (moiety's silver medallion was unanimously voted to Lieutenant R. C. Hart, an officer in the Royal Engineers, for saving Louis Cousin, a Frenchman, at Boulmne. Mr. Baker, late of the 60th Regiment, was awarded the bronze medallion of the society for assisting in the  rescue. On the recommendation of the Lords of the Admiralty the silver medallhai was also presented to Mr. Berry Norris West, R.N., navigating sub-lieutenant of 1 her Majesty's gunboat Bustard, for saving John Arthur Kitt, assistant-engineer, who attempted suicide at , Takan, China, on a dark night in November last. l The bronze medallion was given to William ii. Rowe for saving ten persons, whose boat was upset by a steamship in Plymouth Sound on the 28th ultimo ; to Captain H. C. Whitlock for saving two men who were carried out while bathing at Cleveleys, Fleetwood, Lancashire, on the 10th ultimo; to Patrick Doyle, for saving William Walsh, who fell into 14 feet of water at Lavitt's Quay, Ccrk, on the 17th ult.; to Henry Laird Jones and William Buckley, for saving four persons who wihno anwe were overcome copmu me apiiindgre,lialtre4) fet insensibleie;,,bzt Liverpool, on the 15th ult.; to Lieutenant C. Laprimandaye, R.N., of her Majesty's shin Lord Warden, who, with the assistance of Ed. in Rider (who received the thanks of the society, inscribed on vellum), saved William Keast, who fell overboard in Malta Harbour; to William Dow. an able seaman of her Majesty's ship Pendope, for saving William Way, who fell into eight fathoms of water at Harwich, on the 2nd instant ; to George Midland, a boy 14 years of age, for saving Frank Smerdon, whose boat was capsized in the sea at Semaphore, South Australia on the 24th of June last year; and to Oliver Davey, for saving the life of Mr. Nicholas Lobb, who was carried'out to sea while bathing at Bode harbour in from 15 to 20 feet of water, on the 21st ult.