npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-03-14 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY AN OLD MAN.-011 Saturday afternoon Lae, shortly after three o'clock, the inhabitants near the Royal Oak Inn, Commercial-street, were thrown into a state of excitement on hearing that Joseph Wocd, waterman, 67 years of age, who raddes in the yard adjoining that public house, hall out his throat. It appears that Wood, who was in receipt of parish relief, had been attended by Dr. Brown, of Brighouse, for about ten weeks, and during the last fortnight had been an out-patient at the Huddersfield Infirmary, having snit red from bronchitis and general weakness, which made him very low. About three o'clock on the afternoon named, Mrs. Wood left her husband in the house along with a boy, eleven years of age, pruned William Byram. Wood sent the lad out of the house, end on returning in a few minutes Byratn founi the old man bleeding from a wound in the throat, which had been inflicted by means of a pocket knife. Dr. Brown was sent for and he bandaged up the wounl, and ordered his removal to the Workhouse, Sergeant Marshall accompanying him in a cab.  ON COMMISSION,—On Tuesday, at the Halifax Bankruptcy Court (before Mr Registrar Alexander), the case of Michael Doyle, High-street, Brighouse, Caine up for hearing, Mr. Do3le, who lately traded as cornmiss'on agent for selling wrought and sponge silk for various spinners, said he had been in bustncss rive or six years, and had been engaged since October, 1889, on his oAn account. Before that, he wa eutplo7,til in sn office in Manchester, and when he commenci.d business as a commission avent, a Mr. Omerod lent him £100; personally he Lad no capital wha'ever. Qaest;oned by the Official Receiver as to his annual turnover, he stated that his bank book would show, and he estimated his receipts during the time he had been in business at about £2,000. The profit upon that turnover would be, however, very smafl, sometimes I per (se:J., sometimes 11, sometimes 2:1,. It might be estialAted that the av, rage profit wouid be 11 per cent, on the £2,00. 13-fore undertaking the commission business he la presented a firm of silk spinners, on commission, but was converted to give it up, himmuch ca he did not stil sufficient goods to pay travelling expenses and telegrams. Both business's combined he should say be Lad about £250 per annuli, which was a'.sorbel by the cost of living and travelling expenses. On the application of the Registrar, the debtor (who w-t.s rcprtsented by Mr, J. R. Fariar) was ordered to r repar: a cash and goods ace unt during the tini:t he had been in business. The liabilities were stated at £420, and the as•sets at £3lO. DECAY OF VITAL Pow En.—.& tree remedy. Results of early errors removed. Cause, treatment, and cure of chysical debility, nervousness, etc., with particulars for iilmple self t:eatineur. Address, W. H. BItONU, Uq., 191 T9Wrii DrialAto, tagogo,
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-06-13 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

TWELVE ATTEMPTS AT SUICIDE.  A remarkable case of suicidal mania has just occurred at Syracuse, N.J. A girl (19 years of age and of very prepossessing appearance) named Bertha Bittel was to have been married to a farmer named August Waggoner. It appears that a year ago the girl tried to commit suicide by taking morphine, but failed. Since then she has made 11 attempts upon her life. Her courtship with Waggoner only commenced after :the second attempt, when she took a dose of sugar of lead. Her love affair temporarily effected a change in the despondent view of life she had hitherto taken, and she became happier and more animated in her manner. But the old feeling of despair returned, and in April last she tried to cut her throat with a razor, and subsequently attempted to hang herself. She was caught on each occasion in time to prevent the attempt proving fatal. She afterwards took a dose of the rat poison but the stomach pump was resorted to and again her life was saved. Twice she placed herself on the railway metals on the approach of luggage trains, but was perceived by the drivers and the trains were stopped. In consequence of these attempts her lover came to dwell at her house, hoping that his presence would bring about a change in his sweetheart's frame of mind. Unfortunately he was the possessor of a revolver, and on Monday last Bertha was missing from the house. On search beinc, made she was found in ft wood-shed near by with a bullet in her head and :ler lover's revolver at her side. She was senseless, but when she regained consciousness she said: "I lam sorry, but you can't help it now. I wanted to die." The girl is undoubtedly insane. Her mother died mad, and one sister and two of her brothers are at the present time in lunatic asylums.  A reward has been offered, a Constantinople correspondent telegraphs, for the discovery of the body of the Bev. W. M. Ainsworth is believed to have fallen overboard in the Bosphorus from a RlWs' as steamer while returning from Palestine. There writ a horrible scene at the execution of a man named Laroque at Ottawa. He had been found guilty of aesaulting and strangling two girls named McGonigle. While he was hanging and slowly Oinking to death, for the drop we shaft, the father of the children meshed to the scaffold, grabbed hareque's arm and shook it, and at the same time striling the dying man with his fist and sbouhing, "New I have got satisfaction at last." McCfraftle vms removed with difficulty, shouting hi; eldight as be was dragged &war.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-06-13 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

BUILDING SOCIETY DISPUTE.  In the Queen's Bench Division, on Saturday, Mr. Justice Mathew gave judgment in the case, Cross and others v. Fisher and others, which was before him at the Leeds Assises in March, and was recently argued on further consideration. The action was brought by 13 plaintiffs, depositors, against 16 defendants, directors of the Hull and Holderness Conservative Permanent Benefit Building Society to recover a sum of over £9OO, as moneys which were deposited with the society on loan, between certain dates, when the defendants were stated to have been members of the board of directors, which had been lost through the slleged defalcations of a secretary named Wilson, who was said to have since absconded, and eventually to have committed suicide, and for the repayment of which the defendants were sought to be made personally responsible. The plaintiffs' case was that the moneys were advanced at the invitation of the secretary, as the agent of the directors at times when the society's borrowing powers had been exhausted. The defendants denied that the moneys were invited by Collison as their agent, their contention being that they were invited by him on his own account and misappropriated by him in fraud of the plaintiffs. Mr. Justice Mathew found as :1 fact that the directors were all perfectly well aware of the oourse of business pursued by Collison in receiving moneys from the depositors, but were in no way cognisant of or parties to his frauds, which, altogether,were said to involve a sum of £14,000. Thw had, however, neglected to look properly into the state of affairs, and his lordship came to the conclusion that they were responsible, as they undoubtedly, within the meaning of the statute, received loans on behalf of the society after the borrowing powers had been exhausted. There would, therefore, be judgment for all the plaintiffs against all the defendants who were ditectors at the time. Judgment was accordingly given for the amount now claimed,with costs, but execution was atetved in view of an alawal  Jacob von Dran, a farmer, living near Waterville, Washington State, shot and killed his brothers John and Henry owing to a dispute in reference to p. division of the ertock. The murderer escaped on horeeback, but as the horse returned riderless it IS supposed that its ins-star had commited suicide or been killed.  A shooting affray has occurred in New Orleans between Dr.Oliphant,the president of the Louisiana Board of flealth, awl Mr. Dupree, the editor of the deity newspaper Ptak it. The latter fired five shots, but Dr. Oliphant only one. Mr. Dupree was weunded in the kee, wails his adversary was unkm.* It tig antkOutHWl from Calcutta that the members of the Leprosy Commission, who are now pursuing their researches in einala, have made the important clieeever7 tient the leprosy bacillus can be isolated and eultavated artifieially. A rabbit was inoculated and killed after some days, and distinct leprous nodules were found in the body. It is stated that the health* has never before grown outside the human body.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-08-22 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE THROUGH WANT. On Saturday morning, at Putney, Mr. A. Braxton Hicks held an inquiry touching the death of William Cutting, aged 53, a journeyman baker, lately residing at 24, Rock-avenue, Fulham, whose body was found on the foreshore of the Thames, at Putney.—Edwin Hobbs, a baker, Kensington, identified the deceased as his brother-in-law. About three weeks ago deceased came to him, and as he was out of work, witness gave him some money and some food. On the 12th inst. deceased can to witness at the bakehouse and asked for work. Witness said he could not employ him, because he always quarrelled with his sister before he had been in the house 24 hours. Witness, continuing, said it was an arrangement, made 10 years ago, that deceased should never sleep under his roof, but that witness would always pay for a bed for him. Deceased was addicted to drink. He had never threatened to commit suicide, although for some time past he had been very despondent. Witness identified the writing in the book produced, which was found upon the body of the deceased, as that of deceased. This letter was addressed to an old friend, and ran as follows: "Dear old Dkk,—Take my aprons and caps. I want you to carry me to the grave. Goodbye all. The reason I have done this bad deed was my had master, for he drove me oui of my mind. William Cutting." Then followed: "My sister might have kept me if she liked. This has preyed on my mind. I hope the Lord will forgive me for what I have done."—RiAard Muchant, the friend alluded !to by the deceased,deposed to knowing the deceased .for the past 20 years. On the night of the 10th inst. -deceased slept upon the steps of the bank at Walham Gre(n.—Reuben Chapman, the late master of the deceased, gave evidence, and stated that In had to disharge the deceased because he was not a competent workman.—Evidence was then given as to the finding of the body.—Dr.H. B. Thomas,assistant Divisional surgeon of police, stated that he had made a post-mortem examination,and death was due to syncope and asphyxia from drowniug.—The jury returned a verdict ef suicide whilst of unsound mind.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-08-22 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

BULGARIAN BRUTALITY.  Many complaints have gone abroad as to the brutalities committed on prisoners in Bulgarian gaols, but some of these cases could not be authenticated without difficulty. There is a case, however, writes a Sofia correspondent to the Times, as to which ample evidence is forthcoming. A short time ago one of Prince Ferdinand's guards was robbed and suspicion fell wrongly upon a journeyman carpenter who worked insid3 the palace. This man was a Servian from Pirot, named George Draganovitch. He was arrested and kept in prison for five days without the Servian Consul being informed of the fact, which was a distinct violation of the Capitulations. The man's innocence was then recognised, and he was set at liberty. He was again seized, however, and was forcibly stripped and thrown to the ground on his face. A gendarme then sat on the upper part of his body, a second held his legs, and a third thrashed him with a stick until he fainted. Draganovitch states that in his cell he heard the shrieks of prisoners who were presumably undergoing castigations similar to his. M. Svilokassitch,having taken his countryman's depositions, proceeded to the Foreign Office to lodge a formal protest with M. Grekoff. The Minister was absent, so he was received by the Secretary-General, M. Panayotoff, who promised that the matter should be investigated. There the matter stands at present, but the Servian Consulate has demanded an indemnity for Draganovitch and the dismissal of the official by whose order he was unlawfully flogged.  John Livingstone, for many years the town crier and bill poster for Henley-on-Thames, committed suicide on Monday by hanging himself. He was until recently verger at Holy Trinity Church, and up to the time of his death rang the morning bell at Henley parish church. A Russian exploring party. 600 strong, has entered the Pamir country, says a Bombay telegram. The force is said to be composed of Cossacks and infantry and two mountain vans, .
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-11-14 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SUICIDE OF A SIBERIAN FUGITIVE.  Edward Pollykofski, the famous Russian refugee, has committed suicide at Kodiak Island, Alaska. He had been exiled to Northern Russia, where he worked in the mines for three or four years, and then fled hither, rid China. He went to Kodiak in March last with Nicholas Federoff, a school teacher. The party of exiles of which Pollykofski was a member suffered severely from a scarcity of food on the journey from St. Petersburg to the place of exile. So great were the privations of the party that many died from starvation. Pollykofski escaped to the coast, where he succeeded in getting on board a schooner, which was wrecked a few days later off the coast of China. The runaway and a companion drifted about in an open boat for a week with only a few biscuits in their pockets, and finally reached Shanghai, where they separated. Pollykofski got a passage to San Francisco, where he met the teacher Federoff and his wife, who were old friends of his. Pollykofski was persuaded while residing here to write a book describing the hardships suffered by political prisoners in Russia. He endorses all that Kerman has written, and adds much to the tale of misery. Five hundred pages of the book had been completed at the time when he shot himself. His friend Federoff purposes publishing the unfinished work.  The Maidstone-road Barracks at Chatham narrowly escaped destruction by fire on Thursday night. A juggler named Cope had given an entertainment in the library during the evening, and everything was supposed to be left in security. At 12.30, however, the library was found to be in flames. The fire was not extinguished until serious damage had been done.  Fears are entertained as to the safety of the collier Kathleen, of Whitstable, which is some days overdue on a voyage to that port from the north of England. On Thursday information was received by the owners to the effect that the boat belonging to the vessel had been picked up off Clacton-on-Sea, and it is feared that she has foundered. Her crew consisted of seven hands.  An interesting experiment flag pist been made at Potsdam, in presence of the Emperor, with a combined rifle and lance. This weapon is the invention of a locksmith in Potsdam, Herr Dietrich. The Emperor inspected the new weapon in all its parts, and afterwards the inventor fired several shots with it. It is designed to incre.ase the power of a cavalry charge by enabling the troopers to fire a number of shots before the actual moment of impact. _  The Archbishop of York, in a letter to Canon M4C..or• mick, of Hull, makes a munificent offer on behalf of the Church Extension Scheme for that port. The Archbishop expresses his strong sense of the necessity for more churches in Hull, and hopes his proposal will give a decided stimulus to Church work in that town. Be seeks to raise a fund of £20,000, and in order to afford it a substantial start he offers to give £l,OOO if the realaining i£19.000 are forthcoming
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-11-14 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE BANK FAILURES IN BERLEN. SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.  -- The Daily News Berlin correspondent forwards the following particulars of the tragic events in the German capital on Saturday. About 2 o'clock the news spread that the brothers Felix and Siegmund Sommerfeld, of the well known Berliner Wechsler Bank, had committed suicide at their offices. Owing to the heavy failure of Messrs. Hirschfeld and Wolff, numerous customers lost confidence, and withdrew their deposits from the bank. One of these depositors was not satisfied, and immediately went to the police, who at his request examined the books. It appears that it was in orkler to avoid arrest that the two partners decided to commit suicide between 12 and 1 o'clock, while some of the clerks were at toe Bourse and the others had gone to dinner. They locked themselves in their private office. Felix Sommerfeld sat down on a sofa, while his brother took an arm chair, and each prepared to take his life, as it appears, according to a well premeditated plan. Each cut open the artery at the left wrist, then shot himself, the two shots being heard almost simultaneously. Each shot himself through the right temple, and received almost the same injuries. The police were informed and the door was broken open and the brothers were found lying unconscious. They were at once taken to the hospital, where in the evening one of them died. The news of the suicide, says a Standard correspondent, produced a regular panic on 'Change. It is feared, and, unhappily, apparently with only too good reason, that the recent Berlin failures are only the symptoms of an approaching crisis, perhaps even more ruinous than that of 1873. The eagerness to make money fast, no matter how, has already infected whole strata of society which, in the, 13 crisis, were free from it. Moreover, the commercial depression now prevailing almost all over Germany is greater than leading merchants, the heads of firms of 30 or more years' standing, have ever experienced. News of similar commercial depression in France, Italy, and Russia is constantly arriving.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-03-07 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

GENTLEMAN.  Mr. Henry Hope Morley, son of the late Mr. Samuel Morley, was found dead in his bed on Thursday morning at the White Hart Hotel, Launceston, with this throat cut. The deceased had been residing for some time at Bowden Derra, Polyphant, near Launceston, and had largely employed his time in conducting mission services in the neighbourhood. On Wednesday he was missed from Bowden Derra, and, without apparently communicating his intentions to any one, he went to Launceston, put up at the White Hart Hotel, and, having had tea, went to bed about 9 o'clock. The boots at the hotel knocked at his door in the morning, but receiving no answer, entered the room, and found Mr. Morley in bed with a terrible wound in his throat. Medical aid was immediately sent for,and on a surgeon arriving within a few minutes he -found that Mr. Morley had been dead several hours. In his hand the deceased gentleman held a penknife, with which he had evidently inflicted the wound. Mr. Morley was 38 years of age, and unmarried. During his midence at Bowden Derra, he distributed large sums of money in charity, both at Lewannick and Launceston. In early life he had a sunstroke, and at times suffered severe pains in the head.--An inquest was held on Friday when the jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst of unsound mind.  A Lusliailand-t-elegram states that a handful of police were recently attacked at the village of Jacopas and made a most gallant fight. These men, about 20 in number, under Jemadar Singh Gurung, were in the village as guests in a house, when they were suddenly surrounded and attacked by 100 armed Lusliais. After a sharp fight, the Jemadar, although I,;atity wounded, withdrew his men in good ordet cairying the wounded, and brought the party safely,a:ter four days' march,t,o the Koladain !OAK:kalif). Our loss vras one naik, two Sepoys, and one servant kill d; one Jetnadar and two Sem* seven:ly wound•-‘l.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-06-06 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

ALGERIAN POISONING CASK  SUICIDE OF MADAME. WEISS. 'the Ain-Fezza case has had an unlooked-for. though by the convicted Madame Weiss distinctly threatened, ending. That lady poisoned herself on Friday when relegated to the convict's quarter of the prison. She had strychnine sewn up in the hem of a pocket-handkerchief which a fellow prison's had kept for her, and gave her after the search had been made in her hair and clothes for possibly bidden means for putting an end to her life. It wee noticed at the trial that when her husband was giving evidence agaiust her she tried to tear the hem off her handkerchief, but stopped when she found this apparently nervous action excited the attention of her guards. How she got the strychnine does not appear, but it was probably furnished her by a friendly person. Three other women were in the room when she took it wrapped up in paper. It stuck iu her throat. When she found it bitter she said, "They have deceived me—it is quinine." She then asked for a glass of water to wash it down, and threw herself on a bed. Half an hour after she was attacked with violent convulsions and tetanus, but did not cry out or groan. A doctor was fetched, and forced an emetic down hex throat. She said, "You labour in vain. The poison is now in the nervous system. In justice to my children, I have ended my miserable spoiled life. It would have been ruinous to them for people to say their mother was tindergoibg a hard labour sentence in a penitentiary." She had. also spoken to the same effect to her counsel,t oiling him she would, if all either means failed, beat. hit brains out against the walls of her cull. He encouraged her to hope, saying that she was se evidently instigated and frightened by Rogues itan tryifig to poison her husband-that the President of the Republic, he felt, would soon commute her sentence to five years. Her answer was that to remove the stigma from her children she must die. The advocate thought this mere talk, but continued to encourage her to live. When word was brought to M. Weiss of the suicide of his wife he said, The unhappy woman ! why did she not take the strychnine eight days ago." The grandmother of the deceased, Madame Dinned, who went to Oran to try and help her, learned with a sense of relief what had happened. The funeral took place at 10 on Sunday morning. The coffin was carried by volunteer bearers, poor men who refused to be paid for this service. A great crowd and many ladies of Oran followed it. The pastor delivered an impressive sermon over the grave, and connnended the children of the unhappy woman to the kindness of all present. He also asked them for the children's sake to keep silence about her fatal sins and tragical end. Before the deceased took the poison, 4, she wrote a letter to each of her children, to bw read when the particular child should reach the age of 15. It is reported that It ques is alive, having managed to pass off as his own corpse that of a man who died in a Spanish hospital, and got a death certificate, which was furnished by the authorities at Madrid to the French Embassy there.