npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Press. — 1856-10-04 (London, England)

STANLEY. His Lordship adduces no less than eight reasons against the sanity of the Maine Liquor Law, any one of which would be quite sufficient to satisfy a reasonable man. Intoxication could not be abolished if wo would, and would not, so to speak, if wo could. That is to say, the numerical majority in favour of drink is so decisive, as to render any such attempt ludicrous, while it is clear that the abolition of the sale of what are called intoxicating liquors could never prevent the sale of stimulants in some shape, and certainly opium is worse than beer. This is the essence of Lord STANLEY'S argument, apart from his facts, and we recommend social reformers to give heed to it.  There is a disposition abroad to expect a remedy for all social ills from Government which require checking. It is found out that bread is adulterated with alum, and sugar with sand, and immediately there is a cry, " Why doesn't Government interfere?" If an omnibus seat is not wide enough, or if a house does not get a sufficient supply of pure water, Government is expected to supply a remedy. Drunkenness and death result from the sale of beer, wine, and spirits, and up starts (upstarts most of these societies are) an association .into existence calling on Government to prohibit the sale of all such commodities. The latest case of the kind arises front the sale of drugs. Some foolish people attempt to poison themselves, but do not do it, by purchasing pennyworths of laudanum from different shops, and the sages of the Mansion-house exclaim in chorus that Government should interfere to prevent the sale of poisonous drugs. How this is to be done is the first question. All drugs are poisonous, if taken in excess. It was shown at a recent trial that a very common drug acts to destroy life if taken in large and repeated doses. Calomel pills would kill as certainly as laudanum drops if an excessive quantity were administered. The same might be said of such things as black draught or Epsom salts. A chemist's shop is as full of poisons as of drugs; and their "nastiness" is commonly our best preservative against the harm they might do us. If a person be bent on suicide, is it to be supposed he or she would be restrained because a chemist refused to serve pennyworths of laudanum ? The river at midnight would be far more certain. A sharp knife would give a more irremediable hurt. Suffocation would be as easy while houses contain bed-posts and pocket-handkerchiefs, or while pennyworths of charcoal are to be purchased at chandlers' shops. There have been many deaths from charcoal; its fumes are as deadly poison as any drug to be bought at the chemist's shop. If the sale of drugs is to be prohibited, why not prohibit the sale of charcoal ? Then why not prohibit the sale of brimstone, which would produce suffocation a little more quickly than charcoal? Why not prohibit the sale of the most dangerous and destructive substance in the world—gunpowder, and, of course, firearms with it ? How many murders have been effected by their deliberate, and how many accidents caused by their iueautioui,
The Press. — 1857-07-11 (London, England)

JULY 11, 1857.  went to her bed late that night with her sister, and there was not a tittle of evidence that the house was disturbed or approached in the course of the night. She could have had no motive to destroy L'Angelier while be had such letters in his possession, and every circumstance in the case spoke strongly against the probability of her committing a foul and deliberate murder. After referring to the probability of L'Angelier's death being the result of suicide or arising from other causes, he called on the jury not rashly to tear aside the veil of mystery in which Providence had wrapped this man, and in an eloquent and affecting peroration prayed them to bring their hearts as well as their minds into judgment in this case.  The LORD JvsTrcx•Cr.Exx commenced his charge to the jury. He said poisoning by arsenic was almost always a secret crime, and was generally to be proved by circumstantial evidence ; that evidence, however, must be complete, distinct, and satisfactory, and must exclude the possibility of innocence or of unexplained mystery, and they must not supply any defect in the prosecutor's case by suspicion or presumption against the accused. They must be satisfied that the accused had the purpose and the opportunity ; they must be satisfied the parties met that night. They might have a strong suspicion they did so, or the probabilities of the case might favour that view; but unless they could by just, satisfacfactory, and inevitable inference conclude that they did meet, a link remained wanting in the case, and the catastrophe and its alleged cause were not found together. The numerous theories for the defence might not be of much value, but their failure could in no way strengthen the case for the prosecution, which must be of itself complete and conclusive, and carry conviction to their minds. His lordship had read over nearly a half of the parole evidence, when the court adjourned at six o'clock till Thursday.
The Press. — 1857-11-14 (London, England)

THE STEVENAGE MURDER.  TILE ADJOURNED INQUIRY into the death of John Starkins, one of the Herts constabulary, a young man of twenty-five years of age, who was found on November 9th, dead, with his throat cut, in a pond near Stevenage, was resumed on Monday. The medical evidence was entirely in favour of murder, and against suicide, as the cause of the man's death. "The wound was so severe," said Mr. Dunn, surgeon of Stevenage, " that I was enabled to feel the action of the spine with my finger, and, to use a common expression, the bead of the deceased was nearly off,' and the injury must have caused death within a minute after it was inflicted." Mr. Dunn was of opinion the instrument most likely to have produced the wound would be pointed hut not sharp, such as a labourer's bread-and-cheese knife. The clothes worn by the unfortunate man were produced at this inquiry, and Mr. Dunn pointed out the spot where the knife had passed through the collar of the coat, and also expressed an opinion that the clothes of the deceased had bten turned down before the wound was inflicted, and that at the time the wound was inflicted the person sho aimed it was in front of the deceased, Rho was probably upon the ground at the time. In answer to questions put by one of the jury, the witness said he had no doubt that the case was one of murder, and not of suicide ; and he added that he should have suspected that a good deal of blood would have spurted over the person who made the incision. He believed, however, that the stock of the deceased, after having been forcibly pulled down to enable the murderer to effect his object, might possibly have righted itself, and would thus prevent the blood from spurting out. A labourer named Carpenter has been arrested on suspicion, for it appears that Carpenter was in the service of a farmer named Herne, whose farm is a short distance from Stevenage, and that in consequence of a suspicion being entertained that he (Carpenter) was in the habit of robbing his master, the deceased, who had only been doing duty about five weeks at Stevenage, received directions from his superior officer to watch the prisoner ; he went out for that purpose on Friday evening, the 30th of October, and there appears to be no doubt that the deceased was on the track of the prisoner, who left his work about half-past five o'clock, and that they must have met. The supposition is, that at this time the prisoner had in his possession a quantity of corn that had been stolen from his master's premises, but what occurred is at present only matter of conjecture ; all that is known being that the unfortunate constable was found on the Monday following with his throat cut in a pond, close to the spot where the prisoner was supposed to have been stopped with the stolen property. On Wednesday the inquiry was opened before the magistrates. The prisoner Carpenter, who is a P9r3rf4l4ooki ng 0110 w 000 ihe feet *0 inches , .
The Press. — 1857-11-21 (London, England)

ILLEGITIMATE BIRTHS. 1848. 1849. Stockholm 1 to 2'20 .. 1 to 2/7 Other towns 1 to 5•07 .. 7 to 415 Provinces 1 to 1511 .. 1 to 13'08 Kingdom 1 to 11'74 .. 1 to 10'96 In Sweden, from [l7BO-85. 1800.5. 1820.25. 1840-48. Ito 291 Ito 17'1 Ito 141 Ito 111 In France, 1820. 1840. In Denmark, 1811.11 1835.39. 1 to 1 1 to 131 1 to 93 I to 87. Prisoners in Stockholm in 1850 3 394 or Ito 23 Sweden In New York State Massachusetts 1 to 2232 Nest Hampshire Stockholm has always had a very bad name for immorality amongst the cities of Europe. Mr. Brace observes :  From these statistics some interesting conclusions may be drawn. In the capital, it appears that various causes consume life faster than it is produced, so that if left without immigration from the country, Stockholm, before many years, would he depopulated. The ratio of suicides is immense; in 1819, one out of every four hundred persons, or probably ono out of every two hundred adult men and women. Out of every hundred children born into the world in the city, nearly fifty are illegitimate. In the whole kingdom one out of nearly eleven. The consumption of human life in the Swedish capital, and the prevalence of vice, are facts not to be dissociated. The whole kingdom appears to have been steadily retrograding since 1780 in this regard,—in 1840 there being fifty per cent. more illegitimate births to legitimate than in the above year, and a worse ratio than in France. However, there are extenuating circumstances in regard to Stockholm which do not appear in figures, and it is very possible that Stockholm is not materially worse than New York or Paris. lie then dwells on what he has called "extenuating " circumstances, but he seems to us to prove only that the evil is deeper seated, and draped in more external decencies than  " HAVELOCK'S MARCH " proves very attractive. Noisy as it is. and full of the trite Jullien affectations, it is popular, and that is the great result composers who aim at present successes seek to achieve. The house is now well filled every night, and the close of the month will be marked, we trust, by that success which, in its earlier days, seemed for once to have deserted the popular maestro. The usual bal masque takes place on the 30th.
The Press. — 1857-01-24 (London, England)

THE INCONVENIENCE OF BECOMING A BANK DIEECTOB. on private solicitation was shown at the Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday, when the name of one of the directors of the Western Bank of London was dragged before the public in a very unceremonious manner. The case was that of " Rankin v. Payne," and the action was undefended. It was stated that the plaintiff was chief clerk to a stockbroker in the City, and that the defendant was engaged in promoting public companies. Some time ago the defendant was engaged in promoting the formation of the Western Bank of London, which had since been firmly established, and he undertook to pay the plaintiff 501. for every director whom he could obtain for the hank. At the instance of the plaintiff Major General Bagnall agreed to become a director, and the plaintiff now sought to recover from the defendant 501. for obtaining the general's name. Mr. Jus ice Willes said that the contract above stated was illegal, and as it was an illegality which he thought affected the public, he directed that the case should be postponed for the purpose, as was understood, of enabling an application to be made to amend the pleadings, so as to raise the qne,tion. AN ACT OF SUICIDE, coupled with an attempt at murder, has been committed at Birmingham. A grainer, one Keatley, who lived very unhappily with his wife, on Tuesday morning, about eight o'clock, attacked her and struck her a tremendous blow on the head with the poker, fracturing her skull. The poor woman managed to escape into the back court crying for assistance. Her neighbours rushed in, but not in time to prevent Keatley from cutting his own throat. Surgical aid was speedily at hand, but the man died in a few seconds. His wife lies in a precarious state.
The Press. — 1854-05-27 (London, England)

THE REV. La. NEwmAN, president of the Roman Catholic University, according to the Limerick Chronicle, is to be consecrated bishop in partibus in a short time.  INFORMATION was yesterday received by the metropolitan police of a rubbery from a gentleman near the Amphitheatre, Liverpool, of a light leather pocketbook containing 5001. in notes. SEVEN PERSONS WERE DROWNED in an excursionboat on Sunday week. The boat held seventeen men, principally masons and bricklayers, employed in building a fort near Yarmouth, in the Isle of Wight, and was overset by some larking among its passengers. Only ten of the whole number were saved alive.  SUICIDE WAS ATTEMPTED on Wednesday morning by a lodger in the house of Mr. Adams, landlord of the British Stores, in Wells street. The unfortunate man, whose name was Jones, had practised as a surgeon at Abergavenny, in Wales, but for six months had lodged in the house above mentioned. The clime was attempted by his throwing himself from a second-floor window into the street, but, though frightfully hurt, he was picked up and carried to the Middlesex Hospital, where it is not expected he can long survive the injuries be has received. AN INSTANCE OF SUDDEN DEATH, peculiarly shocking, occurred at Birmingham on Wednesday. One of the postboys from the Royal Hotel was driving a newly-married pair from the church to their own home, when he fell from Lis horse and instantly expired. A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE broke out on Sunday afternoon in a spacious building situate in Rose yard, Rose-street, Soho-square, occupied conjointly by Messrs. Bevington, the organ-builders, Mr. Littleton, music-printer, and Messrs. Hopkins and Purvis, wholesale oil and colour men. Nearly two hours elapsed before the conflagration could be extinguished. Messrs. Bevington are serious losers, as the whole of the external fittings and carved case of the great organ for St. Martin's Church have been destroyed. The music.printing-machines of Mr. Lit• tleton, on the second floor, as well as the printed sheets of music, were much damaged by water, as well as a valuable stock of colours belonging to Messrs. Hopkins and Purvis. As to the origin of the fire, not the least information could be obtained. Messrs. Bevington, unfortunately, are not insured. The whole of the men employed in their factory have lost their tools.
The Press. — 1854-07-22 (London, England)

THE PRESS.  Majesty. Be severe—severe, Sir Baron, to these lawless Walleehians—the more severe the better. This is the will of his Majesty the Czar. " Receive the assurance of my highest regard, " NESSELRODE, imperial Chancellor."  General Aurep, who had been disgraced by the Czar on account of his ill-success, has committed suicide, and the event is said to have made a deep impression on the Russian troops. A report published in the Vienna Prase, but requiring confirmation, states that Prince Petskiewitsch, who has also fallen out of favour from a similar cause, has died while on his journey to his estates.  fortune. The organisation of the troops which the Bey of Tunis was to send to Constantinople has been nearly completed, and the first portion, under General liechid, was to embark on the 15.1 inst. Ilhamy Pacha, son of the Viceroy of Egypt, whose intended visit to Europe has been announced, is to leave at the end of the present month for London, and from that city he is to go to Paris. He will also,  perhaps, visit Germany. Letters from the coast of Abasia dated the 25th ult. state that Schamyl had forbidden the sale of women in all the tribes that recognised his authority.  679  many years. The over-issue amounts to about 19,000 shares of stock, the par value of which is 1,900,000 dollars. The culprit is Mr. It. Schuyler, the president of the company, and he is said to have swindled also the Haarlem Railroad Company, though to a less amount. He has escaped, as it was believed, to Canada. The anniversary of the establishment of the Republic had been celebrated with the usual ceremonies on the 4th inst. At Dorchester, Massachusetts, on that day, the Roman Catholic church was blown up with gunpowder. At Manchester, New Hampshire, on the same anniversery, a dreadful riot occurred between Americans and Irish, when the latter were defeated, fifteen of their houses gutted, and their furniture destroyed. The Roman Catholic church was attacked, but saved by the police. Several persons on Loth sides were dangerously wounded.
The Press. — 1854-03-04 (London, England)

THREE WELL-DRESSED MEN were apprehended on Tuesday on the Manchester Exchange for picking the pocket of a merchant in open day. One of them was dressed in a large cloak, and the other two were "covering" him: he had succeeded in getting a pocket-book containing 301. from the person of Mr. Walmesley, of Marple, when the gang were seized, and conveyed to the police-office. THE DAUGHTER OF A LIVERPOOL SOLICITOR, a lady named Martha Gaudy, committed suicide on Sunday last. She was thirty-six years of age, and having met with disappointment in love had become low-spirited. Her sister heard the report of firearms, and, on going into a spare bedroom, found the deceased lying on the floor, quite dead, her head shockingly mutilated from a pistol shot. A letter to her father was found on the table. At an inquest held on Monday a verdict was returned of " Temporary insanity." ACTIONS will be brought at the ensuing Spring Assizes to be held at Exeter for the recovery of the damage sustained by some of the bakers during the late bread riots in that city. The total loss to the various sufferers in the county is estimated at from 1,0001. to 2,0001. At the same assizes about forty prisoners will be tried for having taken part in the bread riots in various parts of the county. HATTO, the groom, charged with the murder of the housekeeper at Burnham Abbey Farm, will be tried at the ensuing Lent Assizes for the county of Bucks, to be held at Aylesbury next week. ON Thursday a convict named Eglin, a notorious associate of burglars and smashers, succeeded in effecting his escape from the Middlesex House of Correction, Coldbath-square, where he was under sentence of twelve months' imprisonment, having been convicted at the last Central Criminal Court of uttering base coin. THE labourers employed at Holyhead New Harbour works struck for wages last week, and still continued to hold out, the contractorsbeing unwilling to accede to their demands. Their present wages are 2s. Bd. a day, and they ask for an increase of 4d., making it 3s. THE Staffordshire, a fine Liverpool and Boston packet ship, of nearly 2,000 tons burden, has been
The Press. — 1854-02-04 (London, England)

THE SCREW STEAM-SHIP " PETEREI.," recently engaged in the New York and Bermuda trade, was totally destroyed by fire, outside the dry dock, Glasgow, on Thursday week. Her loss is covered by an insurance for 12,0001. She had been taken off the Bermuda station, her large size rendering her unsuitable for the trade, and had been only sold a few days previously to Messri. Burns and M'lver, for 20,0001. Luckily, however, for that firm, they had not taken possession of the vessel. THE unaccountable death of a respected physiclan, Mr. Howard, of Upper Gloucester-place, became the subject of a coroner's inquest on Tuesday. The deceased was found dead in bed on the morning of yesterday, with his arms crossed on his breast, and the bed-clothes neatly arranged, but with a bottle labelled " hydrocyanic (prussic) acid on his table. There were no indications of a struggle; nor, after investigating his affairs, any embarrassments or other intelligible motive for suicide. His circumstances were shown to be good, and his habits regular and systematic. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had destroyed himself by hydrocyanic acid; but as to the state of his mind there was not sufficient evidence to form au opinion. THE disastrous fate of the brig Mary Jane, from Dublin to New York, with passengers, which went ashore on Jedore Ledges, is communicated in the last intelligence from the United States. Out of 150 persons on board only six were saved. ALLELNE KIMEYANG, a Chinese, has been committed for trial at Leeds, charged with stealing 1201., the property of his employer, Mr. Richardson, grocer and tea-dealer, Commercial-street. The prisoner had been for a considerable time employed by Mr. Richardson to serve his customers in the shop, and was attired in his native dress as a trade attraction. Nearly all the stolen money was found in his possession.
The Press. — 1854-07-15 (London, England)

THE DEFALCATIONS OF H. SWABEY, the late Registrar of the Court of Admiralty, are set forth in a report just printed by order of Parliament. The committee state that the total amount of the dell. ciency in Mr. Swabey's accounts appears to be as follows, namely— In money £35,328 18 8 Exchequer Bills Stock, 3 per Cent. Consols Stock, 3e per Cent. Reduced 2,842 8 9  . . and the amountof dividend on such stock, from July, i 843, and interest upon Exchequer Bills, for varying periods, amounting to a considerable sum. Mr. Swa • bey's salary was 1,400/. a year : he gave no security, ior was he ever called upon to render any account, except in the comparatively unimportant case of the fee fund. A CONVICT escaped from Dartmoor prison last week under extraordinary circumstances. He got out of Jis cell by cutting a piece from the lock of his door, Which enabled him to reach the large hall. He then proceeded to make a hole in the roof, which occupied him three hours, and thus got outside the prison, but had another difficulty to surmount—the boundary Tall, upwards of twenty feet high—he succeeded, aowever, in scaling it, and, on finding himself outside, broke into the house of Dr. Campbell, with which he was well acquainted, having been there to work, and stole the plate, as well as the doctor's macintosh, frock-coat, leggings, and riding-boots, with which he equipped himself, and started for Two Bridges. Here he broke into a stable, and, taking a horse and saddle, mounted, and was off on the road to Exeter. He had not proceeded far before hernet with the owner of the horse, who had been to a fair about seven miles off, and was returning in company with another person. They stopped him, and demanded to know where he was going to take the horse; and, on perceiving that he had on a part of the prison dress, they took him into custody and brought him back to the prison. Tux Dirego, which sailed from the Mersey on Thursday week, with 420 Government emigrants on board, returned to Liverpool on Monday last, several deaths having occurred, and about 100 passengers suffering from diarrhoea. The vessel, it appears, had reached Queenstown, when the disease became so alarming that it was deemed prudent to return to port. Up to Tuesday night 44 cases had proved fatal among the emigrants. The late accounts are more favourable, and no new cases are reported to have oectured. A YOUNG MAN, clerk to a solicitor who is clerk to the board of guardians, committed suicide last Wednesday at Haslingden, He was addicted to drinking, and often was not able to be at his post in consequence. It appeared also that he had recently obtained a check for 201. as money required for one of