npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-01-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE OF AN ADIIIII,AL,  SHOCKING REVELATIONS. Last Saturday the inquest on the body of Reim Admiral Verstarme was held at the residence of the deceased, Arwenack Mansion, near Falmouth. Mrs Versturme, who was greetivaffected when giving her evidence, deposed thel' she and her huebend dined together on Thursday week. They were very happy, and the deceased was in good spirits. After dinner they went into the drawing-room. Having a sore throat she asked her husband to excuse hes singing to him as was her custom, and said she would play the piano only. She went to alb piano. and her husband at the same time wrekedover to the fireplace and put the small bras. loker into the fire, as she supposed to make a laze. Shortly afterwards, as sho was in the act of opening the piano, she heard a " stntherine " noise, which caused her to look round. She than saw that her husband had the red - hot poker in his hand. Something in his face alarmed her, and she rushed' across the room and seized the poker. In the struggle which ensned for the possession of the weapon she burnt ber bends, and then she fainted. Alter that she remembered nothing more. She always lived on the best of terms with her husband: There were, however, sores family troubles which upset her husband lately) and at the dining-table, when she was trying to cheer him up, he remarked, "You are the most cheerful companion any man could have." Wit. ness added that in the desperate straggle for the poker her husband seemed bereft of hie senses; and seized the lamp, the shovel, and, in fact, anything he could lay his hands on.—Ellen Davis, the only servant in the house at the time of the tragedy, said she heard ermine proceeding from the drawing-room, and hurried thither. She found her =deftest] on the floor in front of the fire, and unconscious. A little distance from Mrs Versturmo lay her master, with a poker in his handu, " struggling and banging himself about." She took the poker from him, and threw it to the end of the room. A lighted lamp was also on the floor, and this her master was " hugging "to him. She threw a rug over the lamp in order to put it out. She could not heat her mistress calling her, as the kitchen was too far away from the drawing-room.--Dr. Bellmore deposed that on his arrived he found the deceased on the floor of the drawing-zoom in a perfect state of frenzy. He was, in fact, suffering from a paroxysm of suicidal mania. There were four punctured wounds in the abdomen, two of them going right through the integuments, and all with an appearance of burning. The heated poker had penetrated to the peritoneum. Blood was flowing from his mouth, caused by his swallowing broken pieces of glass and china. Witness knew Admiral Versturete had been ins  despondent frame of mind owilkg to family troubles, but he had never shown any sign of suffering from 11311.11ia or de/inam tremens.—The jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from the effects of wounds seli-inilicted.while ie a state of temporary insanity.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-01-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT MIDDLESBROUGH. for a cow.—The Bench said it was one of those —A married woman named Martha Price, living eases in which oath was against oath, and in at 57, Hutchinson-street, Middlesbrough, Was which someone must be telling a lie, but they yet on Monday charged at the Petty Sessions Court thought that there was is preponderating weight with attempted suicide on Saturday night. It of evidence on the side of the prosecution, and appeared from the statement of Chief Constable fined Scurr 7.3 66 and Sidgwick 10s. Aahe that about ten o'clock on Saturday night A MIDDLESBROUGH DOG FANCIER'S the prisoner and her husband had had some Cidem.—On Tuesday at the Stockton County words about some clothing. Shortly afterwards Court Mr William Price, grocer, Maudale-rosol, the husband retired to bed, thinking the differ- South Stockton, brought an action against John ence had been settled. He, however, was called Nunn, a shoemaker living at Miedlesbrough, to out of bed, and on proceeding to the coal- recover £2 4s, money advanced.—The defendant house he found his wife trying to submitted a counter claim of £2l 198.—Mr J. H. strangle herself with her apron.—Dr. McCuaig Draper, of Stockton, appeared for the plaintiff, spoke to making an examination of the prisoner and Mr Barron, of Darlington, defended.— on Saturday night and finding her neck swollen The case was opened by Mr Barron, who statel and her eyes bloodshot.—The Stipendiary Magis- that the defendant was a breeder of celebrated trate said the prisoner had pleaded guilty to a pug dogs, sending them to all parts of the terrible offence—that of attempted self-destruc- country, and taking prizes at various exhibitions. tion. He would remand her on the charge to In March, 1886, the defendant was not able to Northallerton Gaol for a week, when he would pay the licenses for his dogs, and proceedings probably be in receipt of a report as to her m were taken against him for neglecting to do so. mental condition from the surgeon and chaplain Having been informed that the plaintiff had been of the prison. enquiring about some dogs, the defendant's
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-02-25 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MURDER OF A SISTER BY A  MANIAC.  At Taunton Assizes on Friday week before MI Justice Field, Ernest William Vernon Hitching, aged 21, the sou of the Medical Officer of Health. of Weston-super-Mare, was indicted for the wilful murder of his sister Constance at Weston on Nov. 22.—1 t appeared from the evidence that the prisoner and the deceased had often ex. changed angry words, and prisoner had spoken of her as a "beast." He had also stated that he disliked her because she passed him in the street without speaking, and she would not give him a paper to rend when he asked her for it. On the morning in question tho father heard the report of a gun, and saw smoke issuing from his daughter's bedroom. Ho immediately went there, and found his daught-r desid in bed and the prisoner rising from the floor, ard there were two holes in the ceiling as if the gun, which was on the floor, had been discharged upwards. The prisoner had evidently attempted to commit suicide, for there Isere wounds on his cheek, though not of a serious character.—The defence was that the prisoner was insane at the time. and Mr Bncknill pointed out to the jury on his behalf that it was highly improbable that a sane person would have acted as the prisoner had dune. He called witnesses to prove that the prisoner had suffered from epileptic tits, and that he had been in the navy, and was not allowed to go aloft on account of them. He was a man of unsound and feeble mind, and at the time the murder was committed was not responsible for his actions.—The jury found that the prisoner committed the murder, but that he was not sane at the time, and he was ordered to be detained dnries Her Majesty's pleasure.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-01-21 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

WAS THE CAT.—At the Newark Theatre the other night Mrs Langtry was enacting the last scene in " As in • Looking-Glass." She sat on an ottoman, with a vial of poison on the table before her, and was writing a letter of farewell to her husband previous to taking the poison. The actress was in the miielle of her emotional part, and there was a hush in the audience, when suddenly an enormous black cat walked out from the side scene on the right, and amid an audible " scat " from behind the szenes, halted in front of the drummer in the orchestra, who shook his stick at him. The cat blinked i for a moment. and _then continued  Its journey across the front of the stage, halting again directly in front of Mrs Langtry, and leisurely surveying her. There was a titter in the audience, and then the house broke out in a laugh. The actress essayed at first to ignore the intruder, but could not withstand the humour of the situation, and her features, drawn up with the itrtensitv of the emotions she was delineating, relaxed into a smile and a rippling laugh. The cat at this juncture made a sudden dash to the rear of the stage and sprang through a window. The play was then resumed, but the effect was spoiled. A Cool. REsetnta.—An extraordinary example of combined pluck and coolness was afforded on Wednesday at the Liverpool landing stage. A roan named Colwell, who is said to have .been not quite sober, was walking along the stage, when he suddenly got over the chains and sprang into the river, with the apparent intention of committing suicide. The landing stage is a popular promenade for all classes, and among the strollers was a young man named John Parkins. Observing the act of Colwell, Parkins at once jumped into the river to his rescue, stopping not to remove a single article of 1 clothing, nor his hat, nor even the pipe he was ' smoking. He swam rapidly to the would-be suicide, and conveyed to him a life-buoy which had been thrown over, and despite some struggling on the part of Colwell put the life-buoy under his arms and brought him to the stage. During the whole of this exciting episode Parkins displayed the most absolute coolness, and kept his pipe in his month all the time—a feat which, considering that the thermometer was several degrees below freezing point, was , somewhat remarkable. The rescuer was loudly cheered on being hauled out of the water and I taken to the receiving house to have his clothes I dried.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-05-05 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE OF A PRIMA DONNA.  An inquest was held on Monday afternoon at St. George's Hospital, London, respecting the death of Helene Crosmond-Turner, who shot herself on Thursday week in a cab in Piccadilly.— The body of the deceased was identified by her brother, who said she was a widow, aged 35. Since the death of her husband, seven years ago, . she had had more than an ordinary share of trouble, and had been in the habit of taking opiates to procure sleep. He knew of no recent fresh trouble to account for her taking her life. —Mr Thomas Young, solicitor, Essex-street, Strand, said deceased consulted him about a fortnight ago on business, and he last saw her on Thursday last, when she called at his office and requested him to see Mr Augustus Harris with reference to an engagement that gentleman had made with the deceased that she was to sing as prima donna in an opera about to be produced, at a salary of il,lo a-week, for four weeks certain. The agreement had been signed, I and she had received £2O deposit from Mr Harris. I On witness returning to office he told de. ceased that he had been unsuccessful, when she seemed very disappointed, and said it meant utter ruin to her, lie never saw her alive again. Mrs Mary Godbold deposed that deceased had lived with her since September last. She knew deceased was troubled . about money matters.—The cabman and other witnesses gave evidence as to what occurred in Piccadilly, and Mr Hugh Lawson, house sue• gems at St. George's Hospital, who attended the deceased, said she had a bullet wound in the head caused by a pistol shot, and she died on Friday morning from laceration of the brain.—A , verdict of "Suicide whilst of unsound wind" was I returned.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-03-10 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE SUICIDE AT DARLINGTON.—THE INQUEST.—An inquest was held in the NorthEastern Hotel, Darlington, last Saturday evening by Mr Coroner Dean, touching the death of Annie Mackie Vennon (17), whose body was found in the Skerne that morning.—From the evidence it appeared that the girl had been in the employment of Mr A. Cudworth for two years and a half as a general servant, and during that time she was dismissed about half a dozen but was always taken back again in consideration of the circumstances of her family. Mr Cudworth wrote to her father, at Brompton-onSwale, on Friday week, and told him to take his I daughter away. He told her on Thursday that he intended to dismiss her, when she said that she would make him and his wife suffer for it. She was described as a girl capable of doing anything when she was carried away by her violent I temper. Late on Friday night her hat, muff, and three letters were found 011 the Victoria embealtn.ent, and her body was recovered next morning about 100 yards lower down the stream in eight feet of water. The letters were all returned to the police by the I people to whom they were addressed. They showed that the deceased bad premeditated , suicide, and accused her father and employer with being unkind to her, and a young man named Langhorne with passing her in Northgate.--Gorald Muckle, the father of the deceased, said that there was every reason to believe that Mr and Mrs Cudworth treated her kindly. His daughter never made any complaint about the treatment she received from them, nor had the witness ever spoken unkindly to her.— The jury, after hall an bout's deliberation, failed to agree on the question of sanity, and returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide by drowning, leaving the state of her mind at the time open.—The Coroner censured the father of the girl for attending the *limit in a state of intoxication.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-01-14 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

NINE MONTHS ON A DESERT  ISLAND.  A romantic story of adventures upon a desert island is relat.A by two survlyors of the schooneg General Siegel, who have arrived at HonelnkThe men state that the General Siegel left Honolulu on September Ist, 1886, for French Frigate Shoals, on a shark.Gshing 'expedition. Her crew was composed of Captain Aberdine, Adolph Jorgen, the mate, the two men already mentioned, Peter Larkin, Peter Brown, I Martin Neilsen, and Chas. Clemens. ()n I September 23 they arrived off Medway Island. On the night of September 26 the vessel was riding at anchor off this island, the whole of the crew being camped on shore. Towards midnight a gale of wind arose. The vessel drifted ashore, and became a wreck. The crew than found themselves east upon a desolate island in mid-ocean, their only means of sustenance being sea birds and their eggs and fish. About ten days afterwards a painful accident happened to Peter Larkin. While engaged in killing fish with giant powder one of his hands was blown off. He died from his injnries in a few days. After this a feud appears to have arisen between the mate Jorgen and the others. William Timpe. one of the survivors, says that while he was alone in the hut Jorgen crept behind him and tried to strangle him with a rope. The lad called for hel,' when the mate desisted from the attempt. While the captain and Brown were after eggs Jorgen murdered them. When the others heard of this they taxed Jorgen with it, but lie said the two had committed suicide. Olsen and Timpe then resolved to leave the island. They accordingly destroyed the ship's boat, and then sailed away on the 28th June in a scow, and left the mate alone. • They beaded for Marshal Island, which they reached after s voyage lasting two months and &half.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-06-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE OF A GAMEKEEPER NEAR  RICHMOND.  On Tuesday afternoon Mr Walton, North Riding Coroner, held an enquiry at the Phmnix Inn, Broznpton-on-Swale, touching the death of Christopher Fryer, who for a large number of years has been gamekeeper for Sir Henry de Burgh Lawson, of Gatherley Castle, and who was found dead in his picturesque cottage at firompton, the man having undoubtedly shot himself.—The first witness called was James William Brown, a labourer, who said deceased entered his own house at ten o'clock on Sunday evening apparently all right and sober, althougfi he knew he had been drinking most of the previous week.—Jane Pearson, a next-door neighbour, saw deceased at her mother's funeral in Eitsby Abbey churchyard on Sunday. She had no conversation, but the man looked down. Of late he bad frequently passed the house in an intoxicated state, but he ailed nothing in the churchyard. On Monday morning she went to his door with the milk between nine and halfpast. The door was open, not snecked, as usual, BO she concluded he was either ill or hod gone to work. When she opened the door wider she saw his head on the floor opposite the door. She thought he was dead and ran away in consternation, alarming the neighbours. She never heard the report of s gun during the night. —Thomas William Terry, a neighbour, corroborated the former portion of the last witness's statement, and added that when called to the house he saw deceased lying on his face on the floor in a pool of blood. Looking round, he saw a gun fastened by a handkerchief to the oven handle, and appearances led to the conclusion that deceased had shot himself, though he did not touch him to see if there were any wounds on him. There was no fire in the grate.—Other evidence was tendered. Deceased told Mr , Carter, who was making s coffin, that he might I have one to make for him next, and one night, after a spree which caused him to get up between two and three in the morning, he told Miss Jane Carter he would have to do away with himself. —Mr MTH], the foreman, said the dog had been heard to bark between two and three o'clock in the morning.—After discussion, on the suggestion of the Coroner the jury returned the verdict, "That deceased had committed suicide, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show in what state of mind he was at the time."  Tug "
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1888-06-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT DARLINGTON.— Last Saturday evening a married woman named Eliza Bell (42), living at 43, Barton-street, Albert Hill, Darlington, attempted to commit suicide by strangling herself. A boy had called at Mrs Bell's, and failing to get an answer to his knocks, he went next door to Mrs Bowen's, who told him to open the door and go in. He did so, and immediately returned to Mrs Bowen's and told 1 her that there was something wrong with Mrs I BelL Mrs Bowen at once ran in, and found Mrs Bell with a piece of braid and a piece of cord tied round her neck and blood oozing from her nose and mouth. Mrs Bowen cut the cords, which were so tightly tied that she could not get the knife underneath, and Ind to saw them through from the top.—Dr. Manson was called in, and she is so far recovered as to be ordered out of bed to-day. Dr. Manson states that Mrs Bell is not responsible for her acts. ' RAID ON YOUTHFUL TRESPASSERS AT  L ner—i7LA-t-th; Loftus Police Court on Friday week nine boys, all about the age of 13, were charged by Lord Zetland's woodmen with trespassing and damaging underwood in Loftus Wood on the 20th inst. Their names were John Fletcher, Albert Bennett, _Frederick Mar_ _ _ . .  fitt, Jan Stainthorpe, Thomas Seymour, Joeeph Cook, Ralph 'Wren, Thomaa 'Jamison, and Archibald Mazetti.—From the evidence it . .  appeared that there was a well-trodden footpath and also a cart road in the wood, and that People had been in the habit of going in freely—The boys acknowledged the , trespass, but not the damage.—The watchers admitted that they saw several of the boys before entering the wood, but did not warn them against going in. Damage to laurel and other trees was pleaded, but no evidence was forthcoming to this effect.—Tbey were ordered to pay 6d each.
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1890-08-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE INQUEST.—A. FAREWELL LETTER. On Tuesday Mr H. Mackereth held an inquest at the Oddfellows' Arms, Thornaby, on the body of I Davey —Sarah Devey, the widow, said she came 'to Thornaby Vale on Friday owing to some disAurbance she had had with her husband. The ;latter had gone away to Darlington that morning. Before he went she told him "there was nothing hi the house to pay anyone with, and he was just , I wasting it." He first came to her parents' house I about 12.30 on Saturday. They saw him coming, ' and ran and fastened the door. He had szveral times before tried to get the revolver to do away with himself. He had had it eleven years, but witnes3 kept it under double lock. She had left him three times before, but had gone back. The disagreements between them had been going on for dminalnj years. He did not seem to ail anything from, I • on Saturday.—Wm. Ainsworth, father of the I , widow, said lie was poorly on Saturday. He I wanted to have the deceased let in, but his wife and daughter would not allow it. His wife was frightened, because she thought she saw the shape of a revolver in his bread pocket. She afterwards looked through the window, and saw the revolver lin his hand. He knocked several times before he shot himself. Witness's wife told him he had behaved so badly to his wife they could not let him in. At last the deceased said,"l want to come in and kiss my bairn, and I can do for the lot of you !in two seoonds. Are you going to let me in?" Wituess'sswife replied No," and in an instant the shot was heard. Witness's wife staggered • back, and they thought she was shot. For twenty Iminutes or half-an-hour she was unable to speak, ; and they did not know whether she was going to , live or die. After a time, however, a little girl came and knocked at the window, and said "se's shot himself," and then witness went out, and found deceased half-lying against the door post, and the revolver lying in his hand. Witness at once came down to the Oddfellows' Arms, and got the landlord to send a man for the police and a doctor. Witness knew that deceased's mother died in an asylum. The deceased himself was much addicted to drink—The Coroner considered it was not necessary to examine the wife of the I last witness, and the jury immediately returned a I verdict of "Suicide during temporary insanity."— The following is a copy of a roughly written note found on the body of the deceased :—" Redmarshall.—Sarah,—l leave this note to let peopleknow what I have done this for. You will find use ant some way through Sarah ways.—J. G. Davey.— Think of my little Annie. Care for nobody else."
The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1890-08-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

TWO ATTEMPTED SUICIDES IN MIDDLESBROUGH.  At the MiddlesbroughPolice Court onWednesday an unfortunate named Elizabeth Lavender pleaded guilty to a charge of having attempted suicide. About a month ago the girl took poison, and she was in great agony when she was seen by Dr. Fawcett, an assistant to Dr. Hadley, who found that she was suffering from some corrosive acid poisoning. She was in great danger, but under treatment she recovered. The defendant's father, a moulder, in the employ of Messrs Cochrane, said the girl had refused to go toeervice,and thedefendant's sister said the young woman was drunk at the time she made the attempt on her life. She also said her sister would go out on the streets, and they could not control her.—His Worship remanded the fenditnt to goal fora week in order that he might have a repor t as to her state of mind, and to consider what to do with her.—Wm. Cough, a crippled man, was then charged with a similar offence. Last night a dock officer named Garthwaite heard cries for help from someone in the water in the dock cut. , The man's stick and crutch lay on the quay. ' He threw the man a life hzioy, which he seized, , and was pulled ont. When he was ashore he had had nothing bat trouble for the 1 last eight years, and if he could not finish himself one way he would another. Ho then got out a knife, but Garthwaite got it from him. Defendant now said he was in drink at the time he went into the water. He was an excellent swimmer, but he became exhausted. He promised his Worship he would do nothing of the kind again. Chief Constable Ashe said the defendant was unable to work, and was dependent on his sister. His Worship I dealt with this case in the same way.