npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Warrington & Mid-Cheshire Examiner. — 1893-12-23 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

SUICIDE OF AN EARLESTOWN TRADES MAN.  On Friday morning last, much excitement was occasioned in Earlestown, on the circumstances of a rumour that Mr. W. Hemmons, pork butcher, of Cross-lane, Earlestown, had committed suicide by poisoning himself. Inquiry showed that the rumour was only too true. It appears Mr. Hemmons, who was well known in the town, had for some few months past been in rather low spirits, from some cause which has not transpired. Formerly he occupied an old established pork butchers' shop, in Market-st., the busiest thoroughfare in the town, but for some reason he had to quit there, and was forced to take a new shop lately erected in Crosslane, which is quite out of the way of the majority of the purchasers. Whether this has had anything to do with the depression of spirits, we cannot say. Onl Thursday, he intended attending Warrington County , Court, where he was plaintiff in one or two cases. He sat out I catch his train, but was unfortunate in missing it, and he then drove over in his trap. When he reached the Court, he found the cases had been struck out, and he returned home under the impression that he ; had lost the cases altogether. During the day he purchased sixpenny-worth of laudanum from Mr. Peak's chemist, and soon after nine o'clock at night, he sent a girl named Elizabeth Clarke,for another sixpenny-worth. It is said that when he returned from Warrington, he quarrelled with his wife, but this she denies. At any rite she left home and went to her sister's at Newton, and Mr. Hemmons followed. He reached home abut midnight, and about two o'clock in the morning,the servant, Emma Vernon,found him lying unconscious at the botb9m of the stairs. She sent for Dr. Patterson, who applied the usual remedies, and restored the deceased to consciousness, and left instructions with those in the house how to deal with him. About nine o'clock on Friday morning he was sent for again, and he found Hemmons again unconscious, and all efforts at restoration were fruitless, and he died about 11.30. It is a curious coincidence that the man who ozcupied the shop in Market-st., before Mr. Hemmons, was also a pork butcher, and he after leaving it, committed suicide by hanging himself.  _ _
The Warrington & Mid-Cheshire Examiner. — 1893-08-12 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

CLERGYMAN'S SUICIDE.  PATHETIC CASE.  The Liverpool Coroner held an inquest on Thursday on the body of Jefferson Lowndes, aged 35, described as a private secretary, who lived with his mother at 152, Holland-road, Kensington' London. The deceased was discovered lying dead in his bedroom at noon, having apparently shot himself with a pistol which was found in his hand.—Mrs. Elizabeth Dorothy Lowndes stated that she was the widow of a newspaper editor. The deceased was her son. He was blind in one eye and the other was veay much affected, and an oculist had told him that when he was fortp years of age he would be stone blind. During the past few weeks he had been greatly depressed. He was an M.A. of Oxford, and was a fully ordained clergyman, although he had not o;ficiated for some years. His wife died in the West Indies twelve months after marriage, and this had also greatly affected him. Witness last saw him alive on the 4th Inst., when he left London, and on the Bth she received a letter from him enclosing his will and a few bills,which he asked her to pay. He said in the letter that he was going to Hustralia, and that she would hear from him on landing. That same evening she received a telegram from the police in Liverpool stating that her son had committed suicide. Two letters found on the dressing table in the deceased's bedroom were read. The first was addressed to the manager of the hotel, and was as follows :—.` August 8, 1893.—Dear sir,— On retiring to bed to-night at about twelve I found I was blind. I tried by means of matches, but could not see the light of them, though they burnt my fingers. I had intended to emigrate, sailing with a friend of mine this week ; but what use is a blind man in the colonies? If my sight is not all right in the morning I shall shoot myself. Communicate with my friends, 152, Hollancb-road, London, W. My name is J. Lowndes. I have enough to pay my bill. If there is any balance over send it to Mrs. Lowndes, 152, Holland-road, London." The other letter was a follows My dearest mether,—l have nearly gone blind. I cannot be a burden to you and family. I had intended to emigrate, but a blind man can do no good in the:colonies. There is nothing to be done ; but God bless you and forgive me.—Your loving son, J.L." The writing in both letters are very irregular, thus bearing out the statement of the deceased as to hit blindness.— The jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst labouring under temporary insanity.
The Warrington & Mid-Cheshire Examiner. — 1893-05-13 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

CARTER HANGS HIMSELF AT  WAR RINGTO N .  AN UNPUNCTUAL JURYMAN.  Air. S. Brighouse, county coroner, held an inquest at the Warrington Infirmary on Tuesday, on he body of Wm. Norman. aged 52 years, who corn initted suicide by hanging himself on Monday at 17, Dixon-street. The inquest was fixed for 12 o'clock, but gr. Albinson, a juryman did not arrive until 12.20, and the inquest was delayed in constquence. When Mr. Alhinson arrived, the coroner asked him how it was that he was so late to which he replied that he had been very busy and could not get away —Mr. Brighense : " Here are eleven of the jury and myself who have been waiting twenty minutes. I find that the total amount of time lost by us all is 240 minutes or four hours. I never like to be unfair, but I do think that punctuality w_uld be advisable." The inquest was then begun.—Mrs. Marshall said that deceased was her brother, and lodged with her at Dixonst. He was a carter. She last saw him alive at about eleven o'clock on Sunday night when he went to bed. She was informed of the suicide of her brother by her daughter next mcrning. The police were informed. Deceased had been drinking very heavily for some time, but she never thought he would take away his life. He was unmarried. On Sunday he could not hold his hands still. He had been discharged from work on Friday night, but he was taken on again on Sunday.—Sarah Alice Buckley, a young girl, said that deceased was her uncle. She last saw him alive on Sunday night. On Monday morning she got up at seven o'clock, and found deceased's dinner in the kitchen. She called for him, but got no answer. She then saw the closet door closed and went ta open it, when she saw a man's hand. She then went for the police, who cut deceased down. Owen Sheridan said that he lodged with Mrs. Marshall. On Monday morning he got up at 5.20, and deceased was also downstairs. Witness said to him " It's a nice morning "to which deceased replied in a very low tone "It's very fine." Deceased then went out at the back, and witness went out at the front door, and went to Lymm. Deceased did not appear to he any worse than usual. He had taken more drink than usual the last fortnight. He had never expressed an intenti.m to take away his life, and witness never expected him to do such a thing.-I'.C. Jones said that the witness Sarah Alice Buckley came tb him about 7,40 a.m. on Monday and told him there was a man in the closet. Witness went there and found cieceased hanging by a rope from a beam in the ceiling. His feet touched the floor. He was quite dead. Witnesdcut him dawn..—The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had committed suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind.
The Warrington & Mid-Cheshire Examiner. — 1893-02-04 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

SAD SUICEDE AT RIMCORN.  PATHETIC LETTER.  A shocking suicide occurred at Runcorn, on Monday. On arriving at his home, 46, Bridge-st. about six o'clock on Monday evening, Charles driffiths found his two young children cr3ing in the yard, and exclaiming" Oh, my mamma!" He then saw his wife suspended by a rope from a nail in the wall of a paQsage leading into the yard. He immediately fetched P.C. Juett, who is a neighbour, and that officer at once cut down the woman. She was, however, qui,e dead. She had apparently stood on a chair and then kicked it from under her. The deceased was only 26 years of age, and was , the mother of two children, aged respectively six dna three years.—Mr. Worsley, coroner, held the inquest on Wednesday. The husband said the deceased had complained terribly of her head lately, and she had talked very funnily to him. She had never threatened to take away her life. He found the following letter on the mantlepiece in the kitchen.—" Dear Charley,—Tell father to put me in a grave. You have been a good husband to me ; I cannot live any longer, take it as light as you can; I know it will be hard to bear. I should be a burden to you ; be good to Charley, and you, my darling husband, keep all my things. I am sorry for you. I know you have nothing but mother has me in a club • she will help you. I will meet you all in that land above. Good-bye to all. Good-bye, goodbye my loving husband. It will upset father and mother. Tell them to bear it as well as they can, lam out of my mind." Witness said he had been employed at Mathieson's Works, Widnes, for three years, and he had always given his wife plenty of money. He could not account for his wife taking her life in the slightest. He never thought it necessary to call in a doctor, because she never gave up.—Mrs. Annie Juett, wife of a police constable, said the deceased had complained to her about her head being bad. She was with the deceased shortly after five o'clock, and she appeared to be in her usual condition then.—The Coroner said it was the saddest case he had heard in his long experience as coroner. He thought the woman had committed the rash deed through trouble in her head, and there could be no doubt that she was of unsound mied at the time.— Mr. W. H. Rogerson, foreman, said Griffiths was one of his Sunday school scholars, and he was sure he was expressing the feelings of the jury when he said they deeply sympathised with him. The verdict recorded was that the deceased committed suicide whilst temporarily insane.  At Bolton, on Thursday, two local barbers, named Charles Thompson and Henry Battersby, were summoned under an old Act of Charles 11. for shaving on the Lord's Day. The Act, which is 300 years old,en Lets that no worldly labour, works of necessity and charity excepted, should be performed on the Lords Day. The Act has never been repealed. One of the defendants had been fined before. Both were again fined.
The Warrington & Mid-Cheshire Examiner. — 1893-09-09 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

SAD SUICIDE OF A CHESHIRE  SERVANT.  EARLY LOVE TROUBLES. Mr. Blunt, Deputy-Coroner for the Knutsford Division of Cheshire, held an inquest on Thursday at Mr. Arthur Ford's farm, High Legh, on the body of Catherine (Thorlton. twenty years of age, a domestic servant. Mrs. Jane Charlton, mother of the deceased, said her daughter came to spend Sunday and Monday with her. She went to inset her sweetheart on the Sunday evening, but he did not turn up. Deceased left on Monday afternoon to return to her sister in Bowdon. About a foltnight ago she had been very fretful, as her young man, Jos, ph Simpson, had been ill and told her he was falling into consumption. She had asked him to meet her at her mother's house last Sunday, and he promiced to do so if he were well enough. Deceased had been weak for some time back and had been unnerved by nursing a neighbour who was suffering from brain fever. Wm. Chorltort cave evidence of finding the body of deceased in a pit 150 yards from her parent's door. Harriet Swindles, Bowdon, said deceased returned to her house on 110 lay afternoon and seemed upset. During Tuesday she was very hurried and excited at her work, and in the kfcernoon witness heard the front door close, and looking out of the window saw deceased hurrying away. Witness went to deceaced's room and found a letter. "All my things are for my dear mother. This is the ead of all my troubles." Particularly during the past fortnight deceased had been very fretful. She was not a strcng nerved girl, but apparently was striving hard to bear up against her troubles. She was a very faithful and loveable girl.—Joseph Simpson, groom to Mr. T. P. Norris, Lymm, said he had been keeping' company with the deceased for the last eighteen months. She was very fond of him, and there had not been any coolness on his part. He had been ill lately with bronchitis, and had on one or two occasions, for that reason, not been able to fulfil his trysts with her, but he apprised her of it by letter. He could not account for her troubles, unless it was on account of his illness.—The jury returned a verdict of" Suicide whilst temporarily insane."
The Warrington & Mid-Cheshire Examiner. — 1893-05-06 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

EXTENSIVE THEFTS BY YOUTHS.  ATTEMPTBD SUICIDE.  Walter Smith and John Syerett, two youths, were charged at the Warrington Occasional Court, on Tuesday, before the Mayor (Alderman E, Greenell) with stealing on Nionday, the 24th April, at Latchford, a gold albert guard, valued at £7 75., a silk handkerchief, value is., and £7 in money, the property of Richard King, employed on the ship canal, and living at Thelwall-lane, Latchford. The prisoner Smith was brother to King's housekeeper, and he (Smith) and Syerett had been staying with him, but on Tuesday morning week the two lads left the house suddenly. On the following Thursday the smad hamper in which the money was kept was found lying in the ashbin. This led to King's box, in which the money and clothes were kept, being searched, when it was found to have been ransacked. The two prisoners were apprehended in Shrewsbury through endeavouring to pawn for 30s. the gold chain and a metal watch which they had bought. All the money was gone. The complainant identified the articles as his property, and said he saw them in his box on Sunday the 23rd inst. He first missed them on Thursday the 25th. He kept them in his clothes box, in the kitchen. The police applied for a remand until the next Daresbury Sessions, bail being allowed in sureties of £25 each.  At the same court Mary Ann Smith, sister of one of the prisoners was charged with having on May Ist, at the complainant's house taken some poison with intent to kill herself. Richard King said the woman was his housekeeper and had been in his employ for I 7 months. She went to the doctor for same medicine for skin disease, and he gave her about a pint of lotion, for outward use, and she drank the whole of it. He thought the stealing case had prayed on her mind. Miss Blackhurst and the Rev. B. B. Prescott had offered to get her to the Cancer and Skin Diseases Hospital, in Liverpool. The case was dismissed on the understanding that the woman would be taken to the hospital.  DO NOT NEGLECT! Sufferers from Gravel, Lumbago. Piles, Pains in the Back, Dropsy, Wind and Water Complaints, Diseases of Kidneys, Bladder, Urinary Organs, Stone, Gleet, Stricture, Sciatica, Rheumatism, and Gout, will find a positive cure in Holdroyd's Gravel Pills. Try a small box, and if not satisfied your money will be returned. Priee Is ltd. Of all chemists, or post free for 12 stamps from HOLDRoYD's Medical Hall, Cleckheaton, Yorks. Don't be put off. If you cannot get them write to the Proprietor, and a box will be sent next post.—Advt.
The South Staffordshire Examiner. — 1874-05-23 (Wednesbury, West Midlands, England)

THE STROUD ELECTION. bed. It appears that the murderer first stunned It is (says the Standard) no slight evidence of them with blows from some instrument, and the renity and extent of the Conservative reaction afterwards cut their throats with a rasor. The th ,t it should have manifested itself in a consti- heads of the victims presented a "oat horrible tuency like Stroud, which lass been traditionally spectacle. The skulls were smashed in, and the deveted to EadiealiAn and diesent. We know from faces totaily disfigured. The ehi: sea'e eyes were Mr. Gladstone himeelf that be regarded Mr.Doring. knocked out of the head, and the brains were ton's victory in January as one of those conclu,dre scattered over the bed clothes. Indeed, the nun, tests of the temper of public opinion which in, deter after cutting their throats, seems 1,. have pelted him to appeal to the country. Stroud nae battered their heads till life wascompletely extipet. now definitively re-affirmed the jedgment whwia it After murdering his family, the wretched man then pronounced, and furnishes, with oxford, a committei suicide, it is supposed, before the looks decisive proof that the sentiment of the country ing.glass, the table in front of which ia bespattered has undergone no change since the general eleo- with blood. He was, however, lying at a little ties. It is • fact of no slight significance that two distance from the table when found. Blair Iraq a borouohs which have been conspicuously loyal to man of intemperate habits, and was dismissed on the Liberal party for many years past, and which Saturday last from his situation on account of his contributed to the personnel of Mr. Gladstone's drunkenness. The tragedy was first discovered Government, should take the first opportunity by a neighbour who had been in the habit of cull. utter the general election of confirming the verdict ins the family in the mornings. A niece was lying from which they at the time disseated, and of ex. dead in the house at the time of the. tragedy, and pressing their confidence in the Conservative no doubt fortunately escaped by natural death a ministry. It means that constituencies which more frightful end at the hands of the murdc..er. held out longest have come to understand that the The house, with the mangled remains, is now change brought about by the dissolution is al guarded by the police. change for the better, and that it is the duty of all patriotic citizens to strengtleen a Government which offers such promise of real usefulness to the country.
The South Staffordshire Examiner. — 1874-05-16 (Wednesbury, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING MURDER IN CHELSEA.  - A murder of • mo.,t heartrending nature has just leen brought to light in Chelsea. It appears that a woman, named k rances Stewart, aged 40, haa for some time past being living with her daughter, 31ra Henrietta Scrivener, in Lordship place, Chelsea. On Tuesday week she left the lions-, taking 'rah her her daughter's little boy, a fine little fellow just over one year old. A note was found 1 stating that they would both be in the water before I Frig, and on the following day she went with the ! chmi to a Mrs. Ireland's, at Fulham. On the I tame day they left, and this was the last time the child was seen alive. Mrs Stewart then went to see , mother daughter, who gave her into custody, charging her with stealing the child. She was taken before Mt Arnold, at the Vt est minster Police-court, and remanded until the sth inst.. but upon both occasions the refused to give any account as to where the child was. She appeared very cool and collected, sad foul play was not apprehended, thg police beken that the child was Merely hicloien away, as the prisoner had expressed her determination to make its no her's and father's hearts ache. On Saturday, however, the body of a child was found ui the Thames at Poplar, and the Chelsea police ,nthrrities were immediately acquainted with the bet. On Sunday the mother and father went to l'oplar and identified the body a 6 that of their son. It is surmised by the police that the child sir thrown over Battersea bridge.  Mr. Edward A. Foley, brother of the well-known sculptor, committed suicide on Sunday morning. The unfortunate gentleman, whose residence and studio are at 33, Arlington street, Mornington crescent, has been in the habit recently of walling ! out late at night before retiring to rest, and on .aturday night, shortly before twelve, left his residence for the supposed purpose of taking his usual walk in the neighbourhood of Primrose hill and Regent's park. Shortly before two o'clock on Sunday morning, a young man named Payne, who is in the employ of Messrs. Datziel, engravers. of High street, Camden Town, was on his way home along the Albert road, which runs from the York and Albany to the foot of Primrose hill, to his father's residence. On reaching the Albert road, or, as it is sometimes called, the Meetwater Bridge of the Regent's Canal, he saw a man sitting in the centre of the iron railing, of the bridge, with his legs dangling over the water. He was looking in the direction of the Zoological Gardens. Payne had gone but a few yards further when he heard a loud splash In the water, and on turning round saw that the man he had seen sitting on the railing had disappeared. lie raised an alarm, and ran down to the towing path, where he saw the body floating in the water, but before assistance arrived it had sunk.
The South Staffordshire Examiner. — 1874-09-12 (Wednesbury, West Midlands, England)

ATTEMPT FD MURDER AND SUICIDE. A shocking crime was committed almost within the precincts of one of the ancient churches ot Bury St. Edmunds on Saturday. A young woman I named Matilda Herbert, wire of Henry Herbert. a 1 tailor's foremen, riving in Cursitor streetoChancery lane. London, left her husband on Thursday week, and on the following day went down to Bevy, to her aunt, a widow named Rayner, with whom she has since been staying. Mrs. Rayner is employed to clean St. James's church, and Mrs. Herbert was j assisting her in that duty on Saturday morning, a little before eight o'clock, previous to morning service, when Henry Herbert entered the church, and. after some conversation with his wife, induced her to go just °Aside the south door leading into the churchyard. He asked her if she would re- , turn to London with him, and on her refusing he drew a revolver from his pocket and fired it full at her chest Fortunately the rollet struck against the uppermost stud of the woman's stays and the steel bust to which it was attached, an I so the , ' woman escaped unharmed. The pistol was, however fired a less that her dress was set on fire, I and she ran into the hurch and to the vestry, crying out that she was shot The prisoner forlowed her, and pointed the revolver at her aunt, Mrs. Rayner, but did not go quite to the vestry, and he ' then turned to leave the church. Mrs. Rayner screamed for help, and the organ blower, named James Clarke. and another man, named George I Knight, in the employ of Messrs. Walker and Sons, organ builders, London, who are doing some repairs I to the organ, hearing the report of a pistol and the woman's screams, ran after Herbert, whom they saw just leaving the door of the church. They captured him before he had got many yards away, and told him he must go with them to the statienhouse, and he said, "I am quite willing to go any. where." They then took him to the polioe.station, and gave him in charge. The wife had meanwhile taken refuge in the vestry, and slammed the door behind her. Afterwards, on unfastening her dress to ascertain if she was at all injured, the flattened bullet fell out from between her dress and her stays; the top of her drive, which was on fire, was put out by Mrs. Rayner. On the prisoner being searched at the police-station • sin-chambered revolver wan found upon him, one chamber of which had been recently discharged, and the others were still loaded. There was also found upon him a bottle of oxalic acid. with which he admitteel he intended to poison himself if he had not been so promptly seized. In his left-hand inside coat pocket was also found a box containing 35 cartridges, and in anw her pocket a wig and five letters, and a piece of paper which the prisoner seized and tore up, but which was afterwards gummed together, and was as follows: Whoever finds three letters if he will post them immediately an explanation will immediately fol. low.—H.