npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-09-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE OF • SHEFFIELD TRILDREIMAN.—A hatter named Edward John Palmer, carrying on businese in Snigg-hill, Sheffield, committed suicide on Saturday morning under very extraordinary circumstances. On Monday night his shop was found on fire, and nearly the whole of the stock, which was insured in the Queen office, was damaged or destroyed. The proprietor was suspected of having wilfully fired the premises, and when told that the insurance people intended inspecting the place on Saturday morning he became very excited, and was "almost beside himself," &tire they visited the shop to ascertain the amount of damage Palmer went into the cellar and hanged himself with a rope suspended from the ceiling. His corpse was discovered by his wife.  MR PARNELL'S NATIONkL CONVEX/lON Scasms.—Mr Parnell, M.P., and the principal members of the Home Role League Council in Dublin, are actively engaged in making arrangements for a series of meetings to be held in Sligo, Galway, Wexford, Roscommon, and Mullingar, with a view to urging upon the constituencies the necessity of professing advanced opinions of party, which are to be fully stated at a public meeting of the League 'in Dublin next Thursday. An attempt will be made to include all the sections of the Irish party in Mr Parnell's scheme of a national convention, to consist of 300 delegates, every Irishman contributing a stated sum, and having the light of nominating ten persons for election, and to be entitled to vote for 300 persons of the total nominated. Should this body be successfully constituted it will proceed to formulate an expression of opinion upon the whole Irish political situation.  This year's hop crop in Kent will be the smallest since 186). A meeting was held at Bridgewater on Monday, under the presidency of tiga Marva of Bath, to further a scheme 'or t .e recht,..4. ation of 90,000 acres of land.  - , SERIOUS ILLNESS OF LORD NAPIER OF MAODLLA•—Private letters received in Loudon on Tuesday morning from Kissingen sunotutas that General Lord Napier of Mag,dals,G.C.B., lies there seriously indispcmed.  -
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-11-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

IRE ALLEGED LIBEL BY A LONDON EDITOR. —Mr Henry Labouchere appeared on Friday week before dir Robert Carden, at Gullhail, London, for the third time, to answer a summons obtained at the instance of Mr Edward Levy-Lawson, editor and part proprietor of the Daily Telegraph, for libel, arisieg out of a personal encounter outside the Beefsteak Club. The facts, from the two previous hearings, are now pretty well known, and it need only be said that the court was again crowded as soon as the doors were opened. After considerable argument, Sir Robert Carden said that he had carefully considered the point laid before him last week, as to whether defendajat should be allowed to produce evidence in justification of the alleged libel, and he had come to a decision not to hear further evidence on that plea. Mr Labouchere thereupon asked that the case might be adjourned, to enable him to obtain a mandamus from the Court of Queen's Bench to compel Sir Robert to hear the evidence. The application was granted, ' and the further hearing is adjourned.  Vice-Chancellor Sir Richard Malins, who in February sustained a compound fracture of one of his legs, resumed his judicial duties in Lincoln's Inn on Tuesday morning. The Court was crowded by members of the lysr and the legal profession, who congratulated his lordship on his return. SUICIDE or A Boy.—On Sunday Light Walter M'Croskie, a lad 16 years of age, was found hanging by his muffler from the balusters of the stairs in his parents' house in Fowler-street, Liverpool. He was at once , cut down, but life was extinct. The only reason assigned for the obvious suicide is that some one had found fault with the deceased. SIR WILFRID LAVipl7.-A large and enthusiastic temperance meeting was held on Monday night in the Free Church Assembly Hall, Edinburgh, at which an address was delivered by Sir Wilfrid Lawson in support of a resolution urging that a national effort should be made for the suppression ol the traffic in intoxicating liquors. THE /tamely LTURAL DEpusssios.—The  winter session of the Farmers' Club was opened in London on Monday.— Mr Pickering Phipps,. M.P., chairman, expressed regret at the inauspicious circumstances under which the members assembled, and said he could not believe that the future of agriculture would be as unpropitious as that which they had lately experienced.—Mr J. Edwards read a paper on "The Future Aims of the Farming Interest,"—A discussion followed, during which Mr Mechi urged that more capital and intelligence, and less restrictions, were what the farmer required in order to render agriculture profitable. A large area of country still remained capable of improvement.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-11-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SHOCKING ATTEMPTED WIFE  MURDER IN NEWCASTLE. SUICIDE OF THE HUSBAND.  A domestic tragedy of a shocking character vvas enacted on Sunday evening in Parkerstreet, Byker, Newcastle. It appears that about ten o'clock in the evening a man named Doubleday, occupying a flat in the above-named locality, quarrelled with his wife, a woman about forty years of age, furiously attacking . her with a poker. Having struck her several blows with this instrument, he next pursued her with a razor, Liflicting upon her a very deep wound across the back of the neck, extending almost from ear to ear. The unfortunate woman at once rushed down the back stairs leading to the yard arid entered the house of her next door neighbour, when she sank upon the floor in a pool of blood. Medical assistance was procured, and she was afterwards removed to the Infirmary, where she lies in a very critical condition. In addition to the incised wound, the poor woman had received six or seven scalp wounds, all of a serious nature, but there is no fracture of the skull. On a pol!ce officer arriving on the scene he proceeded up-stairs with the view of securing Doubleday, and on entering his room discovered that he had cut his own throat in a most frightful manner, and was lying in the middle of the floor in a large pool of blood, presenting a spectacle of the most horrible kind. This deed must have been perpetrated at the same instant as his wife fled from the house, for Dr. Thompson, who gave him immediate attention, at once pronounced him to be dead. The police took possassion of two pokers, one of which is much bent, and has hair and blood sticking to it. Doubleday has been out of employment for some time, and it is believed that the privations he must necessarily have endured may have in some degree contributed to incite him to the perpetration of the sad deed.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-09-20 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY COMPANY.— The North British Railway Company announces that no dividend will be paid on the ordinary stocks for the past half-year. The preference stocks will be paid in full down to 1874 convertibly, and 2t per cent. on the 1875 preference, carrying forward £5OO. Whilst near Worksop on Tuesday morning the Great Northern newspaper train met with an accident. One of the driving cranks of the engine snapped, both cylinders were blown out, and a portion of the engine left the rails. The passengers were severely shaken, but none were injured. The lines were blocked for some time.  At the County Prison, Strangeways, Manchester, on Tuesday, an inquest was held on John Anderson, forty-seven years of age. Deceased in August was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for stealing a pair of troucers at Bolton. On Friday he hung himself by his bed strap, which he attached to the ventilator of his cell. A verdict was returned to the effect that he had committed suicide, and there was no evidence of his state of mind at the time.  Thos. Houaley, coke burner, near Sheffield, was committed on Tuesday for six months by the Sheffield Magistrates for a brutal assault on his son, 13 years old. In the coarse of a quarrel between prisoner and his wife, the boy took his mother's part. His father thereupon struck him violently, and holding him up by tie legs dashed his head against the ground, concussion of the brain resulting, and the boy's life was for some time in danger. The Chancellor of the Exchequer attended on Tuesday the opening of lades Leigh Church, North Devon, of which parish the right hon. gentleman is L.)rd of the Manor Responding to the toast of his health, Sir Stafford said that the church-rate system had received a blow, but the spirit of the nation had survived it; and though much in the change was to be regretted, yet the Church flourished and would contiutie to flourish.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-01-11 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ROMANTIC SUICIDE.  lAt half-past four on Christmas morning (says a correspondent writing from Rome), Doctor Alessandra Dotorini committed suicide under romantic circumstances. He was a ()Orbit and served in the revolutionary a• my as surgeon, and was highly esteemed. He estab ished himself in Rome upon the entry of the Italians in 1870, and frequented fas,lionable society, living from hand to mouth, and occasionally receivitig'pecuaiary help from a ri3h uncle in Perugia. Some time ago he conceived a tender passion for a ltd , whom, owing to his position, he could not marry; and •to cure himself of his amatory complaint took a voyage to the Indies. He returned to Rome, and was sent as an- inspector of recruits to Sardinia, where he again fell in love. In the public promenade at Oristane he met the Countess Spauo, a widow with one child. The first day they looked at each other, the second day they exchanged salutations, and on the third day they shook hands and entered into mutual explanations. It was a case of love at first eight, and as both were free they decided to marry. The euamoured couple, from some cause or other, thought Rome a more convenient place for their nuptials, and to Rome they came, travelling in a separate compartment of a first-class carriage. On their arrival at the station at Rome the Countess was the first to alight, and when she did so she found herself fa,se to face with her uncle, an official in the Department of Grace and Justice. Behind the uncle stood six policemen. A few lively words passed between the uncle and the doctor, and then the niece, Countess Spano, turned, with an unaccountable coolness, to the doctor, and in brief terms informed him that what had passed was past, and that henceforth there would be ncthing between them in common. The unfortunate doctor, thus heartlessly turned adrift by the fair yeldow, was utterly astounded at the inconsistency ef the six, and after trying to see one or two friends, repaired to a boarding-house where he was in the habit of lodging, and, poured the recital of his griefs into the ear of his landlady. He then shut himself up in his bedroom, ard wrote the following letter to the countess Countess Angiola, you may have thought that I extorted from you in a moment of weakness the promise which yell are not willing to keep. I now restore to you your freedom without limit or reservation. You must know that you have broken my heart, destroyed my future, and compromised me with my friends. Yet I pardon you all this. When you receive this letter you may be quite certain that I cannot give, you further annoyance. (Signed),
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-08-16 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

DETERMINED SUICIDE AT  STOCKTON.  Last Saturday morning Mr Coroner Settle held an enquiry at the Stockton Borough Police Court into the circumstances attending the death cf Mr Samuel Fenny, who was found strangled at his residence, No. 1, Garibaldi-street, on Friday forenoon. IThe first witness called was Mr Samuel Fenny, a son of the deceased, living at No. 2, Langley-street. He said that his late father had for a great many years carried on busine._ in Stockton as a cow-keeper ; but at May Day last he retired from business. The giving up business seemed to prey upon his mind very much; and during the past fortnight he had been suffering -rom severe depression Of spirits. Dr. Howson had attended him, and advised that he should be closely watched as he, might make an attempt to destroy himseif. On Sunday last the deceased endeavoured to hang himself in the back kitchen of his residence with a piece of tape. The cord, however, broke and frustrated the attempt. Since then the unfortunate man had been unceasingly watched by witness and his sister, who acted as housekeeper to the deceased. About a quarter to eleven on Friday morning the deceased told witness he should go into the front kitchen and try to get a short nap. But it appeared ' that, instead of lying down in the sitchen to sleep, he stole upstairs to a spare room. Immediately he was missed from the front kitchen witness looked about for him; and, on going into the spare room, he found his father in a sitting posture on the floor near one of the two bedsteads which were in the room. The long black neck-cloth which deceased usually wore was tied to the head of the bedstead, and the other end was round his neck. He had strangled himself Ly pulling the necktie as tight as possible. The assistance of Dr. Howson was promptly obtained, but life was extinct before any assistance could be rendered.  Dr. Howson gave evidence of being called , in to attend the deceased on Sunday afternoon last about two o'clock. He found the deceased lying upon a sofa in a comatose state, with his face livid, and a red mark round his neck, as though produced by a cord being tied tightly. Towards evening the deceased recovered consciousness, and, as he had since exhibited symptoms of temporary mental affection, he was closely watched. Witness had professionally attended the deceased for many years. Since the latter end of May he had been in s low, nervous state—complaining of pain in the head and sleepless nights. Shortly after eleven o'clock on 1 riday morning witness received a summons to attend at the residence of deceased. He did so immediately, but found deceased was quite dead,the cause of death being strangulation. Mrs Jane Rowntree, daughter of the deceased, corroborated the evidence of Mr Fenny; and Mr Douglas, of Thompsonstreet, deposed to being called in to assist the son and daughter on their discovering that their father had hanged himself. The jury, after a few moments' deliberation, returned a verdict that the deceased committed suicide whilst suffering from temporary insanity.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-03-15 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

EXTRAORMNARY DEFENCE OF  SITIOIDE.  At Liverpool, on-Saturday, an inquest was held on toe body of Elizabeth Drusilla Roberts, aged 21, daughter of a shipwright. On Thuisday eveuing the dec,eased,went into the bar parlour of a public-house and called for a glass GI port wine and s gldss of water in separate tumblers. She was observed placing a white powder in , the water, and Martha Thompaen, who served her, remasked, "I hope you are not going to poison yourself." She laughed and replied, " No, nor any other person." L.e drank the mixture,. which Mrs Thompson supposed to be a seidlitz powder. The bottle was labelled Carbolic Acid." It appeared that after leaving the public-house the deceased went to a friend's house, where she became insensible anddied the same evening. —The mother stated that the deceased had recently been in service at Norwich, and in February she received a letter from her stating that she was not comfortable, but she gave no intimation about leaving the place. In a letter addressed to a friend which was upon the deceased she wrote: —" I dare say you will be surprised when you read this,_and find I am no more numbered among the living, but with the dead. Perhaps you will think nave been very harsh in taking away my own life, but I have long-. made up my mind to do so, as I perfer to die rather than live, as life- to me is not worth living for, and I have come to this conclusi n that I would rather , meet my God, who is just and goodand kind, who forgave Peace--and I really think He did , foigive that marl ; I do not believe that any one could tell a lie knowing all we know, that he would meet the righteous Judges° soon— will in his goodness and merey forgive me." The jury returned a verdict to- the effect that the ;deceased committed suicide under temporary mental derangement.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-02-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.  The Tines says—The anxieties of Peace's long battle against the world of honest men have been too much for his rugged force and brutal endurance. Even ha cl the charge of murder been never brought home to him he must have felt, when he was carried a prisoner to Sheffield, that the game was up. His mad leap from the train within eight of his former home at Darnall was not a foiled effort to escape, but a deliberate attempt at suicide; a miserable confession in very deed of the guilt and failure which the sentence of death has solemnly ratified. The Daily News says there will be no sense of dissatisfaction with the verdict of the 1 jury, and if the sentence of death is ever to be pronouneed without hesitation, this is probably the kind of case in which such confidence might be felt. The Daily Telegraph telegram says—There is nothing in the case so strange as the grotesquely hideous character of thetriminal himself, who presents a combination of passion, craft, cruelty, greed, spite, and audacity such as is rarely to be found in any single human being. Charles Peace, in fact, can hardly be called a man at all; he is a fiend, a monster, a foul blot upon the page of nature. Surely, even the most vehement opponent of capital punishment cannot object to the visitation of the death penalty on so =mitigated a villain.  The Standard says—Peace, the burglar and murderer, was, a few hours ago, as interesting a character as was once the Wapping butcher who claimed the Tichborne estates. It would be cruel to say more than is absolutely necessary of a man so miserable as to be lying under the sentence of death. But it is to be hoped that with his conviction the unwholesome interest which Peace has excited will pass away, and the Banner Cross murder will soon become as forgotten as any other of those crimes with which the law is fro.n day to day called upon to deal. Dead already in the eye of the law, the wretched man will, it is hoped, cease to be any longer, for the few brief hours that are left him, an object of idle conjecture, ignorant gossip, and depraved curiosity.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1869-01-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

LOVE, MURDER, AND SUICIDE IN SAN FRANCISCO.  Laurentx Jacobson, a native of Denmark, in a fit of jealousy, recently shot Miss Rachel McDonald in her father's house in San Francisco. Ile had been elm. ployed by Mr McDonald, and, living in the house, had conceived a strong passion for the young lady, who was only fourteen years of age, and very beatriful. She disliked Jacobson's attentions to her, and complained of them to her parents, who in a friendly manner told the ' suitor to look for other lodgings, which he did, but still ! continued to visit the house. One evening he visited the house, taking with him two bottles-of champagne, one of which he opened and served to the girl and her parents. They all drank some of the wine, and then Jacobson, visibly agitated, held up the other bottle and remarked, 'Now I will go and treat my room mate." Notwithstanding his strange conduct none of the family 'imagined that he had been attempting their murder. Boon after he went away, however, Mr McDon ild and several others of the family became slightly ill, but the immediate effects were not alarming, and they all retired to bed. Jacobson had evidently drugged the wine for the purpose of killing the entire family; but, observing the small quantities which they took, he must have feared that the poison had not done its work, and he determined to return and accomplish at least the death of Rachel. Accordingly, about one o'clock the next morning, having armed himself with a four-barrelled pistol, and a stout file which he hail sharpened at one end like a jemmy, he made his way to Mr McDonald's house. Ile scaled the high hoard fense, and then, fearing to arouse the inmates, he stealthily approached the end of the houee. With the heavy file he prised ipen the back window, and crawled in. The little boys slept in a bed which hail been placed against the window, and yet he was enabled to get upon the bed and down to the floor without arousing either of them. He then entered the young lady's room, and either spoke to her or mad d some noise with the pistol, for she awoke, and rising to a sitting posture in her bed cried out, "Ma, Ma," as she saw the murderer in the room. As she spoke Jacobson fired, gnd then placing the weapon at his forehead, lodged a bullet in his own brain. The parents, bearing the report of the pistol, hurried to the room, and there found their daughter mortally wounded, and Jacobson dead on the floor. The young lady lived about 48 hours.