npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Express. — 1851-06-12 (London, England)

SUICIDE AT STRAND-ON-TIIE-GREEN.—Loat mi tgqht an inquest was held at Mr. Dough's, the Steam-packet Tavern, Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick, before Mr. H. M. Wakley, upon the body of Mr. Samuel Thorrington, aged 68, • coal-merchant and barge-master, lately residing at Hill-cottage. The catastrophe had excited much sensation in the locality, the deceased being comparatively a stranger, but well-known at Windsor, as carrying on business there many years. The general report was that he was living apart from his wife, and had done so for some years, allowing her a separate maintenance. She came to his house during his temporary absence at Brighton, and on his return home ho took no notice of her, and wandered about the neighbourhood for several days, declining to go home, where he had a very aged mother, and he had previously said that if ever his wife came to him he would destroy himself. The first witness called was Sophia Thorrington, the deceased's widow, who stated she came home on Monday evening, but the deceased and herself were the only persons in the house. About eight o'clock she went into a room occupied solely by the deceased, and in which he transacted business, and asked him for an envelope to enclose a letter she had been writing to one of her daughters who is living at Windsor, and he said " I won't give you one," and went into an adjoining bed-room, and the witness went back to her room and sat down. In a few minutes he walked in, holding a pistol in his right band, and exclaimed, " Now, old girl, the time has come." She fearing that he was about to murder her, rushed towards him, caught hold of the pistol with one hand, whilst with the other she opened the front door and ran into the garden and called out " Murder— police." A policeman was passing at the time, and as he was entering the garden the report of a pistol was heard by both of them, and she returned to her husband's room with the policeman, and found deceased lying on the sofa weltering in his blood, and the pistol grasped in his right hand. He was then snuggling in the agonies of death. Dr. Holdnets, of Windsor, had attended him for 15 years ; had said he was decidedly insane, and ought to be under confinement. He always anxious for business, and closely attended to it. After hearing some other evidence the jury returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity."
The Express. — 1851-08-04 (London, England)

FRANCE.  I'ARIS, SATCIWAY EVENING. The chief subject of political conversation is the decidedly favourable turn which the current of events has lately taken for the Elysee. In act, not only has every attempt to get up a committee of permanance hostile to the President, and to oust the Bonapartist members of the Assembly's board, completely failed, but the Bonapartist candidates, Waisse and I)utheil, in the department of the Nord and the Lot, have been both elected, although the latter has only saved the requisite number of votes by a very narrow  majority. The failure of the coalition is partly traceable to the opposition which several motions of the Mountain, such as that of M. Pascal Duprat, have encountered from the ultra-legitimists. The gross result of these successes of the government amounts to an ' admission on the part of the parliamentary majority of the necessity of pushing revision with all possible energy. In the meantime, the organs of the red republicans and the regentists are furious at the good understanding which prevails between the legitimists and the Elysee. In the Assembly. to dal M. Passe read, in the name of the committee of the budget, an opinion, furnished with motives, which rejected the conclusions of M. Dufaure on the subject of the railways from Chalon to Lyons and from Lyons to Avignon. The house then proceeded to dgeuss the bill for authorizing the city of Paris to contract a loan of 50 millions of francs for the construction of the Rue de Rivoli and the central markets. The debate will be adjourned to Monday. Four or five tribunes were reserved for the English visitors, few of whom, however, have yet made their appearance. The report of M. Odilon Barrot on the cantonal councils was distributed. MM. Fortoul, Allier, and Dupont-Delporte have presented an amendment on the Lyons to Avignon Railway Bill, tending to have a branch line made from the main line to Grenoble, and to concede the same to a oompany, on conditions to be determined afterwards by the bill. I The motion of MM. Alengrr. Anglade, and others for the Cette Railway, has been approved by the committee of initiation.  The rite in the price of wheat which has been for some time anticipated has taken place. The average price per hectolitre which on the Ist July was lift. 41c.. is now I.sfr. (13e., an advance of lfr. 22c. Th 6 rise is general. but it is more sensibly felt in the 'I eastern departments: in the markets of Alsace it amounted to nearly 2fr. The frequency of suicide among the private soldiers of the army of Paris has induced General Magnan to issue an order of the day rebuking the weakness of such desperate attempts.  41,912; M. Iklaroyere, legitimist candidate, 11,917 ; blank tickets and loot votes, 60328. M. Waisse having obtained more than one-fourth of the votes inscribed
The Express. — 1851-02-18 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF MR. KNONCLES.  This morning on inquest was held at No. 20, Grosvenor-square, before Mr. Bedford, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of E. F. Knowles, Esq., aged .11, late commissary-general of the forces in the West Indies, who committed suicide by swallowing a quantity of prussic acid. Mr. Brace stated that he was the private solicitor of the deceased, and hut known him for the last 1i years. Witness saw him in October last, shortly after his arrival in England from the West Indies. Ile complained of illness and depression of spirits. lle had been in the West Indies for nine years, and went to Canada fur the purpose of improving his health. lie became worse, and was compelled to resign his office and return to this country. H. Hatchet said he was butler to Mrs. (haling, who was the sister of Mr. Knowles. Deceased had been staying with his sister on a visit for the last three months. During that time he was frequently low and desponding. Witness last ,saw him on Sunday night, and he appeared in his usual health. He went to bed about half-past 10 o'clock, and shortly after nine o'clock the next morning witness found him lying its his bed quite dead. The deceased's daughter was burned to death about three months since, and it appeared to affect his mind. A son of the deceased also died about live years since, and latterly his only son had left England and had gone to Sierra Leone, where his brother had died. This so affected his mind that he said, a few nights since, that if any person should inform him that his son had died he should dmp down dead.  Miss Goulstone, niece to the deceased, said she found a lame bottle, which bad contained prussic acid. She also Mond letter in his handwriting. The letter was in effect that he intended to destroy himself, and that if he did not, he should be soon in a madhouse; that he was suffering from some organic desease, which had caused him to labour under strong deprt•ssion of spirits. The witness said he had made up his accounts at the Treasury, and that his pecuniary affairs were not at all embarrassed. Mr. Davis, a surgeon, proved that the deceased had died from the effects of prussic acid, and that he must hare swallowed a large quantity. The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity."
The Express. — 1851-04-26 (London, England)

ATTEMPTED BIGAMY AND SUICIDE.—Last evening Mr. Langham held a lengthened inquest in St. George's Hospital, Hyde-park, on William Porter, a journeyman baker, aged twenty-six. Jane Howard, is pretty interesting girl, eighteen years of age, said that she lived servant at Bayswater with Mr. M'Grath, solicitor. Deceased, who served the family with bread, paid his addresses to her, which she received, as she considered him a single man, until his cousin asked him in her presence how his wife and family were ? When witness questioned him upon the subject he denied he was married, as did also his sister-in-law. Her master made inquiries about him mad found that he was married, and she ascertained that he had a wife and four children in Baker-street, Lambeth. After which she refused having anything to say to him. On Saturday night be came to her master's gate and asked her to shake hands with him, declared that he was not married, and begged she would go out arid walk with him, which she refused doing. On Monday afternoon she received the following letter, which bore the Lambeth post mark: "My dear Jane.— 'ris is to tell you that when you read this I shall be no more. Irf you inquire at Gravesend or Greenwich you will find the lit.e::4S hardy of, your affectionate, William Porter. I wish you well :!trough life," In the evening of that day he called at her meter's gate when be looked pale and faint. He asked her if sN had received a letter. She said yes. He shook hands with her, bid her good bye, and putting a bottle to his lips, drank off its contents, and then walked off, after she had in vain attempted to seize the bob tle, which he flung from him. He thou staggered away, and she opened the gate and followed him, when she found him about eleven yards off, supported by some persons who put him in a cab, and conveyed him to the hospital.—Verdiet, " Temporary insanity."
The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-05-12 (London, England)

ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.  In the comae of yesterday morning a tall decent-looking yelling woman, who gave her name Sarah Dibbins, was brought into the Union hall office, 'wring made an attempt to destroy herself the preceding night in the Croydon canal. From the statement of a man named Heddy, who is employed as a watchman near the canal, it appeared that about twelve o'clock the night before, while on duty, he heard a noise in the water, and on proceeding with haste to the banks he saw the female present struggling in the canal, which was upwards of fifteen feet in depth where she had thrown herself in. Reddy, with great difficulty, and at the risk of his own life, plunged in after her, anti succeeded in saving her just as she was sinking. He then conveyed her in a state of insensibility to his house, where by the assiduities of himself and his wife they restored her, and now brought her before a Magistrate to see what could be done for her. During the above statement the unfortunate woman was one, wbelmed in tears, and repeatedly expressed her gratitude to the watchman, who had feared her from destruction. Mr. CHAMBERS having pointed out to her the great sin she was about to commit in the face of the Almighty, asked her what could have induced her to make an attempt upon her own life ? She replied that it was in consequence of distress, having been for some I days without food or the means of procuring it. She had recently left a family at Cheltenham with whom she lived as cook. The family having gone abroad she was unable to obtain a situation at that place, and came to London, where also failing in her endesvoura to get bread, and being in debt at her lodgings, her mind, she said, became worked up to a fit of frenzy, in the hsight of which site had wandered from Knightsbridge to the Croydon canal, and plunged into it as described by the watchman who had saved her. She was now heartily sorry fur what she had done, and assured the Magistrate she wculd never attempt the like again. Mr. CHAMI:Ess said that great credit was due to Heddy for his exertions on the occasion. The Magistrate then wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Society far the Refuge of the Destitute, stating the above circumstances, and recommending the bearer of it as an object of the charity. Another letter was also addressed to the Hugel Humane Society, describing Heddy's exertions in raring the life of a fellow-creature.
The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-09-06 (London, England)

REMAREADLI SAOACITY..--SOMe time ago, a child was walking out with the maid-servant in George's-square, Edinburgh, where, it would appear, the dogs are remarkable for wisdom and benevolence ; the child was throwing a ball before it, which happened to run into the middle of the street, and the child followed it. The servant just then happened to meet some one with whom she stopped to converse, and at the same moment a carriage came quickly round the corner of the square towards the child. A large Newfoundland dog, which was lying upon the pavement, darted forward, seized the child by the clothes, and laid it safely down at the feet of the servant. No wonder we have epitaphs on Newfoundland Dogs.—Edinburgh Star.  On Wednesday morning, a person of the name of Bennett, an engineer, from Staffordshire, attempted to commit suicide in a field at IVootlhouse-lane, in this town, by first cutting his throat with a razor in two places, and then by casting himself into a well containing ten fret of water. In this dreadful situation the instinctive love of life prevailed over his previous determination, and he preserved himself from sinking by grasping a pipe. How long he re, maincil in this situatlma is not known, but soon after six o'clock in the morning, he was found by some brickmakers, who were going to resume their labour, and whose mien' tion was attracted by a bloody razor lying upon the ground. Ile was then up to the neck in the water and evidently ex. hausted, and if assistance had not thus opportunely arrived, his fearful purpose of self-destruction must have been fully accomplished. He was extricated from his perilous situation, and taken to the Infirmary, the wounds in the throat, though very scrims, arc not likely to prove fatal, and he is now in a fair way of recovery. 'f he unfortunate j man was induced to make this attempt by a depression of I spirits, produced, business. Leeds e ?Tut. y. it is said, by an excessive application to  • ills atolat The Rev. Ralph Harvey aire hailosen iastitakeil to the Rectory of Longford, Shropshire, on the preaseatioso of Ralph Leeke,Bsq. of Longford Hall. The Rev. Geocre Thomas Pretyrnarr, L.L B. was on Friday installed a Prebendary of Winchester Cathedral, in the room of•tho late Rev. C. A. North. The Ret. R. B. Paul, M.A. Fellow of Exeter has lrecn presented, by the Rector and Fellow of that Sudety, to the Vicarage of Lvng Wittenham, in that 'aunty. We were prematbre in announcing Mr. •Prttyiran's presentation to the livings at Alverstoke and I-Oayant. • We now understand that these Vacancies have tie! yet beters supplied.—llumprhiee Chronick  • lIRItTFORD DISTRICT FOR THE PROMOTION OF CBAISTIAtt
The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-09-09 (London, England)

AND SUICIDE.—An assassination and a suicide were committed at Perpignan during the night of the 29th of August. The following are the deplorable circumstances' which led to these events :—The servant.of4l Field Officer of die division of the Eastern Pyrenees went, in the evening, to ask for a lodging at the abode of a servant of the Colonel Commandant of the Artillery, on the pretext that he was too late to obtain admittance at his master's. About two o'clock in the morning the latter felt himself struck a violent blow on the head. lie instantly seized the band of his murderer, crying loudly, " An assassin!" A struggle ensued between them, but overcome by several blows from a knife, and exhausted by the loss of blood, the wounded man fell senseless upon a bench. Several persons living in the house almost immediately came to his assistance. The murderer then threw himself on the bed, and wrapping himself up in the quilt, he fell out on the opposile side. 'He was observed tp strike, himself with such violence, that nobody dared to approach him, While be no longer moved, but then he had ceased to live. The wretch bad cut bis throat. His victim sur, vieed him only a few instants, but long enough.to make known a part of this relation.--Courrier Francais. IVednesday, the 14th, is the (lay appointed for the launch, of the Princess Charlotte, the .14rgest ship ever bunt at Portimouth. Most initial) erections are built • around her for the accommodation of visitors of rank, s who are expected from all parts of the country to , witness this grand national sight. A grand ball at the . rooms is announced on the evening of thir launch, under the Patfonsge of the Lady of the Port Admisil, Sir George list tin.  e  ,
The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1803-02-28 (London, England)

SUICIDE.  To the numerous lamentable accidents that have been occasioned by intoxication, r.nd a propensity to drinking, the present unfortunate instance of selfdestruCtion may he added:—CHARLOTTE BLAIR, a young woman, only eighteen rears old, was ob•zrved by the neighbours about Porter-street, Leicesterfields, (where she resided) to be on Friday night last extremely unhappy and dejeCted in her mind. At a late hour she appeared.at the street-door of the house in which she lived, apparently in liquor. She addressed several of her acquaintances, and in a peculiar manner bid them good-b'ye, declaring it was the last time she should see them. On meeting a person that lives in the lower part of the house, she said she had just taken half an our,ce of laudanum, which she bought fOr the purpose of putting an end to her existence. No notice, however, was taken of the expression, as the unfortunate girl appeared to be intoxicated. She then went into the room where her mother was, and asked to shake hands with her, observieg that she had taken poison, and would be dead by the next morning. Her mother supposed front her appearance, that she had been chinking and did not know what she said, therefore placed no confidence in such an assertion, but advised her to go to sleep, and not to give her any uneasiness tie fabricating so dreadful a story. It, however, appeared to be too true. She retired to rest, and on the morning following was found dead in her bed. The:. motives that aCtuated the deceased dus to put a period to her life, at present is not eta :ily known. The general' belief, however, is, that her predominant passiou for drinking had produced a variety a raisfortuneE, which had so forcibly afidled her feelin,,s, that her intelleCts became derlnge.l, in whi, shuation she had unhappily deprived herself of life.  4  '~t ~.__  __rim  a..~~~ ®.d  ~.,  ::.~~~'  RtPORf OF Tat SOC,Ert volt ottztaiva 715 CONDITION OF ME POO&  We have obtained a Copy of the Report of a Selea Committee of the Society on a very interesting suhjea, which engaged the attention of Parliament hot winter,—lne Situsriou or
The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1826-07-22 (London, England)

ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.—About five o'clock yesterday morning, as Mr. Gaskin, one of the Surveyors of the Thames Police, was in his boat on the River duty, near Blackfriars-bridge, lie observed a woman throw herself off the upper steps of the south side of the bridge into the river. Mr. Gaskin made the best of his way to the spot, and after the unfortunate woman had been for nearly five minutes under one of the arches of the bridge, and, from the state of the tide, in about twelve feet water, she was rescued by him and his teen from a premature death. She was immediately carried to Christchurch watch,house, where the usual means recommended by the Royal Humane Society were adopted with success. Mr. Pollard, the surgeon, was promptly in attendance, and he directed her to be sent to the workhouse, where she now lies. When sufficiently recovered, she said her name was Mary Akers, was forty-five years of age, the wife of a potter in Lincoln's-Inn, and the mother of six children. She gave as a reason for the rash attempt at self-destruction the constant and insufferable ill usage of her husband.  and highly useful onusical the original plan were to be carried Into shed by the proptietors of cost, altogether, 1.50,000/., without taking it :ion, at the Argyll Rooms, of the expense of the new buildings. At r to rival, as a book of in- their proceedings, the Committee met with g lose numerous publications not excepting those quarters in which the of late made their appear- ri lit to op-operation and waist:nee addition to thelary w *eistbey bad yet to purchase, b work, there is a selection of parish of St. Andrew, Holborn; and as it resent day, arranged as pie- purchased without an Act of Parliament, igered,by which the learner thus presented to their future operation wou
The National Register. — 1811-10-06 (London, England)

MURDIR AND ROBBERY.—On Wednesday evening, about seven o'clo,k, as Mr. Wylde, a farmer, of Sundridge-place, was rettaning from Croydon fair, in a horse and chaise, accompanied by his son and grandson, th y were stopped near the top of Westerharn-hill, by a single footpad, who demanded their money. Mr. Wylde replied, "My friend, you are too late, as I have paid all my money away, in the purchase of some oxen at the lair." The robber presented a pistol at the time be stopped them. Mr. Wylde, however, gave him all the money be had at the time, which was only a few shillings ; with which the villain seems d much dissatisfied. He insisted upon having more from tht.m, and said he was sure it was not all they had got. 'I he villain keeping hit pistol presented at Mr. Wylde's head, Mr. W. turned it from his head with his whip; but while he was doing this, the robber, without any threat or notice, immediately discharged it, and the contents lodged in Mr. W.'s breast and head, and c-used instant death. He expired in his son's arms without a groan. There were seven slugs in the pistol, two of them lodged in his head, and five in his side and breast. Mr. W.'s son is about the age of 19, and his grandson 11 years. .—The murderer appeared to be of a dark complexion, Hat visage, a large mouth, about five feet seven or tight inches high ; dressed in a short dirty looking smock frock, and light-coloured breeches, nearly new half-boots, about thirty years of age, and had the appearance 'of a farmer's servant, and, we are cot;exiled to say, escaped.  A deserter from the German Artillery, named Teal, shot bimselfon Monday se'nnight,at Hailsham,Susiex; he was on his way under an escort to isexhill. A Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of Felo de se.  Thirty-seven of the convicts escaped front on board one of the hulks stationed off Woolwich last week, by cutting a hole through the bottom when a-ground. Near twenty of them have been retaken.  Tuesday, 22d of this Month, will be drawn, the smallest State Lottery ever known. The Capital Prizes are more varioui.— Tickets and Shares are several Pounds cheaper than for many years past, 3 Prizes of 15,0001. 3 of 5,000, 3 of 2,000, 6 et 1,000, 12 of 500, and up wards of 2,700 of 100, 50, 25, and 20, —all to be drawn Tuesday, tlio of October. In the late October Lottery, upwards ut 19000 Tickets were sold; in the present there are only 13,500'rickets, and from the universally approved Scheme, and great Demand, it is likely all use Tickets mad Wares will be sold befit the Drawing.