npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-10-29 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

POLITICS AND THE POST OFFICE.  Lord John Manners, having been appealed to by a correspondent in refeience to the position of postal officials with regard to political demonstrations, and also the candidature of Mr. Pickersgill, of the Post Office Savings Bank, has replied, through his ivate secretary, that no officer in the service of the Postmaster-General is at liberty while retaining his official position to contest any Parliamentary seat, or to take a prominent part in political gatherings out he is entitled to record his vote. Mr. Pickersgill was, in Amor 'ance with the provisions of the Order in Council of 1884, required to elect whether he would retire from his candidature or vacate his poet.  Miss Walker, a Keswick old lady, who reached the venerable age of 88 on Wednesday, hanged herself on the same day to the post of her bedstead.  What is believed to be an infernal machine has been discovered in a barrel of American oysters sent to Liverpool, and from thence to Coleraine. It is a tin box, &twat Isin. high and Gin, in diameter. The top is screwed in with an india-rubber washer, and there is a small hole in the side resembling a keyhole. The police on being communicated with had the box remiived to a field, placing a sentry over it until an expert has examined it. At a wedding in the village of East Farleigh, near Maidstone, an old cannon to be fired in honour of the event burst and killed a man named Mercer, besides wounding another. A suicidal mania has broken out in Berlin, and the number of persons taking their own lives has been rapidly on the increase of late. The other day no fewer than seven suicides took place in the city. The council of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce recently considered the questions addressed to them by the Royal Commission on the Depression tf Trade, and among the remedies praposed they Buggestej the imposition of protective duties. This replyilkxcited a good deal of dissatisfaction in the town, and has resulted in the calling of a general meeting of the Chamber, at which the reply Wag disaooroved by 61 votes to 49.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-05-16 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

DRIVEN TO SUICIDE BY A BROTHER. A sad story was ret,ealed during an inquest held at the Middlesex Hospital, on the body of a man named George Tamplain. It appeared that Tamplain had for some time past been worried for moLey by one 01 his brothers, and had also had several quarrels with another, who threatened to take his life. The deceas-d believed that the brother would carry out his threat,and he accordingly applied at the police-station for pr .t. ction. The police, however, refused to arrest the brother. Next day. on arriving at his illaco of business, Tampions directed one of the boys tie bring him a bowl. On receiving the bowl be p aired wine oxalic acid into it and standing in the reeence of his iellow workmen cried out, "Good bye, mate raised the bowl to his lips, and drank if a large quantity of the acid before he could be prevented. his death Was almost instantaneuus.—The jury found that the deceased died from the i-trects of poison taken while in a state of unsound ini.id produced by terror consequent on the repeated annoyances and threats ot his brother.  The attention of Lord Salisbury haviog, been called to a statement made by Mr. Watso,n, ot Rochdale, the Liberal c .ndidate for the Ilkston division of Deroyshire, charging him with saying that infidelity was synonymou4 with L,beralittn, his lordship has written to an Ilkeston corresponnetit denying that he ever made such a statement as that imputed to him by Mr. Watson. The mail steamer Humber, which belonged to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's fleet, has been given up as lost. She sai;ed from New Y6rk for London, with a general cargo, on the 15th of February limit, and was spoken in lat. 42 N., long. Gfi W., anti nothing has since been heard of her. When she tailed from Southampton on the Ist of December Wit she had a crew of 54 hands.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-05-16 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

LIABILITY FOR LOST LUGGAGE.  In the Marylebone county court Judge Stoner nas just given an important decision affecting the liability of railway companies. The case was that of Bunch v. the Great Western Railway Company. The plaintiff sued for the value of a bag, which had been entrusted to a porter on the platform at Paddington by plaintiff's wife, while she went to meet him at the booking-office, and was not afterwards forthcoming. The company pleaded that the porter had no authority to take charge of the bag, and also put in evidence notices with regard to luggage which were posted at the station and printed in the railway thnedables.---The judge found that the porter had been guilty of great carelessness, but the company submitted five questions of law. First, that the bag was not entrusted to the company as carriers ; second, that the porter had not authority to take charge i.f it; third, that they were not responsible, as it was not labelled: fourth, that plaintiff did not accompany his luggage ; and fifth, a point as to the regulations in the time-tables, which was substantially the same as the third. The judge pointed to cases which had been decitisd on the second, third and fifth points in favour of the plaintiff, and as to the fourth held the wife acted as agent to her husband. He therefore decided in favour of the plaintiff, with £l6 damages for the loss of the goods, and £2 for the temporary inconvenience, with costs on the higher scale. At the same time he gave the plaintiff leave to amend by adding his wife as plaintiff with him.  Daniel Murray O'Hare, a surgeon, who was sentenced at the last Liverpool assizes to 10 years' penal servitude for attempting to extort money from a lady by threats, commdted:suicide by hanging himself • Friday in Waltrn Gaol, where he was confined pending his removal to undergo his sentence. He was quite dead when discovered. Eleven British vessels (including two steamers) and 10 foreign were reported as actual shipwrecks during the past week, making the total for the year 399. His Majesty the King of the Belgians has conferred the Royal Order of Leopold on the whole of the members of the Corporation who recently visited Brussels to present his Majesty with the address of congratulation in connection with the Congo Free State. The Lord Mayor is decorated a Knight Commander of the Order. Sir Thomas Dakin, Alderman de Keyser, Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Whitehead, Mr. Sheriff Phillips, Sir Thomas Chambers MP. (Recorder), and Sir J. B. Monckton (Town Clerk), are nominated as knights officers, and Mr. Dresser-Rogers and Mr. Deputy Bedford as knights chevaliers. The decorations were transmitted to the recipients through the Belgian minister Baron Solvyns.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-09-10 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

POLICE DUTIES ON THE THAMES.  The annual report of Mr. Superintendent Steed, of the Thames Division of Metropolitan Police, just issued, contains some interesting statements as to the amount of crime committed and detected on the Hive!. Thames, as well as other items in which the commercial and general public are concerned. Mr. Ste'i states that the amount of crime was very small, 1.(0 larcenies being reported, the value of the property stolen being £1,073, and that recovered £493. Th,• number of apprehensions for larceny was 60. Many of these cases occurred in the various docks, where tle• metropolitan police do no regular duty, the amount it crime on the river itself being very much leas than the numbers given above. One of the most important larcenies was that of seven ivory tusks, valued at £3OO, stolen from a barge in the Victoria Docks After a long inquiry by the inspector and his staff of the Criminal Investigation Department, four of the tusks were at length found (value £200), and the thief was sentenced to five years' penal servitude. Nineteen persons committed suicide by drowning and 23 others attempted to do so, but were prevented, 11 by police and 12 by private persona ; 47 persons were accidentally drowned, the bodies being afterwards recovered, as well as 33 others whose drowning could not be accounted for, making the total of dead bodies recovered 89. Eighteen fires were attended during the year, 15 at waterside premises and three on board vesnels. The total of all ranks engaged in police dutin on the Thames is set down in the reportal 165.  Some months ago the reformatory ship Clarence, moored in the Mersey near Rock Ferry, was set on fire by some boys undergoing detention on board, and was destroyed. An old wooden man-of-war, the Royal William, has been provided in place of the Clarence, and after being fitted, will be anchored in the same station.  A policemen named Deakins, while removing an effigy which the people of Bakewell were attempting to burn, was set upon by the mob and tarred all over. The vicar, the Rev. B. Andrews, arrived in time to prevent more serious injuries. The constable's eyes were much hurt, and he is under anedical core.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-09-10 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

DREADFUL TRAGEDY AT ASTON.  MURDER AND SUICIDE.  The usual serenity of ASt4JII was on Monday evening rudely shaken by the news that a terrible crime had been enacted at one of the villas lii Frederick-road, which resulted in the death of a young lady named Mrs. Sarah Walker and a young gentleman of the name of Alfred George Horton, a partner in the firm of Horton and Allday, jewellers, Warston-lane, Birmingham It appears that for sonic time past Horton, who i 8 about 32 years of age, resided at 34, Frederick road, with his step-father, Mr. Haynes. Horton was a widower, with one child. In the same house lived Mrs. Sarah Walker, aged 29, who has for some months past been separated front her husband, who is in America, and she for upwards of two or three years past has been engaged as a barmaid at the Aston Lower (rounds, at one time at the rink bar, the theatre bar, and subsequently at " The Cottage." On Monday night between six and seven o'clock Mr. Horton returned home from business as usual, and in reply to a question from his mother as to how he was, replied that he was only middling. He enquired where Walker was, and on being told that she was in her bedroom upstairs, ordered his mother to piehim some beef tea, and aseenoled the stairs and entered Mrs. Walker's mom. In a short time Mrs. Haynes took the beef tea up to the bedroom door, and her son took it from her. his mother saw that Mrs. Walker was then in the act of dressing her hair before the looking glass. Mrs. Haynes had hardly arrived downstairs when she was alarmed by hearing the report of firearms. She rushed upstairs, and op e g the deur of Mrs. Walker's room asked bet son what was the matter. He had a five-chambered revolver in his hand, which he was pointing towards his mouth, and in reply to his mother's question simply said, "Oh mother, Lil ! " meaning Mrs. AValker.. Thinking the murdered woman was in her sons room she went to see, and on her way back heard another shot fired. She once more entered Mrs. Walker's room, and was horrified to find her son and his compinion lying full length on the floor, the former having the revolver still in his hand. She raised an alarm, and Dr. Hoare, of the Aston road, was immediately on the spot, but he pronounced life to be extinct.  Laer Curtains, Is. Nil., Is. Bd.. 2s. 21d.. 21. dd.. as. 3s. tat.. to 305., cheapest lu the tnale.-11. Winton, Button Col daeld.  Fur Capes, 31 to 12*. Large stack to select from. Hardwick, 37 and 2t, Arcade, Birmingham.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-08-27 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE THEFT OF ROYAL JEWELS. The Turin papers are filled with details concerning the great robbery committed in the armoury of the Royal palsce in that city. Among the valuables stolen are the crowns of gold presented by the cities of Turin and Naples to Victor Emmanuel, a pair of gold stirrups sent to him by the Sultan, four ancient gold coins found in the excavation in the Crimea, a silver-gilt chalice with sacred subjects, inlaid in enamel, of the 17th century ; two gold snuffboxes set with diamonds, one bearing the cipher of Victor Amadeus 111. and the other the portrait of Queen Maria Ferdinanda ; four collars of the Order of the Annunziata, set with upwards of 4,500 brilhaute, worth 600,000 f, ; two stars, set with 109 brilliants, woith 400,0n0f. ' • and very many other objects, to the total amount of about 2,000,000 f. The panes of one of the windows in the room in which the collection was kept were found broken through, and from the ground beneath it footsteps and marks of blood were traced across the garden, and two or three objects from the cabinet, which seemed to have been dropped by the thieves on their way, were picked up there. These indications led to the supposition that the thieves must either have entered by wvy of thegsrden and have broken in through the window, or that they must have found means to secret themselves in the armoury before it was closed for the night, and that when everything was quiet they plundered thecabinet and made their way out by the garden. Strict in. quiriel have, however, led the police to conclude that the robbery was committed by persons living in the palace, and that the broken window the footsteps, and blood stains across the garden, and the things scattered along the route were nothing but blinds artfully prepared, in order to turn the attention of the police in the wrong direction. Some irregularities on the part of the custodian of the armoury during the day preceding the night of the rots liery—his having closed it at an unusual hour, and his having then mislaid the key—aroused such strong suspicions against him that he was arrested, but whilst in custody he committed suicide.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-04-04 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SINGULAR SERIES OF FATALITIES.  On Thursday, at the Central Criminal Court, Alfred Cox, who pleaded guilty at the former sessions to stealing cheiiii-s, which he cashed, to the value of upwards of 1:3,0. 0, was brought up for sentence. Prisoner appeared in a weak state of health, and was supported on crutches. It appeared that since Cox was last before the court the prosecutor, Mr. Wilham Whitfield, an Indian merchant, in whose employ the prisoner had been as confidential clerk, had been killed whilst riding in Hyde Park, also that Detective-Sergeant Randall, who was sent to Tasmania to apprehend the prisoner, had been seized with paralysis, and had died, as had the wife of Inspector Hedberg, who brought the prisoner from Hobart Town. Restitution of the money had been made, and the prisoner, who had been seven months in custody, was, in view of the good chmacter he had previously borne, Allowed to go out on Ais own recognisances to come up for judgment if called upon.  The building committee of the Gordon Memorial Fund met at the Mansion House on Tuesday, and Lord Napier of Magdals, who presided, stated that the War Office authorities had acceded to his request to allow one of the Engineer officers now in Egypt to report upon the appropriateness of the proposed site for a hospital at Port Said.  James Browne, father-in-law of the man Sheehan, at present on his way from New Zealand to undergo trial for the murder tf his mother, brother, and sister, whose remains were recently discovered in Castletown Roche well, has committed suicide by outtior his stomach open with a pair of shears. Since his son-inlaw's arrest Browne has been in a depressed state of mind, and his suicide is regarded as the result cf this dosNoudesair.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-11-19 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE. Ernest Payne, 18, a barman, was on Tuesday chargsd on remand, at the Thames police-court, with attempting to murder a young woman named Charlotte Dash, by cutting her throat. He was fuither charged with attempting to commit suicide by cutt'ng his own throat. The prosecutrix in her former evidence, stated that while in bed the prisoner cut her throat and then cut his own. She now, in cross-examination, said that she saw the knife in the ptisoner's hand, but could not say if St was open. The accused did not go out of bed at all. As soon as he cut his own throat he threw the knife out ot bed. Witness would swear that she did not touch the knife. She afterwards saw the constable find the knife on the dressing-table, and it was then closed. While Mrs. Evans, the landlady, was gone for a match he said "You won't die. Come here and I'll ciit it mere." Witness persuaded him not to. She knew a hairdresser of the name of Hobert DanufT. She remembered going to the man's address about four weeks before this occurrence. She would swear that she did not say, "I am waiting for Eva Walker. I will stick a knife into her," but she admitted saying she would " pay " Walker. She did not take out a knife and show it to Danuff. Witness bought the knife produced for the prisoner. She gave a shilling for it. The accused asked her to buy it, because he had some hard tobacco, and wished to cut it. She did not see him cutting any hard tobacco with it.—The evidence of Mrs. Mary Evans, the landlady of the house, was to the effect thet on the morning in question she was aw,ke by her bustand, and on going to the prisoner's room she limed the pross cutrix sitting on the bed covered with blood. On asking the presecutrix what was the matter, she said, "I'm dying." Mrs. Evans replied, "Nonsense; you must wait till I get a light, and I will see what is the matter." The accused then said, "Mrs. Evans, it is her neck; I did it. Fetch a doctor."—Dr. Andrews. house surgeon at the Poplar Hospital. said when he first saw the prisoner he was sulering hum an incised wound, which extended from tie left side of the neck to the middle. It was not a dangerous wound, and not very deep. It might have been self-inflicted, or by someone else standing behind him. He was kept in the hospital JOT lu or 11 days.— Mr. Opsnshaw, lions surgeon at the London Hospital, said the prosecutrix also had an incised wound in the neck which extends d from the left to the middle of the neck. It was nit a dangerous wound.—Other evidence having beeu given, the prisoner was committed for trial.  Mr. Philip Stiff, one of the oldest members of the Corporation of Dover,died suddenly while sitting with his family at supper on Sunday night.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-07-18 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

AND SUICIDE. Another of those trazedies which are becoming appallingly frequent in Paris has been enacted at a house in the Boulevard Voltaire. It appears that for years past an architect, named Coudray, a married man of middle age with a femily, had been on very intimate terms with a Madame Beesiere, the wife of a vendor of tobacco and spirits. Madame Bessiere, aged 42, had two children, the elder of whom is now 17. Coudray, her paramour, was a man of a jealous and violent character, and had several times threatened to take her life. He wee constantly at the house and about with her. The pair went to the theatre together. M. Ilessiere, after closing the shop at 1 a.m., retired to rest in a room on the first floor. About ha .f-past 2 he was awakened by the reportsof a revolver fired in the shop below. Thinking that thieves were on the premises, he dressed hastily and went down into the shop without a light. While descending he listened, but all was still. At the foot of the stairs lie stumbled against somethinc. He I.ghted the gas and taw his wife lying dead on the floor in a pool 0: blood Beside her was M. Coudray, also dead. Madame Busier, had been murdered by Coudray, who bad beat out her brains and then idrit hinistlf dead witb a revolter, which he still held tightly clasped in his hand. M. Beseiere at once gave the Maim, and the police were called in. On the counter were found two letters, written by the guilty couple. In one Coudray asked pard, n of bid wife, and in the other Madame Bessie re preferred a similar request to her husband. An atti mpt has been made by thp police authorities to obtain some informat.on from M. Bes-iere, but he has been deprived of his reason by the shock.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-03-28 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT ASTON. On Monday Mr. W. B. Sanderson (deputy coroner for North Warwickshire) held an inquest at the Gunrnaker's Arms, Witton Street, Aston, on the body of John White (32), clerk, in the employ of Messrs. Cheashire and Gibson, suetioneere, Birmingham, and residing at 143, Witton Street, who committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor, on Sunday. Mrs. White, wife of the deceased, stated that her husband had been in the employ of 3lessre.-Chesshire and Gibson for the past twenty years, and had always been a very steady man. About four months ago he made an attempt to cut his throat, but was prevented from doing so by the witness. About a week ago the deceased was brought from the office, and on Dr. Bailey seeing him, he informed witness that her husband was not respoaeible for his actions. From that time she kept all the knives of the house from him, and also carried two of his razors in her pocket. On Saturday last he asked her to let him have one of the razors as he wanted to shave himself. She did as he requested and stood by while he shaved himself, but forgot to get the razor back when he had finished with it. A young man, Brittain, had been staying with the deceased from half-past ten to twelve o'clock on Sunday morning last, and then when that person left, deceased desired to be left alone as he wished to sleep. She subsequently went upstairs and found the deceased sitting up in bed. She asked him if he wanted anything, and he replied that he did not. She went downstairs again and was in the act of trimming a lamp when she heard something fall. She ran upstairs and found her husband by the side of the bed with a deep wound in his throat. She raised an alarm and P.C. Hickinbotham arrived, The deceased was to have gone to the sanitorium at Blackpool, on the following day, Monday, the doctor having stated that a change of air would do him good. P.C. ilickinbotham said he went upstairs and there found the deceased in a kneeling position with a fearful gash in his throat, which nearly severed his head from his body. There was a razor covered with blood in a camber utensil, which the deceased had put under his body evidently for the purpose of catching the blood. There was a lbsge quantity of blood near where the deceased was kneeling. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased had committed innoida whilst temporarily tame.