npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Irvine Express and North Ayrshire Post. — 1885-04-10 (Irvine, Strathclyde, Scotland)

LITERARY GLEAN INGS.  HORRIBLE CASE OF WITCHCRAFT.  TOWARDS the close of the seventeenth century, considerable excitement was created in the West ot Scotland by a reported case of bewitchment. It appears that a girl, eleven years of age, named Christian Shaw, daughter of a gentleman residing at Bargarren, in Renfrewshire, gave out that she had been bewitched, and attributed certain hysterical convulsions and other symptoms which she had experienced to the influence that was being exerted over her by her tormentors. For ten months she was said to have vomited at intervals egg-shells, hair, bones. feathers, &c.; and though she had been visited by noblemen, clergymen, judges, and physicians, no explanation of the phenomena appears to have been offered, and the case was left to the verdict of a superstitious mob, who declared it was a clear case of bewitching, and called for the lives of the alleged offenders. Thrqp men and four w omen —among the latter beit# a maid-servant, who had given offence to Miss Shaw—were arrested, tried, and condemned to be hanged and burnt, The decision of the court is said to have received the cordial approval of the clergy; and as it was believed that the execution of the poor wretches would be a severe blow to the machinations of the enemy of mankind, the members of the Presbytery were appointed to attend and see it properly carried out. One of the women prisoners committed suicide in gaol; but on the morning of June 10, 1697, the other six were marched to their doom in a central part of Paisley. They were first hanged for a short time and then, probably before one of them was quite dead, cut down and cast upon a pile of peata saturated with tar, which, having been set fire to, burnt their bodies to ashes. It is recorded that among the spectators of the horrible tragedy were "most of the nobility and gentry of the district," who probably judged that there could not be much that was objectionable in an entertainment which was graced by the presence of the learned and pious members of the Presbytery. Twenty-one years afterwards, Miss Shaw, whose family had by that time became heartily ashamed of their connection with the miserable business recorded above, was married to the Rev. Mr Miller, of Kilmaurs. She had become an expert spinner of flax, and when her husband died in 1725, she sought to forget her troubles by assiduous application to the wheel.—Great Industries of Great Britain.
Irvine Express and North Ayrshire Post. — 1885-08-28 (Irvine, Strathclyde, Scotland)

ACCOMPLISHED CANINE.—A New Haven (Ct.) man has a dog that rivals Stuart Cumberland in finding a hidden penny, when promised that he can buy meat with it. He has been tutored in the common jealousies of the town, and when asked how they pray up in Hartford he jumps on a chair, folds his paws on the back and assumes a devotional attitude, but keeps his eyes open, looking around the room. When told "Now show us how you pray." Rover puts his head between his paws, and although his master tries to make him remove it by striking him on the back with a board, he will not ' stir until he hears the word "amen," when he jumps over the chair back and walks off on his hind legs. His owner has several blocks on which he has printed the words, "police," "Salvation Army," "reporter," &c. He places them on the floor and says: 'Rover, who goes to sleep on the street corners?" Rover picks up the words "police," "Who are the best detectives in the country ?" The dog trots up with the block on which the words " reporter " is printed. "What is it that makes you want to commit suicide when you hear it ?" "Salvation Army," says Rover. These are but a few of the fifty or more trieks that this intelligent dog has learned. REAPING machines were used nearly 2,000 years ago. Pliny, the elder, describes one that he saw in Gaul in the first century of our erea. He says: "In the extensive fields of the lowlands of Gaul machines with projecting teeth on the edge are driven through the standing corn by an ox yoked in a reverse position. In this manner the ears are torn off, and fall into the van." About four centuries later Palladus found in Gaul a similar appliance for reaping corn, of which he gives a more detailed account. From this it would appear that the ancient machine was a low cart, into the shafts of which an ox was fastened in such a way as to drive the cart in front of him. In what we should call the back of the cart, but which really went first, a sort of doss. fitting comb was fitted horizontally, the interstices of which, although allowing the straw to pass, were too small for the ears, which were therefore torn off, and were gradually forced backwards into the body of,the cart. A machine of somewhat similar constructure, with the addition of thrashing and winnowing apparatus is now used in Australia, where straw is of little value.
Irvine Express and North Ayrshire Post. — 1885-09-25 (Irvine, Strathclyde, Scotland)

TILOON GOSSIP.  Whether the hint thrown out by your correspondent last week as to the muddy condition of our streets has been productive of good I will not say, but this I know, a decided change for the better- has taken place this week, particularly in Portland Street, whereby much of the need complained of has been cleaned away, which is to say the least of it an improvement which I am certain will be hailed with a satisfactory relish by many, if not all, who have occasion to move that way. Much is needed yet by way of improving the street worthy of what it has been, and I doubt not but it will come in good time.  With the improved condition of Portland Street I am led to wonder if something of the same could not be done for the locality in South Beach where it is also much required, and if some wise reform was wrought out there I am certain that we in that district would not fail to give expression to our gratitude. The beach was the all important part of the village in the opinion of the drain promoters when that vexed scheme was under discussion, and now that we are drained to their satisfaction (?) it seems that our streets are to be left in a condition which I think an impartial judge would not consider satisfactory and becoming such an altogether important locality as all in Troon, financially speaking, will soon come to learn.  I understand that the Rev. James Fleming of the Parish Church here, will at an early date, accompanied by other gentleman, address the inhabitants on the church question.  LARGE quantities of wreckage have been seen floating off Dover, and it is feared that some veaela have been wrecked in the Channel.  SEVERE cyclones have recently prevailed in the Gulf of Mexico, and shipwrecks, with loss of life, are reported., Want some workmen were engaged in laying the foundations of a bridge over the Tiber at Rome they came upsa a etatute in bronze, 5 feet 5 inche.s in height, representing a slave in the attitude of striking. Dttenro Monday night the dead bodies of a man and woman, named Boweock, residing at Derby, were discovered in their house. The woman was lying in her bed with her throat cut, and the man ma. hanging in the kitchen. It is believed that he first murdered his wife and then committed suicide.
The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1847-12-15 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY-MURDER OF FOUR CHILDREN BY THEIR MOTHER, AND SUICIDE OF' THE MURDERER.  BATH, Wednesday NigA most horrible tragedy has taken place in this city in the course of the afternoon, which has necessarily produced the deepest sensation within its precincts, a wretched woman having cut the throats of four of her children, and then despatched her own life by the same dreadful means. The unhappy creature is the wife of a jobbing brewer named Ridout, occupying a small cottage adjacent to the Bradford canal-boat station. The husband, !t appears, had been absent the whole day, being at work brewing in a neighbouring public-house. A. female, named Sears, residing in an adjoining cottage, not having seen Mrs Ridout or the children during the day, went to their dwelling for the par_ pose of making some inquiries about them, but on attempting to open the door, found it was locked. She was then induced to look in at the window, when the horrible spectacle presented to her eyes was the wretched woman lying on the kitchen floor steep- d in her own blood. She instantly gave the alarm,and information was forwarded to the police station. Captain Carroll the superintendent of police and a number of constables hastened to the cottage with all speed, when the door was forced open Passing the body of the dead woman, the throat being frightfully divided, and a razor lying by the side of the corpah, the next objects which met the view of the officer, within an adjoining room, were the lifeless bodies of four children, forming the family of the poor creature, Mrs Ridout, bathed in blood. Their heads were nearly severed from their bodies. A tab was standing in the room almost full of blood, evidently showing that the wretched mother, on making incisions in their throats, held their wounds over the tab to allow the blood to flow into It until life was extinct. The youngest child was an infant 9 months old, and the eldest about 6 years of age. One of them was found with his legs partly hanging over the step leading to the bed-room, as if he had struggled to escape. Of course the only presumption is that the unhappy parent was in a state uf frenzy when she did these dreadful acts. It appears that she had been subject to fits of insanity for some time past, and it is now only to be deplored that some means were not taken to restrain her. The Mayor gave directions to the police to have the cottage strictly closed to the public. The inqueit on the bodies is appointed to take place to-morrow (Thersday), at the Crown Inn.
The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1847-02-10 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

DETERMINED SUICIDE OF TWO LOVERS. A most lamentable affair took place in Wakefield daring the night of yesterday week, which has created a great sensation in the neighbourhood, and whereby two respectable families have been thrown into a state of the deepest distress. A young man, named George Elampeon, about twenty-five years of ar, had paid his addresses to a young woman of the name of Susan Morton for about three years. Both the parties resided in Wakefield, the young man being a whitesmith, in that town. On the above evening. Hampson went as usual to the house of his lover, and at that time it would appear the girl was not very well, for she sent for her younger sister, Fanny, who came to her, but when she arr:ved Susan was better. Susan, however, had a fainting fit during the evening, but it appears she bad been subject to them for some time. Aboat ten o'clock, Susan feeling better, was persuaded by her sister to go out walking for a abort time, and advised her to go and see her mother, who was in a different part of the town. They all three went together, and after walking round St. John's, and afterwards into the town, Fanny left them, al she slept at the house of a friend. It seems Hampton and Susan returned to the house of the latter, and Susan's brother left them in the house together when he went to bed. Nothing more was /Pen or heard of them until the (Saturday) morning, when two coats and a hat, and a bonnet, shawl, and boa, were found on the banks of the Barnsley canal, near the bridge that crosses it in some fields near Heath Wood, about a mile and a half from Miss Morton's house. Search was afterwards made in the water, and the bodies of Hampson and his lover Susan were found near the place where the clothes had been discovered. The suicidal determination must have been strong in each, for their bodies were firmly tied together with four handkerchiefs, which must have been fastened by Hampson, as the knots were tied behind the young woman. In his pocket was found a pistol loaded with ball and two bullets, some powder, caps, die : and in her pockets was found a soft substance, like paste, which has not yet been analysed, but which is supposed to be poison. What lends tomato the affair more mysterious is the total inability of any one to find a reason for the commission of such a rash act. There was no marks of violence on either of the bodies, or anything to lead to the belief that either of them bad come to their death by unfair means. The deceased young woman was about 21 years of age, a fine figure, and very pretty. An inquest was held on the bodies on Saturday, before Thomas Lee, Esq.. coroner returned the following verdict :—" Found drowned without any marks of violence; but bow, or by what means, they got into the canal, there is no evidence to show."—Leeds Mercury.
The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1847-11-03 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

COMMISSIONERS.—This forenoon, October 28, a special meeting of the Dock Commissioners of Birkenhead was held at their office in Argyll Street, to consider a communication relative to the docks at that town, received from the office of Woods and Forests. There were present Mr Joseph Malaby, chairman, and 13 other commissioners. Only three were absent, namely, Messrs Fox, Brownrig, and Pim. The propositions of the Government were in substance that the Government should resume possession of the made land on the north side of the entrance to the great float, the Woods and Forests in such case defraying the expense of completing the sea-wall, estimated at L. 44,000. The Government to receive as security township-bonds to the amount of L. 55,000, and on thiscondition it advances L. 150,000 to finish the float and dock; that the trust be re-modelled, and placed under the direction of thirteen commissioners, six to be elected by the rate-payers of Birkenhead, three by the rate-payers of Wallesey, three by the dock bondholders, and the Government to have the right to nominate one who shall be chairman of the board. These proposals met with the concurrence of the commissioners last week, and an answer to that effect was transmitted to London: The reply to which constituted the communication now read to be considered. The above propositions were accepted and substantially confirmed by the meeting, and the details will be published in a few days. An act of Parliament will be required in order to enable the commissioners to proceed with the works, and it is proposed that it shall be introduced as a Government measure. It is further proposed and agreed to by the commissioners, that the commissioner appointed by the Government shall have the power of veto-ing the appointment of all the others. The preliminaries may now, therefore, be considered as definitively settled between the parties, and the works will be vigorously recommenced as soon as the act of Parliament can be obtained. . SINGULAR SUICIDE IN Sr.
The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1847-10-20 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

SUICIDE BY POISONINO.—EarIy on Wednesday morning a man named Scott was discovered in one of the Parke at Craighouse, lying in an almost insensible state; and suspicion was at once excited from the circumstance of finding on his person five empty phials, all of which had evidently contained 1 udanum. Dr Beilby, of Morningside, was promptly in attendance, together with Dr Wingate of the asylum, and by the use of suitable remedies the contents of the stomach were freely evacuated, and the unfortunate man was restored to some degree of sensibility, when he confessed to having purchased and taken the poison. His stupor soon returned, and, notwithstanding incessant efforts on the part of his attendants to rouse him up, increased to such a degree, as to prove fatal after a few hours. He had been removed to the asylum at Morningside about mid-day, when every attention was paid to him by the medical officers of that establishment, but all in vain.—Courant. Suspicious Casa.—We have just learned that an alarming circumstance took place in S rathspey on Tuesday last, which almost proved fatal to about twenty persons. It appears that, at two o'clock, the s rvants on the farm of Gulfoich, recupied by John Grant, Esq., banker, Grantown, had partaken of sewans and milk for dinner, and scarcely had three h ,urs elapsed when they were all more or less seized with violent pain and sickness. An express having b.len immediately sent to Grantown for medical assistance, Dr Edwards was speedily in attendance, and administered to the relief of the sufferers. The Procurator-fiscal of Inverness-shire being at the time in the neighbourhood, information of the circumstance was communicated to him, and a strict investigation is now going on. The °luso of illness is still, however, a complete mystery; but we are glad to understand that the parties are all recovering. Two of the servants, who partook only of the milk, and not of the sowans, were the most seriously affected. The remainder of the food has been taken possession of by the authorities for the purpose of being analysed.—Elgin Courant.
The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1847-11-24 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.—On Friday afternoon, as the two o'clock train from Kilmarnock was proceeding at full speed fur its destination at Glasgow, sod when about two miles east from Paisley, a woman, who, had been waiting its approach, was seen by the parties in charge to walk deliberately into the middle of the up line of rails, and await her fate, by the overwhelming concussion of the train. As a matter of °Aim she was killed on the instant, and on the train being being stopped, her head was found literally out in two. The body was then put in charge of the workmen on the line, and the train proceeded on its course to Glasgow, from whence an engine was immediately despatched to bring the deceased forward. The most singular thing connected with this melancholy occurrence, however, is the circumstance that Mrs Gibson, the individual who thus committed self-destruction, was the wife of the stoker to the engine that ran her down. She was a young woman, only about four years married. She was of irregular habits, and during that time had frequently been separated from her husband. Lstterly she had been stopping in Glasgow, while Gibson's residence was in Kilmarnock. She had been observed watching the several trains as they came forward for some hours before she committed the fatal act; and her husband had not seen her for four weeks, till she placed herself before him in a position which rendered every effort in his power to save her life an utterly hopeless task.  Cass OF AIeAUTT.—On Friday, a case of assault, which has excited considerable attention in the eastern district of the city, was brought up at the Calton Police Court, before Bailie. Honeyrnan and Brown. The circumstances, as detailed, are as follows :—On Tuesday evening last, a postman made a complaint at the Police-office, stating that he had been assaulted by a person, who was in a public-house in the vicinity, and wished him apprehended. On a policeman proceeding to said house, where a raffle was going on, he found five men, two of whom were' policemen, drinking together; he desired the accused party to go along with him to the Police-office, when the man replied, that he might be summoned to attend the Court, but he would not go with him. The policeman then deemed it proper to go for assistance, to have him apprehended; when, on re-appearing, he and his five colleagues were attacked by the five men. (the policemen included), and severely injured. Ultimately it required about a dozen police officers to take the parties into custody. Yesterday morning th ay were brought before the magistrates, when the two policemen were found guilty of the assault, and fined, the one in £5, and the other in £4. The other three were dismissed. Mr Pearce, who was in attendance for the purpose of investigating the circumstances of the case, said, that two such men were a disgrace to the establishment, and that he deemed it his duty to dismiss them from the service, and they were accordingly dismissed. Mr Archibald Young, writer, appeared on behalf of the defenders.
The Glasgow Chronicle. — 1847-11-24 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

DETERMINED SUICIDE BY A YOUNG LADY..—OD Wednesday Mr Mills held an inquest at the Jubilee, Gee Street, Seymour Street, Easton Square, on Miss Alice Tansy, daughter of Mr Tarray, 13, Clarendon Square. Mr Thomas Tarray, solicitor, and brother of the deceased, deposed that his sister was 22 'Years of age, and had latterly betrayed great depression of spirits, which he attributed to her religious feelings. On Thursday lad she took a dose of laudanum, the effects of which were destroyed by the immediate application of antidotes. On Sunday evening she was visited by the Rev. Mr Phillips, the rector's curate, who appeared to have convinced her of the heinousness of the crime she had committal, and for which she expressed great regret. The next morning she flung herself from the three pair back window into the garden, from the effects of which she died in a few hours. Miss Elizabeth Tarray, sister of deceased, stated that she slept with her sister; and that shortly after eight o'clock on Monday morning she left her for a few moments, and during her absence the deceased got out of bed and flung herself out of the window to the ground a height of forty feet. Mr Frazer, surgeon, was in stantly called upon to attend deceased. She had sustained a compound fracture of the left thigh, a oompound dislocation of the left wrist, and a simple dislocation of the right wrist. She exolaimed, ,s` Don't save me !" She died within three hours after the occurrence. He had previously attended her whilst she laboured under the effects of the poison. ' The coroner alluded to a report that the deceased had destroyed herself through unrequited love, and observed that whether the suicidal act was the result of a disease of the heart or of religious frenzy, their inquiry into the cause would only pander to morbid taste, without enabling them to ascertain its real history. He would merely leave it to the jury to decide whether the act was her own act, and if it were, whether she was insane or not. Verdict, "Deceased destroyed herself in a fit of temporary insanity." A gentleman stated that the brother of the deceased had a few years ago committed suicide by throwing himself from a river steamer, in consequence of having been disappointed in love.