npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-06-14 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

CRIME IN FRANCE.  The Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph states that a shocking murder, followed by the suicide of the assassin, has been committed at a house in the Rue de Poteau, inhabited by an artisan named Jean Devallois and his family. It appears that last month Madame Devallois went to the hospital, leaving her four children (the eldest of whom is a girl of fifteen), with her husband. Devallois lost no time in installing a former mistress, one Julie Bardou, separated from her husband, in his abode. Quarrels soon arose between the guilty pair, Devallois being of a very jealous disposition, while the woman Bardou constantly threatened to return to her home. The other morning sounds of a violent altercation, followed by cries for assistance, were heard by a neighbour, Madame Dissard. Knocking at the door, which was at once opened by Devallois, she saw Julie Bardou lying dead on the floor. The man told her that she might go for the police, as all was over; and after she had left he committed suicide in the most deliberate manner. First he shot himself with a revolver, then stabbed himself with a knife, and when the police made their appearance they found him hanging lifeless from a rope attached to the ring to which the bed curtains were fastened. The youngest child, an infant of six months, was lying in the room at the time.  A Scotch parson said recently, somewhat sarcastically, of a toper, that he put an enemy into his mouth to steal away his brains, but that the enemy, after a thorough and protracted search, returned without anything. Carlyle says that "great men "taken up in any way are profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, upon a great man, without gaining something by him. DxxrEaorrs Fisu.—Some fish procure their food in a peculiar manner. The Chotodon rostratzts, common in Indian rivers, feeds prinicipally on those insects that hover over the surface. When it descries a fly on the plants growing in shallow water, approaching warily, and fixing its eyes on its unconscious prey, it ejects a single drop of water from its tubular snout, but without alarming it, by raising its head above the surface, whence the drop seems to rise. This feat is done so dexterously, that even at a distance of six feet it .tarely fails to bring down its game Tato the water.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-06-28 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

ROMANTIC SUICIDE.  The Deputi, County Coroner, Mr. James Iliff, has held an inquiry at the Hanover Inn, High Beach, Essex, on the body of Jane Margaret Gibbings, aged 19 years, who committed suicide under very romantic circumstances. Mrs. Mary Ann Gibbings, a widow, living at Nile-cottages, High Beach-road, said her daughter had been staying with witness. She had been in service as a housemaid, but latterly had been keeping company with a young man, and had been very strange in her manner owing to a quarrel she had with him. On Wednesday morning in last week her dead body was found in a watertank attached to the premises. In her dress pocket was found the following extraordinary letter: "Tuesday Night.—My dear Mother,—When you hear of my distressing end you will, I know, break your heart. When .I got into bed, and had been there more than half an hour when the Devil paid me a visit. He stood talking to me for some time, and told me that he had seen Charley— my young man—with another young woman. I said to myself, Now what can I do? To think be who I have loved so much should leave me for another. All of a sudden I thought of the water-butt, and the more I tried to keep away from it the more the Devil tried to get me into the water. He said to me at last, If you jump in I will get Charley to bring you out. My head is raving, and I feel on fire. I cannot say anything more. I have left my photograph in my box. Give it to Charley, and tell him that if it had not been for him I should not have killed myself. I, however, did it for the best. Now, Mother, dear, what was the good of my living? I was miserable and could not be happy without Charley. Good-bye, Mother. Give kind love to all. Your loving daughter,
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-02-09 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.  In London, Dr. Danford Thomas, the Coroner for Central Middlesex, has held an inquest, relative to the death of Rebecca Fielder, aged 23, a domestic servant, who committed suicide by throwing herself out of a third-floor window on Wednesday morning in last week. Mr. George Fielder' brother of the deceased, stated that the deeemed had been in health for some time past, and on his learning that she was about to leave her situation it was arranged that she was to live with witness. 'On Wednesday morning the deceased, he learned, had fallen from a window, and be went to see her and found her much injured. She died about two hours afterwards. The deceased had never threatened to commit suicide, and was always cheerful. Selina Elliott, servant, employed at 3, Sussex-place, Regent's-park, said that the deceased was employed in the same service as witness, and she was of delicate health. On Wednesday morning, the deceased, who was to leave her situation at ten o'clock, got up and did her work and packed her boxes. About eight o'clock, when breakfast was ready, she said that she wanted to go upstairs for a few minutes, and some short time afterwards a man knocked at the door and told her that the deceased had fallen from the third-floor front window, which was in the cook's bedroom. On going out, witnen found the deceased lying much injured on the steps, and with assistance she was got into the house. The deceased had no business in the cook's bedroom, and the window was always kept closed. The deceased the previous evening had been very restless, and could not sleep. She was leaving her situation on account of her health. The jury returned a verdict "That the deceased committed suicide while of unsound mind."
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-11-28 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

KIDDERIIINSTER.  ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ON THE RAILWAY. —At the Police Court on Wednesday, lyJo:o Messrs W. Boycot and J. J. Harrey—Walter Lee, a man slated to belong to Rt.(latch, was charged with attempting to 'commit suicide on the 'Great Westernlway. —lt appears that the prisoner placed his head on the metals early yesterday morning in front of goods train, but owing to the rngine slackening speed, the iron guard attached to the engine pushed hint dear of the rails, ilia head was slightly injured. The railway officials subsequently gave kin' alto custody.—As the witnesses were no in attead. ance, pci Doer 'vas remanded till Friday. His mind appears to be aff,c!cd. TOWN Comactn,—The monthly m,>eting of the Council was held on Wednesday; the Mayor (Mr. G. Holdswortb) presif inz. A letter from the Ucneral Post office notified the intended opening of a telegraph office io Bewdley Street; and it was resolved to !isk for an office to be provided also at the railway salt on —The medical officer reported there had been sixty-six births and forty-three deaths in the past month, the death-rate being 21-5 per thousand, against 2i•549 last year.—The Borough Surveyor (Mr. Comber), in reply to a question, said the sewerage works were proceAing satisfactorily. —The Improvement Committee's report included a recommendation as to the allowaoce of the expenses of Parliamentary registration for the year 1885-6, amounting to .£72 3+ 2d. The Town Clerk stated it was more than last year, but more copies of the lists had been printed.—The Free Library reports ! showed that the .issues of books were 2,593 in the f past mouth, and- the number of borrowas w a 2,209.—Mr. Holloway brought on a motion for holding the Council meetings in future in the afternoon, and it was carri-d by 12 to 4 that they should be held at 4 p.m.—ln reply to Mr. ConsterdineChadwick, the Town Clerk stated that the receipts at the Town Hall. Corn Exchange, &c., last year were £495 Is 6d, and in the present year .£ll7 15s 3d.—Mr. Consterdine-Chaiwick afterwards moved to rescind a resolution permitting the curator of the Town Hall to perform other duties, and be drew attention to the amount he received from the Corporation and from the Guardians conjointly. The motion was not seconded, and notice was given of a further resolution on the subject at a future meeting.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-01-17 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SUICIDE THROUGH LAWSUITS.  At the Fir Trees, Wanstead, on Saturday, Mr. Lewis held an adjourned inquest on the body of Henry Richard S'ollard, aged 62, a master lighterman and bargeowner, who was found shot in an outhouse of one of his houses on Dec. 31 last. James William Davis, of Maybank-road, Woodford, a ropeer, said that the deceased was his father-in-law, his place of business being at Tower-buildings, Highstrect, Wapping. Witness last saw the deceased conscious at half-past eight o'clock on Dec. 31, when Witm ss went to business, leaving the deceased at the brals fast table. Witness returned at night, and learnng that deceased had not come home, he went to Minor House, which was owned by the deceased, but uroccupied, and, going to an outhouse, found the deceased lying on his right side with blood issuing from his forehead, while his face was begrimed with clotted b!ood and dirt. He appeared to have been rolling about As if in great pain. He was still moving about and g; oaning, although he was unconscious. The assistance of a neighbour was secured and the deceased was taken home, when Dr. Argles was called in, but the deceased never recovered consciousness, and died at a quarter to eight o'clock on the Friday morning following. Afterwards, searching the house, witness found the pistol produced (a single-barrelled one). uring the last two years the deceased had been involved in seven or eight actions, in which he had been unsuccessful, and had had to nay a considerable sum of money. Dr. Frank Argles, of Wanstead, said on Jan. 4 he made a post-mortem examination, and came to the conclusion that the deceased's death was caused by the bullet which he found on removing the dura meter. Thomas Henry Stollard said the deceased was his father, and ho last saw him alive on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 30. He then seemed very depressed. He and witness had been walking about London from place to place endeavouring to borrow money upon his furniture in order to be able to pay oEf an execution which was to be put into the house on the following day (Wednesday) at twelve o'clock. He was unsuccessful in borrowing the money, and this preyed a good deal on his mind. He remarked, "Good God! what shall I do?" Besides the money deceased had lost in the various actions, ho had lost £l6OO by one man who absconded. For ix n.onths the deceased had been somewhat depressed, but for the last two months had been much more so, so much so that witness had had to go about with him to transact business. About two months ago one afternoon witness was returning to the office when he heard a knocking at the rear, and going quickly he found the deceased standing upon a seat with a nail in one band and a cluipper in the other. Directly he was seen the deceased jumped down, and when asked what he had been doing he replied "Nothing." The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity."
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-01-17 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

WEN.  ALLEGED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.— At a Special Petiy S3ssion, held on TaFsday, at the Police Station, Jatie Basterfield, wire of Henry Basterfield, heerhouse-keeper, liales?:!en, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by cutting her arm wi Ii a raz ron the 20th ult. She was remanded Thursday wh,n he was again brought up. A witness named John Jones stated that he was in the Red Lion inn, on the night of the 20,h ul.imo, when prisoner came in and deliberately cut her left h .nd with a razor.—Mr. Thomas B. Young, surg on, slued that he was called to see the prisoner on the day in question, and found her in a state a- collapse through lobs of blood, He found four incised wcuuds on the back of the left arm. Without immediate attention they would have been dangerous. Prisoner informed witness that she had attempted seif-destruction through having been at variance with her hu,band. Mr. Homer said the prisoner was sorry for what she had done, The Batch so verely reprim Inded th.,3 prisoner for her con— duct, and discharged her.  A London baker, whose business mlthoi hal prominence at the Worship-street Court the other day, may ip,s-ibly be of the vegetarian persuasion. Filled with an overpowering conviLtion of the hurt— ful effect of flesh meats, he may have to feel justi-fled in reducing the extent of the cause of awn untold evil to his customers as much as po4sible. Such a proem of reasoning might account for the fact that what went into his oven as the four-pound weight joint of beef which was to serve as Sunday dinner to a workman's family, emerged from his establishment just half as heavy. As the beef was not fat, the missing two pounds could not well have dwindled away in cooking. Perhaps the baker had beef for his dinner, without having outraged his econernical convictions in the needless expenditure of money on flesh food.  The Lord Mayor of London having ref usei to lend the Guildhall for Mr. Henry George to preach the gospel of land nationalisation in, under the pretext of discussing industrial depres,iou and its causes, the unquiet propagatorpf the equal rights in the soil doctrine announces his intention of addressing a mass meeting of metropolitan unemp'oyed in the open space in front of the Royal Exchange. It remains to be seen whPther the civic authorities will regard Mr. George as an obstructionist, and order him to "move on." Gatherings pound public speakers there in the centre of London's heart are becoming much too frequent for public convenience. There is generally some fanatic of the Fruend typo announcing the "doom of London" to a little crowd of curious passers-by hereabout now. This sort of thing is rightly discouraged by those who have to pass this busy point on business, and surely when a subway to relieve the traffic has been considered necessary, it is for the police to prevent the gathering together there of idle crowds.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-05-16 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DISTRESSING DOMESTIC HISTORY.  On Tuesday at the St. Giles's Coroner's-court, Dr. George Danford Thomas, coroner for Central Middlesex, held an inquiry respecting the death of Emma Grayden, wife of John Grayden, of 16, Rodneyroa_d, Walworth, who jumped from Waterloo-bridge on nay „ ne married the deceased in 187.2, and lived very happily with her for two years, when she became addicted to drink and was very dissolute in her habits. Witness then separated from her, and allowed her a certain BUM of money per week to absent herself from his home, but she used to spend all the money in drink, and then go in a state of inebriation to his place of business and demand more. These visits became so frequent, and annoyed his employer so much, that witness became exasperated, and refused to supply her with any more money. She then made herself chargeable to the Lambeth *Union, and he was compelled to pay 4s. a week towards her maintenance; but even this did not seem to satisfy her, and she continued her visits. On Friday week she went to his workshop, and having remarked that she "would not stir until she was given some money," he gave her some, and saw her no more. The mother of the deceased interposed and stated that the previous witness had ill-used her daughter, and forced her to drink. This statement was denied by Grayden. Mr. Whiteley, of the Thames police, deposed to hearing a splash in the water at Waterloo-bridge on the evening of the Ist inst., and on rowing out to the third buttress of the bridge found the body of the deceased and had it conveyed to the police station, where artificial respiration was resorted to with the effect that animation was partially regained. The deceased, on regaining consciousness, when- asked why she threw herself over the bridge, said, "I did it because my husband wanted a younger woman, and would not keep me," She relapsed, and eventually died on the 7th inst. The jury returned the following verdict: "That the deceased was found dying, and did die, from the mortal effects of capillary bronchitis, brought on by the immersion of the deceased in the water at a time when she was endeavouring to commit suicide."
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-12-12 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SUICIDE IN A LONDON MUSIC HALL.  Late on Friday night a shocking occurrence happened at the Metropolitan Music Hall, Edgware-road. It seems that on Thursday night a young man, about 21 years of age, was taken to the llolyneux-street Police-station by a man well known, who stated that he thought it best to bring the young man there for the police to look after, as he seemed to be incapable of taking care of himself, and, owing to the company he had been seen with, was in danger of losing his property. It was ascertained that the young man had a purse in his possession, and it contained several sovereigns. Suddenly he disappeared out of the station, and as he was drunk the inspector sent after him, had him brought back, and charged him with being drunk. He gave the name of Thomas Stokes. About seven o'clock on Friday morning he was liberated on his own recognisances to appear and answer the charge at the Marylebone Police-court at ten o'clock the same morning. He did not, however, surrender to his recognisances, and nothing more was heard of him until late on Friday night. Shortly after ten o'clock on that night great alarm was created in the pit of the Metropolitan Music Hall by the discharge of firearms near the orchestra. Soule one near the spot saw a young man draw a revolver . from his coat pocket, and placing it to his left breast, discharged it, and he fell down immediately. Constable Smith, 88, happened to be in the hall at the time, and, seeing what had occurred, immediately had the man convey el to the St. Mary's Hospital in a cab. On being examined by the house surgeon it was found that life was extinct, the bullet having, it is believed, passed through the heart. Near where to the deceased fell was found a six-chambered revolver, five. • claambers of which were loaded. Detective-sergeant Record afterwards saw the body at the hospital, and recognised it as the man who had been charged with drunkenness. Inquiries have been made,. and tt.tups out that the deceased's name, is Thomas ' Erring:and Lhat he was a gentleman's footman in a family resrdink at Cavendish-square and at St. Leonardo.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1885-06-27 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EXTENSIVE FRAUDS IN GLASGOW.  responsible for the following: extensive system of fraud, carried on over a series of years, has just been discovered by the heads of one of the oldest warehouse firms in Glasgow. The defalcations, it is reported, amount to £lO,OOO or £15,000, but as no complaint has been lodged with the criminal authorities, it is difficult to ascertain the exact particulars. It has transpired, however, that the thefts run over a series of years, and they appear to have been effected by several of the trusted hands inside the warehouse leaguing themselves together and passing goods to outside representatives in other parts of the kingdom, where they were disposed of in due course, and the funds transmitted to a head centre, who made the distributions. The manner of the discovery is stated to have been very simple. It is the rule of the establishment that all goods sent out should be checked at certain stages of their transit. A young employe, however, who had implicit confidence in the person above him, did not follow out this intruction, and this innocent aided the thieves in their operations; but one day last week this young man was replaced by another employe, who did his duty, found that the parcels passed on to him did not tally with the invoices, and reported the discrepancies, with the result already stated. As showing the careful and systematic way in which those engaged in these proceedings have gone about the business, it may be mentioned that some of the principal books have been altered to suit and cover their purposes. It follows, of course, that that could not have taken place had not some of those who held responsible positions abetted, if they did not originate, the proceedings; and, as already been said, such is the case. One or two of those concerned—the number in all is given as seven—have been from ten to twenty years in the firm's employ, and more than one holds high office in connection with local churches. All were regarded as strictly honourable servants, and in respect of those who were prominent church office. bearers they were held in some esteem by a wide circle of friends who have been deeply grieved and shocked by the turn affairs have taken. One of the men most deeply implicated, who was a traveller in Ireland, has committed suicide. It is understood that the greater part of the money was wasted in speculation, chiefly on horse-racing.  , An I