npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-05-18 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

NEO CS.  Mr DYKE, surgeon, brought the ease of a pauper, mimed Ann Lewis, before the Board, and stated that h 5 tad been in communication with the Commisaiiiners in Lunacy with reference thereto. It appeared that she was a married woman, and had three chiidren. Her busband was in gaol tor some offence, and the pour woman took the degradation thus inflicted on her so much to heart, that her grief carried her insensibly into a stati of melancholia actually bordering on insanity. She was ashamed to go outside the house, and was never seen beyond the threshhold, and resisting the entreaties of her best friends to lace the house. Her self.imposod confinenaent had brought on great physical debility, which only augmented her grievous mental condition. lie stated that she required prompt and careful attendance, and a warm-he:wed but firm prison to take her in hand; and the best thing to be done was to get her removed as speedily as possible to her friends, who resided at Troedyrlliw, as ahe was not safe to be left, being in that state which frequently preceded suicide.  Mr Jones, the relieving officer, was ordered to look iato the matter, and report thereon at the next meeting. With regard to the deaf and dumb girl, named Davies, in the Cambrian Institution, at Snaitsea, the Cuatawast said that Mr Martin had spoken to the father, who was 50 years of age, and his wife was 37. He earned 15s. a-week, and a daughter earned 3s. ; but there were a sick girl and three others to be maintained oat of that, tie4ides the deaf and dumb girl. When Mr Martin spoke to him first, he promised great things himself, but after be had pone to his two grown-up sons and spoken to tkem about assisting towards tie education of their sister and found that they refused to do anything, he was careless whother anything or nothing was done tor the girl. Several members thought lie should supply her clothes, and Mr Martin was asked to call on the  (ether again. The (MAI row; briefly announced the death of their late !renewer Mr Evans, banker, and stated that it would &reek,. on them to elect another in his stead of whieh notice must be given to-day or by advertisement is the paper.  Mr 'Awls Law's gave notice that he would move at the neat Board meeting for the appointment of another treasurer.  The report of toe master was then read. It stated that the number of paupers in the house this week was 245, torresponding week last year 307. Visiting committee for the ensuing wee Messrs. Russell and E. J. Davies. The quantity of water consumed for the last fortnight was 10,000 gallons. Ten shillings had be qa found by him on the person of Joannah Ryan, a pauper, who died in the house.
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-03-23 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

LLANELLY.  VESSEL ON FlltE.—On 'Wednesday last the ems, k • Brittania,' (Owen of Pwllheli) took fire while lying in the outer harbour near Pembrey. The ems.tguaril and sailors of the port were quickly in attendance al d rendered every assistance in their power to extitigui,h the fire, which after considerable labour was accomplished, but not before it hid destroyed the greater part of the interior with its fiutings. BulkY PORT, PENA key—On the lifih inst., the coastguard, under Mr. Thompson, the superintendent of the port, launched the new life boat 'The City of Bath,' for the purp me of testing her sailing qualities, and also exercising her crew. The day was alio, which was much in the favour of troth crew and boat. The crew speak very highly er her sailing and righting qualities. Cirunca PAiTORA.L AID SOCIETY .—A public meeting, in connection with the above society, was held at the Atherreuru on Monday evening last. The chair was occupied by Colonel Stepney. The speakers were Mr. Richard Glascodme, who read the leport ; the Rov. James Hughes of Seath (deputation from the parent sorietv), Mr. 11.1'. Howell, the Rev. J. P. Jones, rector of Lotighor, and the they. A. M. Green. Deem BY Haratrisa.—On Monday morning a woma namial Mary Evans, 64 years of age, committed suicide by hanging 'meal at the Union Workhouse. She was limn by the master, Mr Jones, at half-past 5 a.ni. nom. the female sick ward, and at twenty minutes to six he found her hanging as described. It is surprising how lithe succeeded in committing this act, as her feet touched the ground. The body when found war quite wane, and medical assistance was soon at hand, but of no avail, as life was exinet. Tile unfortunate woman had formerly been in good cirsumatances, having kept the Hosayrell Mill fir many years. She had only been in the Union a fortnight, and was in low spirits at the time of her admittance, probably from brooding upon her reduced circumstances. She onoe had several house* in Elanedy, which she lost in lawsuits with relations.  °
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-05-25 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

CRAWLEY AND SERGEANT-MAJOR WAKEFIELD. —The case of Colonel Crawley is likely to be reviewed in the courts of law during the sittings after Trinity Term. In this case Sergeant-Major Wakefield is the plaintiff, and Colonel Crawley defendant. 'the action is brought against Colonel Crawley for trespass in having caueed the plaintiff to be arrested and confined on a charge of insubordination. The second count alleges that the arrest was malicious, and without any reasonable or probable cause ; and the third count slloges that while the plaintiff was so under sorest the defendant, by false representations, induced MajorGeneral Farrell and Sir W. Mansfield to approve of the arrest, and to order the plaintiff to be d. rained in prison without bringing him before a court-martial, as he was bound to do. The damages are laid at £5,000. The defendant pleads Not Guilty and justifieation. SHOCKING MURDER AT NEWPGRT, MONMOUTHsHIRE, AND SUICIDE OF THE MCRDERES,.—Tho town of Newport has been the scene of a very shot ki.ig tragedy, a married woman, named Eleanor Darby, having taken the life of her infant son, and also d stroyed herself. The unfortunate creature was the wife of John Diuby, a smith, working at the Doss Works. She was forty fear years of age and a study, deserving woman, she and her husband being members of the W'el'sh Baptist Church. Somewhere about a year ago they lost their eldest eon, and from that time the poor woman, who was of a sensitive, nervous temperament, has shown a marked tendency to despondency. A few weeks ago she sustained lonelier trouble in the death of a favourite sister, who resided a few miles from her, and who had been in the habit of assisting her from time to time with little presents, and her grief was intensified, it is thought, by the way in which the sister had left her little property. Ni apprehensions of such a catestrophe as has happened would, however, seem to have been entertained until the sudden disappearance of the wife and her younger child, a boy of nearly three years old, from her husband's roof. A search was instituted, but nothing could be found of the bodies until Friday evening, when they were discovered in a pond in the ne;ghbourhood, of curse quite dead. The child was in his bedgown, and must have bean taken out of bed for the purpose of being murdered by his unhappy mother. The dreadful affaa has caused a very painful sensation throughout the neighbourhood, and great sympathy is felt with the family of the deceased, and particularly with p 0 .r Darby.
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-05-25 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

FRANCE.  PARTS, May 18. The Session of th^ Corps Legislatif has been prolonged until May 2ith. La Pommeraye is stated to have sent in an appeal against the sentence of death to Court of Cassation. It is rumoured that the jury wish to ask for a commutation of the sentence pronounced upon the prisoner. The Paris Presse says that the Prussian Government is urging, as a condition of peace, the construction of a canal connecting the Baltic with the Northern Sea. " This canal," says the French journal, "is the Baltic free; it is a considerable step towards the liberty of the seas. But this canal suppresses the sovereignty of Denmark over the Sound and over the Belts, and it takes f: cm that country the keys of tlie Baltic to put them into the hands of Europe. Consequently, how can Denmark, remaining master of the duchies, consent to this great work? It would be something like suicide. If, then, we ask the emancipation of the duchies, it is because this emancipation alone can give us thccanal from the Baltic to the Northern Sea. What a victory of civiliat iou!" PARIS, May 19. The Moniteur du Soir, of to-day, says : .  Letters received here feom Rome to the 14th instant announce that a great improvement has taken place in tne health of the Pope, who was expected soon to resume granting audience. . . . . .  Advices from the East state that difficulties have arisen hi t seen Persia aid England with regard to the Island of Barbem, in the Peraian Gulf. In consequence of the plunder and crueltiei committed on some subjects of Brazil, the Brazilian Government has ordered a naval demonstration to be made against Monte Video.  The French squadron in the Mediterranean has received orders to hold its•lf in readiness to go t Tunis, its proience being necessary to solve certain difficulties that have arisen.  The Moniteur contialicts the rumour of an intended modification of the French Ministry. _
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-10-12 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

HINT TO THE LADIES.—If you want your LACES and LINENS dressed in a superior Style, (and who does not?) you should use only the Guisrinaw STARCH, and you will be delighted with the elasticity and beautiful finish it gives to those articles. The Glenfield starch is exclusively used in the Royal Laundry, and Her Majesty's Laundress pronounces it to be the finest Starch she ever used. It was awarded two Prize Medals for its superiority, and the manufacturers have received numerous testimonials from all classes, all agreeing as to its excellent qualities. We would respectfully caution our fair readers when buying the Glentiell Starch to see that they get it, u inferior kinds are often substituted. The manufacturers have much pleasure in statin/ that they have been appointed Stara Purveyors to the Princess of Wee.  tgtutral /Imo.  There arc now between 70 and 80 prisoners in eusto4y awaiting their trial for offences arising out of the late riots at Belfast.  A private in the 16th Lancers, at Colchester, recently committed suicide by blowing out his brains. His Royal Highness Prince Humbert left London on Thursday for the C mtinent. The Prince travelled by the SJuth-Eastern Bail way to Folkestone, and Woe took the steamer for Boulogne. A young lady, daughter of the Mayor of New York, recently fell fr on a pleasure yacht into the city harbour. She was saved by a U.S. naval officer, to whom the young lady's father shortly afterwards presented a cheque for a thousand dollars. Mr James Steel of Liverpool, a practical mechanician,  . . states that he has discovered the means of propelling vessels at the rate of forty miles an hour. The Admiralty have directed Mr teel to make experiments at the cost of the nati }n.  It is not a trifling sign of the entente cordials between France and Prussia, that the Emperor has permitted the . .  chief hydraulic engineer of the French navy to enter the serance of Prussia for a few years, to give it a helping hand in its naval efforts.  The Tinos stAtes that some counterfeit sovereigns of a dangerous character h Lve been recently passed in London They are made of gold of an inferior quality, and the ring, when sounded, is dull as compared with the sharp  clink of the genuine sovereign. Herr Mendelssohii, the Berlin banker, and brother of the composer, has gone to Schleswig to obtain the eonecasion for a benk hi be established in those parts. Their . . .  embodiment with the Zollverein will be, oi course, proceeded with as soon as possible. _ Like most American notables the wife of President . . . _  Lincoln is now claimed as a ScolChwornan. It ia affirmed  that she is the (laughter of Mr John Clark, a farinor belonging to the Braes of Dune, who emigrated to America  „ about forty years ago. The editorship of The Chnstian Witness and The . . _ . .  Chrisiian Penny Maga:ine will at Christmas be relutquished by Dr. C.tinpbell; the trustees have appointed the Rev. john Kennedy, MA., of Stepney, editor of the  former, and the Rev. F. Williams, Of Nottingham, of  the latter.  _
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-06-22 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

STRANGE SUICIDE AT LONDON BRIDGE. On Tuesday week Mr Wm. Payne, coroner for the City of London and Southwark, held an inquiry respecting the death of Richard Barrett, aged forty-five, who committed suicide at London Bridge. John Barke, 6, Little Manchester-street, Bethnal Green, said that deceased was a ta lor by trade and lived with him. Ile had been living for twenty years with a woman who left him seven weeks ago and got mairied. Ile was much distressed in consequence. At times he seemed to be out of his mind, and he used to jump up in the middle of the night and run out saying, " All the fieople in the house are going to mut der me." Fur some time past he WhEi out of work, and he was very poor, not even having a table in his room. Last Sunday week he went to see his sister, who was living in St. Pancras, and of whom he had lust sight for twelve years. She " disacknowledged " him, and said, "I do not know you. You are not my brother. My bro Vier has been dtad some years." He returned home in a most agitated state, and said to a little gitl, "I will kill myself." lie afterwards locked up his room and went out, and witness never saw him alive after. He was a man of very sober habits. William Jones, a working man, said that on last Thursday morning ho was on the steps at the City side of London Bridge, when lie saw the deceased lying on his face, partly covered by the water. There Wll9 a mark of a severe injury on the temple, evidently caused by a fall. The deceased had apparently leaped from the bridge into the river. Police-constable George Smith, 602 City Police, said that he was called by the last witness at six in the morn • ing, and found the deceased lying near the steps of L mdon Bridge. No one saw him get in the water. His friends were discovered by means of advertising in the newspapers. The coroner said that the case was clearly one of suicide, though there was no legal evidence of the fact.  The jury retumed a verdict "That deceased was found dead in the Thames at London Bridge, but how he came iuto the water there was no direct evidence ts prove."
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-11-16 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

AFRICAN EXPLORATION.—M. Du Chailla has addressed a letter, of which the following are extracts, to a brother geographer:—" Fernand-Vaz River, Aug. 20, 1861. I have felt deeply the loss of my instruments, fer I had to wait a long tune for a fresh supply from England ; but these having at length arrived, in a few days I start for the great interior of the African continent. In thie direction it is,'at any rate, a terra ineognita. It will be, as you geographers are fully aware, a long journey. I will spend 18 or 20 months exploring the interior, and should I find it possible to proceed I will do my best to reach the Nile. I propose then to follow the line to the equator until I strike the Great River. Of course I must be guided by circumstances. lam perfectly aware of the:dangers and hardships I have to encounter, and I known very well that I may lose my life in the undertaking but I know also that my life is in the hand of my Maker, and that if He thinks best I shall ieturn in safety. I am glad to say that I have succeeded pretty well in my photography, and I hope to be able to take many photographs. I purpose likewise making a large collection o insects, birds, quadrupeds, butterflies, ;so you see r; will he pretty busy, especially as I must also take numerous astronomical observations, for which I hales been prepared by good Captain George, R.N., at the Geographical Society. lam glad I shall have so much to do, as it may prevent me from feeling too lonely." JOSH BILLINGS INSURES HIS Lips.—l kIIRI to the conclusion lately that life was so okartin, that the only way for me to stand a fair chance with other folks was to get my life insured, and so I called on the agent of the Garden Angel Life Insurance Co., and answered the following questions, which were put to me over the top of a pair of specks by a slick little fat old feller, with a round grey bead on him as ever any man owned :-1. are you mail or femail ? if so, state how long you have been so, 2. Had you a father or mother ? if So which ? 3. Are you anbject to fits ? and if so, du you have more than one at a time? 4. What is your precise fiting wate ? 5. Did you ever have any ancestor's ? and if so much ? 6. Du you have any nightmare ? 7. Are you married or single, or are you a bachleor ? 8. Have you ever committed suicide? and if so, how did it affect you ? After answering the above questions, the slick little fat old feller sod I was insured for life, and mobably would remain so for some years. I thanked him, and smiled one of my most pensive smiles. Mu.
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-02-24 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

RWAIN.  SHOCKING :MURDER AND SUICIDE OF THE  M URDERER.  One of the most shocking domestic tragedies that we have ever had to record was perpetrated early in the morning of Saturday last, in the quiet village of llirwain over which it has thrown quite a cloud of grief. It appears that a man named Evan Williams, an engineer, lately employed by the Hirwain and Aberdare Steam Coal Company retired to bed at the usual time with Isis wife and their two children, a boy four year of age, and a girl two or three years o/dor, who slept in a bed put up in the same room as that of their unfortunate parents. The children slept soundly and did not hear anythsng till they woke, when the father way notseen in bed, but the mother lay there. The boy first went to awake her, but, being unsuccessful, the girl called her mother who gave her no answer. She then went down stairs and was horrified and frightened to find her father hanging by a cord from a hook in the ceiling. She ran together with her brother into the street and they alarmed the people residing in the adjoining houses by:their cries so that, they in company with the grandfather of the children at once went to the room where the body hung and cut it down. On proceeding upstairs they found the body of the woman,quite, dead and a small cravat was around her neck, from which they inferred that she had been strangled by her husband, who, it would seem, obtained a cord to carry out his terrible purpose upon himself by detaching a piece from the clothes' line in the garden at the back.  It appears from rumours current in the place among those who knew the deceased husband and wife, that the former had been very much depressed in mind for some mooths previous to the commission of the murder and his friends and neighbours had noticed that he wore at all times an air of deep melancholy. Some say that he was not of perfectly sound mind, but nobody to our knowledge ever observed anything in his general conduct to indicate the probability of such an act being committed.
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-04-20 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

SUICIDE.—Ah inquest was held at the Villiers Arms, Britonferry, on the 13th inst., before A. Cuthbertson, Req., coroner, on the body of Sarah John, aged 23 years, an inmate of the Vernon House Asylum, whose death was caused by purposely setting herself on fire.— G. Davies, a female attendant at the asylum, deposed that the deceabed jumped over the fire guard, put her hand on the front part of the fireplace and then put her clothes on the fire; witness called fu- assistance and some of the inmates came and wrapped her in a bleuket.—Dr Pigg, medical superintendent at the asylum, deposed, that on the 22nd March, he was called to see the deceased, and found her wrapped in a blanket, with the left side of her dress and underclothes a good deal burnt, the whole of her right aide from the hip to the  ',speech  shoulder was slightly burnt, the back part of the fingers were charred and severely burnt and the right arm slightly burnt. She was immediately put to bed, and continued to go on pretty well for a few days. At the time of her death the arm was pretty well healed, and the side rapidly healing; she got gradually worse sad died on Tuesday at 12 o'clock, being three weeks after the accident. She was a very delicate girl and suffTed from consumption, and would probably otherwise have died in a short time, she had been in the asylum sinc the 22nd January last, and had tried t..) hang hers-lf repeatedly. The guard of iron is four feet high and four feet from the fire, and locked, had she been of a good constituti in she would have got over it. He never knew a person get over the guard bef ,re and the patients are never left there without an attendant. The deceased was perfeotly insane at the time she committed the act —The jury returned a verdict that the deceased b•ing an insane pauper, set herselt on fir,, the injuries from which hastened her death and that there was no blame ettachei to any of the attendants.
Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1864-12-07 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

DEMME.—It Seem that, in spite of the affecting farewell letters of Dr Demme and Mdlle. Trumpy, doubts are still entertained of their having committed suicide. The Gazette ha Tribunaur has received on the subject the following letter, dated Berne, Nov. 24:—" The announcement of the suicide of Dr Demme and Mdlle. Flora Trumpy is received with a degree of incredulity. Despatches from the prefects of Lausanne and Vevey, as well as from other points on the Lake of Geneva, state that the bodies have not been found. The announcement of the suicide made by the Demme family is, therefore, only based on tho farewell letters written by the doctor and Mdlle. Flora, and, from the haste in which they have been published, the truth of the story is more than ever doubted; it is looked upon as a made-up tale, intended to mask the departure of Dr Demme, and facilitate his establishment in some other country under an assumed name—perhaps even his acceptation of the post of surgeon-in-chief to the Mexican army, which is said to have been offered him." Dr Demme, senior, writes to the Bund, of Berne :—" In reply to rumours circulating among the public and in the press, relative to the announcement made by me of the death of Dr Hermann Demme and Flora Trumpy, I declare on my honour and conscience that I made that announcement with a bleeding heart, and only after the most minute inquiries, and with the full conviction of the truth of the fatal news. Now, if it should turn out that the suicide wag a fiction, resorted to in order to conceal a (tight, I was the first to be deceived by it, and I should agree with public opinion in condemning such an infamous action. It is to be hoped that time will lead to the discovery of the truth.—Dr Demme, senior." THE MAJ,Gt