npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1908-10-09 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

THE DUDLEY TRAGEDY.  STARTLING CONFESSION AT WILLENHALL. At last the Dudley murder mystery has been elucidated. Emily Lancey, a young woman who has just died at Willenhall in great want, has confessed to the crime. It no that she had been jilted by Walker, the murdered man, in favour of the hawker's daughter, who, it will be remembered, was supposed to have committed suicide after the terrible affair. Lance y traced Walker to Dudley, jealously watched him during an interview with his new lover, saw him enter the cheap-jack's caravan, and later followed him home, secreting in her muff a knife she had picked up beneath the hawker's van. It wan this knife, it will be remembered, that considerably strengthened the strong suspicion against the other woman. Following Walker into his room, high words ensued, and the man strove to buy her oil with money, of which he seemed to have a considerable amount. In a moment of blind exasperation the woman struck him with the knife, and fatally. She escape 4 hurriedly, and it will be seen by the detailed an signed confession taken by the police that in leaving the house she noticed the form of her rival waiting on the pavement. The thought presented itself kr nerve her as she had served the man, but she had left the knife behind, and hurried on, leaving suspicion to rest upon the innocent girl who was the unecmscir.us cause of her jealousy. Here followed Emily Lancey's detailed statement. but somehow I felt I could not read it. I folded the paper and handed it back to him. Sometimes, he continued, I fancy I can see her coming to me out of the darkness like. Of course, it is only a vision, but I see her as plain as I see you. And once, down at 'Ereford, I could 'aye sworn I actually saw 'or 'erself. 'Ave you ever felt a feeling about somebody dead as you could now and again vow wasn't dead at all? Well, that's 'ow it is with me. It's so strong sometimes that I quite expect to see 'cr oomin' up to me, and puttin"er 'and in mine, and saying "Dear old daddy," just as she used to do in the old days--Nry, sir, wot'a that? Is it?--Can it be-?  I turned and saw a woman's form shuffling uneasily forward in the shadow of the wall. She came on a few paces hesitatingly; then emerged into the light, and there W 39 something familiar about the pale, worn features of the woman. I moved away, and as I did to the woman ran forward with a low cry, and threw herself into the arms of the old hawker.  "Daddy! daddy! dear old daddy!" Then I knew the happy ending that had come to the cheap-jack's story. Spinney had heard of Emily Lanoey's confession that had freed her from all question of guilt, and had come back again. It was Christmas morning, and the bells of a church near by in their merry peal echoed the joy in Spinney's and the cheap-jack's hearts.
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-12-10 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

THE: MISERS LEGACY OF HALF-A-HELLION  Hnhououred, and almost unnoticed, in his life, at his death the name of Neild \ens en ow clr one's lips. Why? On account of his will. Ti ierein he left a few small legacies to different per sons, and the remainder of the vost prope,!tv, est imated at £500,000, to '• Her Most Gracious 3laje 3ty Queen Victoria, begging her Majesty's rimEt gracious acceptance of the same, for her sole use and benefit, and her heirs." &c. To each of his three ceerutors he bequeathed a hundred nounds. So extra rirdinary a bequest bee ae toe talk of the town, and a large number of persons assembled at Chelsea t witness the removal of the body to North Marstosa, where Neild had desired that his remains Nhould be interred. The churchyard there was crowded with spectators also. Tenants, workmen, th,c poor of the parish; all were represented, Not is tear was shed, nor a murmur of regret uttered. But this remark was overheard :—" Poor creaturn ! had he known so much would have been spent on his funeral, he would have come down here to die to save the expense !" Such was the naisesis epitaph, spoken by tholie who knew him best- Another memorial of a different character was erected to Nield's memory in 1855, when the Quetm restored the chancel of North Marston Church, and inserted a beautiful east window of stained glass. Beneath it is a reredos with this inscription This Reredos aid the Stained Glass Window were erected by Her Majesty Queen Victoria ID.G., 11. H., F.D.), in the eighteenth year of her reign, in the memory of John Camden Neild, Esq., of this parish, who died August 1852, aged 72." The queen did something Limier than this. When two ca,veata, entered against the will, were withdrawn, and her Majesty was left to take undisputed possession of the property, she immediately increased Nield's bequest to the three executors of £l,OOO each; she provided for the old housekeeper, who bad been with Nield for twenty-six years, yet had received no legacy ; and she secured an annuity to the woman who had saved the miser's life when lie att,ampted suicide. Then her Majesty pocketed the rest of her unexpected legacy with a clear conscience; and who shall blame her? Certainly, though, the story is a queer commentary on the old saying Unto him (or her) that bath shall be given."
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-01-08 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

NESS.—A young man, named Thomas Henry Pearson, living in Greenhevs, was committed to the Manchester Ashies on Tuesday, by the Salford stipendiary, on a charge of causing the death of a girl throe years of age, namal Sarah Llizalieth Johnson. On the 26th ult. the accused was driving a van along Tatton-street, Salford, %%lien the deceased, who was crossing the street with her mother, WM knocked down and so severely injured that she died the following day. It is allcd against the prisoner that he was drunk, and was driving reckless. SUICIDE MOM Ovr.r.woax.—At Camden Town, London, an inquest was held on the body of Julius A. B. Bieck, aged 54, commercial traveller and agent.—Deceased's widow stated that her husband had been very much depressed and worried lately through pressure and overwork in business, and at times complained of pains in his head and melancholia. On the morning of December 30th he seemed very excitable, and complained of a pain in his heart, and said he had had no skep all night. Ile continued depressed all day, and went to bed at his usual time. The following morning he rose between live and six o'clock. On going downstairs herself she saw blood flowing from underneath the office door, She pushed it open, and saw her husband lyino on the for with a revolver at his side. —By the Coroper His father was a very rich man, and had had no trouble, and had diet in the same manner. —Dr. Fountain, Camden-road, stated that he was called in on Monday last, and found the deceased lying on his back in the office, with a large quantity of blood flowing from his head. On making an examination be found a bullet wound on the right temple, which hail gone through the brain and come out on the left hand side.--The jury returned their verdict, '• That deceased died from a bullet wound, self-inflicted through mental disturbance, due to overwork and pressure of business."  the street and threw herself down. Some men then came up and anoceeded in putting out the flames. Deceased was 'frightfully burned all over the body, and died at the infirmary en Sunday morning.— The Coroner remarked that it did not seem to be generally known that the hest way to extinguish fire under such circumstance" was to roll the person on the floor, and by no means allow them to get into the open air. A verdict of " Accidental death from burns" was returned. Szatous
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-03-19 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

DESPERATE  COUNTER.—New York telegrams report a. desperate affray upon the Rock Island Railway on Saturday night. The train was near Joliet, Illinojs. about midnight. when the conductor entered the United States .Express Company's sear, and was borror•  struck by the sight that niet his eyes. The Express agent was lying dead, having been beaten to death with a poker, after making a terrible struggle with his murderers, exidence of which was afforded by the confusion of the contents of the car. Th'e furniture and fittings were broken to pieces, and the floor and sides of the car were bespattered all over with blood. The dead man's hands were tightly clenched; one held a lock of black hair, and the other a lock of red hair. The thieves had evidently feared to raise an alarm by firing a revolver, and had, therefore, recourse to a poker. They had taken twenty thousand dollars out of the cashboxes and forty packages of jewellery, and with this booty had leaped from the train while it was in motion, and so made their escape. SUICIDE or A BlUDEGRO63l.—lntimation was received by the Aberdeenshire police on Friday of an extraordinary occurrence at Glenbucket. John Downie, a crofter at Dobhry, who as engaged t-, be married, sent for a neighbour. named Beattie . . . .  assist him in bringing home the luggage of bride. Beattie called, and found Downie evidently in good spirits. While they were seated togethee in the house Downie rose and took a doublebarrelled gnu off a rack ou the wall. He left the room with it, as Beattie supposed, for the purpose of putting it in a safe place. Downie did not return, and Beattie went to look for him. He found him in an outhouse quite dead, with a gunshot wound through his body in the region of the heart. From the position of the man it was evident he had placed the stock of the gun on a pile of firewood and the muzzle against his breast, using the ramrod for the purpose of setting off the trigger. The bullet had passed through his body, and death must have been instantaneous. The cause of the rash act is unknown, as the man had shown no indication of being despondent. A.
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-12-17 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

HENRI' GEORGE AND THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY. —The American papers report that Mr. Blanton Duncan, of Louisville, has received a letter from Mr. Henry George. in which he discloses a scheme whereby he could secure election as President in 1888. Mr. George cites his large vote for the Mayor of New York, and says that with the proper organisation and secrecy his election is certain. It says further that societies of working men are being formed throughout the Union, and in each case he is giving the organisation into the hands of a conspicuous leader, lie then explains the manner in which the bye-laws of the Knights of Labour, prohibiting them from political moves as a body, may be overcome. Mr. Duncan has seen the leading working men of Louisville, and says that the work is going on as rapidly in Louisville aud in Kentucky as in other States.  &WILL OF AN OFFICE Bot.—X.r. Clarke Aspinall, the Liverpool coroner, held an inquest on Saturday relative to the death of Richard James Egan. &gait 15 years, who lived with his parents at 18, Bamber• street, Liverpool, and was employed in an odic.) in the city. The deceased came home from work at the usual hour on Friday, and seemed in good spirits. Ho went to bed at 11 o'clock, and was called at a quarter to nine on Saturday morning, but, no answer being received, the mother went into the bedroom and found her son hanging by the neck. The youth had turned the bed up on end and fastened a piece of rope to it. Deceased was taken down itud a doctor called, who stated that the boy had been dead several hours. The relatives of the deceased could assign no reason for the hay taking his life. The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide whilst in a state of temporary mental derangement."  TRI: LATEST OFVLOPIEMTNT ii
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-09-10 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SHOCKING MURDER IN PARIS.—The Paris corres' pondent of the Daily Netl's telegraphed on Monday' Last night a triple crime of the most awful sue' ghattly character was perpetrated at No. 186, Rix, an Faubourg, St.. Denis. A young mechanic., ' named Leon Driguet, aged twenty-six, killed hit stepfather and attempted to cut his mother'', throat, and subsequently committed suicide, Lem Driguet was an affectiouate and dutiful son to his mother, and had always been on friendly term : with her husband, by whom he was adopted whec he was enite an infant. On Stiturday afternoon lit became gloomy and prostrate and asked his ruothei for a drink of milk. which she went out to fetch Just then the stepfather, M. Peace,' was in tit room making his bed. As soots IRS Madame Driguct had her back turned Driguet rushed on his adopteg parent, and after a very brief struggle brained hitn with a hammer. After this he U;ed a rope tigh around the old man's neck to make cure of killing him. Without more ado the murderer n-silt t' meet his mother on the landing of the staira When she came up with a milk can in her 'laud he caught her by the hair and began tetwing het neck with a fret saw. The unfortunitie womar cried out to him, "Why do you kill me, Loon What have I done to you ?" b'ho aaved her life hi putting her hand behind her neck, but all late fingers were out off. She, however, succeeded i wresting herself from the would-be magicide. ata took refuge in a gunsmith's workshop on the sioret above. Meanwhile neighbours rushed in from at, sides and were going to burst open the dam of the lodging in which Leon Driguet had lo,:keti iiiithelt, when the assassin unexpectedly appeared at • window on the courtyard, and after hesitating awhile jumped down from a height of 4511. It" sea' found still alive, but in a frightful state.. Ma Aar, Driguet was also m an alarming condatiou 'rots loss of blood. Both were taken to the Larib,esiett Hospital. The murderer died soon after, but his mother is yet alive. The neighbours are of opiiiims that Leon Driguet committed the crime prohabl; in a fit of temporary insanity  ....mm••••111 .  Pa blisbed at 1, Warrau.street. Cross-An obester, by JOHN ANDREW, of 'Caunton-toad. `.tt11,10;.-1.,yue. tor tbc .• t'attoit Factory Time, ,  puky, and rioted for the sad ..‘3l/IpaiiittNintsw a; Co.. Market Pliwc. Aslitou-ander-14;4.
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-10-08 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SUICIDE OF A NEAPOLITAN PRINCE. PARIS, October 5.  Princes Melissano, a member of one of the best Neapolitan families, committed suicide this afternoon on returning from his club, where he had seen his name posted up as a defaulter. He had lost at the same club more than £20,000 within two or three years. Be had often applied for time, and made payment at the date promised. His creditor on this as on previous occasions had placed the debt en cane as it is called, that is to say, had deposited in the hands of the proper official a card, stating that the Prince was to pay yesterday £6O. The time having expired without the amount being paid, the official published the fact.  Prince Melissano himself it appears was not thinking about it, for this morning he was quite free from care, and in good spirits. At two o'clock he went to the club. He entered in a natural and lively way, when he noticed his name stuck up against a mirror. He went close to the glass, looked at it, and then without saying a word took up his hat and went home. Then he placed a loaded revolver against his right temple, discharged it, and fell dead. More than six years ago the Prince had spent his last farthing, yet since then had lived in this distrustful, yet credulous Paris, like is man worth £15,000 or £20,000 a year, without doing anything rendering him amenable to the tribunals. He had made the business of getting into debt a science. and most of his debtors allowed these claims to increase, in order not to have 0 confess that the money was sunk, and that so charming a nobleman was hopelessly insolvent. To such a length did he carry the art, that he created fresh resources, partially paying off a fraction of the army of old creditors at the expense of new ones. This was especially the case with gambling debts; and by the irony of fortune it is a gambling debt which has hastened the inevitable wind up of this artificial existence.  The prince was only a little over 40 years old.  Nothing can work me damage but myself, tho harm that I sustain I carry about with me; and I am never a real sufferer but by my own fault.—St. Bernard.  I should have been an atheist if it had not been for one recollection —and that was the memory of the tirno whoa my departo.l mother used to take my little hand in hers and cause me on my kneos to say, " Qur Father who art An heaven. —John Bandoiph.
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-01-29 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

VIII. never popped the qu.: tion. He married his wives first, and axed tb, afterwards. A starving vagrant is engaged in selling his wii wedding ring to buy bread. His average sale twenty-five rings per week. .  The world has lived with human bong x ' good many hundred years now, and the faiti wife and mother still ranks first among wein All other grades from her rank downward.  "Let me see," said a minister who was fillinf: a marriage certificate and had for;.!otten the "this is the fifth, is it not ?" "No sir," the bride, with some indignation, "this is only : second."  "I have such an indulgent husband," sail]  Mrs. Doll.  " Yes, so George says,". respon  Mre- Spiteful, quietly. "Sometimes he IndelL too much, doesn't lie?" They no longer sper,',.  each other.  A matter-of-fat philosopher asserts hat  is to domestic life What butter is to brea,l—it  sews little nourishment hi itself, but ftivt.; stantials a grand relish, without which they sometimes be hard to swallow.  Baby cries, and is scut to a side table. i says, "When you have a heard yon can At • • !  , papa." The house cats jumps up familiarly I!., baby. Baby (furionsly): "Jump down. -You i a beard. Go eat with papa." A. lecturer was dilating upon the powers magnet. defying anyone to show or name anr..... i! surpassing its powers. A hearer demurre.i. : instanced a young lady who used to attract thirteen miles every Sunday. A barrister, in replying, to his antwola, court, said he had a lima rapier with which pierce all fools and knaves; whereupon opponent "moved the court" that till rapier taken from him, lest he should commit suicide. "The fact is the thing is full of moths," s'!: customer in a cheap clothier's shop. " Moths : you say ?" indignantly replied the derii,.r. . .
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-05-28 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

CHINESE CHARMS.  The Chinese are great believers in charms, and the list of such objects includes every variety of magical invention for warding off sickness, disease, calamity, fire, and demoniacal possessions. We select a few, substituting English names for Chinese, with a word or two in explanation, as given in an exchange. "The cash-sword' is made of a large number of old copper coins, strung together in the shape of a rude sword, and kept straight by a piece of iron running through the whale ,q,tl). It is supposed to have great effect in frigh .! away ghosts and evil spirits, and in hastc. the recovery of sick people. It may be found chiefly in houses where persons have suffered violent death, or have committed suicide: and not unfrequently it is hung up by the bedside of inner rootns. As the copper coins may have been cast under the reigns of different monarchs, it is imagined that the presence of the several sovereigns will afford a guarantee against misfortune of any kind. "An old brass mirror" may often be observed in the chief apartments of rich people, standing there for the purpose of enticing away foul and malignant demons. The notion prevails that it has the virtue of healing anyone who may have become read at the sight of a fiend. The demoniac has only to look at himself in the brazen mirror, and he is immediately cured. There is also "the Han jade-stone." Of this the story goes that, under the Hon dynasty (that is, about the opening of the present era), when a wealthy person died, each of his mourning friends dropped a •‘ jadestone " into his coffin; and, at this date, should anyone be fortunate enough to obtain one of these rare buried jades, he may consider himself secure from the power of devils and the fury of fire. "The jadestone seal " is something analogous, but is used principally as a geard against sudden fright. Very frequently it is worn by infants as frontlets or armlets, to shew if the child be well or ill; the former being indicated by the clean appearance of the stone, the latter by a dark shade. Short, pithy sentences are sometimes cut upon them. There is also "a peach charm." On the first of the new year a sprig of peach-blossoms is stuck up over the door of the house, saying to the vile creatures that roam about creation, "Hitherto shall ye come, but no further." Yet one of their own poets has said, "If your own thoughts be free from impurity, of what need is this peach charm ?" " The tiger's claw," real, artificial, or pictorial, is another charm against sudden starts and frights. "A threecornered spell" is a paper with magical letters fancifully written upon it, folded in a triangular shape, and sewed on people's dresses to ward off sickness and spirits. Every temple has a good supply of this cheap article, and there is a great run upon it. The paper generally is yellow; the writing is of red ink, and, to add due importance to the fragment, it is stamped with the temple seat. Many are used as cures for the sick, by being burnt and having the ashes thrown into a medical liquid, which compound draught is quaffed by the pa4ient.
The Cotton Factory Times. — 1886-05-21 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SUICIDE OF A FACTORY OPERATIVE AT STALYRREDGE. —Mr. T. W. Johnson, deputy coroner, held an inquest on Saturday morning, at the Commercial Inn, Melbourne-street, Stalybridge, on the body of Hannah Holt (45), factory operative, who was found drowned on Thursday morning in the canal.—Jane Holt, sister of the deceased, said they lived together at 1, Calvert's• yard, Quay-street, and slept in separate beds in the same room. Deceased was a winder in a cotton mill, and maintained her (witness), who was unable to work. Deceased had herself been weak and low spirited of late, but she had gone to work as usual. She had had a great deal of trouble, and lately had several times said that she could not carry on much longer as she was doing. She earned 15s. a week, aud had found it difficult to carry on the house. There %vie, she said, Gs. or 7s. to be paid out of her earnings for rent and rates, and so on before they had anything for themselves. A police rate which WAS in the house wanted paying, and things like these bothered her a good deal. On Wednesday night they went to bed a little before nine. Witness woke between five and six next morning and saw that deceased was not in bed. She thought she had gone to work and went to sleep again. She did not get up until after eight o'clock., when she saw that her sister's clothes were in the room, and on going downstairs found her boots, basket, and umbrella in the kitchen. She then becaine alarmed, and made inquiries about the deceased. She went from one place to Bayley's mill, where another sister worked, and was waiting there when a man came by and said that a a, nail had been taken out of the canal with nothing on but her night dress and a shawl. She went to the mortuary at the Town Hall and saw her sister's both . The canal was not very far from their house, and the deceased could get to it without going over any fence.----doseph Beaton, a boatman, living at Dukinfield Hall, said he found the body in the water near Aqueduct mill on Thursday morning, and took it on the boat to the lock, where he handed it over to the police.— The Coroner said it was evident that from the fact that she had gone out in her night clothes that deceased intended to commit suicide. They had clear evidence of her desponding state of mind, and there could be no reasonable doubt that she had drowned herself while of unsound mind.—The jury concurred and returned a verdict accordingly.