npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-02-25 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MURDER OF A SISTER BY A  MANIAC.  At Taunton Assizes on Friday week before Mr Justice Field, Ernest William Vernon Hitehins, aged 21. the sou of the Medical Officer of Health of Weston-super-Mare, was indicted for the wilful murder of his sister Constance at Weston on Nov. 22.—1 t appeared from the evidence that the prisoner and the deceased had often exchanged angry words, and prisoner had spoken of her its a "beast." He had also stated that he disliked her because she passed him in the street Without speaking, and she would not give him a paper to read when he asked her for it. On the morning in question the father heard the report of a gun, and saw smoke issuing from his daughter's bedToom. He insmodiately went there, and found his daughter clesd in bed and the prisoner rising from the floor, at 4 there were two holewin the ceiling as if the gun, which was on the floor, had been discharged upwards. The prisoner had evidently attempted to commit suicide, for there were wounds on his cheek, though not of a serious character.—The defence was that the prisoner was insane at the time, and Mr Buclmill pointed oat to the jury on his behalf that it was highly improbable that a sane person would have acted as the prisoner had done. He called witnesses to prove that the prisoner had suffered from epileptic fits, and that he had been in the navy, and Was not allowed to go aloft on account of them. He WM a man of unsound and feeble mind, and at the time the murder was committed was not responsible for his actions.—The jury found that the prisoner committed the murder, but that he was not sane at the time, and he was ordered to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-10-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

WAGES IN THE LEICESTERSHIRE  RESIGNATION OF A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.  Sir John Simon to-day stated his intention to resign as member for Dewsbury. Mis physician has advised him that the only chanee cd health— in fact, of life—is his complete abstinence from public affalr3. He has represented the borough since 1868- Mr Mark Aldroyd. Mayor of Dewsbury, is spoken of as a probable Liberal catdidate.  The schooner Diana, owned in West Hartle• pool, which left that port a fortnight ago coal laden for Fedderwardierseil, on the River Weiler, is considerably overdue, and grave fears are entertained for her safety. She was in command of Captain Fryett, of West Hartlepool, and there was s crew of five, including the captain's sou, who shipped as mate. In fair weather the passage is generally made in couple of days.  John Chandler, a pensioner living at Salford, near Manchester, surrendered himself to the police to day. saying that he had murdered his wife. The woman is not yet dead, but her condition is precarious. This morning Chandler, just after he had been beard to say to his wifo at their own door, 'Kiss me, love," brutally attacked her inside the house. He battered her cruelly with a poker. fracturing her skull and inflicting ghastly wounds. The poker was broken.  To-day the Mayor of Nottingham (Alderman Turner, unveiled a statue to the late Mr Samuel Morley, which has been erected at the top of Market-street, Nottingham, by public subscription. The inscription ii:—" Samuel Morley, member of Parliament, merchant, philanthropist friend, social reformer, Christian citizen." The Mayor entertained the delegs tea to the Congregational Union to breakfast before the ceremony, and then a procession was formed to the statue. Ten thousand persons were present. Mr Arnold Morley, M.P., speaking for the _  family, said the sculptor had produced a faithful likeness.  An inquest was held to day at the Police Station, Willington, on the body of Mr Wm. Logan, aged 31. The deceased was an assistant to Dr. Allen. On Thursday morning he left his bed-room, arid went into the surgery. Soon after returning to his room he shouted for Mrs Venn, the housekeeper, to go to him, as he had taken poison. She aroused Dr. Allen, and then returned to the unfortunate young fellow, who was lying on the 11 oor. She raised his head to give him a drink, but be die& in her arms. The deceased as not exactly temperate in his habits, and lately he could not sleep. Dr. Allen suspected - that he bad been in the habit of taking morphia, and on  Thursday morning had taken strychnine in mistake for morphia.—Police-constable Boat statrd that he travelled with Mr Logan on Wednesday to Durham. He had a most distressed appearance. The officer asked what he had been doing, and Mr Logan in reply threatened to commit suicide, as he had no piece to go to.—A girl named Tate. servant with Dr. Allen, was called, and informed the jury that Mr Logan asked her on Thursday morning to give him drink of water, as he had taken potion by mistake. —The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-09-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

DRESS-IMPROVER.  The ("dot:me Gazette tells an amusing story of the strange discovery a grenadier made during last week's macceuvres. He had been told off to reconnoitre for the enemy, and on his way through a field stumbled over a leather object, which he picked up and brought to his corporal. who pronounced it to be a dress-improver. On closer iuspe-tion it turned out to contain a large number of billas-doux on tinted paper, written apparently by a student to a lady in the far north of Berlin. The corporal, who was bitm,elf a student going through his " one year's service," tipped the man, and kept the " improver." On his return to Berlin he called on "the lady." and had the good luck to find her alone; but what was liis surprise, she was a school-girl of tender years. Naturally, under the circumstances, he hesitated to give up his find, and hinted that the parents I ought to be told; but the fair one was so !moorI tunate in her entreaties that he finally softened. 'Papa and mamma have no idea of Benno's existence; please give it back, you'll drive me to suicide," she said, in the most piteous way. "I have no place to put his letters so safe as the 'improver,' bat I lost it last Sunday when walking with mamma and papa. Yon can't believe the anguish I have j antlered from the thought that some nasty I sneak, t.nd not an honotirable man, might find it I Please, please, do give me my improver.' " She was pretty, and the corporal could not refuse any longer, and gave in. She quite forgot his presence. kissed the letters madly, and put the " improver" tack in its old place, laughing and crying for very joy. She was too absorbed to thank the soldier, who, however, was plentifully rewarded by getting a good story to I tell at mess.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-05-05 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE OF A PRIMA DONNA.  An inquest was held on Monday afternoon at St. George's Hospital, London, respecting the death of Helene Orosmond-Turier, who shot herself on Thursday week in a cab in Piccadilly.-! The body of the deceased was identified by her ! brother, who said she was a widow, aged 35. 'Since the death of her husband, seven years ago, she had had more than an ordinary share of trouble, and had been in the habit of taking opiates to procure sleep. He knew of no recent fresh trouble to account for her taking her life. —Mr Thomas Young, solicitor, Essex-street, Strand, said deceased consulted him about a fortnight ago on business, and he last saw her on Thursday last, when sue called at his office and requested him to see Mr Augustus Harris with • reference to an engagement that gentleman had i made with the deceased that she was to sing •as prima donna in an opera about to be I produced, at a salary of ZsO a-week, for four ' weeks certain. The agreement had been signed, and she had received £2O deposit from Mr Harris. On witness returning to his office he told deceased that he bad been.unsuccess:ul, when she seemed very disappointed, and said it meant utter ruin to tier. He never saw her alive again. Mrs Mary Godbold deposed that ! deceased had lived with her since September last. She knew deceased was troubled about money mattera—The cabman and other witnesses gave evidence as to what occurred in Piccadilly,. and Mr Hugh Lawson, house surgeon at St. George's Hospital, who attended the deceased, said she had a ballet wound in the head caused by a pistol shot, and she died on Friday morning from laceration of the brain.—A verdict of " Suicide whilst of unsound mind" was returned.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-08-11 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

NNW " RESOURCE OP CIVILISATION.," "Now to turn to a grimmer phase of the subject You have heard, of coarse, of the Thorny. croft torpedo boat—the poisonous little craft that can steam at the rate of twenty. six miles an hour, of which her builders are so justly proud. Immesh and Co. are turning out a torpedo boat with exactly the Ealllo turn of speed, which shall be driven by electricity. Imagine, if you can, the possibilities residing in such a terror of the seas as this. Smokeless, ateamless. noiseless, without masts or funnel, carrying no lights, gifted with tremendous speed, her displacement so arranged that nothing of her appears above water but a convex turtle-back, that may even be covered with sea-weed, to imitate the drifting ocean I growth, she could silently steal out of a harbour or a river-mouth and do her deadly work upon the finest ironclad afloat, whose crew would be blown sky-high or sent swirling to the bottom before they knew what . had hurt them. The electno battle • lanterns would fail to detect her after dark ; she could even sidle up to the torpedo•nettings and cut a hole sufficient to admit of her sting being planted where it do the most good before the keenest look-out took the alarm. Such vessels as these will be the very phantoms of the Beal coming like shadows, so departing, leaving wreck and ruin and hideous disaster behind them; venial:nag as silently as they approached. Nay, more ; now that every ironclad carries dynamos for generating the electric light there is no reason why each captain should not have half a dozen such boats ander his control, to be dropped into the water and discharged on their silent mission whenever occasion arises. It is the scientists who manage our warfare nowadays, and it begins to look as though the ironclad monsters which cost so much and knock themselves to pieces so quickly will have to go. Remember, this is not the dream of an enthusiast ; but a solid actuality. Yet a little while, and the first electric torpedo-boat will be launched on the bosom of Father Thames, to the confusion of all sceptics.  SUICIDE OF A BOY OP ELIC VEIL —An inquest was held on Friday week at the Steamboat Inn, Quality-row, Newcastle, on the body of a boy named Robert McKie, eleven years of age. The deeessed for some time past had complained of pain in his head. On Thursday evening he was found hanging by the neck, by means of a scarf tied to a spar at the top of the water-eloset, in the yard next to his father's residence at Salisbury-street, Byker.  "
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-08-11 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

BALFOITR'S BARBARITIES TO  POLITICAL PRISONERS.  EVIDENCE OF A VICTIM. The Dail,l News publishes • remarkable letter yesterday from Mr Lane, M.P., with reference to I Dr. Ridley and the treatment of political prisoners at Tullamore. Mr Lane represents Dr. : Ridlel, as having saved his life, and to have come in conflict with the Prisons Board in Dublin. who sent orders to him with reference to the prisoners. " This letter," says the Doily News, "is a etartlingcontributron to the controversy which ' has arisen over the suicide of Dr. Ridley. Mr , Lane has himself suffered imprisonment in Tuna, more, and he makes statements concerning his prison treatment and Dr. Ridley's relations with ' I the Prisons Board which will compel fuither and more searching investigation into the methods I adopted in this now notorious Irish I gaol. An attempt is being made to I I show that Dr. Ridlev's mind was unhinged Iby fear of the Nationalists. Mr Lane's dc-: elarations are to the effect that Dr. Ridley was bullied by the Prisons Board and worried by anxiety as to the probable consequences of the prison treatment to the health of the Nationalists. He knew that public opinion would hold him responsible for their health, and at the same time appears to have felt prohibited from showing any , tenderness towards them even when he beI lieved their lives to be in danger. He brought food to Mr Lane in fear and trembling. Mr Lane appeals to Mr Alderman Hooper for confirmation of some of the more striking parts of his narrative. As Mr Balfour pays no attention to the findings of Irish tribunals when they are hostile to his administration, Parliament ought, in the face of Mr Lane's statements, to insist on an enquiry into the treatment of prisoners in Ireland by some body to whose conclusions the Chief Secretary would be bound to show some respect.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-05-26 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT STOCKTON—OD Monday Mr Coroner Settle held an inquest at the Bowestield Hotel, Stockton, on the body of William Marsball, aged 63 years, who had Islen his own life in a very shocking manner on Saturday afternoon. The deceased lived with his son-in-law at 15, Waverley street. He left there about 4.30 p.m., and was met in Bowesaeld.lane by a woman, whom he told that his head was 'like to split." and he was weary of his life. He was afterwards seen by a man named Walter Williams to go to a pond at the Bowes6eld Ironworks, into which he threw himself, and was not seen again. The body was not recovered until Sunday morning. The sad occurrence caused a great sensation in the Powestield district, where deceased was well known. The jury returned a verdict of suicide during temporary insanity. POCKET PICKING BY A SToCKTON At the Middlesbrough Police Court on Monday a young woman named Hannah aophenson was chatged with stealing ;I nrse and 10a 8d in money belonging to Mr; Laughlan, on the lath.— Proseentrix said ale was making some purchases in Messrs Wright and Archibald's shop on Saturday, when she missed her purse. Prisoner was standing near, and witness noticed the purse =liter her arm. She charged her with stealing the purse and money, and gave her into custody. —P.C. Harrington said prisoner denied the theft. Chief Constable Ashe said the girl belonged to Stockton, and told him that she had gone into Messrs Wright and Archibald's shop for a straw hat but on being searched she only bad threehalfpence in her pocket, —Prisoner was tined 21s or fourteen days' imprisonment in default. -  THE JUBILEE SEATS AT STOCKToN.-013 Friday week night, at the meeting of the Stockton Urban &mitt r • Authority, Councillor Graham drew attention to the Jubilee seats which hal been placed in several parts of the borough. He said they were generally occupied by young lads who made rude remarks to the people who passed by, and the seats were becoming a nuisance rather than a benefit. —Councillor igh tscales also thought the seats were a nuisance.—Councillor Wallace said the matter would be attended to by the Seats Sub-committee—After some conversation Councillor Graham was asked to bring his complaint before the District Fund Committee.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-06-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

RECEIVING STOLEN GOODS AT STOCKTON. —Last Saturday at Stockton Police Court Walter Skilbeck, labourer, was charged with receioing goods, well knowing them to have been stolen. on the 11th inst. It will be remembered that the prisoner's daughter was arrested for breaking tato the house of Mr James Tweedy, solicitor, Hartington-road, and stealing therefrom a violin, a quantity of music, and a child's chair. When she was taken to the Police Station she said that she had given the things to her father. The prisoner came to the Police Station with the intention of bailing her out, and was himself arrested on the above charge. While in the cells he attempted to commit suicide by hacking his throat with the steel band of • tress which he wore, and has for the past few days been an inmate of the Surgical Hospital. It was stated that when he first heard the charge he asserted that he knew nothing of the stolen goods, and offered to try and find them; but it was shown that he bad himself disposed of them at • beer-house in Prince Regent street Th broken chair was found in his own house.—Mrs Robinson, wife of John Robinson, beer retailer, said that on the 11th inst. the prisoner came to her house with a hamper of old musicbooks and other odds and ends, and asked her to buy them. He said his -'lass' had been helping to clean, and the folks had not given her any money, but had let her have the music to make what she could of it. Mrs Robinson asked what he would take, and he said she could have the lot for 2s, which she gave him. He then said he had an old fiddle in the house which was of no use to him. She told hint to bring it in the morning, to that her husband, who was a musician, might have a look at it. He did so, and it was bought for 7.. (This violin cost Mr Tweedy £5 10a)—It was stated that the prisoner and his wife were continually drinking whenever they could get money, and they systematically neglected their children.—The prisoner was sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labour. The charge of attempting to commit suicide was sot  A
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-06-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SUICIDE OF A GAMEKEEPER NEAR  RICHMOND.  On Tuesday afternoon Mr Walton, North Riding Coroner, held an enquiry at the Phenix Inn, Brompton-on-Swale, touching the death of Christopher Fryer. who or a large number of years has been gamekeeper for Sir Henry de Burgh Lawson, of Clatherley Castle, and who was found dead in his picturesque cot. tags at Brompton, the man having undoubtedly shot himself.-.-The first witness called wasJaines William Brown, a labourer, who said deceased entered his own house at ten o'clock on Sunday evening apparently all right and soher, although he knew he had been drinking most of the pre-. vions week.—Jane Pearson, a next-door neighbour, saw deceased at her mother's funeral in Easby Abbey churchyard on Sunday. She had no conversation, but the man looked down. Of late he hail frequently passed the house in an. intoxicated state, but he ailed nothing in the churchyard. On Monday morning she went to his door with the milk between nine and half. past. The door was open, not snacked, as usual, so she concluded he was either ill or hid gone to work. When she opened the door wider she saw his head on the floor opposite the door. She thought he was dead and ran away in consternation, alarming the neighbours. She never heard the report of a gun during the night. —Thomas William Terry, a neighbour, corroborated the former portion of the last witness's statement, and added that when called to the house he saw deceased lying on his face on the floor in a pool of blood. Looking round, he saw a gun fastened by a handkerchief to the oven handle, and appearances led to the conclusion that deceased bad shot himself, though he did cot touch him to see if there were any wounds on him. There was no fire in the grate.—Other evidence was tendered. Deceased told Mr Carter, who was making a coffin, that he might have One to make for him next, and one night, after a spree which caused him to get up between two and three in the morning, he told Miss Jane Carter he would have to do away with himself. —Mr Hugill, the foreman, said the dog bad been heard to bark between two old three o'clock in the morning.—After discussion, on the suggestion of the ,poroner the jury returned the verdict, "That deceased had committed suicide, but that there was not sufficient evidence to show in what state of mind he was at the time."  DAMSELS AT AnoroN.—A bazaar story cornea up from the country of • clergyman who arranged his six daughters in a room aud then put up to auction the privilege of takuts the fair damsels into suppereit dancing with them for the rest of the eveniThe tale does not add whether the attractions of the young ladies were sufhoient 10 render th. biddiut seri spirited.
Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1866-07-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

RAILWAY ACCIDENT—OiI Thursday afternoon week a "shunting" guard in the employment of the North-Eastern Railway Comp my at West Hartlepool met with a serious accident. The unfortunate man is named Richard DOWSOII, a native of Aliddlesmo', and has only been a few weeks at West Hartlepool, being quite a young 111811, and it appears he was in connection with a train which had shunted into a siding near Mediirs. Pile, Spence, and Co.'s rolling mills. He jumped off the van to give some directions to the enginetuan, and had his attention directed to a train which was coining up the line. lie was standing close to the down line, and desp e. whistling and shouting of those in charge of a passenger train which was travelling on the down line, his attention could not be distracted, and the engine dashed over the spot where  iLe th 4  he was ataudinr, knocking him down with a terrific force, and smashing his head most fearfully. He Ivo; picked up insensible, and conveyed to his residence in Scranton Lane, where medical attendance was obtained, but the injuries he received are such that there is no hopes of his recovery.  ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY A HARTLEPOOL Ls DY. —On Thursday afternoon week the wife of Mr James Swales, a member of the Hartlepooi Town Council, attempted an act of self-destruction. The lady appears to have dressed herself gaily in silks after dinner and had gone out for a walk. She was observed to go down on to the sands at the north end of the town, near the militia barracks, and after proceeding a short distance along the sands she deliberately walked into the sea, and getting into rather deep water she laid herself down. Some people who were on the cliffs saw her wade into the water with her clothes on, and immediately raised an alarm. One of the staff of the Durham Militia Artillery, with several other persons, rushed down on to the sands and were just in time to rescue the unfortunate woman from an untimely death. She was carried up the cliffs and taken to a public•house, when a messenger was dispatched to Mr H. Wilkinson's surgery, who, together with Mr. Henderson, immediately wetitand rendered every assistance they could in administering restoratives and bringing animation to the body. From the state she was in after she was brought round, it was the opinion of the medical gentlemen that she had been labouring under the effects of hysteria. She was wrapped up in blankets and conve, ed to her residence in Southgate, where her family experienced a great shock, as they had not the slightest idea of her premeditating such a rash act, although for some days past she has appeared to be in a desponding state of mind. Several reports were current in the town that domestic affairs had been the premonitory cause of the suicidal attempt, but we are assured such was not the case. Great sympathy is felt in the town for the unfortunate lady, as she is held in the greatest esteem, and has a large and respectable family.