npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Glasgow Courier. — 1850-07-16 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

SUICIDES IN NEWGATE.  Suicide of Walter Watts, late Lessee of the Olympic Theatre. —On Saturday morning the greatest excitement prevailed in Newgate among the turnkeys and others when it became known that Walter Watts, the late lessee of the Olympic Theatre, had, at three o'clock that morning, committed suicide by hanging. It appears that Walter Watts had, during his confinement in Newgate, been so ill that for the last few weeks he had been an inmate of the ward infirmary; in the same room were six other prisoners. It also appeared that the unfortunate man had been lately troubled with diarrhcea, and that he was nightly in the habit of getting up and going to the water-closet. In order not to catch cold, he had always a dressing-gown and a pair of slippers ready to put on. At about three o'clock that morning the person who slept next to him was astoaished to find the deceased out of bed, and his gown and slippers in their usual place. Thin.' ing something niht have happened, having heard Watts say how severe the sentence was that he had received that day, he went down to the water-closet, where to his horror he discovered the unfortunate man quite dead, having hanged himself to the bar of the cell window by his cravat. Mr. M.Murdo, the house-surgeon, was called, but it wr.s too late, the vital spark having fled. Suicide of Donovan.—Just before the rising of the Central Criminal Court it was stated that the man Donovan, who was convicted on Friday morning of a murderous assault upon his wife, and against whom judgment of death was recorded, had destroyed himself in the jail. It appeared that he was placed in the cell appropriated for the reception of prisoners after trial, and he was visited several times by the officer of the prison About three o'clock PM., however, upon going to him for that purpose, he discovered that the prisoner had hanged himself. He had, it appeared, tied his handkerchief to an iron bar, and had thrown himself off the seat in the cell, and when he was discovered he was quite dead.
Glasgow Courier. — 1850-07-09 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

GENERAL REMARKS.  "In conclusion, we have only to add, that we have endeavoured, after a thorough and complete inquiry, to put you in possession of the true position of your property, so as to enable you to judge for yourselves; and we cannot withhold the expression of our decided conviction, that the motives of the directors have been honourable and upright, and their sole aim seems to have been to promote your intermit, and lib secure to your property a fixed and guaranteed value. It Is not our province to give an estimate of the future prospects of the undertaking; indeed, each estimates are not lobe relied on. We cannot, however, refrain from stating . that, notwithstanding the great loss you have sustained under year connexion with the Caledonian Railway Company, still your property possesses the elements of great irnrovement; the resources of this railway as to traffic are great, aid have not as yet been brought into full operation; the re ven we couscientiously believe, although steadily on the increase, is still, so far as we can form a judgment, far short of its maximum ainount ; but by the exercise of vigilant and economical management, we believe a fair rettirn for the capital invested will eventnally he obtained. Your position Man important one for through traffic; and, were a mutual working arrangement made with the Scottish Central Railway Company, It would be equally advantageous to both companies, while the public convenience would be greatly promoted."  Suicide.—A case of suicide occurred in Paisley on Sabbath morning last, between the hours of eight and nine o'clock. John Hart, a blacksmith, who had, for about a week previous, been indulging in drink, went, ostensibly for walk, with a child of his, down the field Niue at the back  I o'clock.
Glasgow Courier. — 1850-12-21 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

DETERMINED SUICIDE AT THE HARBOUR.  Early yesterday. Msorating, geminate of the name of Dumpy Jacques, ametive of France, committed suicide in the most deter. mined manner, by shooting himself right through the forehead with a pocket-pistol. It appears that when one of the day sergeants and a constable, belonging to the Clyde Police, had taken their beats, about halt-past seven o'clock, they observed a nun lying in ante of the river ferry-boats moored to the quay, end on raising the body discovered that he was quite dead. On examination they found • large wound on the forehead, from which blood had been flowing. In the left hand also was a pocket pistol, firmly grasped, which had been discharged, and some permissions and a quantity of powder was found in the cap he wore. The body was immediately removed to the Clyde Poliee-off.c.. ant Dr. Robertson having been sent for, examined the wound. The doctor's opinion was, that death most have been IMMOtaneous, as the hail had entered the brain. It has been ascertained that the deceased arrived here as a Beaman an board the ship Boadicea, from Valparaiso, from which vessel ht had lately been discharged and paid up his full amount of Laos. He had lodged in the house of a person named Swan, hut, In at las dissipated habits, had never paid any boarding, and on Saturday last he had removed to another house, in Wood Lane. In this house, it seems, he was engaged all day (Thursday} amusing himself with a pistol, hut no apprehensions were entertained of his meditating self-destruction with it. In his last lodgings was found a passport to France, from Mr. Wedderspoon, French consul as this port, certifying his desire to proceed to that country via Liverpool.  Several boxes, containing muslin handkerchiefs, have come ashore this week on the coast, in the vicinity of Ayr. They are, perhaps, the cargo of some vessel lost during the recent gale. One of the boxes is marked thus—B M: A: 434 : the others in a similar manner. Bales of the same sort have been washed ashore at Culzean Bay, and on the north coast of Ireland.—Ayr Advertiser.
Glasgow Courier. — 1846-01-06 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE-DEPLORABLE RESULT.  One of the most melancholy cases of this description perhaps ever recorded was enacted at Dumbarton on Tuesday last. The miserable victim is named Thomas Kelly, a private soldier in the second battalion of the 60th Rifle Brigade now stationed here. The particulars are as follow :—On the morning of the day mentioned he was one of a small detachment placed in charge of Dumbarton Castle, and had just been relieved from the sentrywatch about 5 o'clock, and had retired to the guard-room, when the report of a rifle there echoing through the building, excited great alarm. On a light being procured, he was found stretched on the floor covered with blood, and the spectacle that his visage, or rather the portion remaining of it, must have presented, was one of a truly appalling nature. The wretched man had, in a sitting posture, applied the muzzle of his loaded rifle to the under part of his chin close to the throat, the other end resting On the floor, with the intention of firing the ball right through his head. The result, however, proved, if possible, even more to be deplored. The ball entered at the part mentioned, and came out at the upper part of the nose, carrying away in its course both the upper and nether jaws, the greater part of the tongue, and the entire nose; so that no part of the face remains but the brow and eyes. He has been brought to the barracks here, and it is deemed probable he may recover. He is in full possession of his intellect, and writes whatever he has to communicate. His sight is as yet preserved, but it is feared it may suffer from the high degree of inflammation in the parts around. The cause assigned for this dreadful attempt was a despondency of spirits, under which the victim had laboured for some time, induced by imaginary apprehensions as to the well-being of his family, lie has been nine years in the regiment, and has all along tiorne an excellent character, both moral and disciplinary. He has a wife and three children to deplore this lamentable affair. —Renfrewshire Advertiser. .
Glasgow Courier. — 1846-04-28 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY.  Presbytery of Cupar—William Pagan, Esq., elder, in room of Mr. Stark Christie, 'realises, resigned. Presbytery of Lewis—Mr. Lees and Mr. Reid, ministers; Dr. Patrick Neill, Edinburgh, elder. Presbytery of North Isles—Mr. Brotchie and Mr. Aitchison, ministers; Mr. James Stewart of Brugh, elder. Burgh of Lauder—Hobert Bell, Esq., Procurator for the Church, elder.  Presentation—The officers of the customs at Glasgow, on Wednesday last, presented their late collector, Mr. M'Murdo, with a handsome gold snuff-box, as a mark of their respect and esteem for him. The box is elegantly chased, and engraved in the Elizabethan style of work. manship, and reflects much credit on Mr. George White, jeweller, Glasgow, by whom it was designed and manufactured.  Serious Casualty—On Thursday morning about four o'clock, a woman named Jean Smith or Frazer, residing with her mother in Rutherglen Loan, Gorbals, was nearly burned to death in consequence of having fallen Asleep before the fire while in a state of intoxication. She was sent to the Royal Infirmary. Attempts at Suicide.—A female servant in a family in Alva Street, a few days ago, made an attempt to destroy herself by cutting the blood-vessels at the bend of the arm. Fortunately she failed in accomplishing her purpose, and was afterwards sent to the Police Office, where she was examined by the surgeon, and found to be in a state of inssuity. She has since been sent to Morningside Asylum.—A- trtdosman, in lodgings in Carrubber's Close, attempted shicida, by cutting his throat with a razor. Dr. Tait, tampon of Police, saw him shortly afterwards who found, that although he had divided the windpipe, he had not succeeded in cutting into any blood-vessel of importance. Ile was gent to the Infirmary, where he is soon likely to recover.—Courant. Weekly Statement.—Ntunber of inmates in the Night Asylum for the Homeless, in St. Enoeh's Wynd, from Saturday 18th April to Friday. 24th April inclusive:—Men, 140; women, 302; boys, 52; girls, 53; total, 547.—The average number of nightly inmates for this week is 78, exclusive of 35 inmates in the House of Industry. The Best Engines of War—Several fire engines have been constructed for the colonies. One of them will be sent over to Oregon, to put Jonathan's pipe out.—Pasch.  Sir Ilam, Smith, the hero-of Aliwal, is married to a Spanish lady, who saved his life in the Peninsular war.
Glasgow Courier. — 1846-06-11 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

PRESBYTERY OF GLASGOW.  The ordinary monthly meeting of this reverend court was held yesterday—Rev. Mr. Munro, of Campsie, Moderator. The business was chiefly routine, and there was but a thin attendance of members.—Mr. Robert Graham and Mr. James Arthur completed their exercises, as prescribed, and, in a suitable address by the Moderator, were licensed as preachers of the church.—Dr. Hill reported verbally in reference to the Presbytery's recommendation to the Assembly in the cases of the Rev. Mr. Pollock, Kingston, (Relief), Rev. Mr. Watson, Pollokshaws, (Relief), Rev. Mr. Mitchell, Derry, Synod of Ulster, and two others, licentiates. The application in each case was sustained, but the Assembly found that it was not entitled to receive them actually as licentiates, and that the year of probation must run.—A letter was read by the Clerk from Mr. Jas. Patrick, tendering his demission as preacher of the Established Church, on account of a change in his views, which he stated had come to be the same as those which led parties to leave the Church at the time of the disruption.—The Clerk was instructed to take the requisite steps in reference to the case. The Presbytery then adjourned.  The late Accident on Board the Finn AracCoull.—The following are the names of those who lost their lives:— William Esplin, engineer; William Davies, second engineer; James Hughes, James Bradie, James Grimes, and Christopher Collie, firemen. We are informed that the steamer Coleraine came from Liverpool to take the Finn MacCoull in tow to that port; but the authorities interposed, till they had received the report of a Glasgow engineer as to the cause of the lamentable catastrophe The bodies of four of the unfortunate men have been disinterred and taken to Liverpool by their sorrowing relatives.—Dumfries Courier. LeitX—Suicide at Sea—On Wednesday evening last, when the steam ship Martello was on her passage from Hull to Leith, a person of the name of Liddle, a plasterer by trade, and belonging to Edinburgh, and one of the passengers, put off his clothes unperceived, and rushing upon deck, sprung into the water and went down. The steamer was stopped and life buoys thrown out, but the unfortunate man never appeared, It was observed by several of the passengers that he frequently expressed a wish to bathe, but always spoke incoherently.
Glasgow Courier. — 1846-06-11 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

LECOMTE.".  Such, gentlemen, is the fall exposa of the facts re-1:Q;(1bY the proceedings. Those facts leave no doubt as to the competency of the court, and the gravity, presented in the highest degree by the very nature of the attempt, will certainly induce you to assert your right to investigate and try the process. The crime is as certain as it is atrocious. Lecomte, seized in the act, admits himself his guilt. In a less exalted court than yours his culpability would be unhesitatingly pronounced; hut it behoves you, gentlemen, to inquire more particularly into the circumstances that may have led to the perpetration of the crime—the motives that armed the hand of the assassin and directed it against the person of the Sovereign. The life of Lecomte is known to you; you have seen him beginning with honour in the military career; at a later period he was received, on account of his bravery, into the administration of the forests, treated with constant kindness, and ultimately elevated to an honourable and lucrative position. On the other hand, you know that Lecomte is violent, cruel, passionate, and vain in the extreme. You will recollect that, when he resided at Orleans,his vicious disposition manifested itself; that since then he became quite unruly; and, like us, you will have become struck with the extravagance of his resolution to quit the King's service because a trifling sum of 20f. was kept back from him. Lecomte, naturally sombre and melancholy, led a most retired existence. If solitude sometimes disposea superior minds to the most sublime meditations, it is also calculated to plunge into a savage miaantitropy vulgar minds, influenced by vanity, and who rendersubservient to the exigencies of a blind egotism their hopes and ambition, their disappointment and passion. That misanthropy has often produced suicide: in that case the party has the pretension of removing from the earth what he is no longer worthy to possess; whilst in reality he relieves the earth of a useless and dangerous burden. But this guilty aberration falls far short of the horrible perversity of which it was reserved to Lecomte to afford an example, It would seem at first that no man could ColleelVf alone
Glasgow Courier. — 1846-05-07 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

IRELAND.  Waterford, Sunday, April 26.—1 t becomes my painful duty to communicate to you a brief account of one of the most melancholy accidents that has occurred within the vicinity of the " urbs intacta" for some time past. On Saturday evening last, about a quarter-past nine o'clock, as a ferryboat WU conveying nine passengers from this city to a place called "the Slip," at the county Kilkenny side of the Suir, they became entangled with a chain which held fast the brig Margaret, which was anchored in the middle of the river, opposite the Adelphi Terrace, the result of which was, melancholy to relate, that four of the passengers were consigned to a watery grave, and five more were saved, through the praiseworthy exertions of the crew of the Margaret, who, when they heard the screams of the unfortunate passengers of the ferry-boat, at once put out their, Ide-boat, and saved the lives of five of their fellow-creatures. Among those drowned were an industrious man, the father of eight children, who worked in the docks of the Messrs. White, and a young and interesting woman, named Bridget Forristal.—Tipperary Free Press. Suicide.—On Monday, a private of the Royal Horse Artillery, and servant of Colonel Cator, named John Montgomery, in this garrison, put an end to his exisenee by cutting his throat. In the morning the men sleeping in the same room with him turned out for stable duty, and one of them bad occasion to return in five or six minutes, when he discovered the unfortunate man dead, with a razor in hishand. An inquest was held towards evening, before the coroner, when the verdict of—" Deceased committed the act, while labouring under temporary insanity" was returned. No cause can be assigned, but deceased was remarked for a few days before to be rather low in spirits.—Limerick Reporter. Longevity.—Died recently, at her residence, in William Street, Mrs. Mary Mackey, aged 112—the oldest of her sex in Limerick. This venerable matron was born in St. Anne's parish, Dublin, and has been 75 years residing in this city. Her maiden name was Hughes, and she came here from Cork. Mrs. Mackey was principal of the oldest post-chaise and stage-coach establishment in Limerick. Until within a few weeks of her death she could read the smallest print; and it was only last week that her strong mental faculties declined into a state of debility and oblivion. She survived three generations of her family.—Limerick Chronicle.
Glasgow Courier. — 1846-11-10 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

LITERATURE.  FRABER9A MAGAZINE YON NoVSYNER, 1846.  The present number of this excellent and ably conducted journal opens with an article on " Etrurie," raleparatory, as would seem, to a review of. Mrs.. H. Gray's Itistory. It is distinguished by diligence and research, but we shall be cnvions•brise whoa the critic. Makes of that WI theory of the origin of the Etrurian people. The "NOW Werther' is an amusing German story, and is pleasantly told; and Colonel Mitchell's last chapter on the "Early Campaigns of Napoleon" is, like its predecessors, full of manly writing and sound thinking. We are sorry to part with so agreeable and instructive a commentator, but there is no help for it. On 80111 e points we would take the liberty of differing from him, for we estimate Napoleon's talents at a higher rate than be does; but in the main we believe him to be correct, and that the French Emperor was a coarse, unprinandNulgar-Ininded man, who throughout life worshipped nothing but himself. The closing article on "Polities and Personality" is not to our taste, nor do we clearly apprehend what the writer of the article would be at. Chacuu sou gout, however; and we suppose that were Sir Robert Peel to dance on his head there would be found grave men to admire the attitude, and to applaud the exploit. •  CoLartn's NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE AND HUMORIST FOR Nov., _ .  1t346. London: Chapman & Hall.  ' With the exceptions of an.interesting memoir under the title of "The Next of Kin," by Mrs. Gore, and "The Story of the Unfinished Picture," by Charles Hooton, the contents of the present number arc almost exclusively made up of " continuations " of articles that have already appeared in the pages of the New Monthly—such, for example, as Capt. Marryat's" Valerie"—the conclusion of James' "Beauchamp, or the Error"—Cyrus Redding's "Life and Reminiscences of Thomas Campbell "—John Oxenford's " Tales from the Spanish Dramatists "—and the "Travels and Opinions of 31r. Jolly Green "—all good enough in their way, but all pretty familiar with the public. The lovers of the wild and the passionate will doubtless be gratified with the denouement of Mr. James' story. The materials of which it is made up are sufficiently strong, the principal ingredients being a murder, a suicide, a couple of marriages, and a dreadfully fatal ease of hydrophobia. On the whole, this is an excellent number, containing as it does nothing at which even the most fastidious could reasonably take exception. rApropos, we may here take occasion to protest against the Irregularity with which several of the monthly periodicals reach us—some arriving at the middle of the mouth, and some not at all. To this hour we arc still without the October numbers both of Colburn and Ainsworth. This is a matter which the respectable publishers of these periodicals may be induced to rectify in time to come.]
Glasgow Courier. — 1846-03-31 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

ALARMING, FIRE IN INVERNESS.  On Thursday night a fire broke out in the lower part of the Athehteum Buildings, and from so many shops, warerooms, and families being on these extensive premises, the excitement which prevailed was excessive. The populace, in crowds, hurried to the scene of conflagration, and every one of the crowd, as if acting on his oWn responsibility, seized upon property, tossing and tumbling it about in such a manner that matters could scarcely have been worse were it left to the fury of the flames. The valuable wares of Mr. Douglas, bookseller, Mr. Macleod, jeweller, and Mr. Tuaeh, chemist, in the process of removal, were fearfully destroyed, especially Mr. Douglas's valuable collection of prints, books, and fancy stationery. Mr. Douglas did seem to be the favourite, and the zeal displayed in his behalf was certainly not much to his adVantage. In the warerooms of Mr. Imray, upholsterer, from their not being so accessible matters, went on with deliberation. Still the damage done was serious. About ten o'clock, it being understood that further danger was averted, a stop was put to the removal of goods from the premises, and by and by the crowd began to disperse. About eleven the fire again broke out, but was immediately got under.—lnverness Herald.  West's!! Scotland Junction Railway.— On Saturday evening last, a public meeting of the inhabitants of Gorbals was held in the Baronial Hall, to consider the propriety of c_Tposing the West of Scotland Junction Railway Bill. There would be fully 200 persons present. Mr. Steven was called to the chair. Mr. R. Malcolm, after a speech of some length, moved that, in consequence of their being only 80 inhabitants of Gorbals present at the meeting of. 'Thursday night, when it was resolved to petition in isyour of this bill—which meeting could not be regarded as full and fair exponent of the mind of the Barony—that the present meeting do now resolve to denounce and petition against the West of Scotland scheme. Mr. G. W. Muir replied to Mr. Malcolm at considerable length, and moved as an amendment, that the meeting adhere to the resolutions of Thursday night, for petitioning in favour of the West of , Scotland bill, and against the scheme of the Caledonian for crossing the streets of Gorbals and the river. A long debate followed; and about 10 o'clock a vote was taken by show of hands, when it was declared that Mr. Muir's amendment was carried by a considerable majority. Thereafter the meeting separated. Murder and Suicide in Derbyshire.--On Thursday last, an elderly man, named John Elnor, who resided at Cadnor Park, in Derbyshire, strangled his grand-daughter, and then hang, ed himself; lowness of spirits, brought on by family alittictioa, had for a long time previously reduced the unfortunate Man to A state bordering on *intl.