npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-06-06 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

TRAGEDY IN KENTISH TOWN. DOUBLE MURDER AM) SUICIDE. At a quarter-past B on Tuffday an alarm was ceived at the Kentish Town Police-station that a double murder and suicide had been committed at No. 11, Jeffreys-road, Kentish Town. On proceeding there, they found behind the kitchen door the dead body of a child with its throat frightfully cut. In another part of the house they found alas the dead body of a man, and in a bedroom on the second floor the dead body of a woman. The maw and woman also had their throats cut, and were quite dead. Dr. Beeton, a local doctor, was lin• mediately called, and pronounced life extinct hit each case. The man's name is William Else, a cabdriver, aged 47 years of age, and the other victims are his wife, Maria Jane Else, also 47 years of age., and their daughter, Alice, aged 7 years. From the inquiries that have been made, there is little doubt that the man first murdered his wife and child, and then cut his own throat •during a fit of temporary insanity, caused through anxiety by reason of an accident and consequent loss of work. Until six months ago Else had been in good work, but about that time he broke a leg, and had been unable to work since. During the past three months he has been in the Merchant. Tailors' Convalescent Home in London. Recently he returned home, and has since been about on crutches. He and his wife were both total abstainers, and appeared to be in very affectionate terms. There were three children. of which the murdered child is the youngest. 'fhe • eldest,Nellie, is about 16 years of age. She states that about 7 o'clock on Tuesday morning her father came and kissed her, but she saw a knife in his hand, and ran screaming away. She ran downstairs, and then • found the dead body of her sister Alice. She afterwards proceeded upstairs, and found the dead bodies of both her mother and father. She then gave as alarm, and the police shortly afterwards arrived.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-02-21 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

TIE RAILWAY BILL OF MORTALITY. The return of persons killed and injured on railways in the United Kingdom is now made up for the first nine months of the year 1890. The total number of passengers, railway servants, trespassers, and others who lost their lives were 773, and of those who were injured, 3,186. These numbers both thew a slight decrease as compared with the number killed and injured-776 and 3,517 respectively—in the corresponding period of 1889. The accidents to passengers shew a greater decrease. Last year up to the end of September only six passengers had met their deaths and 234 received injury from accidents to trains, rolling stock, permanent way, 4kc. ; whereas in the year before the numbers were 82 and 786. By accidents from other causes 69 passengers were killed and 630 were injured, as against 62 and 582. The accidents to railway servants shew an increase. Thus, 357 lost their lives—an increase of 57, and 2,150 were injured—an increase of 169. Of the other classes of persons that go to make up the list, the numbers differ but little from year to year. Of persons passing over railways at level crossings, 63 lost their lives and 23 were injured; 243 trespassers in which class suicides are reckoned) lost their lives and 90 were injured; and of other persons not included in the above) classification. 33 were killed and 50 injured. There are a number of accidents which occur on the premises of railways, and which are not caused by the movement of vehicles used exclusively on railways. In this class of accidents there were 41 persons killed and 4,778 injured. Thus the total number of personal accidents of all kinds reported to the Board of Trade by the several railway companies during the nine months amounts .to 814 persons killed and 7,964 injured.  in the ifigel Court ot Justiciary, Edinburgh, on Tueeday, John Webster, innkeeper, Kirriemuir, near Dundee, was placed on trial before the Lord Justice, clerk, and a jury, on a charge of poisoning his wife. An extraordinary interest has from the first been taken in the case, and this interest was intensified by the suicide of the . principal Crown witness some weeks ago, on the eve of Webster's trial, which had to be postponed in consequence. Long before the hour fixed for the commencement of the trial the court-room was crowded, a large number of those present being ladies. The prisoner, who is a respectable-looking man, replied that he was not guilty of the charge that between the 28th July and sth August, 1890, in the Newtown Hotel, South Muir of Ktrriemuir,Perfarshire,then occupied by him, he administered poison to his wife, Mary Webster. and thereby murdered her
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-02-21 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SUICIDE IN FRANCE.  I; is curious to learn that the number of cases received at the Paris Morgue seldom nceeds and really falls below nine hundred per annum. This number, says M. Chesbuliez, has scarcely varied during the past Len years. It accords with what we know as the law of averages, under which a certain proportion of the population are annually run over by omnibuses, hanged for murder, or united in holy matrimony. Suicide is the cause of about one-third of the deaths which are entered in the books of the Morgue, and the most frequent form of suicide in France is drowning. By far the larger number of suicides are men. It is another singular circumstance that the proportions vary but little in the several causes of death—accidental deaths, suicides, murders, and so forth. Men who put an end to themselves in France do it oftenest by hanging, women by drowning; and in general, the female suicides are much younger than the ' male. The " cause of suicide " is always registered on the books, but in very many cases this can  oe UtLit natter tnan conjectural. -Taxen, however, as given," says the Perim of Revieva, in its summary of M. Chesbuliez's statements, "we get the rather interesting fact that suicide is rarely the outcome of romantic sorrow." Of the one hundred and eighty-one masculine suicides recorded in 1888, thirty-six were caused by disorder of the brain; seventeen by other forms of illness; seventeen by poverty; sixteen by intoxication; two only were traceable to heart sorrow. In the fifty-one cases of feminine suicide, cerebral disorder, worry, and drunkenness fill up the list, at the end of which figures one case of romantic sorrow. It is still as true as in Shakspere's day, that we seldom die for love. The Lovers' Bill of Mortality is not what M. Zola would call a human document."
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-08-29 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

NEW METHOD OF SUICIDE.  A new thing in the way of suicide has just been successfully attempted by a citizen of the French metropolis. Having determined on putting an end to his days, he resolved, after much reflection, on selecting the Eiffel Tower for the purpose. He had made up his mind to hang himself, and probably was moved to selecting the great iron structure by the thought that although a peg driven into a wall might give way, or the branch of a tree might break, the huge metal pile presented more than sufficient guarantees of firmness and stability. At an early hour in the morning the man proceeded to the Tower, and, ascending some of the steps of the staircase, tied a rope securely to one of the girders, and fastening the other end tightly round his neck threw himself into space. The corpse was found two hours afterwards, still suspended in mid-air. In one of the coat pockets was a letter, in which the suicide set forth that he bequeathed his head to the major of the regiment in which he served formerly—a piece of liberality which it is to be feared will scarcely be appreciated; his body to the School of Medicine for dissection; and what goods and chattels he possessed to M. Eiffel, presumably as some compensation for the liberty he had taken in thus utilising his tower as a means of shuffling off this mortal coil. It is devoutly to be hoped, says the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, that his example will not be followed by others who may resolve on putting an end to their lives. Visitors to the cloud-piercing fabric would hardly be edified by the ghastly spectacle of bodies dangling in its nooks and recesses. This is the first suicide of the kind that has yet occurred at the Tower of the Three Hundred Metres, and it is to be hoped that it may be the last.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-02-14 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

MURDEROUS OUTRAGE ON A WOMAN. Daniel Shannon, 35, a bricklayer, of Campbellroad, Holloway, was charged on remand before Mr. Haden Corser,at North London Police-court,onTuesday, with violently assaulting Jessie Bazley, a married woman with whom he lived. The evidence given last week was that the prisoner accused the woman of drinking, and struck her a violent blow on the back of her head with a poker. The prisoner, however, declared that the woman took up the poker to strike him, and, in struggling, they fell on the floor, the woman's head e.oming In contact with the fender. The woman last week was in a terrible state owing to loss of blood; and Inspector Charles Bradley now reported that she was not able to attend; in fact, as a consequence of previous destitution and the assault in question, she had become insane, and was now in the work. house infirmary.—Mr. Haden Corser : Who proves that? Inspector Bradley: I can; I -law her on Monday being held down by five nurses. Bhe had attempted to commit suicide, and, when seized by the nurses, bit several of them.—Dr. George Wright. divisional police surgeon, subsequently attended the court, and stated that the injured woman was in the condition stated.—The prisoner said he would like to have the fender produced, to prove his version of the affair.—lnspector Bradley, in reply to the magistrate, said the prisoner made the same statement to him as regarded the fender. The prisoner was again remanded for a week.  The Liverpool steamer Merchant Prince, from West African ports, arrived in the Mersey onTuesday with her bows badly stove in. Her master !reported that on Monday, while off Tuskar, she was In collision with the Hungarian brig Hera, which was so badly damaged as to sink in four minutes. Her crew, numbering nine hands and the captain's wife, had not time to launch a boat, but scrambled into a Norwegian canoe which they threw into the water, and were afterwards rescued by the steamer's lifeboats.  Mr. Benjamin Davis, an aged collier at Mountain Ask has just received an intimation that is ester in America has died, and la,- him £20.000
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-02-14 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SUICIDE OF A GIRL.  Dr. Danford Thomas held an inquiry onTuesday at the Hampstead Dispensary, relative to the death of Kate Carter, aged 15, a domestic servant, lately in service at Kilburn, whose mutilated remains were found on the railway line between Cricklewood and Child's Hill Stations on Thursday night.—Mr. Thomas Howard Carter identified the deceased as his stepdaughter, who had been in service with a friend at NetherwoOds-street, Kilburn. He had heard that the deceased was a little annoyed in regard to her character. He could not believe that this would be sufficient, to account for her committing suicide. She was to have gone to a permanent situation a day or two after.—Mrs. Ann Anthony, living at Mill Hill-lane, stated that the deceased had been living with her as general servant for about four months. The deceased left her service on January 20th. Beyond the girl's inexperience, she had no fault to find. The deceased visited her last Thursday evening relative to her character. She then appeared a little excited, and spoke about a letter, which the witness had already received, asking about the deceased's character. The witness told her that she had received the letter and that she would send a. favourable reply.—Both letters were then produced, and read by the coroner. The letter gave the girl a good character, and explained that she was leaving through inexperience. The witness had had occasion to speak to her with regard to some tattling in which deceased had indulged, but it was no very serious matter. She had not told the girl she would not give her a character. On a previous occasion the deceased had been gossipping, but it was not regarded by herself or husband as of any importance. The witness further stated that her husband had not threatened to write to the girl's father. The deceased had said "that she wished she had never been born." What her husband said was that if he heard any more of it he would write to her father. Her husband had asked the girl her father's address, but she (witness) was sure she did not intend to write to him. Did not hear deceased say that "Rather than you should write to my father I would do away with myself "; , but she might have said so.—Eva Hiscock, a domestic servant, said she had known the deceased for about three months. The witness heard deceased say" That rather than her father should he written to she would make away with herself." Deceased was very excited when she came to witness's place on the evening of her death.—Mrs. Yeoman, living at Leatherwood-street, stated that the deceased had frequently described Mr. Anthony as "bullying her."—Mr. Anthony was called and stated that it was not true that he had treated the girl disrespect. fully, and he entirely disagreed with Mrs. Yeoman's statement.—The jury returned a verdict of suicide while of unsound mind, and exonerated Mr. and Mrs. Anthony from all blame.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-11-21 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

MURDERED BY MISTAKE.  An extraordinary tragedy has just taken place at Lagarta, a small isolated village in Texas. It was one in which a man who had deliberately made up his mind to murder a rival was the victim of a cunning scheme, by which he killed instead his most intimate friend. The assassin, says a Daily Telegraph correspondent, is Antonio Vera, a handsome and popular young ranchero, who was engaged to Chiquita Flores, a pretty Mexican girl. It was agreed that they should marry when the cattle season ended in the autumn, and with this understanding Vera went to Mexico with a herd of cattle, being absent for several months. He returned last week to find that the girl in the meantime had transferred her affections to another young man named Torres. Vera remonstrated with his lady love, but in vain. She was infatuated with Torres. The latter came from Mexico, had plenty of money, and had bought and stocked a large ranche near Lagarta preparatory to his marriage. Vura said nothing to Torres concerning their rivalry, but kept on friendly terms with him. He finally invited Torres, with others, to pay him a visit. Torres accepted, but said he could not reach 'Vera's ranche before 10 o'clock at night. Suspecting a plot, he induced Hermaso Ventro to go to Vera's in his place. Ventro went there early, but, as Vera did not return, he went to bed about 11 o'clock. Vera was calling on the girl Flores, and after the call spent a couple of hours at a public-house, and became intoxicated. He rode home, and upon arriving there went directly to the room in which he supposed Torres to be sleeping. Without any preliminaries, he crept to the bedside of the slumbering man, placed a Winchester rifle to the latter's head, and blew his brains out. He then coolly lighted a lamp, and was horror-stricken to find that he had not killed Torres, but his intimate friend. Torres has disappeared, and Vera is under arrest, having surrendered himself to justice. The girl is still at her father's ranche, and Vera, unless he finds means to commit suicide, will certainly be hanged.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-11-21 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

TRIPLE MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.  A frightful tragedy took place at Titchfield, in Hampshire, on Monday morning. Alice Hinton, the wife of a harness maker living in West-street, in that village, had a short time since undergone three months' imprisonment for neglect of the children of her husband by a former wife, and having been summoned by the National Society for further cruelty, she was to have appeared before the justices at Fareham on Monday. During the morning, however, the unhappy woman murdered the two step-children and her own child, and then made an attempt to cut her own throat. John Hinton, the husband, went out to purchase a pair of shoes for his son Frederick John, 11 years of age. During his absence screams were heard by the neighbours, and IVilliam Hinton, the second son, 9 years of age, was seen coming from the house with a deep wound in his neck. He fell down, and was taken into the house of a neighbour, where he died about noon. On the police being called they found in the house of the Hintons the lifeless body of a little girl, Augusta Hudson, 8 years of age, the daughter of Mrs. Hinton by a former husband, the child's head being nearly severed from her body. Police-constable Harfield met Mrs. Hinton descending the stairs with her throat cut, and, in answer to his inquiry as to who had done this, she replied "I did." She was at once secured, and on the police going upstairs they found the boy Frederick John Hinton lying dead with a carving knife beside him. The woman was attended to by Dr. Hoare and then conveyed to Fareham, where she was taken before the justices, who, on the evidence of Dr. Hoare that she was undoubtedly insane, directed her removal to the County Lunatic Asylum.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-09-12 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

SHOCKING LOVE TRAGEDY.  The town of Algiers has been the scene of one of those dramas of disappointed love which have drawn the public attention recently to the North African colony of the French Republic. After the Chambige case and the attempted poisoning of a husband by his wife at Ain Fezza, there is now, telegraphs the Paris correspondent of the Lady Telegraph, the murder of Fanny Vivot, whose lover shot her dead and then committed suicide. Mdlle. Vivot was a beautiful brunette, the daughter of a baker in the Rue Medee. She was deeply beloved by a young man in her father's employment, named Joanne, who asked her in marriage. M. Vivot did not absolutely reject the candidate for his daughter's hand and dowry, but reminded him that Fanny was only 15, and therefore too young to be led to the altar. Joanne regarded the proposed adjourni•..eut as tantamount to a refusal on the part of the baker, who, he concluded, wanted the girl to marry somebody in a good position. On Sunday evening Joanne, who had left his master's employment some days ago, went to M. Vivot's house and asked for a certificate of good conduct and efficiency. The baker sat down at his writing-table in order to prepare the desired document. Fanny Vivot, in the meantime, was left face to face with her lover, whom she had come to see, as soon as his presence in the house was known to her. Joanne, pulling out a revolver, aimed at the girl and fired with fatal effect. He then turned his weapon against himself. Fanny Vivot was a corpse when her father rushed into the room where the tragedy took place but so sudden was her death that she still wore on her features the smile with which she had welcomed her lover. Joanne was writhing on the ground in the throes of his last agony, and soon expired.
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-10-24 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

BALM ACEDA'S LAST MOMENTS.  The Paris Temps publishes a letter from its Buenos Ayres correspondent which contains some curious details respecting the last moments of the late President of Chili. After stating that President Balmaceda had handed over the reins of Government to General Baquedano immediately after the battle of Piacilla, the correspondent goes on to say: "On August 28th at midnight, the ex-President left the Mint and repaired to the Argentine Legation, where by the instrumentality of his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senor A. Zanartu, he gained admittance. At this moment he had no intention of committing suicide. On the contrary, he made known his intention of surrendering himself to the authorities pending the constitution of a tribunal. At his own request, the persons who were to accompany him to the prison were two officials of the Opposition, Senores Concha-y-Toro and Walker Martinez. Three days before the suicide was committed Balmaceda told Senor Eriburu that he was busy drafting his application for imprisonment and that he hoped to finish it as soon as the civic fetes were over. During the night of September 18th the ex-president handed two letters to Senor Eriburu. One of these was addressed to his mother and the other to his wife. The Argentine Minister remarked at the time that Balmaceda seemed very anxious that these two letters should be sent out without delay, but he soon forgot the incident. Matters were in this position when suddenly, at 8 o'clock the following morning, Madame Eriburu heard the report of a firearm, and at once went and gave the alarm to her husband, who was in an adjoining apartment. Senor Eriburu sent at once for the ex-President's servant, who went to his master's room and returned a few minutes later with the information that a suicide had been committed. Senor Eriburu at once sent for Senor Walker Martinez, who arrived at the Legation a few minutes afterwards. They then both repaired to Balmaceda's room, where a horrible sight met their eyes. Balmaceda was dressed, and had his boots on; he was lying on his bed, his head in a large pool of blood. One of his eves had been forced out of the socket. His death had been instantaneous, and in his right hand was loosely grasped the revolver with which he had shot himself.  '
Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-07-18 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

COURAGEOUS GIRL.  At the North Londoa Police-court, on Monday, Catherine McKie, an elderly woman, with no home, was charged before Mr. Haden Corser with attempting to commit suicide by throwing herself into the Regent's Canal. A police-constable said he found the prisoner standing on the bank of the canal. She was very wet, and a young woman who was there told him that the prisoner had attempted to kill herself.—Ellen Wright, 18 years of vie, living at 24, Combass-road, Hackney Wick,sada woman told her the prisoner had threatened to destroy herself. Witness followed the woman, saw her throw herself down on the grass twice, then get up, look around, , and threw herself into the canal. Witness got down the side of the canal and waded up to her waist in the water until she reached the woman. She (witness) dragged her out, and told the policeman. —The prisoner now declared that she was without home or friends.—Mr. Corser recalled Ellen Wright, and, awarding her half a sovereign, told her she was a very courageous girl, and deserved public commendation.  News his reached Plymouth of a terrible murder committed recently in the city of Pacucha, Mexico, the victim being Mr. James Jefferies, an Englishman, who has resided in that country for about 20 years. Mr. Jefferies, who was an assayer, had lately been buying silver ores for exportation to Liverpool. An assistant, on going to his house, found tl-J,3 door open, and on entering he was horrified to find Mr. Jefferies lying dead on the floor. Ele was bound hand and foot, five of his ribs and his breast-bone were fractured, a bed sheet was twisted round his neck, the ends being stuffed into his mouth and down his throat, and he had a severe knife-vryund in his left breast. Robbery is believed to have been the motive for the crime. Several arrests have been made.