npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1857-07-20 (London, England)

LEFT SPEAKING.]  L'ANGELIER A SUICIDE.  (From the Medical Times.)  The presiding judge, caught, probably, by the advocate's sophi4try, fell into a similar train of reasoning, in the course of which he showe I a very general ignorance of the cDnduct and motives of suicides. The fa-it that L'Angelier sent for a doctor, or rather allowed one to be sent for, and that he did not proclaim himself a suicide, argued, as the judge thought, that the man wasn't a suicide. Our psychologists will give us another reading. They will tell us that such proceeding is a mirke 1 s.gn of the mania of suicide ; and what most suicides instinctively do when they hive brought on sympt imS, without death, is to send for a clec-or, and ei her to say nothing about, or even to deny, their own deeds. This is a natural sequencs of suicide. The act, however long premeditAted, is sudden and determined at last. Let it succeed, and the suicide can do no more ; let it succeed in part only, and when the agony of body approaches, the mania for death disappears. The desire still ta live increases with each pang that proclaims remaining lifr. nen the horror of the act and the shame de• ve'op as the impulse for destruction disappears. So —longing for life and shrinking from exposur., what more instinctive than that the suicide should send for relief, and suppress or deny his crime ? We are not writing theory here ; for if we were wo should be spelking as rashly as did those we would criticise. We speak from observat ou and fact in cases of suicide.  Another strong point is, that the amount of arsenic taken by the deceased is in favour of suicide. From the proportion found in the stomach after death, it is probable that the real quantity swal lowed would have required for its solution nearly two quarts of any ordinary drink. Row could L'Angelier have been induced to drink any such quantity ? or, how could it have been given in the sold form without his knowledge ? Any way to connect the prisoner and the crime, after the evidence that was adduced, was impossible. It is true she bought poison—arsenic twice—aild that she tried to buy prussic acid. Ali h well. What d;d she want with them, say you, except to poison L'Angelier ? Let us see. She says that she used the arsenic as a cosmetic, but the prussic acid she does not account for. Let these facts pa-s. Let the scoundrel L'Angelier also move off the scene for a moment. Now what is the picture in the weeks preceding L'Angelier's death ? •A ruined hopeless girl, wrung with s grow, mad with rage at her own folly and sin, dying with fear at her father's wrath, educated by her seducer to the idea that suicide is morally right, thinking death better than exposure. This is the picture. And now let us ask whether, in such an hour of despair or temporary madness, the poisons might nut have been intended for a much more deeply injured and broken-hearted victim than Emile L'Anpelier ?  The Patrie reports the total loss of the French ship of war Newton in the new harbour of Portau-Choix, Newfound land.
The Sun. — 1857-11-11 (London, England)

SIIIOIDE.—John Cartar, plasterer, 10, t te o court Pye-street, Westminster, was charged with attempting to commit suicide. Police-constable Dighton, 175 B, said that last night he was on duty in Old Pye-street, when he heard a cry of ii police " at the house where the prisoner resides. On getting there he was told that he (prisoner) had attempted to commit suicide. Witness found him on a landing, and by him was a handkerchief with which he tried to hang himself. Some one cut him down. Prisoner, who said he was drunk at the time he made the attempt on his life, was remanded.  We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. Archibald Hastie, M.P. for Paisley, which took place at Edinburgh on Monday last. Mr. Hastie had been much indisposed for some months ; but it was hoped, until recently, that the strength of his constitution would enable him to recover. He was in his 65th year. Mr. Hastie was in many respects a remarkable man. He was descended of respectable parents in the West of Scotland. He had merely the common school education of his country, but that and his native sense fitted him to fill with credit various important situations. At an early period his brothers settled in Calcutta, where they carried on business partly as coachbuilders and partly as merchants, while he settled in London, acting partly as their agent and partly speculating on his own account. The whole family were very successful. At a later period Mr. Hastie became connected with the East India Docks, awl his sagacity and ability were eminently displayed in the skill and success with which he assisted in rescuing that important concern from the depression into which its affairs had sunk after the cessation of its monopoly. A purchase which he effected of some property in Lanarkshire has also turned out to be extremely advantageous. In 1836 Mr. Hastie was elected member of Parliament for Paisley—a distinction on which he set a high value. And it may be said that it cost him a high price, for owing to the severe distress with which his constituents were frequently visited very heavy demands were made upon him, which he met with the greatest generosity and goodwill. In politics Mr. Hastie was an independent consistent Liberal, and voted uniformly with that party in Parliament. In private life he was in the highest degree generous, open-hearted, and friendly. His hospitalities were conducted on a large and a liberal scale. He was the owner of Burns' punch-bowl, and the celebrations of the poet's birthday held at his house were by far the best of such festivals.
The Sun. — 1857-04-13 (London, England)

THE GLASGOW POISONING CASK.--Miss Madeleine Smith, the young lady who (as stated in a recent number of The Sun) was apprehended on the suspicion of having administered poison to her sweetheart, a young French gentleman named L'Angelier, was formally nom, mined on Friday last to stand her trial on the charge of murder. The result has been arrived at after the consultation with the Crown authorities in Edinburgh. So far as motive is concerned, the grounds of the charge are understood to be that Miss Smith was anxious to cast L'Angelier off in consequence of having received and accepted an offer of marriage from a gentleman who occupies a much more elevated position in society, so far as wealth is concerned. L'Angelier was resolved to maintain his ascendancy, and had some power of blasting the young lady's reputation in the event of her marrying his rival. Hence the catastrophe. That the young lady procured arsenic about the time of L'Angelier's death, that he died from the effects of arsenic, and that there is no reason to believe he committed suicide, are matters undoubted. The event has created much ixeitemert in Glasgow.  [AnvaarissmENT.]—A most interesting recovery from a vast complication of diseases, such as indigestien (dyspepsia), flatulency, constipation, nervous, bilious, and liver conk. plaints, cough, asthma, consumption, and debility, without the aid of medicine, by Du Barry's Reva. lenta Arabic*. Food, is recorded is the following let. ter :—Cure 52,422.—" Bridgehouso, Frimley, 3d April, 1854, I have suffered these 33 years continually from diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement, deafness, singing in the ears, constipation, debility, shortness of breath, and cough, and during that period taken so much medicine that I can safely say I have laid out upwards of a thousand pounds at the chemists and doctors. Indeed I was in utter despair, and never expected to get over it, when I was fortunate enough to become acquainted with your Reva. lenta Arabica, which, Heaven be praised, restored me t• a state of health which I long since despaired of attaining. My lungs, liver, stomach, head, and cars are all right, my hear. leg perfect, and my recovery is a marvel to all my acquaint. antes. I am, respectfully, JAMES ROBERTS, woed-merchant.— Sapported by testimonials from the celebrat©d Professors of Chemistry, Dr. Andrew Ure ; Dr. Shorland ; Dr. Harvey Dr. Campbell ; Dr. Gattiker ; Dr. Wurzer ; Dr. Ingram ; Lord Stuart de Deeies; the Dowager Countess of Castle. Stuart; Major-Gen. Thomas King, and many other respectable persons, whose health has been restored by it, afterall other means of cure had failed. For further particulars respect. hp, this invaluable food our readers. are referred,toDu Barry's advertisement in another part of this paper.
The Sun. — 1857-07-09 (London, England)

THE GLASGOW POISONING CASE.I  EIGHTH DAY. EDINBURGH, JULY 8. The Dean of Faculty made an able speech for the prisoner, contending that it was not proved that the prisoner and L'Angelier met on the 19th of February, and particularly that it was not proved the prisoner possessed arsenic until the 21st of February, though all the druggists' shops in Glasgow had been searched, and the prisoner's purchases had been openly and frankly made. The Crown must therefore choose between the horns of this dilemma :—lf L'Angelier was then ill from arsenic some other hand than the prisoner's must have administered it ; if lie was not, the whole foundation of the case was shaken. After maintaining that the evidence disproved their having met on the 22d of February, the second occasion on which she was charged with attempting to poison, be referred to the absence of all proof whatever that they bad met the night before the death of L'Angelier. The appointment was made for Saturday, not Sunday. Piisoner went to her bed late that night with her sister, and there was not a tittle of evidence that the house was disturbed or approached in the course of the night. She could have had no motive to destroy D'Angelier while he had such letters in bis posses• sion,• and • every circumstance in the ease spoke strongly against the probability of her committing a foul and deliberate murder. After referring to the probability of L'Angelier's death being the result of suicide or arising from other causes, he called on the jury-not rashly to tear aside the veil of mystery in which Providence had wrapped this man, and in an eloquent and affecting peroration prayed them to bring their hearts as well as their minds into judgment in this case. The Lord Justice Clerk commenced his charge to the jury. He said, poisoning by arsenic was almost always a secret crime, aiLl was generally to be proved by circumstantial: evidence ; that evidence, however, must be complete, distinct, and satisfactory, and must exclude the possibility of innocence or of unexplained mystery, and they must not supply any defect in the prosecutor's case by suspicion or presumption against the accused. They must be satisfied that the accused had the purpose and the opportunity ; they must be satisfied the parties met that night. They might have a strong suspicion they did so, or the probabilities of the case might favour that view ; but unless they could by just, satisfactory, and inevitable inference conclude that they did meet, a link remained wanting in the case, and the catastrophe and its alleged cause were not found together. The numerous theories for the defence might not be of much value, but their failure could in no way strengthen the case for the prosecution, which must be of itself complete and conclusive, and carry conviction to their minds. His lordship had read over nearly a half of the parole evidence, when the Court adjourned at six o'clock till tomorrow (this day).
The Sun. — 1857-07-09 (London, England)

THE GLASGOW POISONING( CASE.]  EIGHTH DAY.  EDINBURGH, JULY 8. The Dean of Faculty made an able speech for the prisoner, contending that it was not proved that the prisoner and L'Angelier met on tha 19th of February, and particularly that it was not proved the prisoner possessed arsenic until the 21st of February, though all the druggists' shops in Glasgow had been searched, and the prisoner's purchases had been openly and frankly made. The Crown must therefore choose between the horns of this dilemma ;—lf L'Angelier was then ill from arsenic some other hand than the prisoner's must have administered it ; if he was not, the whole foundation of the case was shaken. After maintaining that the evidence disproved their having met on the 22d ef February, the second occasion on which she was charged with attempting to poison, lie referred to the absence of all proof whatever that they had mat the night before the death of L'Angelier. The appointment was made for Saturday, not Sunday. Prisoner went to her bed late that night with her sister, and there was not a tittle of evidence that the house was disturbed or approached in the course of the night. She could have had no motive to destroy D'Angelier while he had such letters in his possession, and every circumstance in the case spoke strongly against the probability of her committing a foul and deliberate murder. After referring to the probability of L'Angelier's death being the result of suicide or arising from other causes, he called on the jury • not rashly to tear aside the veil of mystery in which Providence had wrapped this prayed them to bring their hearts as well as their man, and in an eloquent and affecting peroration minds into judgment in this case. The Lord Justice Clerk commenced his charge to the jury. He said, poisoning by arsenic was almost always a secret crime, and was generally to be proved by circumstantial evidence.; that evidence, however, must be complete, distinct, and satisfactory, and must exclude the possibility of innocence or of unexplained mystery, and not supply they must any defect in the usaprosecutor's case by suspicion or presumption against the acchd eci the purpose They ntuasntdbtehesatoispfipoedrttuhnaitty; thet Lcy accusedmust be satisfied the parties met that night. They might have a strong suspicion they did so, or the probabilities of the case might favour that view ; but unless they could by just, satisfactory, and inevitable inference conclude that they did meet, a link remained wanting in the case, and the catastrophe and its alleged cause were not found together. The numerous theories for the defence might not be of much value,but their failure could in no way strengthen the case for the prosecution, which must be of itself complete and conclusive,. and carry conviction to their minds. His lordship had read over nearly a half of the parole evidence, when the Court adjourned at six o'clock till tomorrow (this day).
The Sun. — 1857-01-03 (London, England)

SWITZERLAND. The following are some details relative to the respective attributions of the political bodies now sitting at Berne, to protect the interests of the Helvetic Confederation. The sovereign power resides in two councils, the national one and that of the States. The former is composed of deputies of the Swiss people, in the proportion of one for every 20,00 G souls. The Rumber of members is 120, who are elected for three years by universal suffrage, every citizen who has attained the age of 20 having a vote. The Council of the States is composed of 44 members, two from each canton. The two councils form together the legal representation of the Confederation, under the name of the Federal Assembly. This body, which holds an ordinary session every year, and extraordinary ones as are called for by circumstances, is sovereign on all questions of general interest, political laws, finances, police, mlitary organisation, and revision or modification of the constitution. Next comes the executive power, which bears the name of the Federal Council, and which is oemposed of seven members, elected for three years by the Federal Assembly, and chosen without distinction from amongst all Swiss citizens, with this single restriction, that no two of the members can belong to the same canton. The Federal Council is charged with the internal administration and with the direction of the foreign relations of the confederation, but the initiative and the decision on all general questions belong to the Federal Assembly. letter from Berne of the 28th nit. gives some details concerning the late attempt at arrangement made there by the diplomatic corps : " Mr. Fay, the American charge d'affaires, and Mr. Gordon, the English Minister, assumed the initiative in The amount of specie to be forwarded by the India and endeavouring, for the last time, to see whether it were China mail is estimated at 430,0001., almost entirely not possible to bring about an arrangement and avoid a silver. Although the heaviest shipments are for Bombay disastrous war. To that end, Mr. Fay invited his col- and Calcutta, a portion is destined for Hong Kong, leagues of the diplomatic body to meet at the Hotel de Shanghai, and Canton. la Couronne. Every one entered heartily on this diffi- CHATHAM, Jan. 2.--The Iris, 26, commissioned by cult task, and finished by drawing up a plan of arrange. Capt. W. Loring, C. 8., for the Australian station, hasment to be submitted to the Federal Councils and to already received a number of seamen, and is being made Prussia. According to this project, the Federal ready for sea with all despatch. Her marines are to be Council was to engage to propose to the Federal As• selected from the Chatham division. sembly the release of the prisoners ; and the diplomatists SUICIDE OF THE CHIEF WARDER IN MILBANK in the name of the powers of which they were the
The Sun. — 1857-08-10 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF EMILY SANDFORD.  (From the Ballarat Star.) There are few but will recollect the startling and half romantic details and circumstances of the Stanfield-hall tragedy, of which Rush was tu hero. Not the least feature of interest arising oat of the diicloaures then made public was the tion of the victim of his seduction, Emily Sa ford, upon whose evidence his fate was sealed. .L 1 will be remembered that after the execution 61; Rush the contributions of the charitable enables her to seek a home and the means of forgetfidnes° in Australia. The next that is heard of her i°t that her brother who accompanied her iv° drowned while landing at Adelaide. And net' from a South Australian journal, we learn Ow,l uuable longer to endure the inward grief and di" temper of mind to which of late years it woos' seem she bad been subject, she has put an end te an existence upon which misery had for the 1110 t Was part set its seal. At the coroner's inquest it vr°3 related that during the last three years she ht,"" been in the service of a gentleman of respectability at Cooringa, and was generally known as Emily Smith. Her employer described her as being c, really good servant. Both himself and his visitors had remarked that she was occasionally "tit, flighty ;" they thought her eccentric. At it moment she would be snang, and the next, in tears, although generally she was in good sPin Her employer had ventured to joke with her e times, having been so long in his service ; bad grammar and language being peculiar. She Pa ..b d an uncontrollable curiosity, and on one occasion I_ was discovered by her employer that she had been reading some private letters belonging to another _ person sent to him for perusal. He chided her for it, telling her she was quite at liberty to read his letters, but not those of other people. On the evening when she took the poison (arsenic) she waited at the table as usual, company being present. When called for after supper she did not appear, and was found suffering from the effects of the poison. On the surgeon's arrival she asked if she was dying, and receivino, a reply in the affirmative, she exclaimed, "I thank God for it.' To one of the witnesses she was recently pointed oat by those who knew her as Emily Sandford, but of this she was ignorant. The jury returned A verdict of felo de se. And no sod or stone will tell in a few short years where lie the earthly elemeflt of a human soul which once, we may be certain, was undimmed by the dark shadows which in latter years sufficed to hurry it to premature destruction.
The Sun. — 1854-01-06 (London, England)

THE LONDON BRIDGES.—The passenger who stands at night on any of our bridges, and looks down on the dark waters rolling their foetid freight beneath him, has before him a picture in little of much of that life which rolls to and fro through the streets of this metropolis. Lights here and there rather enhance than relieve the gloomy character of the scene—the reflections from the lamps of the bridge beyond, the lantern in the steamer's prow, rays from the windows of the river-side public-houses, and the blaze of the forge, glaring red and lurid upon the dingy stream, and giving the idea rather of some infernal process going on than one of toil forging another link in the chain of industry. The mind conjures up no dreams of commerce. Even the dull monotonous beating of the steamer's paddles, so matterof-fact a sound by day, has another and a boding meaning now ; and it chills you to hear the surging of the tide against the piers. Fancy listens to the drowning gurgle, thick and choking, of the wretch who has fled hither from a proud, tyrannical world, which a little courage would have beaten to his feet ; seeking oblivion of care, to sleep a moment, and wake —no matter to what. Then the long melancholy train of suicides passes before the imagination a the ageant for the hour. The gambler, the spendthrift, broken man of commerce ; the sensualist who has outlived his appetites ; the weary, toil-worn wife ; the outcast, victim of her beauty, who, perhaps, but a few months ago, smiled in a home of plenty, and stands now ragged and care-mad on the river's brink. And when one turns from the cheerless prospect, and regards the stream of vice and poverty that flows by, how like are the two ! Cold, chilling, dreary. The one flowing to the stormy ocean, the other to eternity.—Home Companion. [
The Sun. — 1854-12-29 (London, England)

MEDICAL MEMORANDUM. The French ambulance have promised to take 1,100 sick down to Balaklava to-morrow morning.; you will therefore warn and have ready [number stated] of the -- Division to put on the mules by 8 o'clock, so that the ambulance may not be kept waiting. The men should have breakfast and be dressed before that hour. Each man will take his blanket and greatcoat with him, and you will detain a medical officer to accompany the party, mounted, if possible, who should carry aeme restorative with him, such as a portion of spirit or wine, and a small drinking-cup. (Signed) J. HALL, Inspector-General of Hospitals, Dec. 10, 1854.  In charge--- -, Division.  SUICIDE IN BETHLIIIAM HOSPlTAL.—Yesterday Mr. W. J. Payne held an inquest at Bethlehem Hospital, on the body of Martha Day, an inmate of the asylum, who committed suicide by hanging herself. The deceased was admitted on the 15th of June last as a maniacal and suicidal patient, and was labouring under great depression of spirits. She had twice attempted the life of her husband. Since her admission she had betrayed no indication of making any attempt on her life, nor had ever spoken on the subject of the past. Oa Tuesday night she went to bed in rather better irits than usual, having had a glass of wine and a pieces cake given to her by the nurse of the ward. The nurse on going into de. ceased's room at six o'clock on the Wednesday morning found her hanging by the neck from the window frame, To accomplish this object she had tied one of her stockings and a silk apron together. The rule of the institution was to take all the patients' clothes away at night, but this woman was allowed to sleep in her own stockings, as she always complained of her feet being cold. Vcr,liet, "Insanity." " UNCLE SAM" is dead. His name was Samuel Wilson, and be died in Troy, New York, in August, aged 84. He first labelled Government goods "U. 5.," for which practice the soldiers originated his RAMO of "Uncle Sam," instead of "Jonathan,"