npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1844-05-13 (London, England)

SUICIER BY HANGING.-EXTRAORDINARY CASE.  Mr. Payne, City coroner, held an inquest on Friday at the Blue Last, Dorset-street, Fleet-street, on viow of the body of Posthumous Collar, aged sixty-three years who committed suicide on Tuesday last under the fot lowing circumstances :—William Pryor, an engineer in the employ of Messrs. Benbridge and Healy, of Fleetstreet, said ho knew deceased, who was in the service of the same firm ; not having seen him since Tuesday night, about nine o'clock, on Thursday morning, witness, accompanied by two other persons, went to his lodgings in Dorset-street to see how he was ; finding his door locked inside, and being unable to obtain any answer, it was burst open, when deceased was discovered in a sitting posture at one corner of the bed. His legs were twined round the bed-post within about two inches of the floor—his arms being clasped tightly round the centre of the post. A pair of braces were fastened round his neck, and attached to the bed-rail above his head. He was quite dead and stiff ; indeed, decomposition had already commenced. The evidence of two of his sons proved, beyond all doubt, that the deceased's mind had been failing for some time past ; and, without any apparent cause, he had e long been in the habit of saying to his shop mates s' that he was a lost man. The sum of 11. 19 lOid was found in his bedroom, and a receipt book for 23/., invested by him in the St. Clement's Savings' Bank. One of the sons added that his father's mind had been affected ever since the death of his wife, five years ago, and Mr. Day having proved that death was caused by strangulation, the jury expressed themselves satisfied awl rettinic4 a verdict of "Temporary insanity,"
The Sun. — 1844-05-13 (London, England)

TINDAL.) ELIOT V. ELLIS AND HICKS. This case was resumed this morning, when a few witnesses, in aris:lition to those who gave evidence yesterday, were called for the plaintiff. After the plaintiff's case had been closed, Mr. Sergeant SIIEE addressed the jury for the defence. He tidied upon the jury to defend the parish officers in this case, who had done no more than their duty, and what they were bound to do, in protecting society from a person in the state of mind to which the plaintiff was reduced. He would be able to prove to them that the plaintiff was not in a sane state of mild—that he lived in the most extraordimiry manner, and wag in the habit of acting in such a manner as no person of soul:4 mind would act. He would show that when he was broaght into the workhouse, he attacked one of the inmates named Harris, most violently, and that when he was dismissed by the Wagistrate he was found near the canal by two policemen, under such circumstances as led them to believe that he intended to commit suicide. He denied that ,the plaintiff had suffered any pecuniary loss. He would prove that he had not a sixpence in the world, and that he even owed money ; that he was living in a most wretched manner, and in fact, that it was an advantage to him to be taken to the workhouse. The plaintiff was as mad as 111‘Naughten, or any other madman, who committed acts of violence on society, and the parish officers would not do their duty towards society and towards the prisoner himself, if they did :not take the steps they had taken. The Learned Gentleman then proceeded to call witnesses tom'ablish those facts, the examination of whom occupied the Co'ot until it rose. There were between twenty and thirty AVitylpqqpN in attendance on the part of the defence.  COURT OF EXCHEQUER, May 11. (Nisi Prius 6ittings, before Baron GURNEY and Special Juries.)
The Sun. — 1844-09-06 (London, England)

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE BAR AT ALABAMA.— After the formality of an introduction, the judge said " Well, Mr. C., you want to be examined for admittance to the bar ?" " Yes, sir." " Well, sir, let's take something to drink. Barkeeper, give up two juleps." After drinking the juleps, the judge said " Mr. C., can you swim ?" " Yes, sir, I can," said C., greatly surprised. " Well, sir, let's take another drink. Barkeeper, two cocktails." The cocktails vanished, and the judge said, " Mr. C., have you got a horse ?" " Certainly, sir," said C. " Very good," said the judge, as soberly as though charging a grand jury. " Mr. C., if you please, we'll take a drink. Barkeeper, two toddies." The toddies disappear, and C. owns he began to feel queer. " Mr. C.," said the judge, " can your horse swim ?" " Yes, sir, he can, for I have tried him from necessity." " Then, sir," said the judge, with increasing gravity, • your horse can swim, and you can swim, and by I think you are well qualified for an Alabama lawyer. Give me your commission, and I will sign it. Meanwhile, barkeeper, give us two punches for my friend Mr. C. and myself. Mr. C.," continued the judge, "I drink success to your admission to the Alabama bar."—Boston Times. DETERMINED SUICIDE FROM BLACIEFRIARSratIDGE.—Last night an inquest was taken before Mr. Payne, at the Horseshoe, Friar-street, on view of the body of David Williams, aged 25, who precipitated himself from Blackfriars-bridge last Monday week, and whose body was found on the Friday following, at a short distance below the bridge, on the Middlesex shore. It appeared from the evidence, that the deceased was most respectably connected, but from his unfortunate habits he had not been seen by his most intimate relations for the last three years. About six months ago he took a situation as pot-boy at the Flower Pot, Bricklane, Bethnal-green, and while there he formed an attachment to a young woman, whose christian name was Amelia, and. who resided with a female of the name of Wilson, in Whitecross-street, Bow, with whom he was desirous of forming a matrimonial connexion, but which was objected to on the part of the friends of his sweetheart. The deceased, it is supposed, took this disappointment to heart, and for some weeks past he had been very desponding. Last Monday morning he left home, with a man named Vendomme, with whom he drank freely, from the effects of which they were both inebriated. On reaching Blackfriars- bridge the deceased placed in the hands of V endomm e a handkerchief, which he had received from his Amelia as a pledge of her love, and which he desired him to take to her, and he also gave him a newspaper for the barwoman at the Flower Pot, after which he leapt over the bridge. Several persons looked for him, but he never once rose, and was not again seen till he was found on Friday morning last.—Verdict, " Temporary insanity."
The Sun. — 1844-09-06 (London, England)

SHOCKING CASE.—The Baltimore papers of Monday, August 12, contain the particulars of a most distressing case of death by violence. It seems that a young lady, living with her married sister, was receiving the attentions of a young man very obnoxious to her sister and brother-in-law. Returning home with him one evening, her lover and her sister's husband had a slight scuffle in the hall, and the young lady left the house, and stayed all night with a neighbour. The next morning she returned to the house by the back way to get her smoothing irons and some coal, which she had been using, and found her sister, who immediately commenced an altercation, and told her she should not have any of the coal. The other replied that she had bought a part of it and would take it, and was stooping to get it from the bar, when her sister seized the shovel and struck her twice on the back of her head. She immediately fell, and was taken insensible into the neighbour's house where she had passed the night—the lady hearing the noise, and running to see what was the matter. This was about two week's ago ; and the poor girl, after lingering great distress, died on Thursday night of last week. The names of the parties in this most lamentable transaction are withheld. On Monday last, a woman named Twomey committed suicide by hanging herself at Ballyvoduck, while labouring under temporary insanity. In the circumstances of her death she discovered the extreme caution and discernment of the means of procuring it which people in that most dreadful condition are frequently found to exhibit. The particular turn of her insanity appeared to be constitutional, for her mother had drowned herself. A short time previous she sent all the persons who happened to be in the vicinity of the house in which she lived upon different feigned errands, tied her own hands behind her back, and even provided that an article of furniture upon which she stood should, without the possibility of her design failing, slip freely from beneath her feet.—Cork Reporter.
The Sun. — 1844-11-19 (London, England)

SUICIDE FROM DOMESTIC DIFFERENCES.—An inquest was held last evening, at the Black Lion, Waterlane, Fleet-street, before Mr. Payne, on the body of of Anne Duck, aged 43, who destroyed herself with poison. Elizabeth Duck said that the deceased was her mother, and resided with her, her father, and her sister, at No. 1, Britton's-court. Deceased was very unhappy, and witness knew no other cause for her unhappiness than the quarrels she had with her husband. On many occasions, when suffering from his ill-treatment, she had taken poison, and on Sunday week she made a vow that, if he did not come home in a peaceable manner, she should not live another Sunday. On Sunday morning last her husband came home, and the first thing he said to her was, " How about the lawyer," in allusion to his having been bound over to keep the peace towards her so:ne time previous. Witness, while sitting up in bed shortly afterwards, waiting for deceased to come to her, heard her draw the cork from a bottle, and believing that she had drank poisOn, got out of bed to see. Shen then found two phials, both of which smelt of laudanum. Witness got her hot water to try and make her vomit, but finding that ineffectual, she went by her father's advice for a surgeon. She heard the deceased say that she had taken eight pennyworth of laudanum. ller father was a waiter at the Half Moon, Borough, but contributed nothing to the support of the family-. lle frequently beat her. Police-constable 327 said that he had frequently been called upon to quell disturbances between deceased and her husband. The husband he often heard use towards her the most disgusting language. Mr. Keasley, assistant to Mr. Day, surgeon, of Salisbury-square, said that, while administering emetics to the deceased, she begged to be left to die, saying that she wished the Almighty would take her. Notwithstanding all his efforts she su rik and died from the effects of the laudanum. She told him that she had become possessed of the poison by purchasing a pennyworth at a time. Stephen Duck, the husband, said that the unhappy differences between him and his wife commenced a year ago, when he found her inconstant to the marriage vow. Two sons of the deceased said that, ever since their childhood, the deceased and her husband had been in the habit of quarrelling through jealousy of each other. The jury returned a verdict of" Temporary insanity."
The Sun. — 1844-11-19 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUEST.—SUICIDE.—Yesterday afternoon a jury was impannelled before Mr. William Carter, coroner for East Surrey, at the Rose and Crown, Longlane, Bermondsey, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of Mr. William Jonathan Pragnall, aged 35 years, a master brass-finisher, carrying on an extentensive business at 98, Long-lane, who committed suicide :—Mr. Robert Tremaine, of 23, White-street, Borough, said, that in consequence of information he received on Friday last, he was induced to go todeceased's house. lie there found him in bed and apparently in great agony. lie appeared perfectly sensible and knew witness, who asked him if he had taken anything ? 1)e-ceased replied that he had swallowed a large quantity of arsenic and corrosive sublimate Messrs. Wagstaffe and other medical gentlemen were called in, and did all that the nature of the case would would permit, but deceased died at four o'clock the following morning. John Wise, the sexton of Bermondsey, said he saw deceased on Friday last ; he was then in a very excited state, and he said that what he had taken was owing to the miscon duct of his wife. Mr. Sharp, a surgeon, was sent for, but that gentleman believing he had not taken poison, nothing was then given to him, and Mr. Gibson advised him to return home and live comfortably with his wife. Deceased and his wife walked away together, apparently reconciled to each other. Miss Caroline Tremaine said she saw the deceased alive on Friday afternoon last. He then called at her brother's, whom he asked to see. On witness telling him that her brother was out, he replied, " I am sorry for that, for lie will never see me alive again." He afterwards shook hands with witness and her sister, saying as he left, " Good bye, God bless you bath, lam now off to my long home.' lie also alluded to his wife's misconduct, and said he had taken poison because he could bear it no longer. Verdict, `f Temporary insanity." COLLISION or
The Sun. — 1844-11-19 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF A THEATRICAL TAILOR.—On Saturday evening Mr. Payne held an inquest at the Crown and Anchor, Charles-street, Westminster-road, on the body of a man, name unknown, but supposed to have been recently employed in the wardrobes of Coventgarden and Drury-lane Theatres. It appeared in evidence that the deceased engaged a lodging at the above house a fortnight ago, but never disclosed his name, nor gave any information about himielf except that he was a tailor, and that he had been employed in making dresses for the actors of Covent-garden and Drury-lane Theatres. He was a cheerful disposition, and was in the habit of talking about theatrical matters. On Wednesday night last, whilst in the tap-room in conversation with some of the neighbours, he was observed to empty something he had been mixing in a basin into a pint pot and drink it off. The mixture appeared like honey, but what it was no one then distinctly knew. The following morning, however, the landlord of the house found him analysing dead in bed. Mr. Hooper, surgeon, said that upon opening the body he found in the stomach a quantity of gelatenous the latter, he detected which had caused death. oAxi oxalic nig h acid, a fln3u d, a thei aanr large upon beadle, eedoseadf eoffidhe had made inquiries wherever he thought it probable that deceased was known, but he had not yet found any one to recognise him. The inquest was adjourned in order that evidence to prove his identity might be obtained. The returns of the Bank of England being now gazetted weekly, the public will require at the hands of the press no special exhibition or comparison of fluctuations, unless, perhap7, occasionally, and at somewhat distant intervals, say intervals of 'a few weeks or months, Purpose being selected as To be pointing oute circumstances ai osnpece erps m ose periods oa renderdysfor t h minutenesse expedient. the petty variations occurring between one week with another, and suggesting farfetched causes for the same, would be no less ridiculous than wearisome, an extract of the items themselves, as given in the Morning Post, being all that is needful for the guidance of the country, in regard to the tendency of the circulation, and of the policy of the Board of Directors. The figures presented by the return published in Friday night's Gazette, and copied into the Morning Post of .Saturday, show some further diminution in the stock of bullion in the hands of the Bank, the total, applicable to the two departments of the establishment, having decreased to 14,025,6291. With the exception of this reduction in the effective means of the institution, the falling off, which is one amounting to no more, however, than about a million in the course of many months, there is nothing in the recent returns to which it has appeared necessary to direct general attention.—Post.
The Sun. — 1844-11-19 (London, England)

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF A BRIDEGROO,I.—It will be recollected that a paragraph appeared in the papers last week, giving the details of the extraordinary and mysterious disappearance of Mr. Joseph Amis, many years bookkeeper at the Bull Inn, Aldgate, who immediately after his marriage had written a letter to his bride, sending her a bag of sovereigns, telling her where to obtain the rest of his property, and concluding by a statement that she would in all probability never see him again. It appears that previously to the wedding he made arrangements to come into the occupancy of the Kent and Essex public-house, Highstreet, Whitechapel, and had paid a deposit as earnest money. On the receipt of his extraordinary letter, hi, wife and her friends were naturally greatly alarmed, and began to fear that he contemplated suicide; although they knew no cause to which to attribute any mental distress or annoyance. They have, however, since been relieved from all their fears and anxieties by the return of the bridegroom, who having " thought better of the matter," resolved to come back and claim his wife like a man. The oddest part of the business is, that he conld assign no motive for his strange conduct, merely saying that he experienced a feeling of despondency with regard to his new undertaking. He is, however, now i❑ possession of the Kent and Essex. THE LATE MYSTERIOUS DEATlL—Yesterdq7 Mr. Wakley and the jury re-assembled at Mr. Olney s, the Silver Cup, Cromer-street, to further prosecute the inquiry respecting the death of Mr. Henry Williams, aged thirty-eight, managing clerk to a solicitor, residing at No. 5, Constitution-row, Gray's Inn-road, whose death was occasioned by the point of some blunt instrument being thrust into his left eye. After a long inquiry, the coroner cleared the court of strangers, and examined at considerable length in private Inspector Barton and the various police-officers seriatim. The Court having been closed for above an hour, the jury broke up without any verdict being formally delivered, but it was understood that they had made a general return, and that the coroner had directed the closest privacy, for the purpose of seeing whether any party absconded, in which event, ho stated, he would issue his warrant for the apprehension of the suspected person, and then reopen the inquiry. The deceased has left a widow and eight children.
The Sun. — 1844-11-19 (London, England)

THE SLAVE TRADE.  (From the Deconport Telegraph.) Extract from a letter from her Majesty's ship Hyacinth, 18, dated August 27, 1844 :—Our orders have been to look after slaves, examining every sail coining in our way, and to detain every suspicious vessel. While on the south coast the boats have been. dispatched four times, fourteen days each time, cruizing close along shore examining every sail. Up to the 13th, no shots were fired in earnest, but only "in a quiet way, desiring them to heave to." One vessel had been detained by the Hyacinth, and sh© having several Government guns with some English prisoners on board, &c., was sent into Loando for trial at court, but acquitted, owing, I believe, (but of course this is but a matter of my own opinion), to our English Consul having committed suicide, while delirious from fewer, fourteen days before. She was called the Flir de Fago. On the 12th of August, Mr. Tottenham' the mate, was sent in the second gig, with four hands to pull in shore, and reconnoitre close in until he arrived at Fish Bay. On the 13th he saw a vessel at some distance, near the land. He immediately " gave way" towards her— hen he got within musket shot he fired a gun, in order to make her heave to. No notice, however, was taken of this, the vessel keeping her way without altering a sail. Mr. Tottenham continued firing, and it being nearly a calm, he gained rapidly on her, and when within a hundred yardi,lie was not a little surprised at noticing the people on board busy in hoisting a large gun on the poop, and directing the same at his boat. Several . musket& were also discharged at him. Thinking it was now time for him to do something, he deliberately aimed at every head he saw above the gunwale. At length he succeeded in getting alongside, and all the crew of the vessel shoved off on the other for the shore, which was not 200 yards distant. As he and_ his crew got on deck, one fellow leaped over and swam ashore. Mr. Tottenham immediately took possession of the vessel, and found only one man there, who was dreadfully wounded—he died within forty hours after on board the Hyacinth, which anchored in Port Alexander, the bay where the engagement took place. The prize turns out to be a very fine brig, or 190 tons, called the Aventuraro. The captain, with 18 men, after fighting for three hours, ran his vessel on shore and deserted her. Fearful odds, five to nineteen ! The conduct of Mr. Tottenham deserves, as it will no doubt receive, its reward.
The Sun. — 1844-10-31 (London, England)

THE DOUBLE SUICIDE NEAR KILMARNOCK. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.  The two persons, whose bodies were found in the Irvine, stayed at the Wheat Sheaf, Irvine, for eight days, during which time they enjoyed themselves by visiting the various interesting places about the country. By their inquiries they seemed to have'a high regard for antiquities, going one day to Dundonald, another to Kilwinning. They also went to the Tournament ground, which place they said they had come all the way from England to see. They were at Irvine parish church, and, as strangers, attracted some notice ; the lady seemed rather old-fashioned and bare in her dress. On their arrival at the Wheat Sheaf they bargained about their bed and board, which they paid at various intervals ; and, on leaving, presented one of the daughters with a handsome bead purse, containing half-a-crown, as a keepsake. They left Irvine on Thursday, the 3d inst., with the intention, as they said. of taking the Fleetwood boat, but they no doubt must have changed their route and gone to Kilmarnock. They seemed attentive and affectionate to each other, took up with no person, but walked out and in by themselves ; the gentleman sometimes visiting the coffee-room, while the lady employed herself in knitting and sewing.—Greenock Advertiser. The real names of the suicides are yet unascertained, nor is it certain that the address evidently designedly placed in the male's hat, will afford the right clue. The mark " B " on the seals and on the shirt of the male would, of itself, tend to throw great doubt on the name being Atkinson, as ite apparently wished to he believ, d. An examination, however, of the articles left in the inn shows not only no trace of the name of Atkinson, but traces of another name, and positive proof of the efforts of the devoted pair to conceal their identity. The portmanteaus were found filled with articles of female apparel, and only the under clothes of the male, all of which that arc marked at all bear the mark " B," as on the linen on his person.—Kilmarnock Herald.