npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1868-03-12 (London, England)

OOO.  s*long-pv reeords tried at the Belfast Assizes was one Wh4o2 'recited great interest, on account of the magnitude of the mini involved, 'the legal questions raised, and the positiori 'of the litigants. It was instituted by Mr. Symms, of Mountjoy-square, Dublin, executor of the late Mr. Thomas Sinclair, of Hopefield, county of Antrim, to recover £lO,OOO, the amount of a policy on his life effected with the Scottish Widows' Fund and Life Assurance Society. The sum paid on the policy was £sB6—the first annual premium. There was a condition in the contract that if the insurer should come by his death by suicide, or in case it should hereafter appear that any untrue statement had been made in the declaration of Mr. Sinclair, the policy should be void. The defendants pleaded that the deceased committed suicide, and that at the time of taking out the policy he had suppressed the material fact that be was then suffering from mental depression. The deceased was a provision curer in extensive business in Belfast, and was also connected with a New York firm and with a firm in Liverpool. He was chairman of the Harbour Board of Belfast, and of the Chamber of Commerce, and a local director of the society. On Sunday, the Ist of April, 1866, while he was in church, he was shocked by the intelligence that his stores had taken fire. The stock and buildings, which were valued at £128,000, were nearly destroyed. A sum of £40,000 was paid on the insurances. The interruption to the business, and the money panic occurring about the same time, caused great alarm in his mind, as the firm had upwards of £BO,OOO embarked in the shipping trade. He became depressed, and, by the advice of his physicians, went to Portrush and other places, and he returned to Belfast completely restored. On the 11th of September, at the suggestion of his son, he insured his life. He returned at intervals to business and applied himself closely to it. The effect was that he relapsed into his former nervous state, and began to conceive delusions, among others that his son was in a conspiracy against him. In December he wrote incoherently from London. On the morning of the 2nd of January, 1867, he packed his portmanteau and insisted on returning to Belfast. He was dissuaded by friends, and after breakfast lay down on the sofa, but when they left the room he went upstairs, opened the window, and was seen by a lady in another room to remove the snow from the window-sill, and then get out arid sit on it, whence he appeared to slip off into the area, and was killed by the fall. It was contended for the plaintiff that the deceased did not commit suicide, but endeavoured to escape from a house which he morbidly considered a prison, and that to vitiate the policy it should appear that he went out of the window with the delibe' rate intention of committing suicide. A host of witnesses were examined on both sides, and at the close of the charge of Mr. Justice Morris the jury found a verdict for the plaintiff.
The Sun. — 1868-03-12 (London, England)

OOO.  ,tong the records tried at:the Belfast Assizes was one Which excited great interest, on account of the magnitude of the sum involved, the legal questions raised, and the position of the litigants. It was instituted by Mr. Symms, of ISt ountjoy-square, Dublin, executor of the late Mr. Lomas Sinclair, of Hopefield, county of Antrim, to recc:4r £lO,OOO, the amount of a policy on his life effected wit the Scottish Widows' Fund and Life Assurance Society. The sum paid on the policy was £sB6—the first annual premium. There was a condition in the contract that if the insurer should come by his death by suicide, or iri case it should hereafter appear that any untrue statement had been made in the declaration of Mr. Sinclair, the policy should be void. The defendants pleaded that the deceased committed suicide, and that at the time of taking out the policy he had suppressed the material fact that he was then suffering from mental depression. The deceased was a provision curer in extensive business in Belfast, and .was also connected with a New York firm and with a firm in Liverpool. He was chairman of the Harbour Board of Belfast, and of the Chamber of Commerce, and a local director of the society. On Sunday, the let of April, 1866, while he was in church, he was shocked by the intelligence that his stores bad taken fire. The stock and buildings, which were valued at £123,000, were nearly destroyed. A sum of £40,000 was paid on the insurances. The interruption to the business, and the money panic occurring about the same time, caused great alarm in his mind, as the firm had upwards of £BO,OOO embarked in the shipping trade. He became depressed, and, by the advice of his physicians, went to Portrush and other places, and he returned to Belfast completely restored. ,On the 11th of September, at the suggestion of his son, he insured his life. He returned at intervals to business and applied himself closely to it. The effect was that he relapsed into his former nervous state, and began to conceive delusions, among others that his son was in a conspiracy against him. In December he wrote incoherently from London. On the morning of the 2nd of January, 1867, he packed his portmanteau and insisted on returning to Belfast. He was dissuaded by friends, and after breakfast lay down on the sofa, but when they left the room he went upstairs, opened the window, and was seen by a lady in another room to remove the snow from the window-sill, and then get out and sit on it, whence he appeared to slip off into the area, and was killed by the fall. It was contended for the plaintiff that the deceased did not commit suicide, but endeavoured to escape from a house which he morbidly considered a prison, and that to vitiate the policy it should appear that he went out of the window with the delibe• rate intention of committing suicide. A host of witnesses were examined on both sides, and at the close of the charge of Mr. Justice Morris the jury found a verdict for the
The Sun. — 1868-08-29 (London, England)

THE CONVICTION OF AN INNOCENT MAN.-At the Mid• liesex Sessions, Frederick Winder, a butcher, was indicted 'or stealing thirty-nine sheep, the property of Henry Cook. Ills case was most unusual, from the fact that two con-/lets and accomplices of the prisoner were evidence tgainst him ; and it was further remarkable as connected  with a lad named Bell, who was wrongfully convicted at these sessions on the 28th of March last, and sentenced to ive years' penal servitude, the jury in that case disbeliev .ng Bell's witnesses to an alibi. The offence alleged against Bell was that he stole twelve sheep ; but it was ?roved during this trial that the real offenders were two ?aen new undergoing penal servitude, and that Bell had nothing whatever to do with it. Winder was sentenced to fourteen years' penal servitude.  The post of Deputy Master and Controller of the Royal Mint has become vacant by the death of Mr. W. 11. Barton, a son of the late Sir John Barton, treasurer to her Late Majesty Queen Adelaido. Tho appointment is in the gift of the Lords of the Treasury.  From a return issued yesterday by an orlr of the House of Commons of March 2G, wo find that the defalcations of collectors, receivers, or other officers of Inland Revenue, appointed during tho last twenty years, amount to upwards of £41,200. The most part of this amount has been recovered by realization of the defaulters' effects and payments by sureties. Proceedings are pending for the recovery of a few hundreds, and a loss of about £7,000 altogether is shown.  A committee, consisting of the Earl of Ilarrowby, Sir Joseph Napier, Bart., Major-Gen. Sir W. Hill, the Bishop of Meath, the Deans of Canterbury. Chester, and Cork (with the Bishop of Gibraltar as president), has been formed for the purpose of establishing an Italian Church Reformation Fund. The object is to bo the assistance of those Italians who have evinced a tendency towards reforming their own Church after the example of the Church of England.  In the year 1865, for which the returns have recently been issued, there were 133 suicides in Scotland one in every 23,579 of the estimated population. Fifty-eight cf these deaths were by hanging, 40 by cut-throat, 17 by poison, 12 by drowning, two by gunshot, two by precipitation from a height, two in ways not stated. The number of suicides in England in the same year was 1,892, or one in every 15,080 of the estimated population; so that to two suicides in Scotland here were three in England in a like number of population.  According to notice served on Messrs. Lewis and Lewis by Mr W. 11. Roberts, the solicitor for aide. Rachel, two persons, named Davis and Slack, were to appear at the Judges' Chambers yesterday, to justify in £5OO each for her appearance at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court. the hour appcinted was twelve o'clock, and by one no appearance was made, and it was then ascertained that notice of withdrawal bad been served. It was said the bail was to be put in at Guildhall Police court, but there also the application bad been withdrawn by notice. Madame Rachel still remains in Newgate.
The Sun. — 1868-08-29 (London, England)

THE CONVICTION OF AN INNOCENT MAN.—At the Mid. Ilesex Sessions, Frederick Winder, a butcher, was indicted 'or stealing thirty-nine sheep, the property of Henry Cook. This case was most unusual, from the fact that two conrids and accomplices of the prisoner were evidence tgainst him ; and it was further remarkable as connected with a lad named Bell, who was wrongfully convicted at ;hese sessions on the 28th of March last, and sentenced to lye years' penal servitude, the jury in that case disbeliev.ng Bell's witnesses to an alibi. The offence alleged tgainst Bell was that he stole twelve sheep ; but it was ?roved during this trial that the real offenders were two nen new undergoing penal servitude, and that Bell had nothing whatever to do with it. Winder was sentenced to !ourteen years' penal servitude.  The post of Deputy Master and Controller of the Royal Mint has become vacant by the death of Mr. W. H. Barton, a son of the late Sir John Barton, treasurer to her late Majesty Queen Adelaide. The appointment is in the gift of the Lords of the Treasury.  From a return issued yesterday by an order of the House of Commons of March 26, we find that the defalcations of collectors, receivers, or other officers of Inland Revenue, appointed during the last twenty years, amount to upwards of £41,200. The most part of this amount has been recovered by realization of the defaulters' effects and payments by sureties. Proceedings are pending for the recovery of a few hundreds, and a loss of about £7,000 altogether is shown.  A committee, consisting of the Earl of ilarrowby, Sir Joseph Napier, Bart., Major-Gen. Sir W. Dill, the Bishop of Meath, the Deans of Canterbury, Chester, and Cork (with the Bishop of Gibraltar as president), has been formed for the purpose of establishing an Italian Church Reformation Fund. The object is to be the assistance of those Italians who have evinced a tendency towards reforming their own Church after the example of the Church of England.  In the year 1865, for which the returns have recently been issued, there were 133 snicides in Scotland one in every 23,579 of the estimated population. Fifty-eight cf these deaths wero by hanging, 40 by cut-throat, 17 by poison, 12 by drowning, two by gunshot, two by precipitation from a height, two in ways not stated. The number of suicides in England in the same year was 1492, or one in every 15,080 of the estimated population; so that to two suicides in Scotland here were three in England in a like number of population.  According to notice served on Messrs. Lewis ana Lewis by Mr W. R. Roberts, the solicitor for Mde. Rachel, two persons, named Davis and Slack, were to appear at tho Judges' Chambers yesterday, to justify in £5OO each for her appearance at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court. The hour appointed was twelve o'clock, and by one no appearance was made, and it was then ascertained that notico of withdrawal bad been served. It was said the bail was to be put in at Guildhall Police court, but there also the application had been withdrawn by notice. Madame Rachel still remains in Newgate.
The Sun. — 1868-02-14 (London, England)

SUICIDE BY A DEFAULTING SECRETARY.—Yesterday an elderly man, named Thomas Farmer, a glass bottle dealer in Thomas-street, at the back of Kennington Park, committed suicide by shooting himself. For many years past the deceased had been connected with several building and other benefit societies, and from his respectable position had been appointed to various offices of trust and responsibility. Amongst other positions he held was that of secretary to the Loyal United Friends Gift Fund, Lodge 31, held at the Lamb and Hare Tavern, Lower Kennington-line. For some time past there had been suspicions in the minds of the trustees of that fund about the money, and the result was that an examination of the books was made, when it was found that there were defalcations to the extent of about £7O. The trustees communicated with the deceased upon the subject, and he made several proposals for the refunding of the money, which he admitted he had appropriated. No arrangement having been come to, however, the trustees determined to take proceedings against the deceased. A. summons was applied for and granted, being made returnable on Tuesday last at Lambeth Police-court. The defendant, however, did not appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On the officer proceeding yesterday morning to execute it, he was answered at the door by a female member of the family, and whilst in conversation with her a loud report of firearms was heard to proceed from the rear of the house, and the deceased was found lying in a pool of blood with his head and face in a most horrible state. By his side was lying a double-barrelled gun, with which the deceased had shot himself by discharging one of the barrels in his mouth. The second barrel was loaded with ball, and the nipple was capped. Med cal aid was at once called in, but death must have been instantaneous.
The Sun. — 1868-02-14 (London, England)

SUICIDE BY A DEFAULTING SECRETARY.—Yesterday an elderly man, named Thomas Farmer, a glass  bottle dealer in Thomas-street, at the back of Kennington  Park, committed suicide by shooting himself. For many  years past the deceased had been connected with several building and other benefit societies, and from his re spectable position had been appointed to various offices of trust and responsibility. Amongst other positions he held was that of secretary to the Loyal United Friends Gift Fund, Lodge 31, held at the Lamb and Hare Tavern, Lower Kennington-lane. For some time past there had been suspicions in the minds of the trustees of that fund about the money, and the result was that an examination of the books was made, when it was found that there  were defalcations to the extent of about £7O. The trus tees communicated with the deceased upon the subject, and he made several proposals for the refunding of the money, which he admitted he had appropriated. No arrangement having been come to, however, the trustees determined to take proceedings against the deceased. A summons was applied for and granted, being made returnable on Tuesday last at Lambeth Police-court. The defendant, however, did not appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On the officer proceeding yesterday morning to execute it, he was answered at the door by a female membor of the family, and whilst in conversation with her a loud report of firearms was heard to proceed  from the rear of the house, and the deceased was found  lying in a pool of blood with his head and face in a most horrible state. By his side was lying a double-barrelled gun, with which the deceased had shot himself by discharging one of the barrels in his mouth. The second barrel was loaded with ball, and the nipple was capped. Med ical aid was at once called in, but death must have been instantaneous.
The Sun. — 1868-11-16 (London, England)

REMARKS.  The change in barometrical pressure during the previous forty. eight hours has been greatest in the south and west, exceeding o'2ln. at Brest. In the N. there was a slight increase yesterday, but this morning pressure is decreasing again in that district. The difference of readings between Ardrossan and Rochefort is more than o.4in. Temperature is lower than it was on Saturday. On Saturday night a strong north-east wind blew on our E. coast, amounting to a gale at Yarmouth ; but during yesterday the wind was generally moderate from the same quarter, but was strong in the Channel. This morning light winds from N. to N.W. are reported from the E. coast: else where they easterly, and strongest on ths Trench coast. The weather is generally cloudy, with mist chiefly on the S. and E. coasts  The annual Colstin Festival took place at Bristol on Friday, and was observed as a general holiday. The Lord Bishop of Norwich has appointed Mr. Edward Howes, A.M., to be chancellor of the dioceso of Norwich, in the room of Mr. Charles Evans, deceased. The Rev. J. E. Bennett, of Frome, writes to state that he did not authorise any person to defend him in any way at the late inquiry at London-house.  The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on Friday conferred the honour of knighthood at the Viceregal Lodge on Mr. John Barrington, formerly Conservative Lord Mayor of Dublin, and Mr. Reid, Mayor of Derry.  The Paris police have determined to adopt a system of indicators with the cabs—a sort of maclane which will show the distance accomplished, and the proper fare to be paid. It is said that it will be impossible for the cabmen to tamper with those regulators.  M. Paulin, the son of a man who made a fortune by the illustration (the French Illustrated News, of which be was the founder), committed suicide on Thursday, at his residence, No. 3, flue Grange Bateliere. After starting in life with an income of upwards of £3,000 a year, he ruined himself by gambling at the Bourse and the German gaming tables. At Homburg and Baden-Baden he frequently played the maximum and broke the bank. Ho was often heard to say that, when he was thoroughly "cleaned out," he would kill himself. Ho fulfilled the threat by enveloping Lis head in linen soakccl A e49:lp9us qus. Mktci chlQlacrilat
The Sun. — 1868-04-03 (London, England)

MURDER AND SUICIDE.  For upwards of thirty years an old gentleman, named John Wass, has farmed nearly 200 acres of land under his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, at Stoney Houghton, a village situated about five miles from Mansfield, and seven miles from Chesterfield. Among the servants in his employ was a youth named Robert Brown, aged 10 years. Both master and servant appear to have been possessed of most excitable tempers, and two months ago Wass violently assaulted the servant Brown with a three-pronged fork, for which offence a summons was issued by the magistrates. A reconciliation, however, took place, and the charge was withdrawn. The old man has since that time been seriously indisposed, and his friends have thought that his intellect was affected. He has been regularly attended by a surgeon of Mansfield, who has endeavoured to advise him to take a change of air, but without effect, and his irritable temper has latterly increased as well as his antipathy to his servant boy Brown. On Thursday morning he got up at five o'clock and called his servants, but Brown did not make his appear. ance until six, when his master, in harsh language,complained, telling him he could neither get him up with calling nor ringing. The youth made an insolent reply, and the farmer immediately seized a gun loaded with ball and deliberately fired at him as he stood on the road fronting the house. The contents of the barrel entered the youth's back, shattering the spine, and he fell down and died immediately. An old woman, named Mary Wilson, sister-in-law of the murderer, alarmed at the noise, rushed out of her bedroom into the yard, and raised the poor fellow Pp, and, finding life was extinct; she made an alarm. The murderer then ran upstairs, and in a very short time came down an I entered the parlour, and reloaded the gun. Just as some of his relations were entering the room he Placed the muzzle of the gun in his mouth, and, pressing the trigger with his foot, he fired the contents into his head, the ball entering the roof of the mouth, and coming out of the right temple, shattering the jaw in a frightful manner. lie died instantly.
The Sun. — 1868-04-03 (London, England)

MURDER AND SUICIDE.  For upwards of thirty years an old gentleman, named John Wass, has farmed nearly 200 acres of land under his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, at Stoney Houghton, a village situated about five miles from Mansfield, and seven miles from Chesterfield. Among the servants in his employ was a youth named Robert Brown, aged 19 years. Both master and servant appear to have been possessed of most excitable tempers, and two months ago Wass violently assaulted the servant Brown with a three-pronged fork, for which offence a summons was issued by the magistrates. A reconciliation, however, took place, and the charge was withdrawn. The old man has since that time been seriously indisposed, and his friends have thought that his intellect was affected. He has been regularly attended by a surgeon of Mansfield, who has endeavoured to advise him to take a change of air, but without effect, and his irritable temper has latterly increased as well as his antipathy to his servant boy Brown. On Thursday morning he got up at five o'clock and called his servants, but Brown did not make his appear. ance until six, when his master, in harsh language, complained, telling him he could neither get him up with calling nor ringing. The youth made an insolent reply, and the farmer immediately seized a gun loaded with ball and deliberately fired at him as he stood on the road fronting the house. The contents of the barrel entered the youth's back, shattering the spine, and he fell down and died immediately. An old woman, named Mary Wilson, sister-in-law of the murderer, alarmed at the noise, rushed out of her bedroom into the yard, and raised the poor fellow up, and, finding life was extinct, she made an alarm. The murderer then ran upstairs, and in a very short time came down an I entered the parlour, and reloaded the gun. Just as some of his relations were entering the room he placed the muzzle of the gun in his mouth, and, pressing the trigger with his foot, he fired the contents into his head, the ball entering the roof of the mouth, and coming out of the right temple, shattering the jaw in a frightful manner. He died instantly.