npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1893-12-29 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

AUGUST 3. Earthquake in Leicester. 5. Great fire in Liverpool. Suicide of Daisy Hughes, the music hall singer, at the Grand Hotel, Brighton. 7. Boat accident at Port Talbot ;24 lives lost. 8. Fatal boating accident at Weymouth. 11. Religious riots at Bombay. 12. Terrible railway accident at Llantrissant Junction, on the Taff Vale Railway; 12 persons killed, many injured. 15. Baring Sea Arbitration award, favourable to Britain. 16. Shocking boating accident on the Lower Shannon, Ireland; 17 persons drowned. Disastrous floods in Hungary. 22. Boating disaster at Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire; 10 persons drowned. 24. Destructive floods in Switzerland. 25. 500 houses burned at Chicago. 26. Fatal gun accident to Mr. H. D. Llewelyn, the wellknown cricketer. Technical assault in the Lobby of the House of Commons on Mr. Harry Furniss, Punch caricaturist, by Mr. Swift McNeill, M.P. Accident on the klew York Rockaway Beach Railway; 16 killed and 50 injured. Great fire and rioting in Rome. 29. Terrible cyclone in America; 600 lives reported lost. 31. Colliery riots in Derbyshire and elsewhere.  Sarraamica 1. Railway disasters: Collapse of a bridge near Chester, Mass., over which a train was passing-15 killed and many injured; collisions near Swansea and in Paris. Appearance of cholera in Grimsby and in Hull. 4. Fatal fire at Fulham; five lives lost. 6. Rioting amongst miners in South Wales. Ardlamont shooting mystery, Mr. Monson committed for murder. 7. Serious mining riots at Featherstone; soldiers fire on the rioters; three men killed ; many wounded. 12. M. Charles de Lesseps released from prison. 15. Several deaths from cholera in England. Mutiny at Aldershot. 16. Railway collision in Box Tunnel, Great Western Railway; many injured. 19. Fatal fire at Whitechapel ; five lives lost. 20. Tragedy in Regent-square, King's-cross; two men and a woman murdered. 26. Three cholera deaths at Hall. 29. Body of a farmer found terribly mutilated near High Wycombe.
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1893-06-02 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

TERRIBLE AFFAIR AT COITY  A N I-NFO L-NATE END.  At about midnight on Wednesday, information was brought to the Police-station, Bridgend, that a man named Thomas John, living at Coity, had locked himself in his house, and it was feared by the neighbours that the man had committed suicide. Police-sergeant Row, accompanied by P..lice-constable • Brown, on receipt of the information,immediately drove over to Coity. On reaching the house, which stands by itself on the side of the main road, the. door was found to be locked, and the sergeant made an unsuccessful attempt to enter the house by the window. It then became necessary to burst open the door. The front door, as in the case of most country cottages, opens directly into the kitchen, and the sight which met the. police officers' gaze as they entered showed that the apprehensions %Ouch had been formed were only two well founded. Suspended by a rope from the ceiling, and with the feet about a foot and a half from the ground, was the body of the. maniac (for such the pout fellow was), grimly dangling in the lone still apartment, with the. bloodless distorted wuntatance, gazing down with horrible reality upon the intruders.. The body was immediately cut down, and Policesergeant Row aud Police-constable Brown utilising their knowledge of ambulance work, with commendable promptitude, at once set to. work to induce respiration in case there were any sparks of life remaining.- Their efforts,which were carried out with admirable skill and persistency,however failed to produce the desired effect, for the poor fellow, though the body was. warm, had evidently been dead some time. .An examination of the apartment showed that the deceased had tied the rope round the joist of: the ceiling, and made a slip knot, and had, evidently launched himself out from a kitchen chair. I teceased was a collier by occupation, and 34 years of age, and lived apart from his. wife with his little boy about eight years of age, to whom it was stated he was passionately attached. Years ago, while following his occupatiou, he received an injury to his head, which injuriously affected his brain, and eventually necessitated his being confined in the Bridgend Asylum. He, however, recovered sufficiently to be discharged, and he was enabled to follow his employment as usual up till within about six weeks ago,when symptoms of insanity again began to show themselves.. Latterly, it is, stated, he became more violent in his conduct, and constituted a terror to the inhabitants of the village, some of whom he is reported to have threatened to murder. Mr Jones, one of the relieving ollictrs of the union, had visited the house lately with the view of getting him removed to the asylum. is said to have paid a visit to the house on Wednesday, but for some reason or other the preliminary steps for the removal were not taken. The affair has created a profound sensation in the neighbourhood. An inquest will be held.
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1894-03-23 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

MYSTERIES OF THE MORGUE. Here are some grim figures from the annual statistical report of the Morgue. Last year (says Blaak and if hi/c) no fewer than 909 bodies laid on the marble slabs of the Paris dead-house, and of this great number more than 200 were unknown men and women, claimed and recognised by none. Two hundred and fifteen out of the total number had lost their lives by drowning; falls had disposed of 83; while suffocation, stabbing, and poisoning brought most of the rest to their death. The greater number of the corpses were those of men, and the statistics go to prove what has already been proved, that those who commit suicide oftener choose the summer than the winter for their " rash act." It is strange but true that the brighter and more hopeful the season of the year the more unhappy souls find strength and nerve to end their miseries. As to what percentage of the Morgue subjects are suicides, of course no man sin tell but, probably, it is very high.  Tits appointment of Mr. A. H. Ifardinge as British Agent and Consul-General for the Dominions of the sultan of Zanzibar and Consul-General for German East Africa is gazetted. A STRANGER in Brussels just now is rather puzzled in passing by certain shops in the main thoroughfares to see an attractive, stylishly-dressed young lady inside the establishment tapping at the window and beckoning to him, while smiling in a most amiable and engaging manner. If the stranger is a young man, he generally turns round and walks back to see who the pretty girl is who thus seems to claim actin:lint:ince with him, but only to discover that he has been taken in by a cunningly devised automaton. For some time past little comical figures in motion have been used for the purpose of drawing attention to shopkeepers' wares, and the beckoning lady is the latest development of the trick. THE Board of Trade have given a binocular glass to Mr. Alexis L. Markakov, master of the steamship Rossia, of Odessa, in recognition of h;s humanity and kindness to the shipwrecked crew of the steamship Ravenshoe, of Cardiff, which was abandoned in the Black Sea last January.
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1894-01-12 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

AMERICAN 1' UN.  Tuna is a great. variety of wigs, but, paradoxical as it may seem, you will find many of them as much alike as toupees. ovinrristso for a situation, a man in Newport explains, " Work is not so iamb an object as good Wages.'  WHEN old Sam Cruder, down in Pike, was running for Justice of the Peace, his wife, in anticipation of honours in store for her, said, "My dear, when you get to he Justice of the Penn', what will I her " Von," said old Sam, " why, you'll be the same old fool you always was  IT if! only when she is past 90 that & woman is proud of her age. Timm are '' millions of surprises" in store for a man who has concluded to take unto himself a wife. A 3IAN never looks so much like a red-handed villain as when he is told by the photographer to "look pleasant." Love pleases more than marriage, for the reason that romance is more interesting than history. THE Dmton P•mt has discovered is humane butcher, who whistles " Pinafore " airs to the animals and makes them want to be killed.  Tun pretty face of a woman is like a clock's—not much account unless there are good works back of it.  ENGLISH ladies of fashion are said to be reviving a custom prevalent in the reign of Queen Anne, that of carrying walking-sticks, like gentlemen. A Gum in Indiana cultivated, harvested, and threshed, and sold 350 bushels of wheat last year. And yet women are not ready for the franchise.  . . .... . " THE strmgest propensity it.; a ;VOlnal;'S tiatnre," sinscareful student of the sex, "is to want to know what is going on, and the next thing is to boss the job." A FRENCHMAN in business advertises that he has a "chasm" for an apprentice. He had looked up the word "opening" in the dioionarv. A tovaty little poets, entitled 'The Suicide," is going the rounds just now. We are glad to say that the poets have finally got into the right path. Tuxv say you can tell by the taste of beer what the weather is going to be. 'We never before realised how much curiosity there is concerning the weather pmbalilit ies. A Bosros paper states that a Chicago grocer sells soap, every tenth cake of which contains in its centre a gold dollar, and that the citizens of Chicago are in consequence getting to look tolerably clean. . . . .  SCIENTIFIC men have made the alarming statement that the heads of Englislnnen are growing smaller. If their arms and legs, however, keep up to the standard, the young Mood can get along if his head is not quite so swell. . . . . .  " RATHER a nice city," said Bret Ifarte to a friend Scotland, as they rode through a Scotch town on the cars. "What place is t his, anyhow?" The friend replied, "This is Glasgow, where you have been Consul for the lust two or three years." . . • . ' "  A
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1894-01-12 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ALLEGED DOUBLE MURDER AND  SUICIDE AT LEEDS.  Early on Sunday morning Richard Benson. a clerk employed on the Midland Railway at Leeds, it is alleged, murdered a woman who lived with him as his wife, and also her child, by cutting their throats with a razor, and afterwards committed suicide by cutting his own throat. Benson also battered the woman's head with a poker. The parties, who lived in Ingleby-grove. Annlev-road, had often quarrelled, and were heard quarrelling at eight o'clock on Sunday morning by neighbours, one of whom, a Mr. White, went into his back yard and shouted, "What's the matter?" One of 13enson'it sons, aged 15, answered, "They arc all killed upstairs." - Mr. White entered the house, and on going upstairs saw in the front bedroom Benson and the woman lying close together in a pool of blood. Both had their throats cut, and both were dead. The baby was also lying dead on the bed with its throat cut. Benson was in his shirt and drawers, and the woman had nothing on but her nightdress. On the door of the room were a bent poker and a broken razor, the lat ter being near Benson s right hand. The boy Benson made a statement to the police to the effect that he was awakened by another brot her calling out, "Albert, get up." lie immediately arose, and on going into the front bedroom Saw his father with a poker, hitting his mother, who cried out, Don't, Dick." The boy begun to cry, and begged his . father to desist. lie then retunted to his bedroom to dress, and on coming back met his father, who said, " I shall be hanged for this, but I'll finish the job." Benson then cut his own throat. The boy ran downstairs and told Mr. White what had occurrel. Ni) 1 reason is at present assigned for the tragedy, except that, Benson had been drinking heavily, especially I since Christmas.
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1891-08-28 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT NEATII.  On Saturday evening, about six o'clock, a woman named Mary Thomas, atro, 'Mary Mackie,' 47 years of age, and living at the Latt, Seath, "an seen to run towards the canal and jump in at a point near the old gasworks. The wretched woman, realising her danger, screamed for help. A man named Les is Jones gallantly went to her rescue, and brought her to the canal bank. She was subsequently arrested by Police-sergeant Price on a charge of attempting to commit suicide. It is suggested that drink caused the woman to attempt to take her life.  The following evidence was taken before the Mayor (Mr W. It. Trick) and the Es-mayor (Mr John Arnold) at the Borough PoLim Court on Monday. Mary Ann Ries, wife of David Rees, labourer James-street, Neath, said she saw prisoner on 22nd August. She heard her say 'l'll drown myself now.' Witness followed her but could not overtake her. Ifer object was to prevent prisoner carrying out her threat. When witness got to the canal she saw prisoner in the middle of the canal plunging in the water, her feet upwards. Prisoner was sinking, and witness screamed for assistance. A man named Lewis Jones jumped in and rescued prisoner. He placed her on the canal bank and went away. As prisoner was being taken away she kept saying ' I will do it.' _ _  Lewis Jones said be was at work in his garden and saw a basket floating in the middle of the canal. He neat Paw a woman rising out of the water. He jumped into the canal and found prisoner on her back under the water. As he took her out of the water a quantity of water came out of her mouth. After he had rescued prisoner the said I'll go and drown myself again.' Police-sergeant Price said he went to the house of prisoner's ton-in-law, Henry Turner. He found prisoner there upstairs lying on a bed with her clothes quite wet. He obtained some dry clothes for her and took her to the lock-up. When he , charged her with having attempted to take her own life away by drowning she said, I did do it; I will drown myself; I have no home.' She was sober at the time, but appeared to have something on her mind. She had been living with her son up to the latter part of last week, but she had left them and was wandering about. The Bench decided to adjourn the case xi, die; the necessary steps to be taken to obtain the admission of the unhappy woman to the Union WJrkhouse.
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1891-12-11 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

DEATII.—I give the following tab word for word as it was told to me, omiting names only:—" We have had serious times up here over a pig-killing affair. The first question aaked was, Has the Droll gone by t ' The second was, 'Who is to go into the stye t' The butcher's leg was bad, having had a kick upon it which nearly smashed it the previous day. After considerable discussion a neighbour went into the stye provided with a horso's collar, which the butcher had brought in lieu of a rope. The collar was placed in the pig's head; the doomed animal was led towards the altar. He seemed, however, to have smelt a rat for before he reached the bench away he bolted, and there was a sharp and a long chase of ter him. Eventually he was re-captured and placed upon the bench. The owner secured the legs with a small rope lest he should have the same as the man near Penprisk. The bleeding was done, the lust breath breathed, and then the porking bminesa commenced in earnest. Much of the hair, however, refused to give way, aud the butcher say s that was the worst pig for perking he had ever clapped eyes open. While perking tho pig the people noticed a big lump upon its back, and what that lump woo no man could tell. While the perking was proceeding the pig slipped off the bench, and drwy fawr °chain 'it was returned to it. When ready to hang the pig there was nothing wherewith to do so but a small chain or the butcher's collar. The latter was selected, but troubles never come singly, and no sooner was the pig up than the collar broke, and down the pig came again. The butcher here wept bitterly at the thought that his 6el collar had been ' ruined, and the owner of the pig nearly cursed. The chain was then fallen back upon. and the animal was ultimately safely hung up. Then arose the question, 'What's the weight of the pig ' The butcher as a man of experience was appealed to, but he excused himself on the score that he had become so nervous, and had lost his judgment Ecomewhere. It took H hours to kill and dress that pig, and if all the processes it will have to undergo will occupy a proportionately Mug time, it will be eaten by a generation yet unborn. The writer adds that a poor tom-cat that witnessed the death of the pig was so frightenod at the struggles of beast and men that it there and then disappeared and bas not since been seen or heard of, and it is feared that it has committed suicide. If so, he is a disgrace to his race."
Bridgend & Neath Chronicle, and County of Glamorgan Advertiser. — 1892-05-20 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

STRANGE SUICIDE AT BRYNCETIIIN.  THE INCICEST.  On Monday at the Royal Oak public-house, an inquest was held touching the death of William Thomas, alias William Lott, a native of Brynmenin, whose body was early on the previous Friday morning found hanging to a beam in a stable at Mainiy Farm, Bryncethin. Mr E. B. Reece was the coroner, and Mr Howel Williams foreman of the jury. Herbert Thomas, puddler, Brynmenin, said: The deceased William Thomas was my brother. He was 50 years of age. He was a labourer. He worked here and there. He was a married man, but had no family. I last saw him about six weeks ago. He had influenza last summer, and had not been well since. He was a soldier and was in India and had a sunstroke. He was rather given to drink, and a little drink affected his head. The body the jury has seen is the body of my brother, William Thomas.  Margaret Edwards, Bryncethin, sail: I keep a grocer's shop at Bryncethin. I knew the deceased ilrm Thomas. I last saw him on Monday night. He came to my shop. He boup.:ht a pennyworth of sweets and paid for them. He was quite sober. He asked me if I had seen his wife. I said I had not done so since March. He seemed the same as usual. He said he was working at Tonyrefail. He said he was going to see his wife at Coity. My house is a quarter of a mile from the shed where his body was found. He was at my house about six o'clock.  John Williams, Maindy Farm, St Pride's Minor, said : I knew the deceased William Thomas. On Friday morning about half-past six I went to the cowshed on my farm, which is situated about a quarter of a mile from my house, and I found the deceased hanging by a cord which was round his neck. The cord was round the rail, and his feet were in the feeding-trough. I cut him down at once. He was quite dead, but not stiff. His braces were round his neck as well as the cord. I have known him to sleep in the loft. The cord he used had been around some hay in the loft, and his hat and bundle were in the loft. I sent and told the police. A verdict was returned that deceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1893-12-15 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

TIRED OF LIFE AT TAIBACH.  AN OLD MAN'S TRAGIC DEATH.  On Monday, Mr Cuthbertson, coroner, held an inquest, at Taibach, oh the body of David Morgan, who had lived at No. 5, Upper West End. Taibach. He had been a copperman, and was 60 years of age. His body was found in the float. David Morgan, son of deceased, said he last saw his father alive the previous Tuesday, when he called at witness's house at Aberavon. Deceased seemed to be very depressed. He told witness the previous Sunday that he wanted witness to get him something to do or he would be found in the float. Witness did not think deceased meant what he said. He had been unwell, and had not done much work for 12 or 15 years. Deceased did not say anything on the Tuesday about work, but on that day be did not take any notice of his grandchildren as he had been accustomed to do. Witness never saw him alive after. He was missed the following day. He used to go to Swansea and would not be seen for a couple of days. This time he was looked for at Swansea and Aberdulais—that was on Saturday. Witness gave information to the police on Saturday, and on Sunday morning went in search. Witness found deceased's hat on the side of the Port Talbot Dock, and then found the body three or four yards from the side of the float. The body was lying accross a chain attached to a yacht. Deceased had been depressed many times before. Deceased had suffered from rheumatism, and had been attended by Dr Davies. Witness fancied that deceased put himself in the float. David Howells, Taibach, said he had known deceased, whom he saw about two o'clock on the Wednesday afternoon, near his house. Witness did not see him again. He saw the body when it was recovered; there were no marks upon it. Deceased had seemed low spirited. This concluded the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict to the offect that deceased had committed suicide whilst of unsound mind.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1893-10-06 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

BDITIES. —The first nickle-in-the-slot machines were made by Egyptian priests,and they turned on an urn of holy water. The ulster overcoat originated in Ireland. "Boodle" is derived from Dutch and German words, meaning pocket or purse. The drums of Scrvian regiments are placed on little two-wheeled carts, drawn by big dogs,the drummer following. Certain cocoanut trees in India, almost entirely lifeless, have been revived and math) to bear abundantly by placing salt at their roots. The name "pouted" as a place for keeping stray animals arose from the English law that the owner had to pay one pound sterling before he could recover his stock. In olden times suicides were buried at crossroads with a stake driven through the body. The stake was of willow, which grew rapidly and would, therefore, more surely mark the spa. Charles V. asked to see his own funs al celebrated in the Cathedral. It was done with the most minute detail, and made such a frightful impreesioa upon him that he actually_ died two days later. During the reign of Henry V. the English parliament passed a law requiring all the geese in England to be counted. The sheriff of every county was required to furnish six arrow feathers from each goose. The old master, Murillo was once decorating a monastery when one of the monks asked him to paint a picture for him. Having no canvas, Murillo painted "The Illadonna of the Napkin," which is still preserved. The coloured globes seen in the drug stole windows originated in the retorts and jars of various drugs, ramedies and. mixtures, with which the old apothecaries and alchemists surrounded themselves.  Our knowledge doth bid show us our ignorance. Our most studious scrutiny is but a discovery of what we cannot know. The wise prove and the foolish confess by their conduct that the his of employment is the only his worth leading. Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices. Temperance, courage, love, are made up of the 8411117 jewels...