npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1844-05-28 (London, England)

SUICIDE.—John Leaman, aged 60 years, an inmate of the workhouse in this borough, whose habits and conduct had obtained for him the bestowal of privileges not usually granted to the paupers, was detected on Saturday last, under circumstances which gave assurance that he had been guilty of a most •atrocious violation on the person of a child only nine years of age. This girl it appeared had been allowed after school hours on Saturday, to remain with her father in the man's yard as an indulgenco to her parent. Having missed her, the father in the pursuit of an inquiry, went to a room in that part of the yard in which Leaman worked, but was unable to enter it, as the door •f the room was fastened on the inside. He asked Leaman if his child was there, when the girl cried out " I am here, father." The father then went away, and presently the girl came after him, and in answer to close interrogatories he elicited confirmation of his most painful surmises. Subsequently he encountered the wicked object of the child's pollution, and visited upon him the indignant scorn of a man dishonoured and wretched, and informed him that he would cause his imprisonment. The charge was not given to the authorities of the establishment until the next day, when, preparatory to other proceedings, the master stopped Leaman's leave at the gate. On his presenting himself, as usual, on going to church, Leaman was informed that his leave had been checked. He turned away, and was not heard of for an hour-and-a-half afterwards, when it was discovered that he had secured the door of the room ita before, and finished his career by self-destruction. He was suspended by the neck by a rope, and apparently had been dead some time. An inquest was held on the body on Monday, when a verdict of " Feb de se" was returned. His remains, according to law, were interred on Monday night, at Stoke Church, between nine and twelve o'clock, without the rites of Christian burial.—Devonport Independent.
The Sun. — 1844-05-28 (London, England)

SUICIDE.—John Leaman, aged 60 years, an inmate of the workhouse in this borough, whose habits and conduct had obtained for him the bestowal of privileges not usually granted to the paupers, was detected on Saturday last, tinder circumstances which gave assurance that he had been guilty of a most atrocious violation on the person of a child only nine years of age. This girl it appeared had been allowed after school hours on Saturday, to remain with her father in the man's yard as an indulgeuco to her parent. Having missed her, the father in the pursuit of an inquiry, went to a room in that part of the yard in which Leaman worked, but was unable to enter it, as the door •f the room was fastened on the inside. He asked Leaman if his child was• there, when the girl cried out " I am here, father." The father then went away, and presently the girl came after him, and in answer to Close interrogatories he elicited confirmation of his most painful- surmises. Subsequently he encountered the wicked object of the child's pollution, and visited upon him the indignant scorn of a man dishonoured and wretched, and informed him that he would cause his imprisonment. The charge was not given to the authorities of the establishment until the next day, when, preparatory to other proceedings, the master stopped Leaman's leave at the gate. On his presenting himself, as usual, on goingi to church, Leaman was informed that his leave had checked. He turned away, and was not heard beers checked. an hour-and-a-half afterwards, when it was discovered he had secured the door of the room as before, finishedb his career by self-destruction. He was suspendedbeen dead ysomthee tlnecek by a rope, and apparently had An inquest was held on the body on Monday, when a' verdict of "Flo de se" was returned. HlSnriegmhta,inas, according to law, were interred on Monday Stoke Church, between nine and twelve o'clock, withoutt the rites of Christian burial.—Devonport Independent.
The Sun. — 1844-05-28 (London, England)

SUICIDE. Yesterday, considerable sensation prevailed amongst the inhabitants of the neighbouring village of Bootle, in consequence of a rumour that a child had been murdered by its mother, and that the latter had then committed suicide. Upon inquiry, it turned out that the report was not without foundation, and that there was but too much reason to believe that both these horrible crimes had been perpetrated. The facts appeared to be, that about nine o'clock on Saturday night, a remarkably fine male child, with long brown hair, and apparently between seven and ten months old, was taken out of the canal, near Coffee• house-bridge, Bootle. When first taken out, he showed symptoms of life, but soon afterwards died. He was very respectably dressed, having had on a striped printed frock, flannel petticoat, linen shirt, dark check gingham pinafore, black and white netted worsted handkerchief, blue and white worsted socks, and a brown bonnet, lined with blue silk. The canal was afterwards dragged, and the body of a female, supposed to be the mother of the child was speedily found. She was rather delicately formed, and was apparently between twenty-one and twenty-four years of age. She was five feet one or two inches in height; and the colour of her hair was brown. She, also, was rather respectably attired, having on a dark printed cotton dress, lilac printed apron, plaid worsted handkerchief, stuff shoes, not much worn, black worsted stockings, and a black stuff merino bonnet. A gold ring was found on the fourth finger of her left hand ; and she was supposed to be from Liverpool. There appears very little doubt that the female was the mother of the child. She was, at all events, its nurse ; for, in the earlier part of the evening, she was seen suckling it on some steps near the canal bridge. There were no marks of violence on the infant, but there were a couple of large black spots on the right leg of the female, and a contusion under one of her eyes. The child was first discovered by a gardener named Edmund Smeahurst, who happened to be passing along the canal at the time, and who states that his attention was directed to the spot by having heard something like a person moaning in the water. He succeeded in getting the infant out, and then ran and in formed the police, who, upon their arrival, found Mr. Reid, surgeon, in the act of endeavouring to restore animation. The bodies were conveyed to the Rising Sun public-house, where they remain at present, and where they were visited by some hundreds of persons yesterday. The female was recognised by several, who stated that they had seen her frequently in and around Bootle. A carter, amongst others, said he observed her nursing the child on Saturday, near one of the Bootle turnpike gates.—Liverpool Al/ ion of Monday.
The Sun. — 1844-04-08 (London, England)

MONTLAVILIA.:, 146; against it, 140. The proposal was strongly opposed by the Alinister of Finance on behalf of the Cabinet, principally on the ground that the revenue could not spare so large a'sum as that raised by the duty.  We cannot allow the finding of the Coroner's jury on the late "Extraordinary Suicide in Fleet street," to pass out of public notice, without expressing our entire concurrence in the rebuke which that verdict embodied. So far as we can cvllect the facts from a perusal of the evidence, we certainly can arrive at no other but the appalling conclusion it so emphatically records. " That the deceased (a young woman) committed suicide whilst in a state of temporary insanity, induced by the cruel and heartless conduct" —of a person who was described as a 8.D., and a cu, rate in holy orders in the Church of England—is the declaration upon oath of twelve respectable jurors resident in the immediate neighbourhood within which this catastrophe has happened. An evil sign of evil times—unhappily not an isolated one, but of a class of recent cases whose name is "Legion." The young man thus disgracefully reflected upon—having very coolly and circumstantially admitted a former guilty intimacy with the deceased—so deported himself in the course of his examination and testimony that the "finding" we have already quoted proceeded in these words :—" and we are compelled to express  There is little intelligence from Italy in these papers beyond what has been already published. A letter from Stockholm, dated the 22d ult., communicates the death of the KING'S foster brother, General CAMPS, and gives the details of the post mortem examination of the remains of the late Monarch :  "General Camps, the foster brother of the late King, and who had fur many years been one of his Aides-deCamp, has closely fullovved his master to the tomb. He died the day before ye sterday. Of all the French who came into Sweden with the Prince Royal in 1810, the General was the last survivor. The obsequies of the deceased monarch are announced for April 27. Our journals publish the report of the autopsy, made by the celebrated Retzius, in the presence of all the witnesses required by the ceremonial in such cases. Externally there is nothing anormal but the sears of a gun-shot wound in the head, and of a wound in the thigh from a lance; but it is ascertained that there was in the brain emollitio elba, or a softening of the fornix ; some serous effusions and morbid adhesions, and in the arteries of the lower members the ravages of the gangrena senilis.' The process of embalment is now going on. General Count de Lowenheim (our late minister at Vienna), is to be the bearer of the letters to the King of the French, and othi,r generals will carry them to London, Vienna, St. Petersbuigh, Copenhagen, and Munich. The States-Genetal are about to be convoked. The King will be crowned in Sweden in the course of the summer, and later in Norway." PAuts
The Sun. — 1844-04-22 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF AN AMERICAN MERCHANT.  On Friday a long inquiry took place at the Horse and Groom, Castle-street, Leicester-square, before Mr. Higgs, concerning the death of Joseph Simiani, aged twenty-six, an American merchant.  William Nind, proprietor of Pagliano's Hotel, No. 30, Leicester-square, said that the deceased had lodged in his house for the last six weeks. He represented himself as an American merchant, lately arrived from Italy, and about to proceed to New York. Not being able to liquidate the demand witness had upon him, deceased made an engagement to meet him that morning (Friday) with his friend Mr. Rosselli, who, he stated, would become guarantee for the amount. Witness found that, at the appointed time, deceased had not risen from bed, and he waited a short time expecting him to make his appearance ; but shortly after twelve o'clock sent one of the waiters up to call him. The door was locked, and upon forcing it open, the deceased was seen lying upon the floor alive, but bleeding from a large wound in the throat. He died in about an hour. On the previous day witness told him that he could not remain any longer in the house, upon which deceased asked to be allowed to get some letters from his desk, which he stated were were of great importance ; and he then took from the drawer a packet of letters, addressed to Mr. Roselli, Mincing-lane, City. The day of his death (Friday) witness received the following letter, which deceased had evidently written the previous day—it was written in French : " I pray you to send to Mr. Rosselli, Mincing-lane, my writing-desk, and the two parcels addressed to him. I kill myself, because lam tired of living. I have prayed to God and the most holy mother that they might take from me those thoughts, but my prayers have had no effect. It seems that that should be my destiny. Before dying I have repented with all my heart of all my faults, and I hope in the mercy of God that my soul may be saved.: Pray for me.— I am, &c. "
The Sun. — 1844-04-22 (London, England)

CORONER—Do you know whether this elderly gentleman filled any situation to support himself and the deceased ? Witness—ln the London Docks ; a sW very important situation she told me. Juror—Now, did you ever hear her say anything remark about her parents?that she would Witness—Yes, i t n givee s—thYeesorlsird she used to if she could but find her father and mother. Henry Blythe, police-constable 302 K, deposed to the finding of the body. in the middle of the new-cut of the river Lea, -at Limehouse, on Friday morning, about five o'clock. She had a bonnet on, and had been turned up by a barge passing over her. The CORONER observed that it not only was a distressing case, but one of very singular character. Respecting the early life of the deceased they had nothing to do; the cause of death being the .part of their inquiry. It appeared almost evident that the deceased had destroyed herself, but still there was no evidence to that fact, and they had better record an open verdict. The jury expressed themselves fully satisfied that she had committed suicide, but the Coroner pointing out the safe plan of returning a verdict of " Found Dead," in a case like the present one, they conceded and recorded one in accordance with the Coroner's  recommendation. Mr. Higgs held an inquest at the Carlisle Arms, Queen-street, Soho, on the body of Mr. Boudry, aged 47, a master watchmaker, of No. 4, Frith street, Soho, who committed suicide under the following circum  stances : Catherine Mills deposed that on Friday morning her master did not get up at his usual hour, but took, his breakfast in bed. Between I 0 and 11 the same morning a gentleman called, and said he wanted to see the deceased. Witness communicated 'that fact to her mistress, who immediately repaired up stairs to inform her husband, but she found the door fastened. She knocked, but receiving no answer, she procured assistance, and had the door broken open, when deceased was found lying on the top of the bed, with a cord tied round his throat, which was fastened to a nail in the wall. There being a surgeon in the house at the time, who had called to see his brother, he ran up stairs, and endeavoured to
The Sun. — 1844-04-22 (London, England)

LONDON. MONDAY, APRIL 22, 1844.  In the House of Commons on Friday, Mr. Buxom., greatly to his credit,- called the Home Secretary's attention to a recent capital conviction at the Central Criminal Court, which has excited public sympathy in no slight degree. " The case," remarked the Hon. Member for Durham, "struck him as being one of the most extraordinary that had ever occurred. It appeared that a poor woman had thrown herself and baby into the water, being at the time in circumstances of the utmost destitution. Apparently her intention was to commit suicide, and not leave her infant alone and unprotected in the world behind her. Her own life was preserved, but the child perished. The unhappy creature had been sentenced to death for her crime, and one of the newspaper reports stated that the judge gave her no hope whatever that mercy would be extended to her. such a statement required comment, and he now wished to be. satisfied that the Right Hon. Gentleula,tess attention had been called eGto so distressing a RoA.. HAM'S answer to case:"' Now, what was Sir J. this affecting statement? " In the Ileum- Secretary, " his attentionpnt of fact," said , had not been  called to the matter until the present moment. In the very delicate duty which would devolve upon him, the Hon. Member might rest assured he would do his best to exercise a sound and dispassionate judgment; but beyond this, he could not then say anything, as the Howe must be aware of the inconvenience attending such discussions." Anything more cool—we might almost add, supercilious—than this reply we do not often remember to have met with, even in the records of Parliament. It exhibits all that free and easy indifference to human life for which SIDMOUTH and CASTLEREAGH were so remarkable. The whole town is just now ringing with the case of poor MARY FURLEY ; the judgment pronounced on her—legal though it undoubtedly is—is generally declared to be harsh and unmerited; yet the Home Secretary knows nothing at all about the matter ! The very Minister, who, from his official position, should be perfectly cognizant with every case of moment that transpires in the criminal jurisdiction of the country, boldly states that his " attention has not been called" to one of the most heart-rending trials that have taken place at the Old Bailey for many a year, " until the present moment !" Does Sir JAMES GRAHAM never read the newspapers ? If he is in the habit of doing so, he cannot fail to have read the whole circumstances of this distressing case, which have been detailed at length in the columns of the daily journals, wherein also may be found most unquestionable proof of the public sympathy for
The Sun. — 1844-09-07 (London, England)

MARYLEBONE.  A middle-aged Irishwoman, named Finnigan, was charged with aiding and abetting some boys in illegally lighting a" bonfire" in the middle of Horace-street, to commemorate the triumph of O'Connell over his Tory enemies.  She said she did not think she was doing any harm on such an occasion as the liberation of O'Connell, but the Magistrate ordered her to find bail. A. simple-looking country girl, who refused to give her name or her residence, except that she was a native of Wiltshire, was charged with having attempted to commit suicide in the Regent's Canal. Policeman 271 S, said between one and two o'clock this morning, he saw the female standing on the towingpath of the canal close to the water's-edge. lie hastened to the spot, and was forthnate enough to catch hold of her before she could carry her awful intention into effect. She said she had neither a home nor friends, and was tired of life.  Mr. RAWLINSON asked her if she had any reason for attempting to commit suicide. The girl said she could give no reason nor would she divulge her name in state to whom the magistrate could apply respecting her. Mr. RA WIINSON sent her to St. Pancras workhouse until inquiries are made respecting her. Thursday a young woman, named Emma Tierbuck, in the service of Benjamin Badger, Esq , a barrister, residing at No. 22, Cambridge-street, Edgware-road, was brought up in custody and placed at the bar before Mr. Ravk linson, charged with having stolen articles of jewellery and other property of much value. Prosecutor deposed that the prisoner had been about six months in his family as cook. On the same morning (yesterday) he missed a silver thistle, and suspecting that she (prisoner) was the thief, he, accompanied by Mrs. Badger, went to her and desired that her boxes might be searched, but she objected to that being done unless in the presence of a policeman. A constable was accordingly sent for, and on his arrival the said boxes were opened, when a great quantity of property belonging to prosecutor and a young lady, the governess, was found there and in other parts of her (prisoner's) room. When her guilt was detected she begged for forgiveness, and promised that in the event of her offence being looked over she would be a " good girl" all the days of her life.  Sergeant Walker, 5 D, produced a gold seal, ring, brooch, and the silver thistle before alluded to, together with a number of tableforks, and a quantity of tea, sugar, soap, and other things, many of which were discovered secreted under the prisoner's bed. On witness telling her (prisoner) that she was in charge for the robbery, and must go to the station-house, she exclaimed, " Oh, what a foolish girl I am, and I wish I may die before I get there." She fell upon her knees, crying, and several times kissed a letter which she had recently received from her mother. _ _  Mr. Badger identified a great portion of the property brought forward as being his, and the prisoner, who had nothing to say, was fully committed to Newgate for trial.
The Sun. — 1844-09-07 (London, England)

SHOCKING CASE.—The Baltimore papers of Mon • day, 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 in 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 haddrowned 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. — 1844-10-26 (London, England)

SUICIDE.—On Tuesday night a young woman, named Esther Tilly, the daughter of a farmer living at Ashley-hill, Stapleton, destroyed herself by jumping into a pool of water in her father's orchard. The unhappy girl had been forbidden her father's house in consequence of her keeping company with a young man named George Williams, which connexion her parent did not approve, and attending the theatre and such places. On Tuesday evening she wrote a letter to Williams, declaring her intention to drown herself in the pool ; this letter (not being able to read himself) he showed to another young man and the father, and it then being late, the young men started off to the spot,t and just as they got in sight of the pond they observed the young woman throw herself in. She was promptly taken out of the pool, and conveyed into the bonse, when, we understand, a glass of brandy and_.waAtet five was e o'clock r administered to her, and she was put to baes sent for, but the d the next morning a medical man a verdict o f girl was dead. An inquest was heldw Feb 1, before Joyner Ellis, Esq., Coroner for this county, when returned.—Cheltenham Chronicle. se wasFATALACCIDENT.—Thursday a man named Mildwater, lately residing in William-street, Portland-town, expired in Westminster Hospital from the effect of severe injuries. It appeared the deceased was employed at Freeman's Wharf, Millbank, on the previous day in unloading some timber, when he fell a considerable once takenhia u t o t het hehoi cuiat ll height and severely injured the whole of the lower part of his where every a ltitee n tlan was s a t n paidgraspaly, sank under the wounds and internal consequences arising from them. The Antwerpen steamer, Captain Jackson, arrived at the St. Katharine's Wharf, Tower, on Thursday, at the early hour of eight o'clock, the passage to London having been effected in twenty hours, against a directly contrary tide. Doctor Phillimore was amongst the passengers. The lion. Mrs. Kennedy and family proceeded to Antwerp, On Sunday last, by this ship.