npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-04-11 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

PROVIDENTIAL PRESENTIMENT.—OhI Thomas Waring,' the staymaker, sate one evening in his shop among his workpeople, when it became strongly impressed upon his mind that he must set off directly to the town of Ross. It was winter time; the days were short, and the weather none of the best. The idea seemed so strange a one that he did all in his power to get rid of it; he argued with himself for some time; it seemed very absurd and wild, but he could not rid his mind of what appeared to be his duty. It was impressed upon him like a mission, and as he Was one of those poor, simple, and obedient spirits, who once knowing the will of God, implicitly obey it, he rose up from the seat where he sate at work, and giving orders that his horse should be immediately saddled, set out. It was then four o'clock in the afternoon, and it was thirty miles to the town of Ross. He stopped at Hereford, which is about mid-distant, to bait his horse, and, in order that lie might lose no time, he fed it with an oatmeal mash, and immediately resumed his journey. It was late in the night when he approached Ross, and still his business there remained unknown to him. In passing over the Wye, however, as he entered the town, he cast his eyes upwards, and saw in the darkness of the night and amid the tall dark houses, a light in an attic window, and immediately it was revealed to him that it was that very house to which he had been called, and that by going there all would be made clear to him. He lost not a moment of time; but, riding directly up to the door, knocked violently: no one came, and while he was waiting there he gave his horse in charge to a boy in the street, bidding him to take it to a brother Quaker's, one George Dew's, and say that the owner of the horse would sleep at his house that night. Any one but a simple man, full of faith as old Thomas Waring was, would have expected the boy to have ridden off with the horse; but the old man was a discerner of spirits, and the boy conveyed both the horse and the message faithfully. After waiting long there at the door a youngwom an opened it, and timidly asked what he pleased to want. He told her, in all simplicity, that he could not tell, but that if she would listen for a few moments to what he had to say, perhaps she herself might explain it. She invited him in, and he then related to her the case exactly as it stands, remarking in conclusion, "and having told thee this, I can only repeat that I know not for what I am come." The young woman was much affected, and wept bitterly. "Sir," said she, in reply to his concluding words, "I can tell you for what you are come; you are come here to save me. I was gone into that upper room with the firm intention putting au end to my life, which has become very miser,. • Nothing would have prevented me committing suicide not you come. God has sent you! I am not altogt forsaken or abandoned by him !" "Thou art not !" good man, himself deeply affected, and from that 1 on to pour hope and consolation into her afflicted sp' visit of Thomas Waring to Ross was indeed not pi Rowitt's Journal. 4:"V ,
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-08-12 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MURDER. The neighbourhood of Grays, Essex, was thrown into a state of excitement, on the morning of Tuesday, by the report of a murder of the most awful character having been perpetrated at an early hour of that morning, in the adjoining parish of West Thurrock, on the banks of the Thames. The report proved but too well founded. The name of the murderer appears to be Sarah Grout, the wife of James Grout, labourer, living near the Fox and Goose public-house, at West Thurrock. It may be fairly assumed that the wretched woman was at the time of the commission of the act in an unsound state of mind; among other proofs of which it may be mentioned that she has within the last fortnight attempted suicide, and was only prevented from carrying out her purpose by the rope breaking which she had attached to tackle in the back kitchen for the purpose of hanging herself. Notwithstanding this and other proofs of insanity, the unfortunate woman was allowed to be at large. On Tuesday morning her husband went to his work, leaving his wife at home with three children, viz.: John, aged six years; Mary Anne, four years; James, two years. At twenty minutes past eight o'clock the elder boy, John, ran into the Pox and Goose public-house, exclaiming that his mother had murdered his brother and sister. The landlord, John Moss, ran into the cottage, and on entering the bedroom up-stairs, found the woman with is bill in her hand covered with blood, standing at the foot of the bed, and the bodies of the two children in a dreadfully mangled state, one on the bed, the other on the floor. The head of the little girl was nearly severed from the body. On Moss entering, she said, "I have done it myself; I have nobody to blame but myself." The wretched woman was emit examination s d iay u t el ty obgreinvfioenrngeintoat e elaceuevvestatoi. ovis:* dy,illainamd taken taoudGlira.yss countyahi magistrates, by whom she was remanded until e Selby clock She stated to the ed to constable that she had intend murder the elder boy also, had he not escaped from her, and then to have destroyed herself. She appears to be about forty years old, and has a ghastly expression of countenance.
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-09-23 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

AST-TfIION.  ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT MOtISLEY.—On Tuesday last, a, report was current in this village that the military were to be in attendance during the night, in order to. protect the police while they. made some further arrests of the chartists in that place,. and the police havin,g arrested. i several on the Tuesday night previous, n the mindi of some it sounded like truth. So excited were some of those known as chartists, that they,. in many instances, remained, up. nearly the whole of the night. At about ten o'clock, Inspector Harrfson heard a scream in the direction of Wirestreet, Mossley, and on, proceeding to one of the houses, found a young man in bed, named William Kenworthy, with his throat cut in a.frightful manner. On searching. the room, the inspector found the instrument with which.he had committed the crime,, an old shoemaker's knife, with a very short blade, almost worn out. Mr. Halleyard, the surgeon, was immediately sent for, and on arrival dressed the wound. Kenworthy is now in a fair way of recovery. It appears that this man was one of those who, on the night of the 14th of August last, left Mossley with an intent to join the Ashton division of "National Guards," and on their way pointed a gun, and attempted to shoot Barns, the constable, since which time he (Kenworthy) has been in a very excited state of mind. On a number of men being apprehended as above alluded to, he became so much excited that he could not attend to his work in a proper manner, and on Saturday last he requested the book-keeper at the mill where he worked to see the inspector, and inquire if there was a warrant out against him;, but the book-keeper neglected to make the inquiry, and this,. together with the report alluded to, is supposed to be the cause of his attempt to commit selfdestruction.
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-09-30 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—OR Monday morning Thomas Mander, Esq. held an inquest on the body of Elizabeth Bateman, aged 17 months. The facts were fully detailed by Thomas Bateman, brother of the deceased. He deposed that he is 12 years of age, and on the morning of Sunday was left in his father's house about six, while his father went out to milk; his mother being in bed in the same room with witness, and his sister Mary in bed with him; while Robert, another brother, and the deceased child were in the same bed with his mother. His mother sent both himself and his sister Mary out of the room. Shortly afterwards his brother called out, and witness went up stairs and saw his mother in the act of cutting his throat with one of his father's razors. Witness pulled his brother away from his mother, and in doing so perceived that his sister Elizabeth was in bed with her mother with her neck covered with the bed clothes; saw a good deal of blood about, and the throat of deceased might then have been cut, but witness did not see; went down stairs again, and directly afterwards heard deceased scream out very loudly; and on going up stairs again asked his mother if he must go and fetch his father. She threatened to beat him if he did; she was at this time sitting up in bed; he went down stairs again, and in about five minutes the father came in and went up stairs, afterwards leaving the house for assistance. His mother had never attempted any injury to any of the children previously, and witness knew of no disagreement except about the building of a kitchen, which his mother did not like.—Charles Evans, Esq. of Winster' surgeon, being sworn, said that he had attended the mother of deceased at times within a year, and had observed in her a tendency to a weak mind. Was sent for on Sunday morning, about half-past seven and in a sleep!nil apartment found Lydia Bateman lying on her left side in Ped, with her throat cut severely, but not dead. The child, Eilzabeth, her throat was quite dead, and was lying on her left arm, roat being cut, and a good deal a blood being on the inflicted the mother oluayndis n persons of both mother and child. The wounds were incised wounds, but he saw no cutting instrument about the room. ad, a she havinglay. consulted This was osnucbhotahphoesritsieolnf and dat eshhield w mightith hhearvreight hand, ,threetums übesdtaancveerodfietht eofev4de,ilnfcuel, and the jurysh murder" against Lydia Bateman. The wound inflicted by the unfortunate woman was so severe that her ultimate recovery is very doubtful; but the wounds on Robert are comparatively superficial, the strokes, owing no doubt to the child struggling, having taken effect more on the breast and simaera Om the threat,
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-09-12 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SECRETPOISONING AND LIFE ASSURANCE.—The frequent recurrence of cases of secret poisoning in this country is beginning to excite public attention. The facts disclosed in the case of the wretched woman May, executed at Chelmsford a sat time since, showed with how much impunity the horn le crime could be committed; and that the negligence of country medical men and of parish authorities, in cases of sudden death, enabled domestic treason in many instances to effect its diabolical purposes unchecked. Private malice in some cases, and cupidity in others, have hitherto apparently been the actuating causes of these secret assassinations. It is ascertained beyond a doubt that the hope of obtaining small sums of money from burial clubs, of which the murdered persons were members, has been a motive sufficiently powerful to incite the commission of the most dastardly and atrocious crime of 'which hhuman nature can be guilty. A bounty on the death or injury of an individual is very properly regarded by our laws as being so very objectionable per se, that in case of life assurance the possible perversion of its excellent principle has been carefully guarded against; and one of the essential requisites in an assurance by one party on the life of another is that the party assuring shall have a direct pecuniary interest in the life assured to the amount of the policy. • To the neglect of this rule in the case of the burial societies the poisonings which have taken place in connection with them may be clearly traced; and those who imagine that the extension of the practice of life assurance may lead to an increase of the horrible crime we are commenting on are altogether ignorant of the security against assassination which life assurance offers. Every company, in fact, performs the duties of a coroner for its assurers. It inquires carefully into the Cause of death, and is not satisfied with the mere declaration of uninformed witnesses. It requires an official report from competent medical authorities; and if the slightest doubt exists, a minute examination establishes in the clearest manner the true cause of death. The reason which actuates each i company n insisting on these precautions is not that they have any personal regard for the deceased. The protection arising from that feeling may be left to the  relatives and friends. But as the companies do not pay the policies of suicides, they have a strong pecuniary interest in being satisfied that the death has resulted from natural causes. Hence it will be seen that the subject of a policy has really an "assured" life. He is at least prospectively assured against many of the assaults upon it to which other man are liable, and is certainly as well protected as any one man can be against the crime to which we especially refer.—Atlas.
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-03-28 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A FEMALE.—A paragraph with this heading appeared in our paper of Saturday, respecting a young female who had been missing from her lodgings since the morning of the 24th ult. and whose body had been found in the river Irwell, near to Irlam-fth'Heights, on Thursday last. The inquest upon her remains was held on Friday afternoon and adjourned till Wednesday next, in order that the young man, named James limes, who was in her company within a short time from the date when she was missing, might be in attendance to give evidence. It appears that the police officer who came over to summon him on the Friday was unable to find him; it is due, however, to limes, to state that he was at the place where the inquest was held a short time after the inquiry had closed, and also that it came out in evidence that the deceased had made inquiries of the people with whom she lived up to the time when she was missed, as to certain modes of selfdestruction; the inference, therefore, at present, is, that she committed suicide.  UTTERING BASE C onc.—A labourer, who said he was from near Macclesfield, and who gave his name, Ellis Lythgoe, was yesterday charged at the Borough Court with two acts of uttering base coin. The prosecutor was George Mayers, of the Falstaff public house, Bedford-street, Hulme, whose daughter said that on Friday morning the prisoner came to the bar and asked for beer, giving her a sixpence, of which she gave him back 4-Id. The sixpence was placed in a cup, in which there was only a four-penny piece at the time. In a few minutes her mother called her attention to the fact that the sixpence was a bad one. On the Saturday night following, the prisoner again came and offered a four penny piece, which she took to her mother, who declared it bad ; the prisoner was con- ' sequently given into the charge of the police. The prisoner maintained that he was not aware the money was had. The case was ultimately remanded, to enable Mrs. Mayers and her servant to be present.
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-04-22 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF TOM STEELE. Poor Tom Steele, O'Connell's "head pacificator," in days when that crafty politician kept Ireland in a state of constant agitation, hopeless of his country's regeneration, and worn out with anxiety on her behalf, attempted to "shuffle off this mortal coil" by precipitating himself from Waterloo Bridge into the Thames, at seven o'clock on Wednesday evening. At a few minutes before seven o'clock the unfortunate man was oh served to alight from a cab in Wellington street, and, having paid the driver his fare, he walked to the toll-gate' put down a penny-piece, received his change, and passed on to the bridge. On arriving at the second recess from the Middlesex side, he stopped suddenly, took off his cap—the ode. brated cap with which his friend O'Connell crowned him in by-gone days—and mounting the parapet, threw himself into the river. A gentleman, who was crossing the bridge on the opposite side, observed the whole occurrence at only a few paces distance, but so rapidly did the unfortunate man effect his purpose, that it was found impossible to render him any assistance. Happily a waterman was passing through the bridge in a small boat at the moment the unfortunate man entered the water, and with a presence of mind which does him the highest credit, he immediately pulled towards him, and with some difficulty at length succeeded in getting him into his boat. The poor man was taken ashore at the Strand Lane Stairs, and thence conveyed to King's College Hospital, where he received all the attention his case required from Mr. Burton, the house surgeon of that institution. We understand the chief injury he has sustained is the shock to his system from having fallen flat upon the surface of the water. There can be no doubt that the veteran agitator had contemplated the rash act for some hours, at least, as he had been occupied during the chief part of the day in writingletters at Peele's coffee-house, an establishment he was in the habit of occasionally frequenting. Within his cap, which, as above stated, he placed on the bridge before he threw himself over, was a small piece of paper sealed to the lining with black wax, on which was written, "Tom Steele, county of Clare, Ireland." That Tom Steele never, like O'Connell and some others, made agitation a trade, may be gathered from the fact that when be came of age be entered on a beautiful estate of £15,000 or £16,000 a-year, in the county of Clare. Twenty years of amateur agitation brought him to the Insolvent Debtors' Court, in Dublin, where he was opposed by the present member for Ennis, the O'Gorman Mahon. Having taken the benefit of the act, he came to England, and has since been living upon an allowance out of his estate. Mr. Steel took high honours at Cambridge, and is a member of the senate of that university. It may not be generally known that it was Mr. Steele who proposed O'Connell at the celebrated Clare election, from which arose the Catholic Emancipation Act.—The Times.  AK
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-04-01 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF A FRENCH ADVOCATE.--,-011 Saturday evening, a gentleman, about thirty-two years of age, of fair complexion, and from his accent apparently a French man, went into the King's Arms Inn, London Road, Kingston, and engaged a private room, partook of supper, a half-pint of wine, &e. and retired to rest early, stating that he should have occasion for a handsome job carriage to convey himself and a gentleman, who was to meet him at that house, to Richmond. On the following (Sunday) morning the servant was surprised, a little after six o'clock, at hearing the bell of No. 7, the room occupied by the French gentleman, ring violently. She knocked at the door, and a faint voice said, "Come in." She entered, and was horror-struck at finding the upper part of the bed deluged with blood. The gentleman cried out, "Me have killed myself." The affrighted girl alarmed the house, and the landlord and others, together with the police, were soon in the room. From the quantity of blood that had flowed, it was at first conjectured that the wretched man had cut his throat, but this was not the case; he had inflicted five or six severe wounds on his right temple. No time was lost in sending for Dr. Sudlow Roots, who speedily attended. In the course of the afternoon the unfortunate gentleman gave his name as Theophile Lecarde, and stated that he had resided at 31, George-street, Portman Square, and was an advocate, but had, since his arrival in this country, which had only been a few months, been editing a French publication, and could get no money. Dr. Roots having stated that be might be removed to the infirmary of the prison, he was accordingly taken thither in a chair, there to remain until he is in a proper condition to undergo examination.—/Iforning Chronicle.
The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-09-09 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

THE ORIGIN OF CHINESE SMALL FEET.—That a Custom so barbarous could be imposed upon a comparatively civilised country, whose inhabitants number by hundreds of millions, is one of the most singular facts in the history of our race, and illustrates the deference which the Chinese pay to imperial wishes. The custom, comparatively speaking, is of modern origin, and owes its existence to the whim of Leyuli, the licentious and unpopular prince of Keang-nan, whose court was in Nankin. He ruled from A.D. 961 to 976, and was subdued, and finally poisoned, by the founder of the Sung dynasty. It appears that he was amusing himself in his palace, when the thought occurred to him, that he might improve the appearance of the feet of a favourite concubine. He accordingly bent her feet so as to raise the instep into an arch, to resemble the new moon. The figure was much admired by the courtiers, who at once began to introduce it into their families. Soon after, the province of Keang-nan again became an integral part of the empire, from which point the new practice spread, throughout all provinces and all ranks, until it became a national custom. Many lives were sacrificed by suicide. Those females whose feet had not been bound, were persecuted by their mothers-in-law, and despised by their husbands, so much so, that many hung themselves, or took poison. About 150 years after the origin of the practice, we find a poet celebrating the beauty of the "Golden lilies," which he makes just six inches long; from which it would appear that six centuries ago, they were of the same size as those of the present day. According to the theory of Lord Monboddo, and Monsieur Lamak, such continued compression for centuries should have occasioned a material alteration in the structure of Chinese feet, but nothing of the kind is observed; for until they attain their seventh or ninth year, when the painful process of bandaging commences, the feet are perfectly natural, both in size and figure. This custom, thongh ertY..rincinpii in the feeling.. nf ti,e. rne pie, could be abolished by a single sweep of the vermilion pencil. The present dynasty could abolish the cruel custom with less opposition than was experienced in introducing that degrading mark of subjection, the tonsure.—lteport of the Chinese Medical Mission.  LA