npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1859-09-30 (London, England)

SUICIDE FROM DOMESTIC UNHAPPINESS.  On Monday an inquest was held before Mr. T. Badger, at the Prince of Wales beerhouse, Thurlstone, near Barnsley, on view of the body of William Haminerton, aged 59 years, landlord of the beerhouse, who had committed suicide at two o'clock the previous Saturday morning, by shooting himself through the head with a double-barrelled gun. The body, which lay in the bar, presented a most horrid spectacle, the upper part of the head and face being completely blown away, the walls and floor of the room being bespattered with brains and pieces of skull and flesh. A more shocking sight, the coroner stated, it had not been his lot to witness durieg his long experience. It appeared that the deceased was in embarrassed circumstances, and his numerous creditors pressing him for money is supposed to have been one cause of his committing the rash act. He also lived unhappily with his wife, with whom he appeared to have had frequent quarrels, which preyed much upon his spirits. On Friday night, about 10 o'clock, they retired to rest. The wife, who is possessed of something like a religious monomania, got up a little after 12 o'clock, and commenced cleaning. Deceased got up a little before two and tried to prevail upon her to go to bed, but she refused, and they had some words. Deceased then threw her down and fell upon her with his knees. Mrs. Hammerton then became very excited, went upstairs, awoke three lodgers who were in bed, and insisted upon them at once getting up and leaving the house. They remonstrated at being turned out at such an untimely hour, but got up. Deceased came upstairs and seemed much affected, and said he could not live with his wife. The lodgers, after dressing themselves, went downstairs. On one of the party going into a room for his boots, with a candle in his hand, he found deceased in the dark, with. a double-barrelled gun in his hand. He exclaimed that he was going to shoot himself, as he could not live any longer with his wife. The man seized the gun, and with assistance took it from the deceased. The latter, on becoming more composed, had the gun given back to him to put away, and he proceeded into the next room, apparently for that purpose, but in less than a minute afterwards the report of a gun was heard, and on the parties rushing into the room they found deceased lying in a pool of blood, quite dead. Information was given to the police, and on Mr. Superintendent Hockaday proceeding to the place he found the house all but deserted, and although such a fearful occurrence had just taken place a large number of articles had been stolen from the premises ; and, in order to prevent further depredations, the superintendent had to place the house in charge of the police. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had killed himself by discharging a double-barrelled gun, while under temporary insanity, produced by pecuniary embarrassment and family discord.—Leeds Mercury.
The Sun. — 1859-09-30 (London, England)

SUICIDE .FROM DOMESTIC' UIRAPPI NESS.  On Monday, all inquest was held before Mr. T. Badger, at the Prince of Wales beerhouse, Thurlstone, near Barnsley, on view- of the body of William Hamuierton, aged 59 years, landlord of the beerhouse, who had committed suicide at two o'clock the previous Saturdayporning, by shooting himself through the head with a double-barrelled gun. The bOdy, which lay in the bar, presented a most horrid spectacle, the upper part of the head and face being completely blown away, the walls and floor of the room being bespattered with brains and, pieces of skull and flesh. A more shocking sight, the coroner stated, it had not been his lot to witness during his long experience. It appeared that the deceased was in embarrassed circumstances, and his numerous creditors pressing him for money is supposed to have been one cause of his committing the rash act. He also lived unhappily with his wife, with whom he appeared to have had frequent quarrels, which preyed much upon his spirits. On Friday night, about 10 o'clock. they retired to rest. The wife, who is possessed of something like a religious monomania, got up a little after 12 o'clock, and commenced cleaning. Deceased got lip a little before two and tried to prevail- upon her to go to' bed, but she refused, and they had some words. Deceased then threw her down and fell upon her with his knees. Mrs. Hammerton then became very Qxcited, went upstairs, awoke three lodgers who were in bed, and insisted upon them at once getting up and leaving the house. They remonstrated at being turned out at suc'; an untimely hour, but got up. Deceased came upstairs and seemed much affekted, and said he could not lire with his wife. The lodgers, after dressing themselves, went downstairs. On one of the party going into a room for his boots, with a candle in his hand, - he found deceased in the dark, With a double-barrelled gun in his hand. He' exclaimed that he was going to shoot himself, as he could not live any longer with his wife. The man seized the gun, and with assistance took it from the deceased. The latter, on becoming more composed, had the gun given back to him to put away, and he proceeded into the next room,, apparently for that purpose, but in less than a minute afterwards the report of a gun was heard, and on the parties rushing into the room they found deceased lying in a pool of blood, quite dead. Information was given to the police, and on Mr. Superintendent Hockaday proceeding to the place he found the house all but deserted, and although such a fearful occurrence had just taken place a large number of articles had been stolen from the premises ; and, in order to prevent further depredations, the' superintendent had to place the house in charge of the police. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had killed himself by discharging a double-barrelled gun, while under temporary insanity, produced by pecuniary embarrassment and family discord.—Leeds Mercury.
The Sun. — 1859-05-13 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-(TIIIS ILIY.)  MARLBOROUGH-STREET.  INCAUTIOUS SALE OP POISON.—ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. —Charles Bolton, a young man described as a clerk, of 12, Brick-street, Piccadilly, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by taking an ounce of laudanum. Sergeant Jeater, 4 C, said, hearing that a man had attempted suicide by taking laudanum, be went •to 12, Brick-street, Piccadilly, and saw the prisoner sitting in the kitchen, and on telling him he understood he had been taking poison, he said that was hie business. He (Teeter) then took him into custody, and on the way to the station he said, the bottle produced had con. tined one ounce of laudanum, and that he -had bought it ,at Mrs Hibon's, chemist, DoWn-street, Piccadilly, being served by the assistant, nained 'Child he had paid 3d. for it. The bottle was given to him 'by Mr. Fuller, surgeon, who had taken it from the prisoner on his being called in prior to his (Jeater) going to the house. The bottle tad merely the word " poison" on it in writing, and no name or address of the chemist, and on his going to the shop of Mrs. Hibon the assistant admitted selling it, the prisoner merely telling him he wanted it to make him sleep.  Mr. Bingham—What I an ounce of laudanum ? Mr. Wm. Fuller, surgeon, 111, Piccadilly, proved finding the prisoner in a very excited state, and his using the stomach pump and emetics. The bottle was given to hir.o, and he asked the prisoner how much he had taken, but he refused to say. He, however, found that he had taken. an ounce. The prisoner said he was troubled in his affairs..  The wife of the prisoner, a respectable-looking young woman, was in court.  Mr. Bingham said he would remand him to see what could be done for him.
The Sun. — 1859-01-19 (London, England)

THE WEST INDIA MAILS.  (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)  SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY MORNING.  The- Royal Mail steamer Magdalena, Captaill Baynton, has arrived with the West India and Pacific mails.  Her dates are :—Nassau, Dec. 15; Greytov► 17th ; Colon, 24th ; Jamaica, 26th ; Demara3l4 25th; Trinidad, 25th; Barbadoes, 27th ; Grenad' 26th ; St. Thomas, Jan. 1.  She brings 35 passengers, 669,295 dollars specie, 894 serons indigo, 155 serons cochineal, four casks coffee, 118 bags cocoa. From the latest accounts from the Islands the weather was remarkably fine for the season, and the sugar crops of Barbadoes, Trinidad, 06 Demerara most promising. The Islands had boa unusually healthy. Business at Jamaica rather active, but no particular advance reported. Produce quiet, and vac little:of any kind brought to market, on account 0 the bad state of the roads in the interior.  By a special Act of the Legislature the following additional duties were imposed from the 22d of December :—Flour, 2s. per barrel additional ; Oa. fish, 6d. per cwt. do. ; wheat, 3d. per bushel (I°' Coffee was rather lower in price, 325. 6d. to 38s. Pet 100 lb. being the ruling figure. Freights dull, and nothing offering. Exchanges on London, 2 per cent. prem. 90 dal° 1 per cent. 60 days ; 11 per cent. 30 days ; rani chants' bills, par ; commissariat, z per cent. preen; The Roman Emperor had arrived at Trinid! from Madras in 82 days, with 380 emigrants, In eluding women and children. Only two dear! from sickness during the voyage, and not a single case sent to hospital. One female committ suicide.  Her Majesty's ships Caesar and Diadem at Grel' town on the 17th of December. Gunboat Jasseur at St. Thomas on the Ist of January, waiting for the Admiral's mails.  The Indus, bearing Sir Houston Stewart's fa at Bermuda, by last accounts. Her Majesty's sloop Atalanta and the gunhoo Jasper were at St. Vincent when the steamer left,6 The Magdalena spoke the barque George on tb 18th, standing up channel. Her Majesty's ship Havannah was at Valparais° Dec. 1, with Consul-General Miller on board, frog the Sandwich Islands, for the benefit of his heal' The Maypu, Chilian war steamer, has arrived from Rio de Janeiro. • The South American Republics were generalif quiet. The losses by the late fire at Valparaiso amounted to 3,000,000 dols. The burnt district was soon to be i rebuilt. Two more fires had subsequently occurrew but not much damage was done.  Imports small and exports dull at Valparaiso' Owing to unsatisfactory accounts from Europe oftli price of copper, silver mines rather improving. No English man-of-war at Callao on the 12th Dee' Lima healthy, and crops flourishing. Great hopes were entertained of the war bet WO the Ecuadorians and Peruvians being amicablY settled.  Her Majesty's ship Ganges, Admiral Bayne', flag, was at Vancouver's Island on the 17th Noy'' also the Satellite and surveying ship Plumper. Latest accounts from San Francisco, Califoro" report a severe earthquake shock. No lives 100, Trifling damage done. The small cutter Royal Charlie had arrived sit Grenada, 42 days from Southampton. She had very tempestuous passage.
The Sun. — 1859-01-19 (London, England)

SCOTCIIMAN.-ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.—A poor careworn Scotchumn, named Alexander M'Leod, was brought before Mr. Elliott charged with attemptineselfdestruction in the London Dock.  John Talbot, a police-constable, 156 K, stated that he saw the prisoner deliberately walk into the Shadwell basin of the London Dock. He got the drags and threw them in. The prisoner sank twice before he was taken out of• the water, and ho had much trouble in saving him. The prisoner, who was greatly agitated, and whose appearance excited great commiseration, said he had no home, no friends here,. and was starving. A year ago he got disabled in Scotland, and lost the use of one arm. He was sent to Cork, and from there was passed to London by the United Shipwrights' Society. The authorities here would do nothing for him; and all the relief he obtained at the union workhouses was a night's lodging in a casual ward and a piece of bread in the morning. His life was a burthen to him, and he did attempt to drown himself. Mr. Elliott, without any comment, remanded the prisoner for a week.  COUNTY OF LINLITHGow.—The Lord-Advocate of Scotland (Mr. Charles Baillie) has received a requisition to allow himself to be nominated for this county in room of Mr. George Dundas, who has been appointed LieutenantGovernor of Prince Edward's Island. His lordship has issued an address to the electors, in which he says : " Should you do me the honour to return me to Parliament, I shall give my attention to every measure affecting the interests of the empire at large ; and as regards Scotland in particular, I shall endeavour to prosecute further those safe and judicious changes in our legal procedure and system of conveyancing in which my distinguished and learned predecessors have already done so much credit to themselves and benefit to the country. You will not, lam sure, expect that in my present position I shOuld enter into any details on the subject of Parliamentary Reform, which now attracts public attention, and which, I know, is under the consideration of her Majesty's Government. I may say, however, for myself, that, deeply attached as I am to the Constitution under which we have, as a nation, reached so proud a pre-eminence, I readily admit that our representative system may be further improved. I entertain a strong reliance on the good sense and patriotism of my fellowcountrymen, and I hail with satisfaction and will promote with cordiality any measure affecting the representation of the people in Parliament which is calculated to strengthen and improve our institutions, and to increase the confidence with which they are regarded."
The Sun. — 1859-10-25 (London, England)

THE DOUBLE MURDER AND SUICIDE  AT WORCESTER.  The inquest on the body of the unfortunate woman, Mrs. Emily Harris, who destroyed herself and her two children, at Worcester, by drowning in the River Severn, under very painful circumstances, was concluded before Mi. P. Hughes, deputy coroner, at the Anchor In,n, on Friday, when the jury returned the following verdict : " That the deceased came to her death by drowning herself in the River Severn, being at the time in a state of temporary insanity caused by the brutal treatment of her husband and his sister; and the jury severely censure the mother-in-law of the deceased for her conduct towards her, and express their dissatisfation at not having medical testimony to guide them." This concluded the inquest, and on the mother-in-law leaving the house she was followed by a crowd of persons, who again gave vent to their indignation by hissing and fleeting at her until she took shelter in the cottage of a friend in the Bath-road. The remains of Mrs. Harris were interred in the New Cemetery on Sunday afternoon, the mournful ceremony being witnessed by large numbers of persons. As an expression of sympathy and mark of respect to the bereaved parents, the corpse was followed to the grave by about eighty of the operatives at Messrs. Kerr and Co.'s manufactory, who subscribed liberally towards the expenses, as well as provided funds for the payment of the men who searched for the body. Harris was brought before the bench on Friday to answer the charge of assaulting his deceased wife, which had been brought against him. Mr. Clutterbuck, who appeared for the friends of the deceased (Mrs. Harris), stated that her friends wished to vindicate her character from the aspersions which had been thrown upon it. The whole of the evidence, he said, went to show that the deceased was an affectionate wife and mother, and of a forgiving temper. That the evidence proved, and the friends wished it to go forth to the public. Mr. Hopkinson, father of the deceased Mrs. Harris, was then called, and said he had not seen his daughter for three weeks before the unfortunate affair. He had kept away from the house on account of the mother and sister of Harris, and the language that was used there being of such a dreadful kind. He then alluded to the circumstances of the money Harr;s was getting per week, notwithstanding which he pawned the things out of the house. He had pawned four dresses, his wife's ring, and other things belonging to her, leaving her with only the things she stood up in. Other evidence was given, and the chairman, after an impressive address to Harris, 0— prisoner, in which he alluded to the way in which h 3 had brought himself into nis present position, and the lamentable effect of his conduct, which had deprived him of an affectionate wife and two children, sentenced him to three months' imprisonment for the assault on the wife.  [
The Sun. — 1859-06-28 (London, England)

WIFE MURDER AND SUICIDE.  The Scotsman reports that, on Saturday, a house in Fountain-bridge, which it had been observed by the neighbours that no one had gone in or come out of for some days past, was broken open by the police. On the floor of the kitchen were found the lifeless bodies of the occupants (a Mr. and Mrs. Ferrier) with their throats cut. The man was lying with his face downwards, with a razor under his neck. There were also two table-knives lying close by the body of the woman. It was at once suspected that the man had been the perpetrator of this atrocious deed, and the suspicion was confirmed some time afterwards by the discovery of a slip of a paper on which the man had written the following words :—" I am now unfit for my business. I have applied to the authorities of both Ayr and Edinburgh for protection, and only got laughed at. I now appeal to God. I should wish to be laid beside my boy, but if this woman is to be laid there let my body be given to the dissecting room, and after they have done with me let my body.be burned." On the some paper there were also instructions given as to the management of some property of which he was the proprietor, and the whole was distinctly written. It may be inferred from the words in the above-quoted sentence —" but if this woman is to be laid there"—that Ferrier had written this scroll in the interval between his cutting of the throat of his wife and his own suicide. Both of the deceased were nearly sixty years of age, and had no family. The man was not engaged in any particular business, but he had a good income from house property.. The neighbours state that, in consequence of the intemperate habits of Mrs. Ferrier, she and her husband had of late had frequent quarrels. The last time that any disturbance was heard in their house was on Wednesday night last. Early on that evening the wife had been seen much intoxicated, and between eleven and twelve o'clock a noise of scuffling was heard in the house. The scuffle had not lasted long when some of the neighbours heard a gurgling noise, as if some one, had been choking, immediately after which all become suddenly quiet.  [
The Sun. — 1859-04-22 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF A YOUNG LADY.  MARGATE, THURSDAY EVENING. Much excitement was caused this morning in the lower part of the town of Margate, by the discovery of the body of a young lady under the new landing-place. It appears that in the first instance a lady's mantle, of fashionable shape, was observed on one of the platforms used for the debarkation of steam-boat passengers. An alarm was' given, and soon after eight o'clock a boat came in with some mariners, who, on landing, discovered the body entangled between some of the cross bars which support the jetty. Life was quite extinct. The body was immediately taken out of the water and conveyed to a building near King-street, and has since been identified by Dr. Walters, of Broalstairs. The name of the deceased, we understand, is Blakemore. She is an only child, and has been living with her father and aunt near the Wheatsheaf Inn, at St. Peters, a village about two miles from this town. The family are in very good circumstances, and it is stated that the unfortunate young lady would have been entitled, on coming of age, to'considerable properly. -She went away from home about seven o'clock last evening, .and left a note stating that she intended to put an end to her existence. It is needless to say that, as soon as this was discovered, no time was lost in searching for her. The search, however, did not extend to Margate, and it is generally supposed that she had been walking about all night, as, from the dry appearance of the mantle, and its position with reference to the tide, it is probable that the suicide had not been committed my hours before the body was found. The dedeased was about 19 years of uge, and of propossesi,in G. appearance. An inquest will doubtless be held, at which sOme clue may be obtained to the cause of the rash act. At present none has been VIENNA, TlluifsDAY,
The Sun. — 1859-04-22 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF A YOUNG LADY.  MARGATE, THURSDAY EVENING. Much excitement was caused this morning in the lower part of the town of Margate, by the discovery of the body of a young lady under the new landing-place. It appears that in the first instance a lady's mantle, of fashionable shape, was observed On one of the platforms used for the debarkation of steam-boat passengers. An alarm was given, and soon after eight o'clOck a boat came in with some mariners, who, on landing, discovered the body entangled between some of the cross bars which support the jetty. Life was quite extinct. The body was immediately taken out of the water and conveyed to a building near King-street, and has since been identified by Dr. Walters, of Broadstairs. The name of the deceased, we understand, is Blakemore. She is an only child, and has been living with her father and aunt near the Wheatsheaf Inn, at St. Peters, a village about two miles from this town. The family are in very good circumstances, and it is stated that the unfortunate young lady would have been entitled, on coming of age, to considerable property. She went away from home about seven o clock last evening, and left a note stating that she intended to put an end to her existence. It is needless to say that, as soon as this was discovered, no time was lost in searching for her. The search, however, did not extend to Margate, and it is gene• rally supposed that she had been walking about all night, as, from the dry appearance of the mantle, and its position with reference to the tide, it is probable that the suicide had not been committed many hours before the body was found. The deceased was about 19 years of age, and of preposseising appearance. An inquest will doubtless be held, at which some clue may be obtained to the cause of the rash act. At present none has been