npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1856-05-22 (London, England)

ISLANDS.  The Government (t-tv Cc announces that the Queen has created Knights Commanders of the Order of Michael and St. George Sir Peter Brai'a, President of the Legislative Assembly, and Sir George Ferguson Bowen, Secretary to the Lord High Commissioner. The new knights, were invested with the insignia of the Order at the Palace of Corfu on the 10th inst.,' by the Lord High Commissioner, empowered to act for her Majesty on this occasion by a warrant under the Privy Seal. Letters from Corfu state that th. 3 Olive crop has been abundant during the last season ; and that it .is expected that the use of sulphur will remove the disease which has blighted the currant vines in Zante and Cephalonia for the last four. years. The islands are perfectly tranquil, and their commerce and trade are reviving afi or the depression caused by the war and the failure of the crops. The Ist Lancashire Militia have been recalled to England, which leaves the .garrison composed of five regiments of English militia and three companies of Artillery. It is expected that regular trcops will shortly arrive from the Crimea, to replace the Militia, whose' general good conduct on the station has left nothing to desire.  SUICIDE OF A SOLBIER:—a. r.rivate in the 25. th Regi meat of Infanfry, at present stationed in the Salford Barracks, nan ed William Thomas. having been absent without leave since the 16th April, was reports-I a, 'a deserter. On Saturday week we went to lodge with R man named Williamson, in Mill-s!reet. He lay in bed nearly the whole of severa' day?, and looked so sad tl at Mrs. Williamson thought be was not in his right mind. At two o'clock on Saturday last she went to his room to urge him to got up, and go to the barracks ; on entering the loom she found him standing, as the thought, with his farm to the wall, but on looking closer she perceived that his feet not touch the fi.)or. She gave an alarm, but i.e was then dead. An inquest was held on Monday by Mr. Herford, city coroner, when the jury returned a Verdict of Temporary insanity.",
The Sun. — 1856-05-22 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET.—EmaIy Phillips, about 35 years of age, was charged before Mr. VEyncourt with attempting to commit suicide by throwing het self into the I4gent's Canal.  Thorne, N 185, deposed to having been on dully at three o'clock that morning near the Dunstan-road, Kingsland, and to noticing the prisoner walking hurriedly up and down the towiug-path. On questioning her she admitted an intention to commit suicide by drowning. At the station house she expressed a desire to make a confession of murder, as her mind was distracted with the recollection of it. The following statement was consequently taken down in writing from her dictation : " Oa the 14th of November, 18 9, I loiged at a honse in Doggett's-cella, Moorfields. That night I was confined of au illegitimate male child, born alive. Not any one was with me, or knew of it. I placed a pillow on the child's head and smothered it. I then tied the body in an 'old shawl aid put• it under the bed. The next day my mother went to-the house and cleaned the room out. I was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, and placed under the charge of Dr. Barker. I have often since asked my mother what she did with the baby, but she would not tell me." Oilicer -- She told me, sir, that shortly after the murder she sent far some poison to kill herself with, but the peesseneer deceived her and brought a harmless draught. Mr. D'Eyncourt--Did she appear sober and quite right in her mind when you fouu l her by the canal? Officer—Oh yes, sir, perfectly. Prisoner—Wvat I have stated is quite true, sir. I have no knowledge where my mother is now, but her brother is employed at the India warehouses in Bishopsgate-street. I have been -used very cruelly by both of them. I have no home, and often walk the streets all night. The prisoner, who appeared to have moved at one time in a respectable sphere, was remanded, that a searching ingully might be made.
The Sun. — 1856-05-22 (London, England)

WORSHIP-STREET.—EniiIy Phillips, about 35 years of age, was charged before Mr. D'Eyncourt with attempting to commit suicide by throwing herself into the Regent's Canal. Thorne, N 485, deposed to having been on dtitynagtsthod,ree o'clock that morning near the Dunstan-road, iiiia and to noticing the prig-mer walking hurriedly up and down the towing path. On questioning her she admitted an intention to commit suicide by drowning, At the station house she expressed a desire to make a confession of murder, as her mind was distracted with the recollection of it. The following statement was consequently taken down in writing from her dictation : " On the 14th of November, 18.9, I lodged at a house iu Doggett's-court, Moorfields. That night I was confined of an illegitimate male chid, born alive. Not any one was with me, or knew of it. I placed a pillow on the child's head and smothered it. I then tied the body in an old shawl and put it under the bed. The next day soy mother went to the house and cleaned the room out. I was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, and placed under the charge of Dr. Barker. I have often since asked my mother what she did with the baby, but she would not tell me." Officer—, She told me, sir, that shortly after the murder she sent for some poison to kill herself with, but the messenger deceived her and brought a harmless draught. Mr. D'Eyncourt—Did she appear sober and quite sight in her mind when you found her by the canal? Officer—Oh yes, sir, perfectly. Prisoner—Wvat I have stated is quite true, sir. I have no knowledge where my mother is now, but her brother is employed at the India warehouses in Bishopsgate-street. I have been used very cruelly by both of them, I have no home, and often walk the streets all night. The prisoner,who appeared to have moved at one time
The Sun. — 1856-01-17 (London, England)

CRYSTAL PALACE.—The result of the scrutiny made by Mr. Tyrrell and Mr. J. Ball of the voting papers sent in by the shareholders up to the 14th inst., inclusive, in pursuance of the resolution of the meeting held on the 4th inst., for the election of four directors, was as follows :—ln favour of Mr. S. Beale, 136,628 votes ; Mr. W. J. Etches, 64,320 votes ; Mr. A. C. lonides, 98,409 votes; Mr. D. Ogilvy, 113,898 votes ; Mr. D. Price. 51,605 votes ; Mr. H. D. Seymour, M.P., 1C2,014 votes ; and Mr. S. L. Sotheby, 21,315 votes— total, 588,188 votes, from 2,226 voters. The following gentlemen were therefore elected directors of the Company :—Mr. S. Beale, Mr. A. C. lonides, Mr. D. Ogilvy, and Mr. H. D. Seymour, M.P. SlllClDES.—Yesterday morning the police gave information of three suicides. The first of a man named tGr ue ocrtgmenby Smith, agedjumping 07uOtyoefa years, who third ird d ocoormwmi ni tdtoe e wd , saul fd- deexs -pired shortly after his admission at Charing-cross Hospital. The second case of Eliza Morley, who drowned herself in a pond at Alderman-hill, Southgate ; and, lastly, a man, whose narae is unknown, who drowned himself in the Regent's Canal. CHARGE OF MllRDER.—Yesterday, an inquest was held before Mr. Carter, the coroner for East Surrey, at Ham, on the body of a woman named Mary Ann Peacock, a widow, formerly resident at Kingston, which was found in the Thames, near Teddington, en Sunday last. Evidence was .given that the cause of death was g ; that she had left her home on the evening, in company with a A i mano n asphyxia de na y M week efrdo n last,Jladerkoevnnwith the avowed purpose of passing the night with him on board a barge, of which he was captain. She took with her a baby, which has not been heard of Since. Jackson, and another man, named Ford, the mate of the barge, are in custody on suspicion of having caused the death of the woman. The coroner, after the examination of several witnesses, who proved the above-mentioned facts, adjourned the inquest for further evidence to be produced 43 to who was in the complacy of the deceased from the time she left home.  ri E SU N, TO ARRIVE THE SAME EVENING, supplied to any STATION on the EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY, Carriage Free, by CLAYTON and SON, General Newspaper and Advertising Agents, 265, Strand, London.
The Sun. — 1856-05-17 (London, England)

SOICIDB OF M. CHARLES RUSSELL.  Mr. Bedford, the coroner for Westminster, held an inquest yesterday at 2 o'clock oa the body of Mr. C. Russell, late chaiskan of the Great Western. Railway, at his late residence in Argyle street, Regent-street Mr. G. L. Russell, of the Chancery bar, identified 'the bo ly as that of his brother. He knew of no cause. except mental disease for his committing suicide. Robert Howard, valet to the deceased, deposed that he had two or three days before complained of pains in the chest ; and on Tuesday morning had balled for a cup of tea—a fact quite unusual with him, and still complained of the pain he was labouring under, and said he had sent for medical advice. Ho left him at 10 o'clock .atnight.Mud went_to ltis room ata quarter before 7on Thursday morning. He then found the deceased lying on the bed in his dressing-gown, on his side. His face was covered with blood ; two pistols were lying by his side ; howas not dead at that time, but breathing hard. 'He (witness) ran for the nearestnsedical man, and Mr. M'Oscar, of Tyler-street, attended, aul a physician was sent for. He heard no report of a pistol during the night, and no one was in the house except the deceased, witness, and the female housekeeper: The pistols found on the bed ho had never seen before. One had been discharged, the other appeared to havemissed fire. The deceased never spoke, and died about 2 o'c ock.  Mr. J. M`Oscar deposed that when he was called to see the deceased he found him bleeding from the mouth and nostrils. The blood on his face was quite hard ; and, on examining the mouth, he found a large fissure in the centre of the palate, evidently caused by a pistol shot, the bullet, in a'l probability lodging near the brain. Ho was perfectly unconscious and had had no power of motion, and the act might have been committed one or two hours before he was called in. He had no doubt that death was caused by effusion of blood on the brain from the wound, and that the deceased committed the act himself, which appeared, from the direction of the wound, to have been done with the left hand. In his opinion, from the marks of blood on the floor, the deceased must have fired the pistol standing, and then thrown himself on to the bed. Both pistols had not been discharged, hut, one being unscrewed, the powder bad dropped out, the bullet remaining in the barrel.  Mr. Morton, of 26, Sta.nhope-place, surgeon, said he had known the deceased for sonic years ; he had latterly been suffering from oppression on the chest, which would tend to depress the brain and cause mental derangement. After some further evidence the jury returned a verdict of " Temporary insanity."  RAILWAY TRAFFIC _RETURNS.
The Sun. — 1856-09-02 (London, England)

AWFUL TRAGEDY AT DUDLEY.  DUDLEY, MONDAY.  On Saturday night a shocking affair took place in this town. It seems that for some time past a young man named John Dance, son of the landlord of the Railway Tavern, Portersfield, had been paying the attentions of a lover to a first cousin of his own, daughter of Mr. T. Barr, landlord of the Seven Stars Inn, Hall-street. She is said to have been an amiable and much respected young woman, while he was of unsteady and irregular habits. It was probably owing to this that her parents discouraged his visits to their house, and that latterly Miss Barr had also done so. On several occasions lie had been heard to threaten to take her life if she would not consent to have him, but these threats were disregarded. O❑ Saturday night, about ten o'clock, he went to the house. Being somewhat tipsy, both Miss Barr and her parents ordered him to leave, and he did so, but not without muttering sotaething to the young lady to the effect that "she would not order him out the next time he came." About 12 o'clock, the front door of the Seven Stars being closed, Miss Barr and her mother were engaged i❑ their usual avocati ,ns about the house, when Dance entered by the back door, and walked up to the young lady, who was then going along. the passage leading., from a back room to the bar. Pulling a pistol fr am his pocket be fired it off. The charge took effect in her neck and lower jaw, and she at once fell to the ground. In 'another moment a second shot was heard, and the unfortunate young man lay dead upon the floor. He had placed the pistol close to his left ear, the shot penetrated the brain, and death was instantaneous. A pair of small pocket pint ils were afterwards picked up. Mr. Fisher, a surgeon, was at once sent for, and in a very short time attended and dressed the wounds inflicted upon Miss Barr. Though alive this morning, there is scarcely a hope of her recovery. She is wholly incapable of articulation, but is sensible, and is able to converse with her father by means of a pencil and slate. It !a said that when under the influence either of passion or drink, Dance was subject to mental aberration.  A very similar tragedy occurred in Dudley 12 months ago ; but though the murderer also attempted suicide, he was afttrwards hanged at Worcester.
The Sun. — 1856-09-02 (London, England)

BOW-STREET.  ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY A PRISONER.—A young woman named Smith was placed at the bar charged with creating a disturbance near King-street, Westminster. A. police-constable of the A division stated that last night the prisoner, with four or five other girls, commenced creating a disturbance near Westminster Abbey. He cautioned them, and insisted on their leaving, which they immediately di 1, but they only went as far as King-street. The prisoner saw three men approaching, and she ran forward to meet them, but they avoided her, and she then rejoined her companions and recommended quarrelling. Finding he could not prevail on the girls to leave the spot, a locality infested with prostitutes of the lowest description, he took the prisoner into custody. On the cell in which she was confined beEng visited at the usual hour, it was discovered that she had attempted to commit suicide by strangulation. She had divested herself of her garters, and, having twisted theta together, had tied them so tightly round her throat, that had she not been discovered death would have occurred is a very short time. He had reason to believe, from what the prisoner had told him, that she had, a short time ago, been a respectable woman, but that she had unfortunately become acquainted with a number of pro-titutes, the loss of character, and her present degraded state was the cause of her making the attempt she had done upon her life. Her companions he knew perfectly well ; they were prostitutes of the lowest description, but the prisoner he had only observed about the streets for about a fortnight.  Mr. Jardine asked the prisoner what she had to say in answer to the charge. The prisoner remained silent. The worthy magistrate said he should not treat this case as one for simply annoying people in the street, but he should remand the prisoner for a week in order that some inquiries might be made about her.
The Sun. — 1856-09-02 (London, England)

FURNESS RAILWAY.—At the half-yearly meeting of this company, held on the 27th ult., a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum was declared. Out of the balance standing at the revenue account the sum of 2,0001. was set aside as a fund for reconstructing in masonry a part of Barrow Piers ; and the sum of 1,0001. f ,r renewal of the permanent way. The gross receipts on the revenue account exceed by the sum of 7,5001. those of the corresponding period of last year, and, notwithstanding that this is the case, the working expenses show a reduction of 5001, The sum remaining in hand, after providing for the dividend, and aided to the balance carried over la4t balf-year, will be upwards of 2,500/. SUICIDE BY LEAPING DOWN A COAL MINE —Mary Kellett, a girl 13 years of age, daughter of Daniel Kellett, labourer, Wike, destroyed herself on Wednesday under the most painful circumstances. She had no mother, and when her father came home to his dinner be detected her in false's° for which he thrashed her with a leathern strap. This chastisement bad such an effect upon her, that directly her father had left her she threw herself into a coalpit 64 yards deep. An inquest was held upon the mangled body on Thursday. Verdict, " Temporary insanity."—Manchester Guardian. MONSTER BLAST AT PENDERYN LIMESTONE QUARRIES —Some two years since a monster blast was fired at the quarry of Wm. Crawshay, Esq., the powder chamber containing 2i tons of powder, with the intention of opening the deep side of the quarry, and in the presence of many spectators, a great fall was produced. Many falls since have taken place, of 3,000 and 4,000 tons each, but the crowning fill was (as predicted from the day of the first blast) to come, and on Wednesday it came with good effect and profit to the owner. The old chamber, which had much broken and riven the bottom beds of the superincumbent strata, 147 feet high, was cleared out to a length of 10 yards, and the small quantity of 10 cwt. of powder exploded. • The match was fired, and in eleven minutes from the time, the bottom of the quarry, a mass 10 feet thick, for 20 yards square, was literally ejected, and the superincumbent mass of 120 feet high came rolling down like a flood, and filling the quarry with its torrent of stone to the amount of 12,000 tons certain—many compute it at 15,000 ton., but the more cautious say 12,000 tons. The fall at present is untouched, and will remain so for a time, as new roads are required to be put in to clear the mass. There were stones from 150 to 250 tons each thrown do wn.—Cardiff Guardian.
The Sun. — 1856-09-02 (London, England)

BOW-STREET.  ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY A PRISONER.—A young woman named Smith, was placed at the bar charged with creating a disturbance near King-street, Westminster. A police-constable of the A division stated that last night the prisoner, with four or five other girls, commenced creating a disturbance near Westminster Abbey. He cautioned them, and insisted on their leaving, which they immediately did, but they only went as far as King-street. The prisoner saw three men approaching, and she ran forward to meet them, but they avoided ber, and she then rejoined her companions and recommended quarrelling. Finding he ccaild not prevail on tha girls to leave the sp,t, a locality infested with prostitutes of the lowest description, he took the prisoner into custody. On the cell in which she was confined being visite' at the usual hour, it was discovered that she had attempted to commit suicide by strangulation. She had divested her:elf of her garters, and, having twisted them together, had tied them so tightly round her throat, that had she not been discovered death would have occurred in a very short time. He had reason to believe, from what the prisoner had told him, that she had, a short time ago, been a respectable woman, but that sho had unfortunately become acquainted with a number of prostitutes, the loss of character, and her present degraded state was the cause of her making the attempt she had done upon her life. Her companions he knew perfectly well ; they were prostitutes of the lowest description, hut the prisoner he had only observed about the streets for about a fort night. Mr. Jardine asked the prisoner what she had to say in answer to the charge. The prisoner remained silent. The worthy magistrate said he should not treat this case as one for simply annoying people in the street, but he should remand the prisoner for a week in order that some inquiries might be made about, her.
The Sun. — 1856-09-02 (London, England)

AWFUL TRAGEDY AT DUDLEY.  DUDLEY, MONDAY. On Saturday night a shocking affair took place in this town. It seems that for some Urn: past a young man named John Dance, son of the landlord •f the Railway Tavern, Portersfield, had been paying the attentions of a lover to a first cousin of his own, daughter of Mr. T. Barr, landlord of the Seven Stars Inn, Hall-street. She is said to have been an amiable and much rtspecte.l young woman, while he was of unsteady and irregular habits. It was probably owing to this that her parents discouraged his visits to their house, and that latterly Miss Barr had also done so. On several occasions he had been heard to threaten to take her life if she would not consent to have him, but these threats were disregarded. On Saturday night, about ten o'clock, he went to the house. Being somewhat tipsy, both Miss Barr and her parents ordered him to leave, and he did so, but not without muttering something to the young lady t. 4 the effect that "she would not order him out the next tine he came." About 12 o'clock, the front door of the Saven Stars being closed, Miss Barr and her mother were engaged in their usual a.vocatims about the house, when Dance entered by the back door, and walked up to the young lady, who was then going along the passage leading from a back room to the bar. Pulling a pistol from his pocket be fired it off. The charge took effect in her neck and lower jaw, and she at once fell to the ground. In another moment a second shot was heard, and the unfortunate young man lay dead upon the floor. He had placed the pistol close to his left ear, the shot penetrated the brain, and death was instantane ms. A pair of small pocket pistils were afterwards picked up. Mr. Fisher, a surgeon, was at once sent for, and in a very short time attended and dressed the wounds inflicted upon Miss Barr. Though alive this morning, there is scarcely a hope of her recovery. She is wholly incapable of articulation, but is sensible, and is able to converse with her father by means of a pencil and slate. It is said that when under the influ• ence either of passion or drink, Dance was subject to mental aberration.  A very similar tragedy occurred in Dudley 12 months ago ; but though the murderer also attempted suicide, he was aftErwards hanged at Worcester.