npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1853-09-09 (London, England)

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—A great number of workmen are employed laying down pipes between Cowes and Yarmouth for the telegraph wires to be placed in.  DEATH FROM PRUSSIC AClD.—Yesterday afternoon Mr. W. Baker concluded an inquiry at the Bromley Arms, Fairfield-row, Bow, respecting the death of Mr. John Andrew Wallace, aged 51, a surgeon of considerable practice at Carlisle-terrace, in the above road, who died from the effects of prussic acid. It appeared that in the course of the forenoon of Friday the 'life of the deceased called upon Mr. Garman, a medical gentleman in the district, to attend her husband, and on reaching his residence Mr. Garman found him stretched in a chair in a kind of back kitchen, which he used as his dispensary, and where she stated she bad found him. He was quite dead, and from the strong odour of prussic acid which pervaded the apartment, and the finding of a bottle which contained a few drops of that poison, it was believed he had committed suicide. To remove all doubt, however, a post mortent examination was made, assisted by Dr. Smythe, of Bow, and the result clearly proved previous anticipations. In consequence of certain allegations which were made by one of the witnesses, to the effect that the deceased's domestic happiness had been much disturbed, the widow, Mrs. Wallace, was examined. She said that she last saw the deceased alive about half-past 11 on Friday morning in the dispensary. He seemed much depressed in spirits. She did not know that there was any prussic acid at all in the house, but he had told her often since their marriage that one of these odd days he would take some of that poison. That induced her to believe that he meditated self-destruction. There was no person in the house but themselves. She left the dispensary to attend to some household work, and had not been away more than 10 minutes before she heard a strange gurgling noise. She called to him to know the cause, and, receiving no answer, went down and found him stretched back on a chair, gasping for breath. Thinking he was in a fit she applied some salts of ammonia to his nose, and, finding he did not recover, she went for Mr. Garman. She had no quarrel or disagreement with the deceased, and she slept with him at home on the previous night. She attributed his depressed state to embarrassed circumstances. The widow was questioned as to some rumours in the neighbourhood. The coroner, however, interfered on the ground that the matter was irrelevant to the object of the inquiry. The residence of the deceased had been carefully examined, but no prussic acid could be discovered, and what rendered the affair somewhat more myst rious was that the bottle was not of the character generally used for its keep, being larger. It had been brought into the house a few days before by one of the children. In the absence of evidence as to how it was taken, the jury returned a verdict, to the effect that the deceased died from prussic acid, but how administered there was no evidence to show.
The Sun. — 1853-09-09 (London, England)

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—A great number of workmen are employed laying down pipes between Cowes and Yarmouth for the telegraph wires to be placed in.  DEATH FROM PRUSSIC AClD.—Yesterday afternoon Mr. NV. Baker concluded au inquiry at the Bromley Arms, Fairfield-row, Bow, respecting the death of Mr. John Andrew Wallace, aged 51, a surgeon of considerable practice at Carlisle-terrace, in the above road, who died from the effects of prussic acid. It appeared that in the course of the forenoon of Friday the wife of the deceased called upon Mr. Garman, a medical gentleman in the district, to attend her husband, and on reaching his residence Mr. Garman found him stretched in a chair in a kind of back kitchen, which he used as his dispensary, and where she stated she had found him. He was quite dead, and from the strong odour of prussic acid which pervaded the apartment, and the finding of a bottle which contained a few drops of that poison, it was believed he had committed suicide. To remove all doubt, however, a post mortem examination was made, assisted by Dr. Smythe, of Bow, and the result clearly proved previous anticipations. In consequence of certain allegations which were made by one of the witnesses, to the effect that the deceased's domestic happiness had been much disturbed, the widow, Mrs. Wallace, was examined. She said that she last saw the deceased alive about half-past 11 on Friday morning in the dispensary. He seemed much depressed in spirits. She did not know that there was any prussic acid at all in the house, but he had told her often since their marriage that one of these odd days he would take some of that poison. That induced her to believe that he meditated self-destruction. There was no person in the house but themselves. She left the dispensary to attend to some household work, and had not been away more than 10 minutes before she heard a strange gurgling noise. She called to him to know the cause, and, receiving no answer, went down and found him stretched back on a chair, gasping for breath. Thinking he was in a fit she applied some salts of ammonia to his nose, and, finding he did not recover, she went for Mr. Garman. She had no quarrel or disagreement with the deceased, and she slept with him at home on the previous night. She attributed his depressed state to embarrassed circumstances. The widow was questioned as to some rumours in the neighbourhood. The coroner, however, interfered on the ground that the matter was irrelevant to the object of the inquiry. The residence of the deceased had been carefully examined, but no prussic acid could be discovered, and what rendered the affair somewhat more mysterious was that the bottle was not of the character ,-generally used for its keep, being larger. It had been brought into the house a few days before by one of the children. In the absence of evidence as to how it was taken, the jury returned a verdict, to the effect that the deceased died from prussic acid, put how administered there was no evidence to show.
The Sun. — 1853-01-07 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.  MANSION-HOL TSE.—John Fowler, paid secretary to the London Phil. withropic Society, No. 17, Ironmonger-lane, Chert,psit le, was brought before the Lord Mayor under the 17ollo\ wing circumstances, in investigating which his lord ship -was engaged during the greater part of the day. Mr. Humphrey appeared for the prosecution ; Mr. Wontner for the defence.  Mr. J. H. Heeps honorary secretary to the society, said it was the pris( iner's duty to attend the meetings of 1 the committee. Ou the 19th of October he attended the committee, and gave to me at the meeting the account produced for coal (•41. 14s. Bd.) as due to Mr. Blackhall. He also gave met he cheque-book, with a cheque filled up in his writing fo r that amount, and I and two members of the society- ;signed it, and the chairman gave it in my presence to the prisoner, whose duty it was to pay it to Mr. Blackhall. Th cheque had since been returned from the banker's .as paid. On the 21st of December we had been examining the accounts of the society very closely, and the p risoner said, "To be candid with you, gentlemen, I ha-vi been making use of the society's money," and he to,* a paper from his pocket and read the various names of -the contractors for whom he had had cheques entrusted him to pay, and the list was copied by the chairman, Mr. Bathing, as the prisoner read the list. The sum of 4/. 14s 8d for Mr. Blackwall is one of the sums. The chairs aan then read the list over to him, and the prisoner said b e was sorry that he had been obliged to use the society'* money, but he had an action and was compelled to do it . I produce the minute book in which the entry is made, of the amount ordered to be paid, and also the ledger in which the prisoner has credited himself with the amount.  The Lord May-0 r said he could not dispose of charges of this kind in any- other way than by sending them for strict investigation to a higher tribunal. His lordship then read the pap er preliminary to committal. The prisoner-1f have not defrauded any of them of a penny, and if Ihad the opportunity of going through the accounts I should', have proved that I did not owe perhaps more than a pound, which I could very well pay. The Lord Mayo r then said he would accept of bail, and  The prisoner ivc 'a s then formally committed for trial.  GUILDHALL .—William Henry Kent, a youth aged 18, described as of No. 8, Maria-terrace, New Peckham, remanded on a cha ,rge of attempting to commit suicide by hanging himsol'f, was again placed at the bar before Alderman Cubitt, for further examination. The father of th e unfortunnte prisoner, who appeared much affected, at ated that he was in the employ of Messrs. Hallam, al id had five other children besides the prisoner. He nu ver heard before that the prisoner attempted suicide. The prisoner sai d he was very sorry for what he had done, and knew t b.at it was wrong. He was in a fit at the time and un c onscious of what he was doing, and promised never to .repeat the act. Alderman Cubith, after a suitable and feeling admonition to the lad:, discharged the prisoner, and handed him over to his fa ti ter.
The Sun. — 1853-01-11 (London, England)

MARRIED. and there found a. ship at anchor, with a 1 • arge island Western Railwa at nine o'clock on Saturday evening (last Tuesday) the centre of the town was fired, and the will be most likely to afford some trace of the lost party, f the sentence passed upon . „ --, w atever may be t grown up, covered with palm trees, and from which • t th • Y h tta t H • -i• d t Von that followed was very extensive, and un- lam led to propose and attempt this line of search. corifine.ment, part o dr to the gaol is a most course pursued by any ioreign Gove ent. In On the 22d November, at Meean Meer L h Mei° jus as e tram was a out os r . e was in one 0 es ruc i This visit of the learned Recor e , at ore, island a supply of water was obtained. This sed the death of two parties who had cou- Admitting such an extension of the land masses of . . n earnest that he will the present state of our o our d sire for J. S. Paton, Bengal NJ., Assistant Quart a General, gave a the carriages and had a first-class ticket for Newcastle happily cau gratifying circumstance, and is aat all tend to assist him the reduction f • wil tariff, - --- eealated to Wilhelmina Jane, daughter of Brig 'erla • 8 el' t strong proof of the rapid growth of coral reefs. Mr. h d ithl• d'l •ra eousl come forward to extin uish the destructive Greenland to the north, we ha,ve the following induce. miser Sir J. Tennan , He aw• am a carpet bag an a rai y pp leave nothing undone which can o import duties must be ree a-• • the K•C•B. Buckingham then at some length treated on the wonders Iw:sked la' - el.' elfment.Y When discovered, the fife was raging on some. ments for exploration and research. Greenland was u// v zser. g Ad ert• by the interests of th b ' In the carpe ag were clothes all new. un to properly to fulfil his duties.e pu lic revenue ; but in 0. s On the sth inst., at Claines nea W . 'l." of the templee of Palmyra and Balbec, and concl d d u e give up whatever property he had, and he handed me a, t atc ui ings a--e eaca o, tue aouses in the main lined by a couple of internal ranges of mountains reh hed b 'ld' e +I, a a r 1-. e -For the last few day suicides present state of the French tariff, whatever chanee R. Younger, late Dep t J ' r ercester, Major , his observations amidst general cheers. het street. It extended to the premises of Mr. Killing- sembling the Shawls of India. The culmination of these S _
The Sun. — 1853-01-11 (London, England)

THE SOLITARY' SYSTEM. Yesterday afternoon, a lengthened inqu'o ry was held before Mr. Bedford, the coroner for We. 3 tminster, and a respectable jury, in Milbank Prison, on the body of Thomas Wilkinson, aged twenty, a c o ,nvict under sentence of transportation, who committed s iicide by nearly severing his head from his body with ain azor. It appeared that the deceased, described as a do 11-dresser, was, on the 12th July, 1851, convicted of rob.; bery and wounding, and sentenced to twenty years' tr G nsportation at the York assizes, pursuant to which ntence, on the 25th of August last, he was received into the above prison, apparently in good health. After beiz ig three two months, being ill, he was removed to the in firmary, where in a short time recovering, he was trans ferred back to the prison,. and placed in separate confi n ement, to follow the tailoring trade, of which he had soi xto previous knowledge. He never aphpeeamrededidteestd selfpeondbai Td, eosrtriunetthinonat.ed On ny sahitsudredmayealnasotu:virthaartden Thomas Roaci II gave him into his cell some shaving tackle, which he la !ft, with him while he proceeded along the passage, when on returning he found the cell door shut, and on look Log through the signal-hole discovered that the prisoner 1 tad nearly severed his head from his body. Dr. Bailey , physician to the prison, said that he considered the ac i of suicide by the deceased as induced by the imi r ression on his mind of his length of sentence, and the, separate confinement he underwent which gave the op, lortunity.ta the prisoners of,. lence. The jury, n' fter a few minutes' consideration, returned the following special verdict :—" That the deceased Thomas Wilkinson -d estroyed himself by cutting his throat with a razor, while in a state of temporary insanity produced by separate .0 mfinement."
The Sun. — 1853-12-26 (London, England)

PALMERSTON. December the 15th acquainted the world with his sudden resignation. December the 26th informs it of his no less sudden withdrawal of that resignation. In 'our remarks on Saturday evening, it may be remembered that we took occasion very candidly to observe that—if the noble Viscount the Member for Tiverton returned to the Cabinet from which he had become thus recently, abruptly, and voluntarily alienated, his so doing would be nothing more nor less (we could find no other phrase sufficiently expressive, or sufficiently appropriate) than literal " tomfoolery." And he has returned—and now, deliberately, we here reiterate, that his so returning can only by that one appropriate and expressive word be correctly designated. Never before was a great reputation more wilfully doomed to self-destruction. Never before was so large or so noble a Popularity scattered to the winds of heaven by an act of more criminal and yet more frivolous perversity. Latterly, the name of Viscount PALMERsTo, has been spoken of by some enthusiasts as that of the probable Prime Minister of a not very remote hereafter. Henceforth we regard this as anabsolute impossibility. The latest act of the Home Secretary has been an act of political' suicide. It was a miracle scarcely less extraorclinary than that of the raising of the dead to life —the restoring of that enviable confidence which heretofore subsisted between Lord PAListEnsrox and the masses of his fellow-countrymen. Honestly, we do not anticipate any such magical or preternatural resuscitation. Viscount PALMERSTON cannot any longer be regarded by Englishmen otherwise than with grief and suspicion. He is no longer the Minister of the population. Ho has brought low the pride of his once lofty and chivalric independence. Having chewed the leek, by sitting -down complacently in the December of 1852 cheek by jowl with Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the ex-Premier by whom he had not long before been summarily
The Sun. — 1853-12-26 (London, England)

PALMERSTON. December the 15th acquainted the world with his sudden resignation. December the 26th informs it of his no less sudden withdrawal of that resignation. In our remarks on Saturday evening, it may be remembered that we took occasion very candidly to observe that—if the noble Viscount the Member for Tiverton returned to the Cabinet from which he had become thus recently, abruptly, and voluntarily alienated, his so doing would be nothing more nor less (we could find no other phrase sufficiently expressive, or sufficiently appropriate) than literal " tomfoolery." And he has returned—and now, deliberately, we here reiterate, that his so returning can only by that one appropriate and expressive word be correctly designated. Never, before was a great reputation more wilfully doomed to self-destruotion. Never before was so large or so noble a popularity scattered to the winds of heaven by an, act of more criminal and yet. more frivolOns •perversity. Latterly, the name of Viscount PAizasusroN has been spoken of by some enthusiasts as that of the probable Prime Minister of a not very remote hereafter. Henceforth we regard this as an absolute impossibility. The latest act of the Home Secretary has been an act of political suicide. It was a miracle scarcely less extraorof the dead to life dinary than that of the raising —the restoring of that enviable confidence which heretofore subsisted between Lord PALMERSTON and the masses of his fellow-countrymen. Honestly, we do not anticipate any such magical or preternatural resuscitation. Viscount PALMERSTON cannot any longer be regarded by Eng A«, • h.men otherwise than with grief and suspicion. . . it 4. _. , , xis uno ' longer the Minister, of the popu-01/,`,•3.41 ..41.111f has brought low the pride of '4 fek'f'. ~,-**7-..olkoej;l‘ y and chivalric independence. iltll4- , Vll- ;$11,4e d the leek, by sitting down ,e 4 4')l- Adtiiii '' the \-,,.L;!?5,..0 , ~ ~ ym December of 1852 cheek by tiiikil4 ,Ikird. JOHN RUSSELL th 6 : ,exPreraier ti a.7,-Pisi • ~. *hi= lie had not long before been summarily
The Sun. — 1853-08-16 (London, England)

THE EFFECTS OF A STRIKE.—On Saturday Mr. Baker held an inquest at the London Hospital, on view of the body of Thomls Aersem, aged 49 years, a dock labourer, who committed suicide through the recent strike. Ann Deacon said the deceased lodged at No. 35, Tarling-street, St. Georges-in-the-East, and bad been thirty years in the London Docks, as a labourer on the east quay. On Monday week, the Ist instant, the deceased came home, and said he had left his work in consequence of the strike in the London Docks. to Deeceased did not join in any procession, and seemed very dejected. Since the strike deceased bad been in distressed circumstances, and the lodgers had given him food. On Wednesday last deceased came home quite exhausted, and told witness that he had applied to the dock officers for work, and they refused to take him on, as he had been connected with the men who struck for an increase of wages. Mary Ann Blakeway, a lodger, stated, that she saw the deceased on the Wednesday night, as he came in, and in answer to a question he exclaimed, " 0 my heart is broken, for I never shall get work again in the dock." He retired to his room, and on the following morning she took up a cup of tea and some bread and butter for the deceased, but could not open the door. Witness listened outside, and heard a loud gurgling noise, as if a person was choking. Witness became alarmed, and ran into the street and called a neighbour, who came in and forced the door open, when the deceased was discovered lying on the bed with his throat cut from ear to ear. The clothes were much saturated with blood, which bad flowed from the wound a considerable time, and by the deceased's side were sound a table knife and a long piece of stone, on which the deceased had evidently sharpened the weapon before he inflicted the injuries.. The jury returned a verdict of  insanity.
The Sun. — 1853-08-16 (London, England)

THE EFFECTS OF A STRESE.—On Saturday Mr. Baker held an inquest at the London H ospital , on view of the body of Thomls Aersem, aged 49 years, a dock labourer, who committed suicide through the recent strike. Ann Deacon said the deceased lodged at No. 35, Tarling-street, St. George's-in-the-East, and had been thirty years in the London pocks, as a labourer on the east quay. On Monday week, the Ist instant, the deceased came home, and said he had left his work in consequence of the strike in the London Docks. Deceased did not join in any processidn, and seemed to be very dejected. Since the strike deceased had been in distressed circumstances, and the lodgers had given him food. On Wednesday last deceased came home quite exhausted, and told witness that he had applied to the dock officers for work, and they refused to take him on, as he had been connected with the men who struck for an increase of wages. Mary Ann Blakeway, a lodger, stated, that she saw the deceased on the Wednesday night, as he came in, and in answer to a question he exclaimed, " 0 my heart is broken, for I never shall get work again in the dock." He retired to his room, and on the following morning she took up a cup of tea and some bread and butter for the deceased, but could not open the door. Witness listened outside, and heard a loud gurgling noise, as if a person was choking. Witness became alarmed, and ran into the street and called a neighbour, who came in and forced the door open, when the deceased was discovered lying on the bed with his throat cut from ear to ear. The clothes were much saturated with blood, which had flowed from the wound a considerable time, and by the deceased's side were found a table knife and a long piece of stone, on which the deceased had evidently sharpened the weapon before he inflicted the injuries. The jury returned a verdict of  insanity.
The Sun. — 1853-06-27 (London, England)

SUICIDE BY A CLERGYMAN.—On Friday a painful excitement was created in Worcester and its neighbourhood by the fact of the Rev. H. J. Stevenson, vicar of Hallow (three miles from Worcester) and examining chaplain to the bishop of the diocese, having destroyed himself under circumstances of singular determination. The rev. gentleman was one of the honorary canons of Worcester cathedral, and had been "in residence " last week, but, having been attacked with nervous excitement, his medical adviser ordered him to suspend all clerical duty for the present, and to return home to Hallow. The deceased gentleman followed this advice, and appeared to be getting better. On Thursday night he retired to rest with Mrs. Stevenson at the usual hour, and appeared in good spirits. About 1 o'clock he rose, as he said, for the purpose of taking a composing draught, and shortly afterwards Mrs. Stevenson heard something trickling on the floor, and, supposing he was spilling the medicine, she got out of bed and went to him, when she was horrified to see that her husband was cutting his throat with a razor. She heard him say, "I don't know whether I can do it enough," and, though she had seized his arm, he managed so to turn the blade as to sever at oncc the jugular vein and carotid artery, and he fell on the floor a corpse. All was the work of an instant, and Mrs. Stevenson could do nothing more than cry for help, but when the family rushed to the room they found the doors all locked. The key of the bedroom could not be found, and an agonising suspense of nearly half an hour had to be endured while the village blacksmith was roused, who, on his arrival, forced open the door with a lever. The key was afterwards found in the deceased's slipper.