npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-10-14 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SUICIDE OF PROFESSOR MATITHIESSEN. • Mr. W. J. Payne held an inquest at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, on Friday night, respecting the death of Dr. Augustus Matthiessen, aged thirty-nine. Mr. Henry Matthiessen said he was a merchant, living at Furnival's-inn. The deceased was his brother. He was a doctor of medicine, and Professor of Chemistry at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. The witness, who had not seen him for six months, was by appointment to have dined with him on Thursday. In consequence of that appointment he went to the hospital at a quarter to five o'clock in the evening, and upon doing so proceeded to the private room of the laboratory, and found it locked. The door was opened by means of a key. The chemical assistant of the deceased was present at the time, and he went into the private room connected with the laboratory. They found the deceased sitting upon an arm chair, and he looked as if asleep. The chair was near a table upon which was a glass. The room had a peculiar smell in it. The deceased was dead. A doctor was then sent for.—Alfred Burn, laboratory boy, said that the deceased came to the hospital at half-past nine o'clock =Thursday morning. He asked witness for the keys of the cellar in which chemicals were kept. When he came out of the cellar he had a phial in his hand. He afterwards went into his private room, and kept walking about. In the afternoon witness found the door locked. Mr. W. Barker, lecturer on physiology at the hospital, deposed that he was called to the deceased when he was found dead in his room. He had then been dead four hours. There was a " test glass," tightly corked, on the table near the corpse. It was labelled " Urate of ammonia." The deceased was a man of high character and world-wide reputation. There could be no foundation whatsoever for any charge of indecent assault brought against him. Dr. S. J. Gee, assistant doctor, said that the deceased was a very sensitive man. He had a high moral character. He would feel keenly any charge brought against him. The witness had made a post-mortem examination of the body, and he had found that the deceased had poisoned himself with prussic acid. Mr. H. A. Armstrong, assistant to the deceased, said that on Thursday his employer complained of being unwell Mr. W. H. Cross, clerk of the hospital, said that he found in a drawer in the deceased's private room the following letter I have been charged with an indecent assault on a lad, and, although innocent, yet it blights all my future prospects, and therefore, I have resolved to resign all." The coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of "Suicide while in a state of temporary insanity." The Council of the Royal Society only lagt year awarded Dr. Matthiessen the Royal Medal for his researches on the electrical and other physical properties of metals and alloys.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-04-15 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SUICIDE FROM WATERLOO-BRIDGE.—About seven o'clock on Saturday evening a man rather respectably dressed, and apparently about 60 years of age, entered one of the recesses on Waterloo-bridge, and having ascended the stone seat, crossed the balustrade and got upon the outside parapet,which extends the whole length of the bridge. He evidently let himself down gently, holding on by the edge of the parapet, his body hanging over the river. Having apparently suddenly repented of his suicidal intentions, the unfortunate old man attracted by his screams some of the passers-by, who, however, were too late to rescue him. Being unable to sustain his own weight the man let go of the parapet and fell heavily on the buttress of the bridge, smashing his legs and frightfully injuring the abdominal region. The Thames police-boat from the Royalist soon recovered the body, which was conveyed to Dr. liarrap's house, in Stamford-street, but life,was found to be extinct.  The report for the present month of the German Chemical Society in Berlin states that among the hicinbers of the society are a considerable number of young Englishmen and Americani. who are at 'present attending.the University in Berlin. 11 Trorceore and the Gazetta cli Teatei speak in most glowing terms of Miss Elizo Traffor,l, an English vocalist at Saluzza. They state that in the opera, of "Fats Monetarj" the young prima donna was loudly applauded and recalled three times. She sang also the Cavatina from " ltigoletto" with most excellent effect. Classes for the instruction of officers and noncommissioned officers of the reserve forces are about to be formed at several garrison towns. The classes will be somewhat similiar to those formerly in existence in Canada, and a sum of money has been provided to meet the cost of extra pay for those employed an_instycletors.-7-Titnes.  The Musical Standard says that Dr. Charles Men delssohn is collecting materials for an extensive biography of his father, the great composer. On Sunday night a private telegram was received in London stating that the Spanish Government had released the American steamer Lloyd Aspinwall, seized some time ago at Cuba, and they have I promised indemnity. THE NORTH OF ENGLAND IRON England quarterly meeting of the North of tand Iron Trade Board of Arbitration and on • Hon was held on Monday, at Darlitigtot Thhe a good attendance. Resolutions were come to, in order to prevent minor strikes, that the Standing Committee would not take up any case until the men who have struck should have resumed work. It was decided to vote a sum of money to M. Hughes, M.P. for his services as arbitrator.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-06-03 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

GREAT FIRE IN CANADA-300 FAMILIES DESTITUTE.—The New York papers of May 28, publish news to the effect that a fire is raging in the forests of the Saguenay region, in Canada, an area of Bce talks by thirty. A number of persons have perished in the flames, and 300 families in the village of Saguenay are rendered destitute. In the Scotch Free Assembly, on Fri lay, the debate on Union was resumed and concluded. By a majority of 245, the motion proposed by Dr. Candlish, to the effect that the Committee's report be sent to Presbyteries, with a direction specially to consider the question whether on principle Union on the ground of the Common Stands could bi entered upon, was adopted. For Dr. Candlish's motion 370, and for Mr. Moody Stuart's motion 141 voted. D E FE. I:3IINED SUICIDE T GROUCH WOUNDED liONolll.—Another deplorable affray, which in some -if its particulars recalls the "Sahel Affaire" of 11 iron von Widmann, which was recently mentioned, though with a very different denouement, has just occurred at Colberg, a garrison town on the shores of the Baltic. Lieutenant von Franck. an officer who had screed with much distinction in the campaign of ism, having quarrelled with an hotelkeeper about the amount of his bill, resorted to an argum ;nt unfortunately too often employed in the Prussian army, by drawing his sword on his adversary. The latter, however, being an active and pawerfol man, succeeded in wresting the weapon from his grasp, and broke it in pieces. A reconciliation was then effected by the bystanders, but the officer was so mortified by the indignity to which his sword had been subjected that he declared he could not live under the insult. Though every effort was made to dissuade him from his determination, and all the persons present promised to preserve the stri test secresy concerning the affair, he ad. On Monday afternoon a murder was committed bored to his purpose. After taking an affectionate at Sidney-street, Stepney, by William Redhead, leave of his comrades, he went home, bade farewell aged 18, a member of the 7th Tower Hamlets Rifle to his landlady, whom ho met at the door, and, Volunteers. It appears that the marriage of the having locked himself in his room and divested himprisoner's father to a second wife gave much offence self of his uniform, blew out his brains with a reto his children by his first wife, and they lived on wirer. ttery had terms. The prisoner was engaged in drill
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-10-07 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SUICIDE.—On Saturday, an inquiry was instituted by Dr. Lankester relative to the death of Mr. Robert Chambers, a tradesman in Hunter-street, Brunswick square, London. Mr. George Chambers, of Luton. Bedfordshire, stated that the deceased, who was his brother, managed for him an oilshop, and was a sober, steady man, straightforward in all his dealings, and just and exact in his. accounts. On Thursday, being summoned to town by a telegram, lie found the deceased in a dying state, and the unhappy man told him that he had swallowed off about a quarter of a pint of oil of vitriol. The witr.-‘ss said none of the family had ever shown any indications of brain disease, but the deceased, who was a highly nervous man, had been disordered in the stomach, and had been affected in his head to the extent of entertaining the most ludicrous delusions, such as that he was liable to be hanged for an accident which had occurred in his shop, that he was being wstched, and that he could hear people talkin.* of him in the street. He also said he could see 01.ieets doubly, and that if he had r. glass of ale it ....r.ected his head. On the witness repeating the de. ccased was a most abstemious man, the coroner rem irked that in two out of every three cases suicide WM3 the result of drunkenness, but he did not mean by this to say that the mere drinking of alcoholic liquor meant drunkenness or led to suicide. Edward Garrett, the shopman of the deceased, said his late employer was a most amiable man, and was never excited by passion or drink. He proceeded to state particulars showingthe deceased had become affected in his mind, and from these it appeared that the unhappy man had drawn off the vitriol in a broken bottle from a carboy, and having asked if the woman to whom the accident had happened was not dead, he proceeded upstairs, where he drank the fiery liquid, saying that the police should not hang him. Dr. Kenrich attended, but death ensued.— The jury immediately returned a verdict of Suicide while in an unioundltikte dfaiixd."
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-10-21 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

FRIGHTFUL SUICIDE AT LLANTRISSANT.  On Tuesday morning, a farmer's son, named Evan Williams, residing at a place called Tynant, near Llantrissant, committed suicide under the following circumstances :—He lived at Tynant Farm House with his little brother and sister, his father and mother living at Ty-mab-Ellis, the seat of the late Colonel Hewett, about a mile distant. About six o'clock Tuesday morning the unfortunate man's little brother— a young lad about 13 or 14 years old, who slept in the same room as deceased—heard him get out of the bed and leave the room (doubtless for the purpose of getting the razor), and afterwards return again. The boy did not take any notice of his brother's movements, naturally thinking he was only dressing and preparing himself for his day's work, as usual; but not long after the lad heard groans proceeding from his brother. He got up, and went to see what was the matter, and found him covered with blood. He then, in a great fright, went and called his little sister, and they both, being frightened, ran out of the house. Luckily, some men going to their work were passing by, and they, after hearing the children's tale, went to see what had happened; but the unfortunate man was past all hope, he had cut a fearful gash across his throat with the razor, and life was extinct. The deceased, who was 27 years of age, was a very steady, sober, and quiet young man, and no reason has been assigned which could have led him to commit the terrible act.  THOSE LADIES who have not vet used the GLENFIELD STARCH, are respectfully solicited to give it a trial, and carefully follow out the directions printed on every package. It is rather more difficult to make any other Starches, but when this is overcome, they will say like the Queen's Laundress, that it is the best Starch they ever used.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-03-18 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

STRANGE STORY.—One of the Paris journals announces the death, at Versailles, of a Russian lady who appeared in the drawing rooms of Paris in 1848 and 1849, and was nicknamed the" Dame a la Clef." She died, aged forty-five, in the most complete solitude. It is said that her husband, who was much older than she, came to see her for a week or two every six months, and went away again no one knew whither. All was mysterious about this Lady of the Key. Last month the husband did not return as usual but a letter came announcing his death. The widow survived him a few days only, and it is supposed she allowed herself to die of hunger. Whether true or not, this was the story that was whispered about her when she appeared in Paris, young and beautiful, more than twenty years ago. It is said that her husband surprised her in a little country house which he possessed near Moscow at the moment she was hastily shutting somebody up in a wardrobe. A servant had betrayed her. The Muscovite Othello turned the key twice in the wardrobe, took it out, then told his wife to follow him. A travelling britzska stood a few paces from the villa. More dead than alive, the unhappy woman obeyed. When the husband had placed her in the carriage, and given an order in a low voice to the coachman, "Keep this key," he said to his wife; "I have forgotten something and will return," and then went back to the house. He returned according to his promise, but as the carriage descended the hill the poor woman saw the flames issuing from the windows of the country house and taking full possession of it. She fainted away, and on regaining her senses perceived that a gold chain was rivetted round her neck to which the little key of the wardrobe was attached. She wished to kill herself. but her husband threatened her that if she committed suicide he would reveal her misconduct and cover her and her family with dishonour. She was, therefore, condemned to live, and her strange necklace excited much curiosity in Paris. At last her tyrant allowed her to retire into a quiet retreat on the express stipulation that she would not attempt to destroy herself during his lifetime. His death released her from this condition; but she had languished for more than twenty years, having the witness of her guilt always before her eyes. It is a curious story; we wonder whether it is true P—Pall Mall Gazette.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-03-25 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

THE SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 1870.—Astronomers are about to invite the Government to assist those men of science who may wish to take part in observing the total eolAr eclitete of Peqembex uezt. Herr Rubinstein was presented with a crown of silver on the occasion of the production of his "Tour de Babel," at Konigsberg.  - A second edition of Mr. C. H. Pearson's excellent historical maps of England during the first thirteen centuries is in nrepar.giioa,  The mania for new theatres in Paris and in London seems to be about the same. A new theatre is, it is said, about to be erected in Paris on the Boulevard Montmartre, on the site formerly occupied by the Cafe de Mulhouse.  Mary Glenning, 18 years of age, committed suicide in Liverpool, on Saturday evening, by taking "rat poison." It is stated that the deceased was enciente, and there is some rumour of a disagreement between her and her lover.  The Diritto of Florence publishes a full report of the recent deputation of the Education League to Mr. Gladstone, and says it affords an illustration of the conduct of the English people when they want to bring about the triumph of an idea. There are reports that the African slave trade has been revived by vessels claiming to sail under the American flag, and in the Senate, Mr. Wilson (Republican), of Massachusetts, has introduced a resolution calling upon the President for information whether any measures have been taken by the Gov. ernment to assist in suppressing the African slave traffic, and as to the names and residences of the American consuls on the African coast, the extent of the traffic, the nationality of vessels engaged in it, and whether the American flag has been used to protect the traders.—Titnee American Correa_ .  potuient.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-05-13 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SUICIDE IN A FIT OF PASSION.—On Tuesday, Mr. Driffield held an inquest at Downholland on the body of Mary Caddick, 26 years of age, who committed suicide on Saturday morning by drowning herself. The deceased was the daughter of a small farmer at Downholland. Her mother was taken ill a few weeks ago, and since then she had the control of the money, which she took to spending on drink. On Friday night her father quarrelled with her, in consequence of her being drunk, and she thereupon left the house in a great rage. Her father followed, but could not find her. On Saturday afternoon she was found in a pit not far from her home.—The jury returned a verdict of " Suicide from temporary insanity from drinking to excess, and her pasiion being aroused by her parent's remonstrances."  RAID UPON BETTING MEN IN LivElyool,..—On Puesdaymorning the following persons were brought up at the borough police-court, Dale-street, before Mr. J. G. Livingston, charged on Warrants with being concerned in betting practices :—Thomas Hugh Scmgg, publican, Dale-street, charged with being the proprietor of premises devoted to purpose of betting; Robert Carr, William James Patterson, and Wm. Wells, charged with betting therein; and Thomas Coe, charged with occupying a room in 16, Crown-street, for purposes of betting. Mr. Davies prosecuted and Mr. Cobb defended the prisoners. No evidence was given. Mr. Cobb applied for a remand and to have the prisoners admitted to bail Mr. Davies would not object to a remand until Thursday nor to the prisoners being out on bail if substantial security was given. Mr. Livingston remanded the prisoners, and fixed the amount of bail in the case of Scragg at two sureties in £lOO each and himself in £2OO, half those amounts being fixed in each other case.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-04-22 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE.  A few days ago, a journeyman butcher, named Thomas Henry Tredley, attempted to cut the throat of a woman in the street, and then made an attempt to destroy his own life. It would appear that Tredley has for the last ten years lived with a woman named Henrietta Fountain as his wife. She always passed by the name of Tredley, and in the neighbourhood of their lodgings, in Roman Road, Barnsbury, she was always called Mrs. Tredley. A few days ago a person called upon Tredley, and made remarks that induced him to suspect the fidelity of his paramour. He spoke to her on the subject, and charged her with carrying on an intrigue with a young man. On Thursday April 14, they had a desperate quarrel. She then admitted to him that there was ground for his jealousy, and she also informed him that she was living with another man, to whose lodgings she had gone. In the afternoon she called upon Tredley at his lodgings in Roman Road, and they were seen to leave the house to. gether. About nine o'clock in the evening, a police constable, who was in Devonshire street, New North Road, Horton, saw them, and observed the woman fall upon the pavement, and he then ran up to her. The constable then saw Tredley cutting his own throat with a razor, and he caught hold of him by the arm and wrenched the razor from his grasp. There was blood flowing from the man's throat, and upon turning towards the woman the ofilur observed that her throat had been cut in a fearful manner. He at once called assistance, and the man and the woman were conveyed to a surgeon. The surgeon bound up their wounds, and ordered the immediate removal of the woman to St. Bartholo. mew's Hospital. The man was taken to the Kings. land Road police station, where the inspector ordered him to b put on a stretcher and carried by four constables to St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Te man is 33 years or age and the woman about 29. The policeman who arrested him states that when he did so the man looked at the woman, who was lying in a pool of blood on the pavement, and said, "If you hadn't called this wouldn't have happened." On Friday.evening the house surgeon (Mr. Paget) reported that the woman, although dangerously wounded, has some chance of recovering. Her throat is frightfully gashed, and she has lost a large quan. tity of blood. The wound in the man's throat is not serious, and in a few days he will be sufficiently recovered to allow of his being brought before the police court. He is stated to have been in the habit of drinking excessively.
The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-07-08 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

GLUTTONT.—GIuttony, again, in all its forms, from the dainty excesses of the epicure who sins upon turtle and Tokay, down to the coarse voracity of the ploughboy who, as we sometimes read in the papers, will eat a tom-cat for a wager, is tolerably certain to induce its own punishment. The man who makes a "god of his belly," and who considers his soul as a mere appendage to his stomach, must expect to be severely mulcted. Such an inversion of the order of things must place the poor wretched mortal "stumbling about in God's temple, and thinking it a brutal cookery shop," completely at the mercy of his intestines. For, whilst professing to feed his body with reasonable solicitude, he is hterally ruining his viscera, and converting them from friends into foes. Suffer he must, for an execution is promptly put into his premises. Nay, sometimes the avenger has been known to quarter himself in a man's frame permanently. Richard Baxter, whose life for the most part was one long disease, who tells us that he passed through the hands of thirty-six physicians and was still uncured, ascribed all his physical suffering to the weaknem produced by what he calls his "gluttonous" con sumption of apples and pears whilst a youth. The over loaded stomach breaks down under the tasks imposed upon it, and revenges itself by inflicting upon the offender all the horrors of dyspepsia. Nor are these trivial. A very considerable per centage of the miseries of mankind may be said to spring from this source alone. Peevishness, ill humour, domestic breezes, hypochondria, ghost seeing, melancholy, suicide itself, with many other evil-, may often be traced to the poor digestive sac, when wearied and insulted by the hard work to which it Is condemned. De Quincey tells a story of an officer who was passionately fond of muffins, and who indulged in them to an immoderate extent. But unfortunately the muffins were not disposed to agree with him, and consequently prudence strongly recommended him to renounce the delicious deceivers. This, however, was more than the colonel could accomplish, for, having given his favourite articles a fair trial, and finding that his stomach was implacable in its hostility, he blew out his brains rather than stoop to live in a maffinless world. The Blunders of Vice and Folly.