npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-05-28 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

BELLE VUE GAOL.—The Prison Commissioners have decided on the abolition of Belle Vue Gaol, Manchester, and the building will shortly be pulled down. For some time past the prisoners have been gradually drafted away to linutsford—whete the large accommodation has been hitherto only partially used--Strangeways, and elsewhere in the county. The transfer will shortly be fully accomplished. The warders and officers are also !Incline situations elsewhere. Belle Vue has within recent years been regarded SS almost a model geol. In the government reports it has been spoken of very highly on account of the excellent discipline maintained, the useful work done by the prisoners in brush-making and the like, and the small amount of punishment which has been necessary. The reasons for the demolition of the building are, we understand, imperative. . A Hooe lkser.—The great blast at Llanberis, North Wales, for which preparations have been in progress for the past three years, took place at one o'clock on Saturday. and was completely successful. About two tons of "gelatine," equal in strength to nineteen tons of powder, were used, the object, being to effect a displacement of ninety to a hundred thousand tons of bad rock at Dinorwic Slate Quarry, which made it dangerous for the men to work about it. Either the displacement had to be effected, or the men must cease work, whereas now there will be means of employment furnished for many more men. Notices were posted in Llanberis requesting the people to leave their houses, and to leave their doors and 'windows open. This was done, and, with trifling exceptions, the after effects were harmless. The explosion was fired by electricity, and the shock was followed by a terrible report, the entire mass being lifted up and toppled over into the \Victoria section of the quarry. Traffic was stopped in the locality, and there was an immense gathering posted around to witness this—the heaviest, most costly, and most. effective explosion ever caused in the quarry districts of Wales. SUICIDE OF A WIpAN
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-10-01 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

LICENSES AT WIDNES.—A special session for hearing applications for theatrical licenses Wad held at Widnes on Thursday. The magistrat•ea on ties Bench were Messrs E. K. Muspratt. T S. Timmis. J. Brock, H. Wade Deacon. Mr. J. W. Knowles appeared for Mr. Mellon, the proprietor of the theatre, and apologised for his client causing the Bench inconvenience by not appearicg on a former occieion.—Mr. W. Higginion, the Loci] Board surveyor, produced a plan, showing that the doors of the theatre would be made to epen outwards, and that an extra door would be made to facilitate the dismissal of an enlience. ; Other alterations were alto contemplated.—The Bench decided to grant the renewal ef the license to the theatre upon the applicant producing a certificate from the surveyor /showing that the alterations had been carried ent.—Mr. W. 1 H. Kershaw also applied for the renewal of the license to perform stage plays at the Volunteer Hell. Alterations were also suggested in this inetance, and the Bench granted the license on the earns conditions as the farmer. ATTEMPED SUICIDE AT WIDNES —At the Widnes Police Court, on Monday, Elizabeth Bate, wife or Thomas Bate, North-street, Widnes, was charged with attempting to com• mit suicide by drowniag herself on Saterdey af!ernoon. George Laehlev, a workmen at Messrs Ornesiee'e, said that on Saturday afternoon he WAS working close to the iron bridee on the canal bank. Prisoner passed in the direction of Warrington. When about 150 yardeptst the bridge etie threw herself into the water. On seeing this, he along with another man named Edward Clarke, went and pulled her out. Police-constable Thompson said that from information he received be apprehended prisoner at her house in North-street, and charged her with attempting to commit suicide. She said In reply that she intended to do it, as her son had left her the previous day. She now denied to the magistrates that she threw herself into the canal, but said thaton walking alongthe bank she caught her foot and fell in. The husband ef the woman said he had never known her to doe thing like that before. She told him that she was fol. lowing her son who bat gone away. He would promise to take care of her. The magistrates discharged the woman with a caution. FATALLY CRUSHED by
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-11-12 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

SUSPECTED MURDER OF A WARRINGTON  GIRL.  The police are engaged in an investigation of the circumstances under which a young servant woman. formerly of Warrington, met her death in the neighbourhood of Old Trafford a week ago. On the evening of Wednesday, the 9th inst., Elizabeth Ellison, who for the past six years has been in the employ of Mrs. Colton, hairdresser, Chapel-street. Salford, received the permission of her mistress to visit the Boyll Jubilee Exhibition. She had previously informed Mrs. Colton that a young man named Samuel Evans, calico printer, living in lodgings at Pendleton, with whom she was on friendly terms, would accompany. her. It was about six o'clock when the woman left, and as she did not return within a reasonable period after the closing of the Exhibition. Mrs. Colton became slanted. About one o'clock in the morning the young man _Evans came, saying he had missed the girl, and despairing of finding her had come away without her. In answer to Mrs. Colton's inquiries, he stated that they went to the Exhibition together, that they there had some refreshment, and that on coming away they called at the Dog and Partridge Hotel, situated near the principal entrance to the Exhibition, in Chester-road. As they were leaving the hotel, about a quarter to eleven. Ellison, he said, mysteriously disappeared. He spent a considerable time in trying to find her, ancl then made the best of his way home. Evans remained at Mrs. Colton's home until between three and four o'clock, to see if Ellison would come. Inquiries were set on foot the next day to discover' what had become of the young woman, but no tidings of her movements after leaving the hotel could be met with until Tuesday, when her dead body, shockingly mutilated and stripped of all clothing except the stockings and boots, was found in the Bridgewater Canal, Throstle Nest, Old Trafford. The right arm is off and the left arm is broken. There are also large cuts across the breast and forehead, and injuries ,in other parts of the body. Of course, all these injuries may have been caused by boats after the immersion of the body in the watkr. The question now engaging the attention of Mr. Supenntendent Bent and the detectives is—How came the young woman into the canal? Pending the result of their investigation p the police have deemed it right to place Evans under arrest. He was apprehended on Wednesday evening at Mrs. Colton's shop, where he had gone presumably to learn if any further light had been thrown on the mysterious occurrence. Mrs. Colton states that the' deceased girl, who was in her 23rd year, left her home on the evening in question in the best of spirits, and that there was nothing in her conduct at any time that would point to the idea of suicide. She was expecting in the course of a few weeks to be married to a young man in Warrington, where her mother and other relatives reside.
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-09-17 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

GENERAL NEWS. •  English tourists will be glad to learn that the English Government has issued a circular ordering Custom House officers to be more polite to travellers. Lady Houghton, of Fryston Hall, near Pontefract, died on Monday afternoon at Lord Crewe's residence at Crewe, vlffitther her ladyship had gone to be out of the way of fever, which had broken out at Fryston.  In compliance with a memorial from the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, an order in Council has been issued authorising them to issue additional Bank of England notes to the amount of £450,000. The last order, authorising an issue to the extent of £750,000, was made in 1881. _ _ _  Robert Thompson, corn miller, of Leeds, made a desperate attempt to murder his wife at Selby on Monday afternoon. They had been separated for some time, and on her refusing to return to Leeds with him, he cut her throat with a razor in three places. He was arrested. The woman is in a critical condition.  The Works Committee of the Brighton Town Council have approved of the plans for a new theatre in the King's-road, but an exception was taken on the ground that no provision had been made for an iron curtain. It was explained that the plans conformed to the bye-laws, and the Council had no option in the matter. Mr. J. W:Kirton, the well-known temperance author and lecturer, has been appointed the organising agent of the Provisional Committee of the new National Prohibition party. He will during the autumn actively promote throughout the country the special business connected with the Prohibition Convention, to be held in London Court  cm December Ist. .diff P,  ',mad David Fl:  At the Can..— face a man _ isher, glazier, Gough-street, has been committed for trial at the assizes on a charge of setting fire to his own house. At the time of the fire he was at Newport, his wife and three children being in bed. The children were got out of the house by a neighbour, but the wife had to jump from the bedroom window. Much excitement has been created at Riverside, Glamorganshire, by the elopement of the wife of a shipping clerk with a sea captain, who was residing with them. The pair took with them several valuable articles and sums of money belonging to the deserted husband, who is left with three young children. No trace has been found of the wandering couple.  Harry Coulson, landlord of the Wheat Sheaf Inn, Nottingham, and well known in the music-hall profession as a variety entertainer, committed suicide on Sunday. He had been suffering from consumption, and as his recovery was regarded as hopeless, he became greatly depressed, and he was found in bed with his throat cut and a razor lying by his side. _ _ _ .  Mr. georie -Forster, of Penzance, a member of the Rothschild Hunt, while driving home on Saturday night from a shooting party at Mr. B. T. Fountaine's, at Stoke Hammond, was thrown from his phaeton, the horse having bolted in the dark and brought the vehicle into collision with a mud heap. Mr. Forster's neck was broken by the fall, and he died immediately. A PrAtrilßLV
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-02-05 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

OPEN BOAT.— On Saturday morning, the steam trawler Malta, of Grantou (Captain Isbister), put into the port with six boys, fpund at sea, in an open boat,,in an exhausted condition. The captain states that ab )ut half-past five this morning, when off May Island, and steaming seawards, he heard cries of someone in distress, and, on looking, saw through the darkness what appeared to be the mast of a boat. He steamed the trawler to windward, and, drifting down on the boat, found it contained six boys, all in a state of mat exhaustion. They were taken on board, and restoratives applied. They stated that they went from Leith in an open boat in the Firth of Forth, and anchored on Ineskeith but the wind drove the boat to seaward. Capt. Isbister says that the boys could not have held out much longer. _ _  Tire Loignox SocrAusrs AT Cul:mm-0n Sunday, the Socialists in London continued their programme of marching to the churches. About 150 members of the Paddington and Bayswater Social Detnocratib Federation attended St. Marylebone Parish Church, where some of the preacher's remarks were greeted with groans and hisses. Eventually, however, all the processionists left the church quietly. 'the contingents of the Kennington, Walworth, and Peckham branches marched to St. Giles's Chbrch, Peckbam, but were refused admission by the police. They then proceeded to Camberwell-green, and their leaders delivered addresses. The Bermondsey Socialists attended the parish church. During the prayers for the Queen and the Royal Family the Socialists hissed persistently, and greatly disturbed the usual congregation; and it has been stated that proceedings are to be taken against the ringleaders for brawling.  EXTRAORDINARY RECOVERY OY MISSING 14rfolmv.— newspaper vendor, named Cauden, alias Smith, was brought up at Bow-street, on,Mondav, charged with attempting to commit suicide. About half-past eleven on , Saturday night the attention of a police-constable was drawn to the prisoner in the lake in St. James's Park. With great 'difficulty the man was rescued in an insensible condition. He was removed to the police station. 'where it was found that he was drunk. An emetic 'was administered, 'which had the effect of causing prisoner to vomit four shlllings, a sixpenny-piece, and a halfpenny. In reply t 4 Mr. Bridge, the prisoner said that he had sold out his stock of newspapers and had got drunk. He missed his money, and could not understand what had become of it. He therefore threw himself into the water, and now appeared greatly surprised at the singular recovery of his money. He was ordered to find two sureties to be of good behaviour for one month.  MR.
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-02-19 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE EXAMINER, S A TURDA, FEBRUARY 19, 1887.  WIFE MURDER AT BURY.  On Thursday afternoon, at Bury, Walter Wood, a machine litter, of Bolton, murdered his wife by cutting her throat. The deceased woman's maiden name was Emma Ford, and she had been twice married. Prior to her first marriage she had had an illegitimate child, who was present at the time the woman was murdered. It appears that the murderer( came to Bury to fit up some machinery, and there made the acquaintance of the deceased.' They were marrieda few months ago, but as they lived very uncomfortably together the deceased returned from Bolton to Bury to live with her mother. It is said that the husband, who had written several letters to her, made an appointment to meet her on Thursday afternoon. Be that as it may, they did meet, and went for a walk through some fields towards Iluntly Farm. Suddenly, the man seized his wife and cut her throat almost from ear to ear in the presence of the child above referred to, who screamed, upon which the murderer ran away in the direction of Heywood. The poor woman staggered to the house of a Mrs. Kay, next to the farm, and said, "Oh, do lay me down, because I am dying." A medical man was summoned, but Mrs. Wood died in a few minutes, though not before she had told her husband's name and said he had murdered her. The deceased was about 30 years of age. Wood has not yet been apprehended.  tip to three o'clock on Friday nothing had been heard of Woodi.but the police are pretty confident that they will ultimately be able to arrest him unless he has oommitted suicide, which is not considered probable. The inurder was committed through jealousy, as the deceased refused to live with him.
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-02-19 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

EXECUTION OF THOMAS BLORTIAM AT LETO/INTER--. On Monday, Thomas Bloxham, aged 62, was executed in Leicester Prison, for wife murder. Last November, the prisoner shot and cut the throat of his wife, and at the trial alleged that she committed suicide by agreement with him. Ile maintained an unconcerned demeanour till Saturday, when he was visited by several friends and his children. On Sunday he broke down again, and received the ministrations of the chaplain very gratefully. On Monday his spirits had revived; however, and he walked firmly to the scaffold, bidding the warders farewell just before the bolt was drawn. Berry allowed a drop of aft. 6in., and death appeared to be hasiantaneonS. A considerable crowd assembled outside the prisonDRI/TRIICTIVH FIFE AT AN , OPERA HOuSE. The Northampton New Opera House was burnt early on tiunday morning. It had been occupied during the week by Mr. Balsir Chatterton's Company, which had a successful run. The house was left in apparent safety on Saturday night, but soon after midnight the stageman found a fire raging behind the wings. lie at.once raised an alarm, but it was some time before any firemen could be summoned. In the interval an effort was made to extinguish the flames by means of a hand fire extinguisher belonging to the theatre. It was then discovered that the gas was escaping, and that it was imPossible to get to the meter. Later on when the flames had a firm hold of the rear of the building several firemen arrived with the steam engine, but it was then evident that the building could not be saved. In about two hours the roof fell in. The dry inflammable contents of the building were speedily consumed, and although the gallery and front of the house were saved, the remainder of the theatre was destroyed. The building was erected only three years ago. • BREACH OF TIM Mil:Es At the Dolton Police-court, on Monday, Harry Scowcroft, owner of the Itosehill collieries, and his manager, Noah I Jones, were summoned for contravention of the Mines Regulation Act, for insufficient ventilation of mines, and allowing use of naked lightt in the workings, where an explosion took place.—Joseph Dickinson, Chief Inspector of Mines, prosecuted.—lt was stated that on January 24th, the fireman, in going his rounds in the Doe mine, found gas in the working place, and the manager. instead of withdrawing the men, who were using naked lights, placed another collier to guard the place with a safety lamp. An explosion occurred, and two men were injured, one so badly that he was unable to appear as a witness.—One witness for the prosecution stated that the foreman in charge of the working place where the gas was, took the top off his lamp just before the explosion occurred.—The defence was that every precaution was taken.--Scowcroft was discharged, and Jones was fined £.5.  GREAT SUFFERING AND LOB OF LIFE  Through the injurious effects upon the human system of the STORMS OF WINTER; L s often prevented by a timely course of •
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-04-16 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

CAREED: ELOPEMENT AND MURDER.— A woman named Victor, with a pronounced suicidal' mania, has just been condemned (says a Paris telegram) to six months' imprisonment for having caused- the death of her little Child during one of her attempts at selfdestruction. She •laid herself, with her infant, on her bed, after lighting a pan of charcoal, but after a time a neighbour burst open the door. The child was already dead, but the woman's life was saved. Hers is a very sad story. Madame Victor had for some years after her marriage led an exemplary life. liar huaband was a steady'workman ; but for some unaccountablereason the woman suddenly fell madly in love with a bootmaker named Cordier, and after some time, aashe could not live withhim,she persuaded him to die withher. Accordingly, one day when the husband was out, the couple kindled charcoal in her bedroom, but as'it had no effect on them Cordier suggested that they should try to stifle themselves in a smaller chamber. Again there -was no result„ so they placed a noose round their neckstand pulled it with all their might But Cordier and his.mistress seem to have had the nine lives of the proverbial cat; so, after trying to strangle and suffocate themselves with a zeal and an energy worthy of a better cause, the man proposed that they should solve the problem by eloping. Madame Vittor consented, and off they went with her little,child. But after a week Cordier's flame-died.ont, and he left his mistress in the lurch. Thewoman,seeing no issue out of her difficulty, again bad recourse-to the charcoal-p-, which proved fatal to her infant, but not to herself. She-was taken to the hospital, where she so ofbm. endeavoured to make away with herself that she had in be placed in a strait-watitcoat,Whiloberhusbatid was sent fortcrease her mind bygiving her-a full,pardon. The poor man, who-has smce.bzukenJiis.leg, new lies in a precarious state hrthe same hospital.
Widnes Examiner. — 1887-04-02 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

JACK 0' ANN'S.  ATTACK ON A 111AIL`DRIVEIL-SUICIDE OF THE ASSAILANT.  A shocking affair took place on Saturday m°l between Boxmoor Station and Hemel Hempstead. 7.g Bailey, mail carrier, had conveyed the night. mails to Bozmoor Station, and was returning with the morning mails to Hemel Hempstead about four a.m., when, in passing over a bridge, he was struck by a man on the head and partially stunned. Several shots were then fired, but fortunately these lodged in the mail bags. Bailey shouted for assistance, and his assailant ran away. On arriving at Hemel Hampstead about five o'clock, Bailey informed the police of the occurrence, and Police-sergeant Moyley and Constable Pear. man proceeded to the residence of a young man named George Norris, living in Chapel-street The man opened the upstairs window, apparently with a revolver in his hand, but did not fire. He closed the window, and screams and two reports of a pistol were immediately heard. The door was burst open, and on the police going upstairs they saw Norris getting out of the back window on to the roof of an outhouse. They gave chase, but failed to overtake him. His dead body was afterwards discovered in the river Gade. Norris's wile, who was found to have received two bullet wounds, woe conveyed to West Herts. Infirmary. An inquest was held on Monday on the body of Norris. The mail carrier, Bailey, in examination' said that on Friday evening Norris accompanied him to the mail' apparatus on the railway, and asked questions about the mails. Norris about two years ago acted as mail carrier. Witness described Norris's attack upon him as he was retunain., next morning with the mails. James Townsend, blacksmith, said he saw the deceased running across the field in his shirt to Gradebridge Park, and jump into the water. Witness followed on horseback, but did not attempt to get the deceased out of the water. The body was allowed to remain in the water until the police arrived. A revolver was found at the spot. Mr. Russell Steel, surgeon, said he attended Mrs. Norris, and found a wound near the right ear, and another on the right arm, and extracted a bullet from the latter. The unfortunate woman had since been delivered of twin children, both dead. She was now progressing favourably. The jury returned a verdict of fele de se, and censured the witness Townsend for not attempting to remove Norris's body from the water.