npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1850-10-10 (London, England)

SUICIDE AND MURDER.  A most melancholy event has just happened in Leigh. The following are the brief particulars hastily collected together. On Tuesday morning, a young female, named Elizabeth Eaton, committed the double crime of murder and suicide by leaping into the Leigh and Wigan Canal with her child. The. spot she selected for her purpose is close to the Leighbridge, crossing the canal, near the centre of the town, and it is a matter of surprise that she should have accomplished the deed without detection, as it is supposed that she must have jumped into the water about five o'clock, an hour when many operatives are beginning to proceed to their employment. A youth in the emlpoyment of Messrs. Farnworth, named Peter Speakman, was plssing the spot about twenty minutes pas six, and saw something dark floating on the 'water, which he mistook for the body of a man. He went and awakened Mr. Richard lliggins, at the Bridgewater Canal office, who got up and fetched a shaft, and with the assistance of Richard Wilkinson, pulled the body of the unfortunate woman on the banks of the canal. Immediate information was given to the police, and they removed the body to the house of Mr. Thos. Greenough, Boat-house, where it was shortly afterwards identified by the woman with whom the deceased lodged at Thospe's Houses, near the 'Wesleyan Chapel, and the body was conveyed to her lodgings. It was then discovered that the child was missing, and a search was commenced for the body in the canal, where it was found in the course of half an hour by a man named James Duke. The woman was only partially dressed, and her child was in its night clothes. The child was an illegitimate one, and was about three or four months old. Its maintenance had much embarrassed the mother, although she had recently affiliated the child upon its putative father. The woman was a silk weaver, in the employment of Messrs. Walker. An inquest has been held on the bodies, when the jury returned a verdict of " Found drowned."
The Sun. — 1850-10-10 (London, England)

SUICIDE AND MURDER.  A most melancholy event has just happened in Leigh. The following are the brief particulars hastily collected together. On Tuesday morning, a young female, named Elisabeth Eaton, committed the double crime of murder and suicide by leaping into the Leigh and Wigan Canal with her child. The spot she selected for her purpose is close to the Leighbridge, crossing the canal, near the centre of the town, and it is a matter of surprise that she should have accomplished the deed without detection, as it is supposed that she must have jumped into the water about five o'clock, an hour when many operatives are beginning to proceed to their employment. A youth in the emlpoyment of Messrs. Farnworth, named Peter Speakman, was passing the spot about twenty minutes pas six, and saw something dark floating on the water, which he mistook for the body of a man. He went and awakened Mr. Richard Higgins, at the Bridgewater Canal office, who got up and fetched a shaft, and with the assistance of Richard Wilkinson, pulled the body of the unfortunate woman on the banks of the canal. Immediate information was given to the police, and they removed the body to the house of Mr. Thos. Greenough, Boat-house, where it was shortly afterwards identified by the woman with whom the deceased lodged at Thorpe's Houses, near the Wesleyan Chapel, and the body was conveyed to her lodgings. It was then discovered-that the child was missing, and a search was commenced for the body in the canal, where it was found in the course of half an hour by a man named James Duke. The woman was only partially dressed, and her child was in its night clothes. The child was an illegitimate one, and was about three or four months old. Its maintenance had much embarrassed the mother, although she had recently affiliated the child upon its putative father. The woman was a silk weaver, in the employment of Messrs. Walker. An inquest has been held on the bodies, when the jury returned a verdict of " Found dro n ed."  ANOTHER CHARGE AGAINST DENHAM, Iviio IS IN
The Sun. — 1842-12-15 (London, England)

WIFE SHOT BY HER HUSBAND.  On Friday night, between six and seven o'clock, John Hunt, who keeps a public-house in Waterbeach Fen, near Cambridge, went into his house with a loaded gun, which he discharged at his wife, and in£tantly escaped. The gun was discharged at the poor woman's head, and the charge blew away part of her lower jaw, and, passing in an oblique direction, also took off and lacerated the upper part of her shoulder Mr Pinchard, surgeon, of Cottenham, was called in with all possible speed, and he extracted two large pieces of bone from the lower jaw, and dressed the wounds, but it was not thought possible the poor creature could long survive the extensive injuries she had received.  There were two other men in the house when the murderous attempt was made, but they were too pa. ralysed by the occurrence to secure Hunt, who instantly made his escape, and has not since been heard of, although diligent search was made at an early hour this morning. It appears that it was a feeling of jealousy that prompted the wretched man to the committal of the diabolical act; he had, we understand, many times threatened to take away the life of his wife, and had been absent from his home for several days pant. The parties had been married twenty-six yearn, and have three children, the eldest being married, and Hunt is supposed to have got through a deal of property. Mrs. Hunt is the daughter of an old gentleman named Newton, who left the scene of the tragedy only a few minutes before the arrival of the infuriated husband.  Hunt is about forty-five years of age; and it is generally supposed at IVaterbeach that he had committed suicide, and search has been made in the river which runs near the house, but without success.  The Cambridge Independent Press, in noticing this melancholy occurrence in a second edition, states that this is the fifth attempt at murder in the town and neighbourhood of Cambridge, within the last three weeks. The attempt made by the green-grocer, in the market-place of the town, to cut his wife's throat very recently, proceeded from the same cause of jealousy which it appears was the origin of the Waterbeach tragedy. The last account relative to the latter occurrence, which reached Cambridge on Monday night, stated that the unfortunate woman still lingered in the most excruciating agony, without any hope being entertained of her recovery.
The Sun. — 1842-05-18 (London, England)

UNITED STATES TROOPS.—It seems that our Govermnent are apprehensive that the "Western Indian., will take part in the troubles between Texas and Mexico; they are, theretbre, concentrating a large body of troops near the frontier line. The present force, under the command of General Taylor, consists of .the following troops :—Dragoons at Port Towson 184 at Fort ;Jessup 123, at Fort Gibson 71 ; Infantry at hurt Gibson 140; Dragoons at Fort Wayne 142 : total 669. To - this force is to be added the Gth regithent of Infantry now at Jefferson-Barracks, 800, to march immediately to Fort Towson; five companies of Dragoons to move from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Towson, 360 ; and the Ist regiment of Infantry from jefferSon Barracks to Fort Leavenworth, 75. The whole disposabiO force under the command of General Taylor will then be 2,004. MURDERS IN AR AN SAS .—The Retsina (Ark.) Shield, of the 9th, contains in that one paper accounts of three murders in the State. The first arose • from a dispute between a Captain Morehead and a man in his employ named Robert. Lyons, which resulted in the death of the latter, by Morehead shooting him with a shot gun. The second was at Pine Bluffs, where a man- named Wm. Macdaniels, with a bowie knife, .committed an unprovoked murder upon the body of an old and respectable minister of the Gospel named Gross. The murderer made his escape. Of the third, in which a man named Samuel Gillespie was killed by the Seneca Indian Agent, the particulars had not transpired. HORRIBLE MURDER lN lOWA.--By a letter in' a St. Louis paper of the 14th, we notice a terrible outrage at Burlington, lowa. J. P. Bradstreet having a. difficulty. with a citizen of the place, S. W. Ross, brother-in-law of the latter, provided himself with one of Colt's revolving pistols, met Mr. 13. in the street, and discharged the contents of five of the barrels at him, each shot taking effect. Mr. 8., though terribly wounded and dying, returned the fire, and dangerously wounded Ross. Mr."l3. has since died. Miss Hamblin, • or Miss GOodrich, who murdered her husband the Mobile theatre, has, it is supposed, committed suicide. It is said that she was a wild girl, " looking as if she was going into a state of lunacy, while her husband looked like a poor victimized idiot." The body of a young lady was found in the Ohio, near 'Warsaw, about the 17th instant, supposed to ye been the victim of murder. A
The Sun. — 1842-01-04 (London, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE.—On Sunday evening about half-past six o'clock, a very respectable young woman, about twenty-one years of age, of the name of Martha Whitney, a servant in the employ of Mr. Bruce Tickney, fringemaker, of East-lane, IN alworth, committed sell-destruction in the following manner:—She had obtained leave of her mistress on the previous night to go out for the day to visit her mother, who resides at Fulham. It appears she had spent the day at her mother's, and was returning home ; her mother and brother were accompanying her part of the way back, when they accidentally met a young man, who some time back kept company with her, but who has since married an acquaintance of hers. He asked her to drink with him ; she consented, and they all went to his house and had each some brandy ; when they left, and were walking alone- the water-side, near Battersea-bridge, the unfortunate young woman darted from her mother and precipitated herself into the water, and before she could be extricated met with a watery grave. No reason can be assigned for her committing so rash an act, unless it was the disappointment she had received from the young man. When the Lord Chief Justice Dougherty was leaving Beaumaris, where his family had long been residing, after an assize in which there had not been a single criminal case for trial, he turned to his Irish servant, and said, in allusion to this circumstance, " Well, Pat, what would they say to such a thing in our country ?" The Hibernian replied with an evident air of self-complacency, in the true Irish brogue, " I'll tell you what it is, your Honour, these Welsh are a poor mane-spirited people, and hav'nt the heart to do anything worth hanging for."
The Sun. — 1842-12-05 (London, England)

DETECTION OF SHEEP-STEALERS, AND SUICIDE OF THE SHEPHERD.—A circumstance has just occurred in Hertfordshire which goes to prove what has always been asserted by the chief constable of the county, that when farmers are in the habit of having sheep stolen the shepherd is generally connected with the thieves. On the forenoon of Friday, the 25th of November, information was brought to the chief constable at Hertford that two wether sheep and a ram had been stolen some time during the previous night from the farm of Mr. Cheffins, near Ware. Captain Robertson immediately dispatched inspector Dunn, of the rural police, by railway to London, and directed Inspector Barnes to go by the high-road to Smithfield, with instructions how to proceed. At Enfield Barnes he met a light cart belonging to Humphrey, a butcher of Hoddesdon, driven by a lad named Welch, who, being closely interrogated, admitted that lie had been employed by Humphrey to convey two wether sheep and a rain to London, and stated that they had been delivered to Mr. Mossman, a salesman. Being convinced from the description given of the sheep by Welch that they were those stolen from Mr. Cheffins, Barnes returned to Hoddesdon and took Humphrey into custody, in whose possession 51. 15s. was found, which he admitted having received from Mossman, but refused to give any account of the sheep sold by him. Barnes then proceeded to London, taking with him the shepherd of Mr. Cheffins, and from information received from Mr. Mossman, who rendered every assistance to the police, the inspectors were enabled to trace the two wether sheep to the yard of the Ram public-house in Smithfield. The skin of the stolen ram (it having been already killed) was also traced and recovered from the fell-monger, , to whom it had been sold, and both that and the , sheep were subsequently identified by Mr. Cheffins as his property. The shepherd, upon being shown the sheep in London, evinced symptoms of uneasiness, and desired to be allowed to go home. He accordingly left London at eleven o'clock on Monday morning, but did not reach his master's until twelve o'clock at night, having in the meantime, as it is supposed, given information of the discovery of the sheep to others of the gang, with whom it was now found he was connected ; and at three o'clock on Tuesday morning it was discovered he had committed suicide, the unfortunate man having nearly severed his head from his body.
The Sun. — 1842-02-17 (London, England)

MELANCHOLY CASE OF SELFDESTRUCTION.  On the morning of Thursday last, the villages of Brockwear and Tintern, were thrown into great alarm by a report brought by a company of children, that some strange young gentleman had put an end to his existence, and was lying in the upper road, leading from Tintern Abbey to Madgett Farm, in the middle of a wood, called Causeway Grove. On approaching the spot the deceased was found, as reported, prostrate on his face ; his feet were close to a small projecting rock; on which he might have seated himself to have taken a last survey of an extensive and interesting view. His right hand lay under him, still embracing a discharged percussion pistol, the instrument of destruction; ,while in the left hand was another new pocket-pistol, loaded and cocked, with the fore-finger lying on the trigger. The body was warm and limp, and there is no doubt, from the report of the firing, distinctly heard by a woman on the lower road, that but a few miuutes had transpired before it was met with. The ball, which had entered a little below the orifice of the right ear, had in its course severed some large vessels, which caused an extraordinary How of blood, covering the features, a►.d deluging the road aroud. Upon searching the pockets a brown paper parcel was met with, carefully sealed, and also a small memorandum book, having a direction written with a lead pencil, that on its being found it shonld be imme. diately forwarded as directed. Every attempt, however, proved in vain to solve the mystery, as to the person of the deceased, or the motive which could, have induced him to have selected a situation so richly pou►traying the magnificent works of nature, and its divine architect.  The parcel was opened, and two letters found in it, from which it appeared that the name of the de-ceased was F. W. Smith, and that he had been a commercial traveller, in the employ of Messrs. Mander, Weaver, and Co., Wolverhampton. He had been missing for eight or ten days, but no reason could be assigned for the suicide. An inquest was held on the body on Monday, when the Jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."  The Ipswich Express mentions an accident which occurred on Monday to Captain M`Forlane of that town. The gallant officer was driving a carriage in Ipswich, when some dogs got between the horses' feet, and so greatly frightened them that they became unmanageable, and ultimately upset the carriage. The Misses M'Forlane and the servants escaped with some bruises, but the captain himself sustained a fracture of the ribs. The carriage was broken to pieces. It having been intimated to the Queen that the inhab tants of Sunning Dale, near Virginia Water, were cmtemplating the erection of a parsonage-house in the *mmediate vicinity of the new church lately erected in that district, her Majesty immediately caused to be forwarded, in aid of the fund for that purpose, a donation of 301. A school for the education of the children of the poorer classes leing likewise in contemplation, the Queen also presented the IMO Of 201. in order to promote so desirable en object.
The Sun. — 1842-08-19 (London, England)

SUICIDE BY LEAPING FROM THE MON UMEN T.—(THIS DAY.) At half-past ten o'clock this morning, a third suicide of a most extraordinary kind—that of leaping from the Monument—Was committed by a respectablydressed young female. At the time above stated, she paid sixpence, the usual fee for permission to ascend to the top of the Monument, and immediately went up the winding staircase to the iron railing which surrounds the top on the outside. It is stated by persons who witnessed the occurrence, that she bound her eyes with a handkerchief, and then climbing over that point of the railings- Which faces King Williamstreet, took a spring, and leaped, head foremost, to the ground. In her descent she turned round, and as she struck the earth in a position by which her knees were near her chest, nearly every bone was broken: She took such a leap that she fell upwards of twelve feet from the base of the Monument, and cleared a cart that was standing by the side of the pavement. Immediately the shocking affair was seen, crowds of persons, attracted' as well by the noise of the fall as the circumstance of a woman leaping from the monument ; they found her quite dead, and dreadfully lacerated. Several of the City police soon made their way through the crowd, and conveyed the body to St. Margaret's Church, Upper Thamesstreet, near London-bridge. At the time that this account was written there was no clue whatever to the residence of the unhappy girl, or to that of her friends and relations, and her name was unknown. She was rather good-looking, with a full face, rather stout, and was about 22 years of age. Her dress consisted of a flowered gown, white leghorn bonnet, black shawl, and white stockings. The greatest excitement prevailed in the streets in the vicinity of the Monument, and Fish-street-hill and part of Thamesstreet was rendered almost impassable, the crowd wa's so great. Information has been sent to Mr. Payne, the City Coroner. •  •
The Sun. — 1842-05-23 (London, England)

SUPPOSED MURDER.—Throughout toe whole of Friday Croydon was in a state of excitement, owing to finding the bode of a young man which was lying in afield near Croydon Common, with his head shattered in the most frightful manner, his brains being scattered all around hiM, and the body being covered with blood. At his side was a small pistol, the contents of which had been discharged, and from the situation in which it was lying it is believed that the young man could not have committed so rash an act himself. On searching his pockets some gunpowder and . bullets were found, which evidently had been thrust into them while the, body had been lying on the ground, no doubt to make it appear that the unfortunate man had committed suicide. : His body,which has not yet been identified, lies at the Mail Coach Tavern, Croydon Common. The deceased apparently was about twenty years of age, 5 feet 4 inches in height, and wore 'a brown frock coat.—( Another version:)—A meat extraordinary and determined act of suicide was committed at. Croyslonsain Friday night. The following particulars of the transaction are furnished by one of our correspondents : About eleven o'clock on Friday night the inhabitants near Croydon-common were alarmed by the report of pistol-shots upon the common, but as no cries were heard, or other alarm given, no inquiry or search was made. Yesterday morning, about six o'clock, a man named Bryant, going to his work, discovered the dead body of a young man, very well dressed, lying upon the grass. He gave an alarm, and Inspector Collier was soon upon the spot., and the body was removed to the Mail Coach public-house, when it was found that the head of the deceased had been blown nearly to atoms. Near the spot, where the body was discovered, was found a pistol that had been recently discharged, and a hook entitled " Remarks on the In-Inence of Mental Cultivation and Mental Excitement upon Health. By Amariah Brigham, M.D." This book appeared beliagnhkt lepalaveeess,tbeerveidtv.m.atslywrbitytenainpipsteonl-chilatlib,e afonld. to have been made use of as a target, for it was perforated oinn osenveeonf tohre lowing sentence :—" Having no watch I. cannot say what is the hour, but the sun appears to be down, or below the horizon, and the crows and other birds are busy and pleased, and all nature content and happy but me; because of not knowing how to make a better use of my brain, I have come here to have it shattered. It rains— it is cold---or, at least, I feel cold—an tit is darkish." Upon the personal the deceasedbeing searched six shilling and sixpence in silver, and eightpence in copper acre found in his pockets, and also several bullets, and a number of percussion caps, but nothing whatever likely to afford a clue to discover the identity of the deceased. He appears to be between 24 and 25 years old, and ' was dressed in a brown frock coat and black trousers and waistcoat. 'the body still remains at the Mail Coach to await the coroner's inquest. '
The Sun. — 1842-05-19 (London, England)

SUICIDE FROM JEALOUSY.—On Tuesday an inquest was held before Mr. Baker, at the Adam and Eve Ta- . vern, Homerton, on the body of Mary Ann Anninge, aged 25, who committed suicide. William Carter said he lived at Barber's nursery. Deceased was his fellowservant. On Friday night last, about eight o'clock, he met deceased walking with a young man in the Leabridge. road, and shortly after in the Greyhound public house, drinking half a pint of ale te% herself. He heard her ask if she could have a bed there, and the reply being no, she said she would not go home, for her sister had behaved badly to her, and ruined her peace of mind for ever, as she had been out the whole day in company with the young man who was to have married her (the deceased). She walked with witness for some distance. and said she would go back again and ask the landlady to let her have a bed. He followed her and overtook her going in the direction of Lea-bridge, near which he stopped her. He then said she should go to Hoxton to sleep. She appeared much agitated, and he endeavoured to. sooth her, when she promised to go back to the Greyhound, if witness would not follow her. At her desire he left her, and had not gone far when he heard a plunge in the water. He called a policeman, and they ran together towards the bank of the river Lea, but in their progress fell over a lime heap, and were nearly blinded and suffocated. They found the deceased's bonnet and shawl on the bank, and having procured the drags, got the body out in about twenty minutes; and Mr. Fountain, surgeon, endeavoured to restore animation, 'but without effect. He had no doubt that jealousy, at the conduct of her sister, was the cause of the deceased committing the rash act. Verdict—" Temporary insanity." The Limerick Chronicle of Saturday says the Kerry mountains were then covered with snow.