npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Widnes Examiner. — 1881-08-06 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

MEDICAL OFFICER'S REPORT. Dr. WATKINS, in his report for the quarter ending 30th June last, stated there were registered 63 male and 55 female bit the, total 118; and 16 male and 14 female deaths, total 30, the excess of births over deaths being 88. The birth 'rate was 44.28 per thousand of the population estimated to the middle of 1881. The death rate was 1125 per thousand of the estimated population. This was the lowest death rate he had ever had the gratification of reporting to the Board. A table of deaths classified according to diseases and ages briefly showed the causes of death were as follow :—Scarlet fever, 3 under 5 years, 5 years!and upwards 5; 5 years and upwards; croup, 1; chronic dysentery, 1 ; phthisis, 1 ; bronchitis, pneumonia, and pleurisy, 2; heart disease, 2; sudden death 1, suicide 1; other causes 6, and under 5 years 7. Scarlet fever (which had caused 14 deaths in the first quarter of the year) caused 8 deaths in the last quarter. The disease was fatal 'in 4 cases in January, 4 in February and in March. A single death only in the month of April seemed to promise the disease was disappearing, but the deaths from it rose to 6 in May, and the number again fell to 1 in June. Thus the months of March and April were precise parallels ! to May and June. The marked decline in , the rate of the infantile mortality was a matter for sincere congratulation. Although scarlet fever in children under five years accounted for exactly 10 per cent of all the deaths in the quarter, the total number of children I dying under five years from all causes was just one third of the whole number of deaths. This, compared with the previous quarter, was a fall from 50 to 33 per cent. The corn- ' pletien of the arrangements for sending cases of infectious disease to the special hospital had already been taken advantage of. In one instance no less than four children were sent in one week from one lodging house. Thus a focus of concentrated infection was swept away by the prompt adoption of measures now at their command. In conclusion he advised the periodical and complete flushing of the sewers for promoting the security of the public health and preventing as far as possible the invasion of an autumnal epidemic.—The CHAIRMAN remarked that it was very satisfactory to find that the death-rate was so small.—Mr. BlBi.av could not help rising to thank Dr. Watkins for a.much more moderate and temperate report than ever he had read since be had been a member of the Board.—Dr. WATKINS : The report speaks for itself. The CHAIRMAN : We had better send it to the Committee. Mr. Wins-norm : I should like to ask Dr. Watkins if, within his knowledge, any waste steam is turned into the sewers.—Dr. WATKINS : lam not aware of any. There was some a long time ago, but it was stopped; and I have not observed any since, and have heard no complaints.—The report was then referred to the committee.
Widnes Examiner. — 1901-05-10 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE NEAR RUNCORN.  A Pitiful Case.  Before tbe magistrates at the Runcorn Sessions, last Monday, Margaret Darbyshire, a young girl, of Canonstreet, Buncorn,pleaded guilty to attempting to destroy her own life at Sutton, on the Drevious Saturday,.—The evidence adduced disclosed a pitiable condition of affairs Sergeant Bonnett, received information that a girl had been attacked aid thrown inte a pool at Sutton by an unknown man. As the result of inquiries he had a conversation with Margaret Darbyshire, whom be found at Woodside Farm, Sutton. Prisoner gave her name, she was accosted by a tall however as Margaret Jones, of 129, Horsemarket-street, Warrington, and told a story to the effect that as she ~nviaasn .waanlkdinf for f nneotpltioFnin,g with his wishes the man carried her to a pool and threw her in, Subsequently prisoner went to Woodside Farm and told the same story. At a later period, however, the prisoner told Sergeant Bennett " ill was all lies," and that she had attempted her own life.—Constable John Upton, of Balton, also recounted to the court a very extraordinary story as told to him by the prisoner, is which she recounted how she had knocked about Lancashire and Cheshire residing at various lodging houses. she also stated she jumped of her own accord into the n pool, but/ it was not deep enougb.—Sergeant Pearson said the girl was a native of Runcorn and her father was present in Court. She was the mother of an illegitimate sdhoprrtomtimiseedagtoo. O marry the that child by a man named Smith,whom it would be rememolocecraedsiownassmbeitfhorho believed) aba prsoner, and the banns bad been published. smith. ' however, did not fulfil big prornise.—Prisoner's father was called, but declined to take charge of his daughter. The Bench then r-manded her to Knutsford for seven days, and in the meantime the father promised to look around and see what could be done.
Widnes Examiner. — 1901-07-19 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

VANDALISM ON THE RUNCORN HEATH.  Fie Chairman intimated It had come to his knowledge that a certain person had been cutting sods from the Runcarn Heath; as the byelaw s of the Council relatiag to the Heath had not been posted up there he felt they as a Council would floc prosecute under the circumstances.  Warrington Wire Weaver Hangs Himself. 1 Mr S Brighouse, county coroner, conducted an I inquest at the Police Station on Monday evening relative to the death of William Holbrook (34) wire weaver, 50, Leonard-street, who committed suicide by banging himself early on Sunday morning.—Eliza Holbrook said the deceased was her husband. Ile bad complained, during the last three months, of severe pains in the head. On Saturday she insisted upon hiM going to Dr Langdale. She weat with him and the doctor gave him a bottle of medicine. They returned home, and retired to bed about half past eleven. Deceased could not sleep. She remained awake until three o'clock in the morning, and then fell asleep. On awakening at eight o'clock she missed her husband. She went downstairs and could not find him. She then went to an outbuilding, but could not open the door. She obtained the assistance of a neighbour, named Crank, who opened the door and found deceaed hanging inside. On Saturday deceased said to her: "I feel that bad, Liza, I think I would be better dead,"—John Crank, joiner, 54. Leonard-street, said he was called to the house.by Mrs Holbrook, and on opening the door found the deceased hanging by the neck from a cord attached to one of the small beams. He at once cut him down, but life was extinct. Dr Langdale was called in, and on examining the deceased said he had been dead some hours.—The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased committed suicide while of unsound mind. ASK for
Widnes Examiner. — 1901-09-13 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A WOMAN AT RUNCORN.  On Monday afternoon an inquest was held before Mr It DeLeon, coroner,touching the death of Eliza Fearnett, a married woman, who was found in the Bridgewater Canal on Sunday morning.—Phe police were represented by Inspector Egerton, and Mr Dutton was the foreman of thr jury.—Matthew Woodwool, 52, High.street,fried 1 fish and chip potato dealer, deposed that the body was that of his sister, Elizi Fearnett. She kept house for ' him and was 58 !years of age. Witness list saw her alive) at three o'clock on Saturday afternoon, when she was going to buy envelopes and paper from the market. She was at that time sober, but she took "a little drop now and:then." A mark above the right eve was caused by her falling off the chair on to the floor when in a state of intoxication. Toere was no reason for her to take her life away and she had not committed suicide. He did not make any inquiries about her diaappearance and he stayed up until 12 30 on Stturday night expecting her to come in. She had never stayed out late before. Witness had inst got tic at 11 o'clock on Sunday when the police called. —Elizabeth Englesfleld, 5. fleath-road, a widow, stated that the deceased cams to her house OA Saturday at 430 and stayed about half an hour. She said she was going to look for a shop in Canal-ereet. She went down the bridge steps that led to the towing path, presumably to get to Canal-greet: She was quite sober.— John Creswell, a boatman on the • • Kate and Henry " said that on Sunday morning he was at the Top Locks and saw the body in toe canal. He reported the matter to the police as he could not obtain assistance. The corpse was afterwards conveyed to the mortuary. —P.C. Wilson gave corroborative evidence.—A verdict of "Found drowned" was returned.
Widnes Examiner. — 1901-09-13 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

REC.) —I,J Wightman,Earlestown 15; 2, A Evans. Winwick, 16; 3, J J Matthews, Runcorn, G. Yards separated all three. Mile Bicycle Race.-1, W Shaw, Ashton, 20; 2,T Sberratt, Bamfurlong, 40; 3, I Garviss, Abram, .10. Some excellent riding was seen'in this rdce and a close finish was the result.  440 Yards Flat flace.-1, W Hampsnn. Leigh, 15 2„) Wizhtmau, Earlestown, 25; 3, J Jump, Winwick, 30.  100 Flat race (men).—!ienai-final : Ist beat : 1. W Dean, Newton, 9; 2, W Birchall, Leigh, 10. Second heat. : 1, W Sutton, Ashtnn, 6; 2, J Taylo r Croft, 9. Final: 1, W Dean; 2, W Birchall ; 3, W Sutton.  _ _ 440 Yards Obstacle Race.-1, J Boite, Tarporley 2, T Powney, Warrington; 3, JMATatc, Warrington.  An Old Woman's Sad Death —Fall through a Bedroom Window.  At the Sloop Hotel,Sankey Bridges, Mr Brighouse conducted an inquiry on Monday evening respecting the circumstances attending the death of Sarah Stretch.—The first witness was John Stretch, joiner, 29, Liverpool-road. who said the deceased was his mother, and as 75 years of age. She lived with him at the above address. She had been strange in her ways for a considerable time, and he had to put a catch on her bedroom door to keep her from falling downstairs as she was in the habit of getting out of bed during the night. On .Thursday, the 15th ult., at a quarter paitfive in the morning, he went into the deceased's room to see how. 800 was as she had coniplained of not feeling well the previous day. He found the window open and his mother was missing. The washstand that bad stood near the window had been removed. He raised an alarm, and a neighbour named Ann Bate, found tbe deceased in the Sloop yard about 200 yards from her home. She was picked up and carried to bed, and Dr Murray, of Penketb, attended her up to the time of her death which took place at a quarter to twelve on the previous night. She had not been I able to explain bow or why she got through the window. She told Dr Murray that she bad injured herself by a fall in an entry.—Ann Bate, the neighbour referred to, said she went to look for the deceased at the son's request and found her in the Sloop yard. She was partly undressed and was bleeding from a wound on the side of the head and bruises on her arms and feet. She asked deceased what she was doing, and she replied that "she was going home." Witness believed the deceased was out of her mind, She had tried to get through the window several times since the accident:—The jury returned a verdict of death from severe injuries caused by a fall from a bedroom window, and that deceased committed suicide while of unsound mind.
Widnes Examiner. — 1901-09-20 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

FRODSHAM.  ALLEGED ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AT FRODSHAM.—At the Frodshain Police Court on Wednesday afternoon before Mr C Reynolds (in the chair), and J Murray, Laurence Bernard Cobb, a youth of about 21, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by taking poison on the 13th inst.—Mr Kennelly, chemist, deposed to selling a bottle of rat poison to the, prisoner who asked would it poison anybody.—Edward Jeffs, baker, Flelsby, stated that at 11 a.m., on the 13th inst he was coming along the Chester road when prisoner met him and went with witness down Smithy-lane. Prisoner stayed behind a little, and then shouted out that be bad taken poison. Witness turned round and saw him on the ground. Be St once raised an alarm and afterwards brought P.C. Bancreft.—Dr Bryon, Helsby, said he took prisoner to his surgery. The stomach pump was used but the washings from the stomach showed that he had not taken any poison at all.—P C Bancroft said that-On being called to the prisoner he adminiatered a strong emetic of salt and water. His lips were black with the poison, and he smelled strengly of phosphorous. A bottle half-full of poison was found on hlm.—Dr Bryn recalled,said the emetic would have made no difference. Had plsoner taken poison the washings would have smelt of .phosphormis.—Letters were also found on the prisoner in which he declared his intention to take away his life, but these were not read in court.—The Chairman a h o auge practical id edJoke.—Every body's time had been wasted. There was no evidence to convicc,and nothing to show he had swallowed any poison. It would do prisoner good if they could give him 14 day, but they could not. —Prisoner was discharged.  CADBURY'S COCOA is a pure. refined beverage, nutritious, stimulating, and digestible. The" Lancet " says it te represents the standard of highest purity." Entirely free from admixtures, such ss kola, malt, hops, alkali, etc. Insist upon having CADBURY'S, as other Cocoas are sometimes substituted for extra profit. In Packets and Tins only. (2)
Widnes Examiner. — 1904-05-07 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

WARRINGTON MAN'S "LARK "—NEWSPAPER SENSATIONALISM AND DRINK.  The Chief Fons Table il-nTolded—a. singular story to the Warrington magistrates on Monday, when Patrick Shaughnessy. of Eldon street, was charged 'with having attempted to commit suicide on Saturday evening.— Mr. Talbot asked for a remand for a week in order that prisoner's state of mind and body might be inquired into and in order to give him time to reflect upon " what an awful ass he had been." It seemed almost ridiculous to charge the prisoner with attempting to commit suicide, but he certainly went through the motions of it on Saturday night. He now explained that he did it for a "lark" and for the purpose of frightening hi S wife. He (Mr. Talbot) maintained that that was such a contemptible and mean thing to do that the magistrates would think it was sufficient cause to have his state of mind inquired into At 1.15 on Saturday afternoon prisoner came home from work partly the worse for drink. He went out again at 2.30, returned at 4.30, and commenced to quarrel with his wife about a summons he had received from the County Court. At five o'clock hehad his tea and then sent his step-daughter out for more beer. Ha asked for some writirr, paper and scribbled a few insolent sentences on it, to the effect that he was going to do "this that, and the other "to himself. He (the Chief Constable) did not believe the man had any intention of committing suicide. He was apparently suffering from an]over-dose of newspaper sensationalism and beer. Handing his spectacles to his wife, prisoner told her to take them to a Mr. Quigley adding "I hope he will have luckwith them." Later in the evening he went into an outbuilding fastened some wire rope round his neck and attazhed it to one of the beams. When found by his wife, he was partly black in the face. Producing the wire, the Chief Constable remarked that prisoner patronized local industries as far as possible. He took good care not to put his head far in the noose. He was handed over to the police, after having acted like a "tom-fool or a madman."—Prisoner was remanded to Strangeways for a week.
Widnes Examiner. — 1904-03-19 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

ALLEGED ATTEMFTED SUICIDE—THREE EFFORTS. sider later on. Coming to the preliminary point of At Widnes, on Monday, Arthur Imison, a wall-known objection which had been raised by Mr. Cripps as to ;Widnes youth, of no fixed residence, was charged with the jurisdiction of the Court having been 'ousted, his ' attempting to commit suicide by hanging himself in Lordship said the Corporation of Warrington were a lavatory at the Alexandra Hotel. At 6.45 on Saturobviously deemed to be sufficient guardians of public day he left the bar and went into the lavatory, where , interests to entrust them with such modification of the he was found with his neck tied round with a handkersection of the Act as received the sanction of the Car- I chief fastened to the pipe of a cistern. He was taken porationand the Ship Canal Company. The Corporation down, and he then remonstrated with the manager for and the Canal Company were the only parties to the not letting him" finish the job." He left these premises agreement, and it seemed to him to follow that it was I and went up into the flies at the Alexandra Theatre,and was caught in the act of placing a rope round his neck, impossible for the traders to sue on the agreement qica agreement. The rights of the traders seemed to fall He was got out of the Theatre safely, and a man followwithin the words a Lord Watson in Davis v. the Taff ing him to see that he did no harm took a small phial Vale Railway Company. In that case, after., point_ containing poison from him. The prisoner who looked ing out that in eases where the provisions of a exceedingly worried in the dock, was ordered to Walton local and personal Act imposed mutual oblige- I Gaol for one week to be medically examined. Mons upon two persons or companies, such A
Widnes Examiner. — 1904-12-17 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE SYVETON ,TRAGEDY.  • Less than a month ago an extraordinary scene occurred in ,the French Chamber, one of the deputies, a M. Gabriel Syveton, striking General Andre, who was then Minister or War. In consequence the Minister resigned, and M. Syveton was suspended and put on his trial.  The trial was fixed for last  Friday, but on  Tliuri'day after noon_t the  was found dead  in his study  asphyxiated by  funs from the gas-stove. H e had been very busy all the morning, and  hadseenall  sorts of people • and in addition.  he had many appoint men ts  for tlp after noon, sc; at lunch he announced  intention of lying down for an hour's rest. When his wife called him she found him dead on the floor. The gas-pipe was shown to be defective, but, strangely enough, the ventilation line was found to be stuffed up with newspapers of various dates, including that very day's ! Immediately the alarm was given, and police, magistrates, and doctors arrived. Three . theories were immediately advanced : 'accidental death, nicide, and murder. The more violent of the Nationalist, papers openly adopt, the last theory, And accuse the. Freemasons of the crime, who, they say, were afraid of the revelations M. Syveton would have made at his.trial had it, taken place. On the other hand, it is . known that within the last fortnight he insured his life heavily, but, he was in the best of spirits and confident of acquittal. His friends all scout any .idea of suicide, and M. Boncard, the examining magistrate, favours the idea that the whole thing VMS an accident. The verdict at the inquest was an open one, simply giving the cause of death as asphyxiation by gas. So fai the whole is shrouded in 'mystery, and is one of the greatest political sensations France has ever known. M. Syveton Was buried on Saturday with military honours in the presence of a large concourse of people. The dead deputy was only forty years of age and was a Pxofessoi of the Rheims College, but Lost his position owing to ,his violent attitude against the Dreyfus Revision. M. Guyot de Villeneuve, recognising his ability, continued his salary out of his own pocket so as to permit him to go into politics, where almost at once he made his mark.  \s, k - • • • _
Widnes Examiner. — 1904-11-05 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

NEWLY-APPOINTED crier in a county court New Zealand was ordered by the judge, in a case in which a Chinaman was a witness, to call for Ah Song. The -crier looked puzzled for a moment, and east a sly glance at the judge, but, finding him grave as an unilertaker, he turned to the audiiyiee and blandly simpered : 4,` Gentlemen, would any of you favour His Honow: with a song ?" _  As a famous comedian was travelling on a steamboat he seated himself at the table and called for some beefsteak. The waiter furnished him with a small strip of the arliele, such as travellers are usually put off with. Taking it up on his fork, and turning it over, and exivnining it with one of his peculiar, serious looks, the comedian coolly remarked, " Yes, that's it ; bring me some." Prrusn rHGirr.—A stranger just arrived at an An:erica:l boarding-house, the table and boarders of he found wit at all to his liking, fell into conversation with a quiet-looking lady svho sat near li ii in the dining-room. "1. say, said he, softly, " have you been a prisoner lung in this—this menagerie?" " Inn," said the lady, " prisoner' isn't exactly the word in my case. You see, fin the landlady, and it's 1 who feed the animals." GENTLEMAN to dog-dialer "I gave you a high price for this dog last week because you warranted it to be a good house-dog. My house was baokea into last night, and the dog never even barked." Dog-dealer: " No, sir ; I quite believe yer. He was too busy lookin' 4t the burglars, so as to be able to identify 'ern, to even think of barkin'.. If you was out with this 'ere dog, and was to meet them burglars, he'd kmow 'ern in a minute. He ain't no common barking dog;-- he's a regair 'tective. an' worth 'is weight in gold, he is."  It was said at an inquest at Romford yesterday on a, commercial traveller named Frederick Blew, who committed suicide by cutting his throat, that he coolly asked a doctor who found him," Do you think I have done the job properly ? " A mod'el coal mine—the first of its kind in this country—is to be included in the scientific equipment of Birmingham University.