npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Weekly News. — 1890-07-10 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SEIZURE BY CUSTOMS OFFICERS.  The special detective Customs officers, whose duty it is to search vessels for contraband goods, made caster seizure on Friday night, in the Albert Docks, on board the Messageries Maritimes steamer Douro, where they discovered 20 pounds of cigars ingeniously concealed between the sides of the ship and the inner skin of the forepeak. From their make it is evident that the cigarn were intended to be smuggled ashore in Marmulles, where the Douro is bound.  What might have been a serious disturbance, says a New York telegrain, was commenced on Thursday morning in front of a building in the BroadwayA crowd of striking cloakmakers gathered in front of that building with the intention of preventing non-union workers from entering. 'rho strikers, numbering over 400, beat, kicked, and clubbed 10 non-union men, when the police arrived in force, and quickly dispersed the mob. The police used their night-sticks freely. Some blood was spilled, but there was no loss of life. The strikers, later on, attacked two Italians, whereupon one of the latter drew a pistol and his companion flourished a stiletto. The display of weapons caused the boldest if the rioters to retreat far enough to allow the Italians to escape in the crowd. All the strikers are Hebrews. News received from Cossovyo represents affairs there as being in a state of anarchy. The border conflicts between the Albanians and Mon• tenegrins are carried on with renewed vigour to the terror and discomfort of the peaceably disposed portion of the inhabitants.  Ellen Scudder, servant, has been charged at the Guildford Assizes with throwing vitriol into:the face of Private Hall, of the Grenadier Guards, at Woking. She pleaded guilty, and said he had wronged her, and then broken his engagement to marry her. The prisoner had tried to commit suicide more than once, She was sentenced to Ira months' imprisonment.
Weekly News. — 1890-08-28 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SUICIDES FAREWELL LETTER.  A black felt hat and several articles of clothing were disdivered on Sunday a ttsrb.-irin on the bank@ of the Thames near Isleworth, P her with the following letter, written in pencil in a god bold hand: '• Good-bye to friends and enemies. I have come to the end of my journey at last, and life has no further charms for me. Before Igo let me give one word of warning, especially to young men. Avoid betting and the racecourse as you would avoid poison. Four years ago I was a rich maw. ptsseas.ed of something like £'20,000 from one source alone. My fortune reverted to me suddenly, and I lost my head over RO much gold, and immediately launched into a fast life. The company of bad women (how horribly bad some of them are !> and low and illiterate men was my delight almost as soon as I set foot in London, coming straight from the peaceful village of Cpway,in Dorsetshire, where I had resided for years amid good surroundings. Me gay cempaniens quickly introduced me to the gambling table and the turf. Intoxicated with pleasure, I slid not consider for one moment whither they were leading me. Every race meeting I attended, and seldom won, as the result of my friends' (?) advice. There are thousands of low cunning blackguards frequenting the racecourse who live upon the stupidity of men like myself. They live to lie and cheat and blaspheme, utterly regardless of a hereafter. I have lunched with princes, dukes, and lords, and have assisted to swell their illgotten gains. The racecourse is a veritable hell upon mirth, and betting 's England's curse, and will :ruin her in the end. lam about to do as scores of others in their desperation have done before me. Poverty and starvatten have taken the place of affluence and comfort. My friends have forsaken me, and filo is ne longer worth living. Please communicate with --- Durdenstreet, Bristol. He knows all. When lam picked up, perhaps and his pals (here the name of a well-known sporting man is mentioned) will subscribe towards giving poor Jack Scrivner a decent burial. Farewell."
Weekly News. — 1890-04-24 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

PREMIUM ON LARGE FAMILIES.  Mr. Mercier's paternal method of increasing the population of the Province of Quebec seems to be meeting with some success. Fathers of families are, it is stated, hastening to take advantage of the Legislature's Mier of WO acres of latoi to each possessor of 11 or more children. Claims are re•  ported to be coming in every day. From one county alone coins claims from five heads of families, while from an adjoining county comes a claim from a father of 15 children. Indeed, some say that Mr. Mercier may find it difficult to accommodate all the claimants, and this will not be surprising if the experience of one Madame Louis Poirier is at all general. This lady has just given birth to her 21st child. She is only 139 years Md. and married at the age of 15 years. At the age of 17 she was already the mother of three children, having had twins, an event which has happened thrice in that family. Madame Poirier,is neverthe less very strong and healthy.  A woman named Alice Owen, aged 73, has been burned to death at Bolton. The woman had fallen asleep whilst waiting for her husband, and in her stupor had not called out for assistance, the smoke from her clothes and the hearthrug arousing the family. All her clothes were burned, aud she was quite dead.  The porter of the Villa Stolz at VOsinet, the property of Comioandant llonot, has committed suicide. He had hold the place for about 12 years, but was soon to hare been sent about his business. The other afternoon his wife went out, and when ehe returned she found him hanging in a cellar. He was as old soldier, 70 years of age, and was deco. rata with the military medal. .  The articles upon "The Forgotten Great Englishman, Peter Prague, the Wyoliffite," in the Leisure Hour, by the author of "John Westscott," are being translated into Czech, and will appear as sasuilleton in a Bohemian newspaper, the Volne Slow. Messrs. Kogan Paul, Trench, Triibner and Co. have in the press a volume of "Lecture, on the History of the Reformation." by the late Canon Aubrey Moore, and also a second series of essays as a companion volume to his well-known "Science and she Fsith "
Weekly News. — 1890-04-24 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE LEICESTER SQUARE TRAGEDY.  The inquest on the body of the young man known as Albert de Gutidon, who recently shot himself at the Hotel de l'Europe, Leicester Square, after wounding a girl with whom be had lived, resulted on Tuesday in the jury finding that the deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane. Efforts to establish his identity bad proved fruitless.  One result of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of There was a truly shocking case of cruelty ton child Connaught to Ceylon was to afford occasion fcr various before the Glasgow Sheriff Summary Court last week. demonstrations of flunkeyism, the most objectionable A woman was convicted of having starved her child f , of which was a vote of 500 its, by the Municipal (a boy, aged three), and he had been confined for long „THE 100th performance of ' A Midsummer Night's Council of Colombo in order to provide a silver casket periods in a cupboard without sufficient light or air. to hold the add Th ress which the Council presented to the e poor child weighed only 1511 b. Sheriff Balfour Dream ' was given at the Globe Theatre on Tuesday visitors. A Colombo ratepayer assures me that this described the ease as " the very worst that had ever last." "' Othello' will be produced at the Globe on , expenditure was an illegal malversation of the public been before him," and then sentenced the wretch to Thursday and Friday next, April 24111 and 25th. Mr. ' ' funds, being directly contrary to the Municipal Ordin- pay a tine of £25, or go to prison for three mouths. Benson as Othello,' Mr. Charles Cartwright as lago,' ' tutees. If this be .0, steps should be promptly taken But why on earth, under such circumstances, did the Mr. Ross as ` Cassie,' Mrs. Benson as Desdemona,' to make the Councillors th,eruselves pay for the gratifi- Sheriff give the prisoner the alternative of a fine 7 In and Miss Rose Keller as ' Emilia.' " " The present . season of Shakesperian performances at the Globe ration of their corporate vanity, as they ought to have all such caves an exeinplary term of onprisonmetit will close on Saturday, April 211th." done in the first instance.. Truth. with hard labor should be the sentence—Truth,
Weekly News. — 1890-10-16 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE " STOVE-PIPE " HAT.  Why is it, says the Salon, that nobody has a good word to say for the high hat, and how is it that, abused as it has been, it }IRS now survived exactly a hundred years? In shape it is certainly not more artistic than a chimney-pot or a stove-pipe, with which appliances it is ribaldly associated in common talk. But it has not the excuse of the stove-pipe or the chimney-pot for its ugliness, for it is not so shaped in order to serve any useful purpose. It is a cumbersome thing that takes up a good deal of room, and is not comfortable to wear, cur graceful to handle, nor easy to dispose of. A doctor can carry a stethescope in it, and a conjurer can mix an omelette in it, and the traveller who is obliged to carry his "stove-pipe" with him can pack a few collars in it. These are the only uses it can he put to, and hats are not made to serve such ends. The fact is that the high hat is recognised everywhere as an emblem of respectability—even in the form in which it is affected by the Parsee, who wears a kind of topsy-turvy high hat with the broad brim at top. It is the hat, more than anyother article of apparel that "proclaims the man. '  At Leighton Buzzard, Adam Stone, labourer, was remanded on Saturday on a charge of wounding his father and mother. It is alleged that the prisoner while intoxicated attacked his parents with a large clasp-knife, and inflicted serious injuries upon both of them. Henry Sparrow, formerly a railway clerk, was , charged, at Horsham on Saturday, with forging telegrams, by which he induced station-masters, I booking-clerks, and others, to make him consider- ! able advances of money, obtaining £5 at Epsom, £5 at Sutton, £2 at Clapham Junction, and several other sums by representing himself as a gentleman who had left a purse in his carriage at the station from which he had travelled. He was committed for trial. • Leicester artist, named Frederick Wilford, We regret to learn that the Countess of Rosebery attempted to commit suicide on Wednesday, under is suffering tram typhoid fever at Dalmeny. It was extraordinary circumstances. He went to a field this illness which prevented her:ladyship from going near the borough, filled his mouth with gunpowder. to Glasgow to witness the presentation of the freeand ignited it, under the impression that it would dons of the citv to her husband. At the banquet blow out his brains. A passim, labourer seeing the given afterwaras by the Corporation, Lord Rosebery flash, and hearing no report, established a search, made the reassuring statement that the Countess and found the inan lying in a pool of blood and was progressing as favourably as could be expected, bleeding profusely. Ile confessed what he had done, tin, malady taking a normal cosuese. After the and was removed to the infirmary, where he lies dinner the 'Earl, who was to have been the guest of in agony, and in a precarious condition owing to tho Lord Provost. left for Dalmeuv, injuries to mouth and neck  - ,~ - - '
Weekly News. — 1890-10-16 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

MURDER AND ATTEMTTED SUICIDE.  A horrible murder and attempted suicide-have been committed by a medical student at Wit. neshain. near Ipswich. Some 15 months ago a lady, named Mrs. Ellen Dixon, widow of Mr. Alfred Dixon, stationer, of Beccles, hired a pretty cottage in the village street, and from that time has occupied the house with her son, Alfred William Dixon, who is now about 25 years of age. The villagers had always noticed the strange demeanour of the eon, and it was generally understood that he and his mother did not live on very comfortable terms. He .had, however, never been heard to threaten her in any way, and when it became known that he had murdered his mother end attempted to commit suicide great surprise was shewn, and the utmost excitement prevailed. The erst intimation of the event was received about 7 o'clock on Thursday morning, when Mr. P. A. Damaut, whose house is nearly epposite that of Mrs. Dixon, found a black bag with an envelope attached directed to Mr. IVilliam Potter, WMnesham, and marked "Very urgent; please deliver at once." The letter and bag were conveyed to Mr. Potter, who found in the note, written in a bold free hand, words to the effect that Alfred Dixon could not stand the strain any longer, that his mother was at rest, and that he should soon be by her side. The police were conimunicated with. and the house was entered. In one of the bedrooms was found the body of the woman, huddled up on the floor, and partly covered over with bedclothes. She had a terrible gash in her throat, the head being almost severed from the body. The son lay. near by, he also having cut his throat, although not seriously, and having evidently taken poison as well. lie was not dead, although unconscious. Dr. Meadows, of Otley, was at once summoned. Ile succeeded in causing most of the poison to be ejected from the stomach, and the man soon recovered consciousness. He then said to the doctor that he killed his mother by the kitchen stove, and that he had taken some poison himseleand then cut his own throat. The police found a large pool of blood by the kitchen stove. The woman had evidently been carried upstairs by her murderer after the commission of the deed. Nearly all the rooms in the house were in a state of great confusion, and it is evident that the struggle had begun upstairs, for both mother and son were but partly dressed. The son had, been educated for the medical profession and had spent two or three Fears in St. Bartholomew's Hospital. His mother, being addictorto drink, he left his profession when his father died in order to attend to her. This so blighted his prospects of becoming a doctor that it is thought his brain was affected. This idea is confirmed by the belief that he would not hurt his mother when responsible for his actions, as he was very kind to her. Dixon was removed to the few wich and East Suffolk Hospital.
Weekly News. — 1890-05-01 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THIRST FOR VENGEANCE.  A few months ago considerable excitement was caused at Dourchin, in the Department of the Seine.et-Oise, by the murder of a good-looking servant by a former mistress, who, proceeding to the town from Chartres, where she was living, and callir g at the girre house, blew out the domestic's brains ere anyone could interfere. Madanie Laurent, the perpetrator of the crime, on being taken into custody, texp!ained that some time before she Lad caught her husband and the servant Marie David, engaged in a violent flirtation, on her unexpected return (ruin a journey. She had disniissed the girl on the spot—turning her out of the house in the middle of the night, with kicks and blows— but the affair preyed on her mind, and, although she did her utruoist to fight against the feeling, she was consumed by a thirst for vengeance. Having learned that Marie David was in a place at Dourdan, she determined on going to see and ask her some questions of a rather delicate character, but as the train stopped at one of the statical,' on the way she bonght a revolver. Her excuse was that she did not nit-an to kill the girl unless she became insolent, and as she wsu received with rude remarks she "lost her head, and fired." For the defence it was urged that the prisoner was a morbid and hysterical person, arid that on several occasions mince she had discovered the familiarities between her husband and Marie David she had tried to commit suicide. At the Versailles Assizes she was acquitted tit the charge of murder, and will only have to pay I:GO daniages to the father of her . vict  Daring the progress of a bull tight at Guadalajara Mexico, a section of the amphitheatre, in which thousands of spectators were seated, gave way. II undreds of persons received injuries. A man named Webb, who has for some time past been suffering from severe mental depression, committed suicide by hanging, at Folkestone, on Friday. Its bad, it is stated, on several occasions threatened to take his life.  ----A telegram has been received from the Earl of Scarborough reporting that Mr. Frank Jellies, of Great Stanhope-street, who had been on an expedition in his yacht, the Lancashire Witch, with him and Mr. Albert Lort Phillips, was killed on April 21st by an elephant, whilst on a shooting_excursioa in the interior of Africa, not far from the Equator.  William Grout was summoned on Saturday at Dalston Police-court for having a dog without a lieence.—A constable told the magistrate he saw the dog following another dog. Defendant's dog had no muzzle on, and the moment he saw witness li,ft the other dog and hid in the area of defendant's holism, some distance 'if—The magistrate, Mr. Pros' said that was a sagacious dog.—Defendant had since taken out a licence, and Mr. allowed the matter to drop on payment of co,ta.
Weekly News. — 1890-10-02 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

DESPERATE ATTACK ON A WIFE.  A groom named John Rollit, 40, who was only a week ago released from Menston Lunatic Asylum, and has since lived with his wife and five children in 13radford, inflicted terrible injuries on his wife and youngest child on Saturday morning. About six months ago Rollit, who had been drinking heavily, had his leg broken in a public-house brawl. He was for some time in the Bradford Infirmary, and after he returned home he obtained an impression that his wife had been unfaithful to him. This belief led to a good deal of trouble, and he several times threatened to kill her and the youngest two children. About two months ago he broke out in a furious manner, and was only prevented from committing suicide by the intervention of neighbours and the police. He was removed to the workhouse, and afterwards to a lunatic asylum. A week ago he was discharged from the institution. On Saturday morning, as his wile was kneeling at the fireplace he made some observations about her supposed unfaithfulness, and, seizing the coalrake, . . . . . _  artruck her a terrible blow on the lad with it. She  scrambled, on her hands and knees, to the door of their cottage, and he followed, dealing four more blows on the back of her head, each of which inflicted a severe scalp wound. Their female child. 3 years old, was subsequently found in his arms with its head covered with blood, which was flowing from three terrible gashes, and he said that he had meant to "finish them.- The police and doctors were sent for, and Rollit was arrested.  On Monday he was brought before the Bradford magistrates, and remanded for a week. Statements made in court left no doubt as to the prisoner's insanity.
Weekly News. — 1890-10-02 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

SUICIDE IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL  Worshippers at St. Paul's Cathedral on Sunday morning were horrified by a startling occurrence. The service had proceeded as usual during the earlier stages, but about five minutes to 12, whilst the congregation was listening to a sermon from Prebendary Eyton a report of firearms electrified those who were within the sacred edifice. The sound proceeded from a seat in the south able, close to the door which leads up to the Whispering Gallery, and it created an immediate sensation in the vicinity. Women and men alike rose, and cries were heard from various parts of the church. Following close upon the first report there came a Second, and the excitement was redoubled. The shots were fired in full view of his neighbours by a middle-aged man of respectable appearance The first was fired by him with the pistal pressed to his left breast over his heart; the second was discharged a few inches lower. An attempt was made to wrest the revolver from the man alter the first shot, but it wan ineffectual, and, according to the medical authorities, either shot would have proved fatal. The unhappy man occupied a position at the end of the row of seats, and though both shots passed through his body, they fortunately struck the wall without coming in contact with any other person. The preacher paused during this painful incident, but he resumed his discourse when the body of the man had been removed from the church by the nearest door. He was taken to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where the medical authorities definitely ascertained that the wounds had proved fatal. A card was found upon the deceased bearing the name "William Easton." There were also found a number of newspaper illustrations and a library ticket. Later on the police found both bullets in a flattened condition near the wall of the Cathedral. In the afternoon Canon Scott Holland made reference to the occurrence.
Weekly News. — 1890-02-06 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

HOW A "STRAD " VIOLIN WAS MADE.  In the Court of Session, Faliffturgh,Lord Kyllachy has given judgment in an action regarding the genuineness of a violin, represented to be a Stradivarius of 1701. The action was brought by Mr. James Johnstone, Pollokshields, Glasgow, against Mr. David Lawrie, deffer in Italian and other stringed instruments, Glasgow. In October, 181-3, Johnstone bought f roni Lawrie what was represented to be a violin anode by Antonio Stradivarius, at Cremona, in 1701, and in payment gave MO in cash and a Peter Guarnerins and a Lupot violin,valuedat -2200. Johnstone bad recently ascertained that the violin he received was not a gonnine Stradivarius, but he believed it had been pieced together from parts of other vio:ins. The defendant now explained that he purchased from a London firm two violins, the belly of one of which was made by Stradivarius, and all the tarts of the other, with the exception of the belly,were the work of this celebrated maker. lie sent both violins to Paris, where the second violin was again made a complete Stradivarius. He therefore contended that he had fulfilled his warranty. While acquitting the defendant of wilful misrepresentation, the judge gave judgment fur the plaintiff, with costs.  SUICIDE TIIROUCII UNJUST SUSI'ICION A tragical suicide took place in Vienna on Saturday. The clerk of a beer agent on the previous Monday cashed at the Vienna Clearing.house 37,GC0 florins for his master, tutting thins into a black pocket-book. As he passed out of the Lank he felt faint, and suddenly swooned. When he came to he missed the black pccket-beok, and supposed someone must have taken it out of his band. Suspicion fell on the cletk, whose name is Leiner, and who was formerly a major. Elie employer, however, declared to the pclice that he could not possibly suspect Leiner of having committed the theft. On Saturday morning Leiner published an advertisement saving that if the person who had found the pocket-honk returned 30,000 florins to him anonymously hal:flight keep the other 7,600. After writing several letters lie went in an omnibus to the Central Cemetery, and, standing on the grave of his first wife, he shot himself dead with a revolver. Early in the after. neon his employer received an unpaid letter, which when opened was found to contain the 2,0,000f1. The address was printed and cut from one of the advertisements published in the morning. Had the poor fellow waited a few hours before committing suicide the proof of his innocence would have been seen from the letter.