npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1888-02-09 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

FAMILY OF EIGHT.  The shocking discovery was made in Salford on Friday of a whole family—consisting of father, mother, and six children—having been poisoned. The circumstances left no doubt that the mother and the children were murdered, and that the father, after administering some fatal drug to each of them, committed suicide. The fathei, Samuel Hill Derby, was a chemist's assistant, who appears to have been in poor health and in a desponding frame of mind for some time past. A disagreement with members of his family respecting some property in Ireland left by an uncle, it is believed, together with his own indigent circumstances, preyed upon him, and led him to take the lives of his wife and children, and afterwards his own life, in a tit of insanity. None of the family having been seen for several days, Derby's father procured a ladder, by means of which he ascended to a bedroom window, and then discovered his daughter -in - law lying dead in bed, with a dead child on each side of her. The old man at once informed the police, and the house was entered, with the result that every member of the family was found dead, the condition of the bodies indicating that death had taken place some days previously. The father was found lying upon a sofa downstairs. There was a teacup in the front bedroom containing poison, and on a table close by were three bottles labelled "chloral hydrat," "Acid Prus poison," and "morphia." Letters were found on the kitchen mantel-piece which indicated that Derby and his wife had been greatly troubled about monetary matters, and expressing their intention of dying together. A post mortem examination on the bodies revealed the fact that death resulted in each case from poisoning by prussic acid. At the inquest held on Monday, several remarkable letters, written by Derby, were read. They shewed that he had poisoned the family, and intended, when he had finished his writing, to take poison himself. He wrote under a strong feeling that his relatives had behaved unjustly to him about some property—an impression for which there was no justification.— The jury found that the murderer was temporarily insane.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1888-04-26 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SUICIDE OF A RUINED CLERGYMAN. An inquest has been held at Deptford on the body of the Rev. David Alexander, 44 years of age, late a Congregat'onal minister in charge of the church in Dulwich-grove, whose body was found in a field with a recently discharged revolver by his side. The widow, Mrs. Emma Alexander, was called, but directly she was sworn she was seized with a moat distressing illness, and only murmured, " Oh, come quickly." She had to be led out of the room and her el, idence dispensed with. The Rev. S. Sabine Read.rninister of the High-street, Deptford Congregational Church, stated that he had known Mr. Alexander for 17 years. He had been in much trouble, having been the subject of a slander in connection with a young lady member of his congregation in February last. The girl's name was Drakeford, a minor, and the accusation was that she was likely to be the mother of a child by him. The Deputy-coroner insisted upon a plain answer to the question whether Mr. Alexander denied having been intimate with this girl, and, after some hesitation, witness said that the deceased had stated that he did not wish to bring the matter before a public court, as it would cause scandal, and he would not stand quite clear before the public. The outcome of the proceedings was that a deed WAY prepared by the father of the girl, whereby Mr. Alexander was to be released for the future from all accusations and molestation, and a sum of money was paid to the fatherby the deceased. The affair got known amongst the congregation, the deceased resigned his place,and,so far as his professional prospects were concerned, was entirely ruined. After the deed was signed, continued the witness, the deceased's spirits seemed to revive, and be looked forward to taking part in some secular calling. 01: the day of his death he had in the morning returned tired and jaded after seeing about a business. Meanwhile his wife had that very morning been served with a bastardy summons and subluena for him. She kept it back from the deceased until after dinner, when she handed it to him, advising him ta go and see witness. The deceased had apparently left home for that purpose on the day of his deat't. Several letters addressed to the Rev. Sabine R. ad were found on the body and taken charge of by the police. In one of these he said lie had been served with a summons by "that wretch Drakeford," he supposed, to the police-court. It was clearly, he continued, a violation of the bond, and the girl was not of age. He could neither fight nor fly the country, and it would be better to end it all, adding, at the end, " May Cod pardon all my sins." On another paper he wrote "I hope Mr. Read will forgive me if he thinks I am doing wrong. Now there is nothing but unceasingpoverty and dilgrace." On a third memorandum was given his name, and a request th at whoever found him would communicate with the Rev. S. S. Read. of Burton Lodge, Lewisham, and expressed a hope that lie would not be taken home, but buried sott,ewhere else. A verdict of suicide whilst tempo..arily insane was returned.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1888-11-22 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

BALFOUR.  At Leeds, on Friday, the Chief Secretary replied in detail to the allegations of Mr. Gladstone at Birmingham concerning Irish administration, which allegations, he said, were characterised by unblushing impudence. It was a shameful thing that a man in his position should describe as infamous the resident magistrates who lived in a country and in a society where invectives of that kind more than once led to murder and suicide. These men were risking their lives in carrying out the law, and it was monstrous that the very man who had appointed most of them should, in order to get a cheer from the Birmingham mob, hold them up to the odium of their fellow-countrymen. Never once in the course of his long speech at Birmicgham had Mr. Gladstone deviated into accuracy. A more scandalous performance than that speech a great statesman had never on a great occasion been guilty of before. Tactics and methods like these were inexcusable in any controversy, however noble the cause might be; but what was the cause in which Mr. Gladstone had so lavishly expended his wealth of inaccurate statement? He should like to know how, in Mr. Gladstone's phrase, Irishmen were to be "given securities for getting their livelihood in peace and quietness" by a system which prevented a man taking a farm, when, where, and from whom he would, selling his produce in the market, and hiring a labourer who desired to work for him—a system which made his life a misery, and which refused him burial after he was dead? He should like to ask Mr. Morley, too,how "the brightness of the humble home" was to be increased by taking out at midnight the master of that home and shooting him in the legs in the presence of his wife and daughter? The truth was that while the Government policy had benefited the rich, who after all, were God s creatures, its chief benefits had been conferred on the poor, who gained by the restoration of order; by- the promotion of industries which could only flourish where order was secure; by the suppression of crime which was principally directed against the poor and not against the rich; by individual liberty; by the power of spending their little capital in the manner they liked; and by freedom to carry the labour of their hands to the master that pleased them. It was the poor, he claimed, that the Government's policy had chiefly benefited, and it was in the name of the poor that lie asked the people to support it.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1888-03-15 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

LETTERS OF A SUICIDE.  An inquiry has been held at Dalston, respecting the death of Francis Albert Silverlock, aged 23 years, who threw himself before a train at the Higlibury Station. When his body was recovered from under the train it was found that he had both legs torn away and was otherwise mutilated. He was taken to the hospital, and died the same night. The deceased had been a teacher at a Highbury Board School for two years, and a couple of letters were found on him. One of these was addressed to Miss Wakeham, to whom he was engaged, and intimated that he had that day been asked to resign. That, he said, meant absolute ruin, and he was not prepared for it. He was in such misery that he was afraid he should commit a rash act. After all the years of slavery he had done, it all ended in being dismissed! What could he du? Without parchments and bad reports where could be get employment ? Nowhere! They had spent many happy hours together and without a cross word; but it must not, therefore, be too much of a disappointment for her when she heard what he had done. He asked her to forgive him for causing her misery in leaving her, but he could not drag her on in poverty. She knew how he had tritd and failed. He said lie had lived a pretty good life, and if God would pardon him he hoped to get to heaven. He asked her to keep what he had given her, and not to think too hardly of his act,and signed himself " Yours ever, though in the tomb, Frank." The other letter was to his father, and besides being of a somewhat similar character stated where his bank-book and other belongings would he found, and asked that trio much should not be spent on his coffin, concluding with the hope that he mas goieg " where there were no dull, stupid boys, and no inspectors."—Th 3, jury returnee a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1890-06-05 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SUICIDE OF A RETIRED PUBLICAN.  As a man named William Tounsend, of Coleshill, was walking along the Old Chester-road at. Windy Harbour, which is a hamlet about a mile from Coleshill on the way to Marston Green, on Sunday, he noticed what appeared to be a coat lying in some bushes at the foot of a gravel pit by the roadside. On going into the pit to see what it was, he discoved the 'body of a man. The manner of the man's death was pretty apparent from the conditions surrounding the body. The gravel bank was saturated with blood, and at the top of it a razor was found, while there was a great gash across the throat of the deceased, which Revered the windpipe, the gullet, and all the main bloodvessels of the neck. The man had evidently sat down on the top of the bank, and cut his throat with the razor, and then losing consciousness bad fallen off the bank and down into the bushes at 1 the foot. Enquiries showed that the deceased was Mr. James Pears, of Lee tiall-road, Yardley, who left home on Saturday afternoon ostensibly for a walk. Ache did not return in the evening, his friends fearing some harm had befallen him, had been busy all Sunday forenoon dragging the ponds in the neighbourhood of Yardley. Mr. Pears was a well known licensed victualler in Birmingham, having till about nine months ago , kept a licensed house in NVatery-lano. About sine months ago he received an advantageous offer to sell the business, which he accepted, and he then went to Yardley to live. He was only about forty years of age, and the sudden change from an active bustling life to one of quiet retirement had a inlet marked effect upon him. He was constantly telling his friends that he wished he had never sold his business, that he felt miserable doing nothing, and that he would have to go into something again to employ his time. So strong did this feeling become that he had actually bought a suburban inn a few weeks ago, and would have been in occupation of it in a very short time. He was, however, unable to shake off the melancholia which had settled down upon him, and to that cause is now attributed his suicide by his friends. At the inquest which was held on Tuesday, at the White Horse Inn, Coleshill, by Dr. Iliffe, Mr. J. Ansell, a friend of the deceased, said that he had noticed that Mr. Pears had been melancholy of late. The jury recorded a verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane."
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1890-06-26 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.  At the North London Police - court on Tuesday William Stock, 22, a telegraphic engineer, of 14, Caroline•street. Clapton, was charged before Mr. Haden Comer with attempting to murder Mary Ann Capper, by cutting her throat, and further charged with attempting to cut his own throat. The prisoner, who appeared very weak and ill, WU allowed to be seated in the dock. —Police - inspector M'Carthy informed the magistrate that the injured woman was too ill to appear; and Mr. Frederick Lacher, house surgeon at the German Hospital, said she had a wound in her throat six inches long and of ctinsiderable depth, though it was probable she would recover and be able to attend the court in two or three weeks.—From the evidence it appeared that the parties had lived together as man and wife for the past six months, but the women desired to put en end to the connection, and on Monday morning went with her father, to Tottenham, to seek a situation. The prisoner met them on their return to Ststnford Hill Station, and the prisoner, apparently contrite at what had previously happened, walked down the hill with Mary Ann Capper, the latter's father and brother walking about 20 yarde behind. When near the Skinners' Company's Schools, the prisoner was seen to put his arm round the girl's neck, as though attenipting reconciliation; lint she immediately afterwards turned round and exclaimed, "Oh, father, be has cut my throat !" The prisoner then drew the razor acmes his own throat, and ran away, and dropped the razor as he ran. The brother of the woman Capper went in pursuit, and cams up with the prisoner at Grove-lane, where the latter sank exhausted to the ground. The police then mime upon tbe scene—Constable 554 N de. to taking the prisoner into custody.— posed Inspector M'Carthy said he assisted in removing the parties to the hoepital, and went back and found the razor (produced) near the spot where the deed was committed. The razor case u well as two knives were found in the prisoner's pockets. —The magistrate (to the prisoner): Do you want to ask any questions I—The prisoner (faintly): No, sir; it was merely done in the height of passion.— Mr. Haden Comer remanded the prisoner for a week, and ordered him to be taken to the prison infirmary.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1890-03-27 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE MISCARRIACE OF JESTICE AT ASTON. —The steps taken by Mr. Cross (Messrs. Butler, Hickley and Cross) solicitor, Waterloo-street, who has been acting for Mr. Hare in this case, has resulted in the release of the girl Gertrude Minetta Pritchard from the industrial school. The case has been throughout of an extraordinary and painful nature. In the first place the girl Minetta was charged in November last with the theft of money and two diamond rings to the value of £2O, the property of her step-father, respecting which she told a number of prevarications, and being regarded as incorrigable, was sent to an industrial school. After some months' detention it was ascertained that the prosecutor's own daughter had stolen the articles at the instigation of the aunt, Fanny Hare, who is now undergoing six months for reoeicing the stolen pi • isnty.  FOEND DR:, On Saturday evening, Dr Wyuter (Coroner for Central Warwickshire) i lit in enquiry r.the conetabelstry ofgeei, road, A.lOll, into the circumetances touching the death of a lad named George Franklin (10), whose dead body was found in the canal at .Aston on the previous Thursday. The evidence went to show that the deceased was the son of Albert Frederiek I Franklin, mah-ter, Lincolue-place, Schowiew_ street. Birmingham. His mother stated that ea the °venire., of the Wednesday week previously? the deceased left home in company with his brother for the purpose of Felling newspapers. She never saw him alive agaip, but his brother stated that they left the little fellow at the corner of Rupert-street and Onset Lister. street. when he was going in the direction of Saltlcy-road, for the purpose of disposing of the remainder of his papers. So far as the police are aware he wee never seen again until his hotly was discovered in the canal, near Plumestreet, early on Thureday morning last, by Policeconatables Robert liiireemn :aid Shirley. The remains were in au advanced state of decomposition, and it WAs therefore impossible to ascertain whether certain marks en the body existed during life or were post-mot-eta. The deceased was stated to be a imiet, inoffenive boy, and the idea of suicide was r)'ected by his parents—The jury returned an open verdict of "Found drowned." 11CRERN"
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1890-03-27 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE WEEK.  MADAME TSHEBRIKOVA AND THZ  CZAR.  Ties Russian Government do not generally trouble themselves about foreign criticism. They are as indifferent as the Turks to European censure on acts of tyranny and barbarity. But lately there has been quite a commotion at St. Petersburg about the foreign comments on the treatment of Siberian exiles. Both in England and America, public indignation has been stirred by the peculiarly revolting cruelty practised by the authorities of Yakutsk on the prisoners who petitioned for some alleviation of their treatment in the journey to the mines. Public opinion in America has been educated in these matters by Mr. George liennan, whose articles on Siberia in the Century magazine have raised the curtain which has so long concealed that land of Buffering. The story of Yakutsk is probably no worse than countless incidents of Russian administration, but it has been made especially prominent by the arrest of Madame Tshebrikova. This lady devoted her life to the education of women in Russia. Instead of being encouraged by the authorities, she was thwarted at every turn. She tried to form University classes of women for the study of medicine, and these were dissolved by the Government. After a quarter of a century of wasted effort, Madame Tshebrikova came to the conclusion that her native country was relapsing into an administrative barbarism wvests than the days of Nicholas. The incident at Yakutsk prompted her to address a letter to the Czar. She also wrote a pamphlet which was printed in Switzerland. It is needless to say that both these compositions were treasonable in the eyes of the Russian officials. To address the Czar at all is an offence ; to remonstrate with him is a crime. Moreover, in her pamphlet Madame Tshebrikova had the audacity to quote some comments from the Times on ' the Yakutak affair; and this, of course, was an 1 unpardonable outrage. The lady was arrested, and she is now imprisoned at St. Petersburg, if she is not already on her way to Siberia. Horrible to relate, the Czar found a copy of the pamphlet on his study-table. He looked at it, and apparently it made some impression on him. He even went so far as to suggest to the Minister of the Interior that the author should be liberated. The Minister was very properly shocked. What! Release the woman who had written a pamphlet which the Czar had actually read! The idea was monstrous,and the Minister seems to have brought his Imperial master to see that this benevolent suggestion was weak and foolish. " Eventually," says the Vienna correspondent of the Times, "his Majesty was dissuaded from his merciful purpose." So Madame Tshebrikova will spend the rest of her life in Siberia. She will probably be flogged to death, if she does not commit suicide. And this is to be the end of a brave and faithful woman who tried to advance the cause of education amongst her countrywomen; and who, indignant at the resolve of the Government to crush out all intellectual life in Russia, had the temerity to try to awaken the Czar to a sense of his responsibilities as a ruler.
The Warwickshire Herald. — 1890-09-04 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

STRANGE MURDER STORY.  Arthur Padman, staying at the New Bridge Hotel, Bridge Street, Westminster, was charged at Bow Street Police Corn, on hie own confusion, with the wilful murder of Manly Strickland, at Timmerman's Farm, Tonawanda, America, on April IS last. Deteetive.sergeant Bash, of Scotland Yard, , said that about twenty minutes put six the previous tuning the prisoner came to the office in White. hall, and said he wished to Five himself up for the murder of a man in America. After he had re. solved the usual caution, the prisoner said that •on April 2 last in the woods at Tonawanda in America, I murdered • man named Strickland by shooting him through the heart, and he fell dui It was through jealousy. I gave myself up to the police, but on my way to Buffalo I got taint.hearted„ and said it was an accident. I was afterwards acquitted by the coroner's jury." The prisoner signed the statement, and was then taken to King Street Police.atatiot. On the way he said, .1 cannot stand it ally longer I get no sleep, and have to take laudanutn. I took a vial last night. After I was acquitted by the coroner's jury it preyed upon my mind, and I purchased another revelries and went to Strickland's grave with the intention sf committing suicide. ly heart failed me again, and I went to the police • second time as I was so much worried. The police found two letters upon we, and after reading them and hearing my story they came to the conclusion that I was mad, and sent me to the Buffalo Asylum. I was discharged early in August and came over to this country, ! arriving in London on Monday last. lam deter. mined to stud my trial for the wilful minder of Strickland." The prisoner gave witness a certiri. mte of his naturalisation and also a cutting from an Americatinewapaper relating to the murder of the num Strickland.—He was remanded for • week.  A