npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Sun. — 1849-08-16 (London, England)

MURDER AND SUICIDE AT PECKHAM.  Last evening Mr. Carter held an inquest at the Marlborough Arms, South-street, Camber well, on the bodies of Maria Lindsay, aged 22, and Charlotte Lindsay, aged seven months, the illegitimate daughter of the former and a person of the name of Rich, who were found drowned in the basin of the Peckham branch of the Surrey canal, about four o'clock in the morning of Monday last. From the evidence of the various witnesses, it appeared that the deceased had formerly been in the service of a respectable family on Rye-common ; but, having lost her situation, was employed by a Mrs. Jackson, a laundress in the same neighbourhood ; and about four months since she was engaged by Mr. Jackson to superintend the management of a small general shop, called Rose Cottage, Shearmore-place, Rye-lane, his son also following the occupation of a general dealer, and perambulating a m deceased Maria Lindsay, who was described as being woman, notwithstanding her unfortunate liason with the father of her child, (from whom it appeared she had never received any relief, nor could his well-behaved whereabouts be traced), had gained the esteem of both Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, and the son had conceived so great an affection for her that he bad contributed to the support of her infant, and offered her marriage, believing (as he said in his evidence) " she would make a good and industrious wife." On Sunday last a conversation ensued between them relative to the marriage, when he told deceased it might as well take place about next Monday week, and they had better put up the banns at the cheapest place. Some time after this conversation the deceased went out to see some acquaintances in the neighbourhood, leaving her child in bed at home, and did not return for upwards of an hour, when young Jackson remonstrated with her. She replied, " Never mind," and took up the baby, and went out as it was supposed to sup with a friend, but nothing more was heard of her until her body and that of the infant child were taken out of the Canal Basin, near Archer's coal wharf at Peckham.  The only important evidence adduced during the inquiry, to show that the deceased must for some timehave contemplated the act, was that of Mrs. Cecilia Shergold, who deposed to repeated conversations with the deceased, in which she expressed the distress of mind she experienced at her inability to support her infant, and to find the residence of the father, to compel him to contribute towards its support. About three weeks ago the deceased stated she was determined to destroy herself, and would some day " drown herself and the baby." The witness urged her to acquaint her father and mother with her position, as they were ignorant of her dishonour. She, however, refused to afflict them with the fact, as they held a respectable position in the county of Oxford.  The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against the deceased Maria Lindsay with respect to the deceased Charlotte Lindsay, and that the deceased destroyed herself in a fit of temporary insanity.
The Sun. — 1849-08-16 (London, England)

THE DANISH BLOCKADE.  HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN SWITZERLAND. The Paris papers give the following details of a fearful tragedy recently enacted in the town of Berthoud, in Switzerland :—Jacob Moser, of Gondisweil, in the district of Kulm (Argovia), was 45 years of age. lle had long inhabited the town of Berthoud, where he was generally beloved and esteemed. He was a widower and the father of five children ; his conduct was regular, and he supported his family by exercising his talents as a musician at public balls, and as a teacher of the art. The eldest child was a girl eighteen years of age, who at six displayed so much talent for music that she was already famous as a concert performer ; she had latterly resided in French Switzerland, where she earned her livelihood by teaching. Besides supporting his family, Moser had to maintain his aged parents. All these burdens caused him to contract debts which he was unable to liquidate. These burdens, an unfortunate attachment, the wretched condition of his children, despair, blighted affection, and the prospect of a debtor's dungeon in the distance, proved too much for the poor man's fortitude. The four children residing with Moser consisted of two sons, aged seventeen and thirteen, and two daughters of fifteen and seven years of age, all idiots, and three of them dumb. The boy who escaped was ten years of age. The family slept in two contiguous chambers. In one lay Moser, one of the girls, and one of the boys ; the other three slept in the adjoining apartment. The surviving son deposed that at about two o'clock, on the terrible night in question, he was awoke by his sisters, and perceived that his father had arisen. The father, on being called, replied that he was writing in the next room. On returning he knelt down by the side of the bed, prayed aloud, and gave the children to understand, in a few broken sentences, that he was going to Berne. Young Moser soon afterwards went into the adjacent room, and found the four children lying dead. They had all been strangled with a small rope, found around the neck of one of the girls. A letter in the handwriting of Moser, sen., was discovered, announcing his design. lie wrote— " I ask pardon, in the name of God. I can no longer endure existence, and I cannot resolve to leave behind me, abandoned to their fate, the poor children who are not yet brought up. Those who know me will be convinced that I could not. Once more, I supplicate for mercy and pardon, for lam not actuated by vengeance or ferocity, but by despair." The following additional lines, written after the perpetration of the unfortunate act, indicate the regret of Moser at its accomplishment, but betray no doubt of the forgiveness of God:— " Now," wrote the poor wretch, " now I have done all ; but were the deed not done, I could not do it. May God in heaven be merciful, and grant me pardon !" Moser consummated the tragedy by blowing out his own brains. The body was discovered under the bridge of the Emme ; it appeared to have been so placed as to fall into the river after the commission of the suicide.
The Sun. — 1849-08-16 (London, England)

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY IN SWI CZERLAN D.  The Paris papers give the following details of a fearful tragedy recently enacted in the town of Berthoud, in Switzerland :—Jacob Moser, of Gondisweil, in the district of Kulm (Argovia), was 45 years of age. He had long inhabited the town of Berthoud, where he was generally beloved and esteemed. He was a widower and the father of five children ; his conduct was regular, and he supported his family by exercising his talents as a musician at public balls, and as a teacher of the art. . The eldest child was a girl eighteen years of age, who at six displayed so much talent for music that she was already famous as a concert performer ; she had latterly resided in French Switzerland, where she earned her livelihood by teaching. Besides supporting his family, Moser had to maintain his aged parents. All these burdens caused him to contract debts which he was unable to liquidate. These burdens, an unfortunate attachment, the wretched condition of his children, despair, blighted affection, and the prospect of a debtor's dungeon in the distance, proved too much for the poor man's fortitude. The four children residing with Moser consisted of two sons, aged seventeen and thirteen, and two daughters of fifteen and seven years of age, all idiots, and three of them dumb. The boy who escaped was ten years of age. The family slept in two contiguous chambers. In one lay Moser, one of the girls, and one of the boys; the other three slept in the adjoining apartment. The surviving son deposed that at about two o'clock, on the terrible night in question, he was awoke by his sisters, and perceived that his father had arisen. The father, on being called, replied that he was writing in the next room. On returning he knelt down by the side of the bed, prayed aloud, and gave the children to understand, in a few broken sentences, that he was going to Berne. Young Moser soon afterwards went into the adjacent room, and found the four children lying dead. They had all been strangled with a small rope, found around the neck of one of the girls. A letter in the handwriting of Moser, sen., was discovered, announcing his design. He wrote— " I ask pardon, in the name of God. I can no longer endure existence, and I cannot resolve to leave behind me, abandoned to their fate, the poor children who are not yet brought up. Those who know me will be convinced that I could not. Once more, I supplicate for mercy and pardon, for lam not actuated by vengeance or ferocity, but by despair." The following additional lines, written after the perpetration of the unfortunate act, indicate the regret of Moser at its accomplishment, but betray no doubt of the forgiveness of God : " Now," wrote the poor wretch, " now I have done all ; but were the deed not done, I could not do it. May God in heaven be merciful, and grant me pardon !"  Moser consummated the tragedy by blowing out his own brains. The body was discovered under the bridge of the Emme ; it appeared to have been so placed as to fall into the river after the commission of the suicide.
The Sun. — 1849-09-01 (London, England)

COMMANDER PITMAN.—SECOED DAY.,—AuG. 29.—The court was occupied more or less, from nine o'clock in the morning to half-past five this afternoon in the cross-examination of Mr. A. R. Elliott, the master, by Commander Pitman. The only points worth extracting were as follow :—" Mr. Elliott entered the services in 1813, and joined the Cl.il2e.s in August, 1846. Declined to state whether he was put under arrest on the 25th of June, 1847, for being asleep on his watch. Regarding the Marine Hague, said to be invalided as insane through Commander Pitman's severity, witness had been told that, before join;ng the Childers, Hague broke into the Rodney's cellar, stole wine, became intoxicated, fell into the dock, and was then injured. Had heard the Marion White (who drowned himself) make a desparate oath, that if flogged he would jump overboard. Did not know if it v,aa by Commander Pitman's special order that the boys were " scrubbed at the ship's Lead," The desertion at Hobart Town was caused by the cruelty on board, and not by the high wages offered by the South Sea whalers. Had not heard that the men were dragged ashore. Kew that the mess servant Allen was brought on board in a state of stupor from drunkenness; his previous god character saved him from flogging. The special inst incea of cruelty were towards the marines Hague and White, the boy Cleverton, two seamen, Gillman and Kitts (who (lied in China), and the midshipman's steward, who committed suicide. had seen Clevtrton cruelly disfigured; heard him scream, but did not remember his being flogged. Knew Commander Pitman struck the boy with his fist. Kitts was kept standing with his hammock on his shoulder several hours at night when general sickness prevailed in the ship. Gallaein was punished more severely, being ordered to stand in the same manner after working hours, a period of for ty or fifty days, after'whieh he went into his hammock and died, declaring that the cruel treatment to which he hal been subjected was the cause of his death. The midshipman's steward was flogged two or three times, and being threatend with a repetition of the punishment, jumped overboard and was drowned. During the time years witness served in the Childers eleven cenaimisaioned officers left the ship either invalided or by. oxchange.
The Sun. — 1849-05-29 (London, England)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. •  Yesterday an interesting young woman, 19 years of age, named Silvia Thorn, was charged with attempting to commit suicide under the following circumstances : William Vokins, a waterman, said that, about half-past twelve o'clock on Saturday night, he was passing over Blackfriars-bridge, when he observed the prisoner on a seat in one of the recesses with her bonnet and shawl off, upon which he asked her what she was doing there. She put them on and walked away, but in a short time again returned, followed by witness, and entered the second recess on the Surrey side of the bridge, when she again divested herself of the same articles of dress, and, having mounted the parapet, was about to throw herself into the river, when he ran forward and succeeded in catching hold of her dress and pulling her back. Alderman CARDEN (who sat a short time for Alderman Moon) asked the witness if he had ever seen the prisoner before ? Vokins replied that he had not. Alderman CARDEN inquired whether she gave any reason fur such a rash attempt on her life? Vokins said that on the way to the station she informed him that she had been keeping company with a young man, but her friends did not approve of the match, and she had discovered that he was married and had a family, which was the cause of her attempting to make away with herself, not liking, after such a discovery, to return home again. Alderman CARDEN asked if any of her friends were present ? Mrs. Thorn, the mother, here stepped forward and told the Alderman that a young man had been paying his addresses to her daughter for the last twelve months, but for the last week she appeared to be in very low spirits. On Saturday she went to see her intended, when high words arose on the subject, and she ran out, followed by her sister, but the latter could not catch her, and nothing more was heard of her until information was received of her being in custody and having made an attempt on her life. Alderman
The Sun. — 1849-05-29 (London, England)

CORONER'S INQUEST.—SUICIDE FROM EXCESSIVE DRINKING.—Before Mr. Baker, at the Adelaide publichouse, Hackney-road, on the body of Elizabeth Taylor,. aged 33. It appeared that the deceased was the to wife of a cab proprietor, and was unfortunately addicted very d intemperate habits. Her favourite liqaufora waaas pintmg onfin, n ht that she was in the practice of drinking h spirit every morning before breakfast, and ten half pints during the day. O Friday last she n returned home in a state of intoxication, d_ and about two hours afterwards she was discovoerne thelitnagble was found in a bed, apparently in a dying condition. poison, which was quite empty. Mr. Langley, a a phial, labelled laudanum, peon, was called in, and resha rvgi p_uf,cTheamsepdorlaaurydainnusamnitayt cognised the deceits BS his shop that morning. V from excessive drinking. aerdigct REIGATE HORSE AND CATTLE FAlR.—Yesterday at this fair the supply of horses was unusually large. The very prime young cart was in great demand, obtaining high prices, 60 to 75 guineas, even up to 80 guineas being given for some very splendid animals for London work; smaller sorts, suitable for farmers, 30 to 45 guineas each. Nags for riding or driving sold freely, sound and young making from 40 to .50 guineas each, second rate 25 to 35 guineas each. In the cattle fair the trade was brisk, and better prices obtained, the North Devons thiee year olds making from 9/. to 111., Scots 71, to 91., Herefords. 8/. to 101.. Irish 41. .to 61. 'per head, Sussex cows with calves let to 121. in calvers .81. to 101. per head. The store beasts were nearly all sold, the jobbers haying bought largely to send into the marshes.  to' A 4.; DS a .4 0 • is 71 0 XI 0 14 Colchester Harwich ...... 400 58 330 780 415 Leigh Maldon ... 1397 113 223 10 1120
The Sun. — 1849-09-05 (London, England)

MURDER OF THREE CHILDREN,  AND SUICIDE, BY A FATHER. On Monday morning, about half-past eleven, a most fearful tragedy took place at East-street, Ipswich, when a man named Grayson, murdered three of his male children, of the respective ages of four years, three years, and eight months old, by cutting their throats with a razor, and afterwards cutting his own throat with the same instrument. An inquest upon the bodies vi as held in the afternoon at the Dove Inn, when it appeared, by the testimony adduced, that the father was a painter by trade, about thirty-three years old, and had been married nearly tea years, the fruit of his marriage being seven children. He was always kind to his wife, loud of his children, and of particularly temperate habits. During the last five or six weeks, however, his appetite fail, d him, and he frequently exhibited a strong tendency to despondency, arising from the cares of his large family, whom he seemed to apprehend he should not be able properly to bring up. Latterly he suffered from acute pains in his head, producing lowness of spirits, and he sometimes was heard to say I shall never live to get through any troubles." On Sunday he retired to bed, and appeared to sleep as usual ; but after breakfast yesterday cotnplaieed to his wife that he telt very languid and faint. Shortly after eleven o'clock Mrs. Grayson went shopping into the town, leaving her husband and children in the house; but she had not been absent more that halt an hour when she heard the an ful risings of what had occurred. As soon as she returned the shocking spectacle presented itself of the four bodies lying on the ground in the front roon, with their throats cut; all dead —a razor lying between i.er husband's legs. It appears that no sooner had his wife left ail house than the Lillfortunate MAU said to the three deceased children, who were playing in the room, " Come to me here and play in the front room, and I will give you a halfpenny each." This observation was heard by his daughter Emma, aged eight, who wns washing up plates in the adjoining kitchen, and she in consequence left the kitchen and stood at the back door, where she saw her father take the babe in his arms and carry him into the front room, the other two children following. She then returned to the washhouse, but in a few minutes went into the front room, when she beheld her father and three brothers lying dead on the carpet. An alarm was given, and surgical assistance instantly procured, bur, of eourse, it was ineffectual. After a lengthened examination of several witnesses. the jury returned a verdict, that Grayson had cut the throats of Arthur, Walter, Frederick, and his own, while in a state of temporary derangement.
The Sun. — 1849-09-05 (London, England)

MURDER OF THREE CHILDREN, AND SUICIDE, BY A FATHER. On Monday morning, about half-past eleven, a most fearful tragedy took place at East-street, Ipswich, when a man named Grayson, murdered three of his male children, of the respective ages of fcur years, three years, and eight months old, by cutting their throats with a razor, and afterwards cutting his own throat with the same instrument. An inquest upon the bodies; was held in the afternoon at the Dove Inn, when it appeared, by the testimony adduced, that the father was a painter by trade, about thirty-three years old, and had been married nearly ten years, the fruit of his marriage b-iing seven children. lie was always kind to his wife, fond of his children, and of particularly temperate habits. During the last five or six weeks, however, his appetite failed him, and he frequently exhibited a strong tendency to despondency, arising from the cares of his large family, whom he seemed to apprehend he should not be able properly to bring up. Latterly he suffered from acute pains in his head, producing lowness of spirits, and ho sometimes was heard to say " I shall never live to get through nay- troubles." On Sunday he retired to bed, and appeared to sleep as usual ; but after breakfast yesterday complained to his wife that he felt very languid and faint. Shortly after eleven o'clock Mrs. Grayson went shopping into the town, leaving her husband and children in the house; but she had not been absent more that half an hour when she heard the awful tidings of what had occurred. As soon as she returned the shecking spectacle presented itself of the four bodies lying on the ground in the front roon, with their throats cut, all dead —a razor lying between her husband's logs. It appears that no sooner had his wile left the house than the unfortunate man said to the three deceased children, who were playing in the room, " Come to me here and play in the front room, and I will give you a halfpenny each." This observation was heard by his daughter Emma, aged eight, who wns washing up platcs in the adjoining kitchen, and she in consequence left the kitchen and stood at the back door, where she saw her father take the babe in his arms and carry him into the front room, the other two children following. She then returned to the washhouse, but in a few minutes went into the front room, when sho beheld her father and three brothers lying dead on the carpet. An alarm was given, and surgical assistance instantly procured, but, of course, it was ineffectual. After a lengthened examination of several witnesses, the jury returned a verdict, that Grayson had cut the throats of Arthur, Walter, Frederick, and his own, while in a state of temporary derangement.
The Sun. — 1849-09-05 (London, England)

MURDER OF THREE CHILDREN,  AND SUICIDE, BY A FA. FHER. On Monday morning, about half-past eleven, a most fearful tragedy took place at East-street, Ipswich, when a man named Grayson, murdered three of his male children, of the respective ages of four years, three years, and eight months old, by cutting their throats with a razor, and afterwards cutting his own throat with the same instrument. An inquest upon the bodies was held in the afternoon at the Dove Inn, when it appeared, by the testimony adduced, that the father was a painter by trade, about thirty-three years old, and had been married nearly ten years, the fruit of his marriage being seven children. He was always kind to his wife, fond of his children, :it'd of particularly temperate habits. During the last five or six weeks, how,ver, his appetite failed him, and he frequently exhibited a strong tendency to despondency, arising from the cares of his large family, whom he seemed to apprehend he should not be able properly to bring up. Latterly he suffered from acute pains in his head, producing lowness of spirits, and he sometimes was heard to say " I shall never live to get through my troubles." On Sunday he retired to bed, and appeared to sleep as usual ; but after breakfast yesterday complained to his wile that he telt very languid and faint. Shortly after eleven o'clock Mrs. Grayson went shopping into the town, leaving her husband and children in the house; but she had not been absent more that half an hour when she heard the awful tidings of what had occurred. As soon as she returned the sh(cking spectacle presented itself of the four bodies lying on the ground in the front roon, with their throats cut, all dead —a razor lying between 'ler husband's legs. It appears that no sooner had his wife left the house than the unfortunate man said to the three deceased children, who were playing in the room, " Como to me here and play in the front room, and I will give you a halfpenny each." This observatien was heard by his daughter Emma, aged eight, who wns washing up plates in the adjoining kitchen, and she in consequence left the kitchen and stood at the back door, where she saw her father take the babe in his arms and carry him into the front room, the other two children following. She then returned to the washhouse, but in a few minutes went into the front room, when she bAeld her father and three brothers lying dead on the carpet. An alarm was given, and surgical assistance instantly procured, but, of course, it was ineffectual. After a lengthened examination of several witnesses, .the jury returned a verdict, that Grayson had cut the throats of Arthur, Walter, Frederick, and his own, while in a state of temporary derangement.