npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1907-08-10 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ATHLETES.  I spoke the other day on this subject, and gave my views as I hold them, subject to contradiction., of course, that, as a rule, these men are not lnng-lived unless even the trnaest muscles of the body are kept up to par, or on a pair with the large. However, it is best to show that there are two skits to the question. Dr. Anderson, of the Yale Gymnasium, makes a rather lame (I think) attempt to prove that athleticism increases length of days, and he does not even say all-round athleticism. This is just the sort of s&atement I should exp,oct from a gymnasium man and a Yankee. The American Universities have a very pow rep-utation in this country, and deservedly ea, and until they mend their ways and cease selling degrees that reputation will continue to eo6st as black as ever. Anyone can secure a degree in America, but in this country they cannot legally practise with such degrees. However, let us hear what "Dr." Anderson has to say : " Deaths Intim heart disease, in the list of fiftyeight men who died out of 807 leading athletes, were four, at the ages of thirty-five, fifty-seven, sixty-eight, and seventy. The average is very low. Pneumonia carried off six, typhoid fever five, and typhoid pneumonia two. Those who wish to push their argument that high athletics are bad for the lungs and heart might find some ground for that argument in the fact that twenty-four of the fifty-eight deaths wee.) caused by lung trouble of various kinds, and heart failure.. The table of deaths further shows that nine of the fifty-eight athletes met with violent deaths, of which two were suicides, one died of dissipation which was not traceable to participation in athletics." He holds that the inevitable conclusion from the figures gathered is that the Yale man who came to high honours in the major sports of the last halfcentury had more than the ordinary man's share of long life. Whether this is due to his high development as an athlete or to the original strength of the man himself is still unproven." You are to take this with a grain of salt, reader, or maybe it will need several if you are a wise and thinking meta.  * * *
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1908-10-17 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

WEIRD DANCE.  Er A BA.NEER,  In the latter part of that dark period of superstition and moral obliquity, the middle ages, the strangest and most amazing epidemic broke out almost simultaneously in several parts of Europe, and notably in Italy; an epidemic such as no record exists in history of any previous visitation, and which has not recurred since it finally disappeared about the close of the sixteenth century. It is recorded that the first indication of the disease was an inordinate desire to dance. Immediately the virus was communicated—if indeed the affection was of a physical character at all, which appears to be quite doubtful; though the contrary supposition is too inexplicable and altogether too weird to consider—the person affected commenced to dance, either alone or with another infected sufferer, continuing to whirl themselves round and round without cessation day or night until one or both dropped down from sheer exhaustion_ Whole villages became infected with the visitation, men, women, and even children, whirling and gyrating in a state of hysterical excitation; and it is stated that strangers entering an infected place were seized with the malady and commenced to spin round in a spa&a of convulsive energy; the entire population, heretofore hardworking, respectable people, now a frantic mob of twirling maniacs. And then, the severity of the paroxysm having subdued, a state of moral and psychical perversion frequently ensued, ending often in suicide.  It was considered at first that the disease WM produced by the bite of a spider—the tarantula —hence the name of the epideraio—Tarantisra. This, however, was completely disproved.. There can therefore be little doubt that the disease was not communicated in the manner in which ordinary epidemics are induced, but that its origin was of a character altogether occult and mystic. Happily for the world there has been no recrudescence of the terrible visitation for three hundred years; and it is to be hoped that never again will mankind be subjected to the influence of those mysterious powers.  But though that be so, yet we know that there is a powerful influence ever endeavouring to lead us astray and to pervert our moral perception. But those who in the strength of their omnipotent Redeemer resist the insidious attacks of their spiritual foes, will be more than conquerors through Him who BO loved them that He gave Himself for them, and, by satisfying the demands of Eternal Justice on their behalf, made them meet for a glorious inheritance in the Great Hereafter.
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1908-02-08 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE REMINISCENCES OF DR. WALFORD BODIE. CHAPTER VI.  EngliShman in Kilts--A most curious Bill Poster—The Man with the Gum Bottle—A Pair of,Old-Boot.s,—A Taste for Murders and suicides—The Skull of a Most Respcctitble Tradesman—The Hypnotic Bluff—The Man in the Top Room.  ......*.......  So far the stories I have narrated have been all more or leas concerned with myself and my own doings. In this chapter I propose to tell some which relate more particularly to persons who have from time to time assisted me in •my stage work. Some years ago, while touring in England, I engaged a Londoner to act as my business manager. He was a man who had had considerable experience in that capacity, but somehow or other his work had never taken him north of the Tweed. And when, a week or two later, he travelled with me to Inverness, where I was next to perform, he informed me of this, and expre*ed considerable curiosity as to the manners and customs of the Scotch people.  I, of course, said all that a patriotic Scot should say on such a subject, and he began to realise that he was in for a pleasant time. Indeed, when we reached Inverness, he jumped out of the railway carriage with quite- an eager holiday look on his face. The proprietor of the music-hall at which we were to appear was waiting on the. platform and, after the usual greetings, the three of us set out for the hall. Our way lay along the main street of the town. It was a busy time of the day, and there were many people about. I noticed that my manager was rep6amiing them with some astonishm.ent, and before we had gone very far I learned the reason.  "Well, said our guide to him, "wt do you think of our little town ?"  "I like it," was the reply, "but is there anything in particular on to-day?" "No; what makes you think there is?" "Why, the dress of the men. They are all wearing trousers." "Of course they are." "But I thought ail Scatchmen wore kilts up here in their own country?" Our guide paused, and, with a canny look, said- "No, no, man; the only Seotehman who comes up here and wears a kilt is an Englishman."  "What on earth do you mean ?" a.sked my manager. "What I sat. When you meet a kilt in Inverness, you can be pretty sure that the man ins Lie it is an Englishman."  More or less he was right. During that -day W e saw about half a dozen men in kilts, and on inquiry found that every one was .an Englishman. And my manager, not to be out of the fashion set by his countrymen, himself bought one, and during the rest of our stay in Inverwent about in the garb of 01,cl -Gaul, much to the amusement of those of us who knew that he had bson born and bred within the Nur mile radius.
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1906-06-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

WELL- WISHER.S:  tot conceive a " merry " Christ. Christ sought that deeper happiness which goes to the root of all things—to be part of the Father's plan— part of the whole. But we, tmlike Christ, would shut out of our lives and sight all that is ugly or painful OT sinful, and yet, these things too, besides the beautiful, are in God's great plan. Yet, when they come to us we say all happiness is gone even when we possess the greatest thing. Under affliction we =loot feel merry. True. But must we necessarily be unhappy? Because a heart is sad is it without happiness? Nay LA us rather follow in the Christ's footsteps, choosing to tread the darker paths as those which lead- to a deeper happiness than any merriment produced by the dancing sunlight. It us accept all the sad things of life with a patient humility, and not seek to cast them from us, but bear them bravely and with a full faith and belief in the -ultimate good of all. Why exhaust, ourselves and beat our heads against a stone wall in trying to unravel God's seeretthe mystery of sin and pain? Rather let us, like Christ, go forward and bear the nails of the Cross, believing that, in doing so, we are working out the Father's will. Happiness is a good thing, and we cannot conceive the completion of God's purpcse without it, but we go the wrong way to seek it. Let us seek Faith, not happiness, for assuredly, when Faith beccnnes ours in the spirit, happiness will follow closely in its train. We call OUTS a Christian country; yet how sadly lacking in Faith. ,Let us try for a truer Faith, a deeper knowledge of God's purpose and act in accordance with the life of Christ, and there will be no more pessimists—no more suicides, now shall we hear that everlasting cry, "Tell us how we may be happy."—H. Tod, 36, Douglesered, Herne Bay. seeeseeeseeeseeeee A
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1906-01-13 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MORE ABOUT CONSTIPATION. Everyone who has taken a dose of aperient medicine, after suffering a day or two from this complaint, knows the feeling of relief both of body and mind which its action produces. Nature seems to rise triumphant over all her troubles, the sun of life begins to shine once more, energy has returned to every muscle, the limbs that had been so inert drag no more, and sleep which was previously heavy but an.refreshing becomes again the sweet restorer. No longer any restlees, weary dreams, now that disagreeable <lonisation of awaking in the morning feeling just as tired and heavy as when lying down. All the floodgates of the body, so to speak, have been reopened, all weight lifte.d; the liver resumes its duties, and bile flows freely; the salivary glands and the stomach secrete in abundance; and the kidneys, overworked before, ean now have rest and restoration. This apparently happy state of affairs usually follows the action of almost any aperient, and it is this which plays into the hands of the qvack pill man. "After taking these pills," says Smith, I experienced such relief, you wouldn't believe." Then Brown, Jones, and Robinson try the same "cure."  e • •  thinks if the microbe could be discovered and destroyed wholesale marriage would be at once placed on quite a business footing, and the world oe all the better for it. No more heart-burning jealousy and miry, and no more murders and suicides from this cause. "Love would be the most natural and normal emotion were it not for the artificiality a modern civilisation," said a wealknown alienist (a. specialist in diseases of the brain) to us the other day. "But, as 3. matter of experience, it is one of the most prolific causes of mental, physical, and emotional aberration. In fact, it so often lacks common sense that it is hardly a misnomer to call it a form of insanity. Krafft-Ebbing designates it as a 'fixed idea'; Droll, an 'emotive delirium'; Morselli, 'a rudimentary paranoia' (which means a form of insanity where there are delusions in a oerta.in direction, the mental health being good in other diree, tions). Dr. Regis calls it a 'psychical neurasthenia,' or nervous debility. Charcot calls love a 'symptom of hereditary degeneracy.'"  • • 0
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1906-08-25 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

HOW IT FEELS TO BE HANGED.  Some years ago a Frenchman wrote U. learned hook to prove that death by hanging is thk. meet pleasant an,d desirable of all modes .1 quitting the world; that it is not painful, as is commonly supposed, but on the contrary emcites delightful emotions in the mind from the accumulation of blood in the • vesviels of th, brain. Thos who have tried it confirm the statements theoretically put forward by the French author. A case is on record of a young man who after an argument on death by hanging, resolved to gratify his curiosity by pas.-sing a rope round his own neck and attaching it to a hook over the door. He soon lost all consciousness, . but was cut down by a companion who discovered him shortly afterwards, and who, by the prompt application of remedial measures, managed to bring him round. He stated on, recovery that the first effect he experienced was the appearance of a dazzling light before his eyes, accompanied by a tingling in the ealli and very pleasant sensations. Among Abraham Cowley's papers, found after death, was one which gave a full account of the three attempts at suicide made by the rxiet, one of them being., by hanging. Cowley says that he suspende'd himself over his chamber door in the Temple, and became perfectly inse-nsible. He only Pe-, collected a flash of light appearing before }ifs eyes, unattended by any painful feelings whatever. His weight caused him to fall on the floor at last, where he was found, and after a time he recovered. Bacon, in his "History of , Life and Death," speaks of a friend who was,  By becoming a REGULAR SUBSCRIBER to the " NORTHERN WEEKLY GAZETTE" and having your name entered as such in your "Gazette" Agent's order book you are INSURED in case of FATAL ACCIDENT of ANY KIND FOR £lO. Will be paid by the LAW ACCIDENT INSURANCE SOCIETY, LIMITED, HE AD OFFICE, 215, STRAND, LONDON, to the person whom the Editor of the "NORTHERN WEEKLY GAZETTE " decides to be the nearest relation of anyone killed by an accident within the United Kingdom, and whose name was at the time registered in the book of a duly recognised " Gazette' Agent, as a regular subscriber. Provided that the above undertaking is subject to the following special conditions, which are of the essence of the contract vu.: (a) That such death result within one week after the accident; (b) that notice of the accident be given to the LAW ACCIDENT INSURANCE SOCIETY, LIMITED, at its Head Office in London, or to Manager of the "NORTHERN WEEKLY (lAZE'TTE," Zetland-road, Middles brough, within seven days after its occurrence; (c) that medical certificates and other information be furnished by the person claiming upon request for the same by the Society; (d) and that this Insurance applies only to persons over nineteen and under sixty years of age, (e) is limited to one CouponT-Priirane..-Tick.4 for Paoli ).,.+l.e-. (f) :111C1 his nod thr the enrrert wcedc of P•sue only.
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1906-09-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

TRUE COURAGE.  In my reading I often find the words, direell or inferred, "Be of a. good courage." In this tweutieth century it is well for us if we we able to. grasp the spirit of such advice. Life, with its many problems, physical, social, intellectual and spiritual calls for a spirit of true courage. There are many false conceptions.; We have the courage of the follower of Bacchus, by which men become capable of great deeds when not called upon to do them. John Barleycern is a mighty courage raiser, and is come nionly known by the unworthy name of Dutch! courage. Them there is the courage as shown by the Phill.q)ian jailer, which was a sign at his time when men behoved that in an hour at extremity it was better for a man to take hie own life rather than face the consequences of the charge against him, whether try°. or Ws& Even in our day, when an act of folly has been committed, by many suicide is looked upon as an easy way to (*cape the consequences. Not only in battles are heroes found, They ail" do not win renown;  For .some are as brave when they take life os As others when they lay life down. There is ,in truth, a. virtuous, glorious courage, but it happens to be found least in those who are MCCit admired for. bravery. It is the courage of principle, which dares to do right in the face of scorn, which puts to hazard reputation, rank, the prospects of. advancements, the sympathy of friends, the admiration of the world, rather than violate a conviction of duty. John Bunyan could look upon prison as a hi:Ane rather than not be true to the light. His own words are; "So being again delivered up to the jailors' hands, I was had hi:me to prison." Think of that, young men. There is no affectation of indifference to suffering, ne boastful exhibition of excited• heroism, but there, is the calm of the man who is conscious in boart and mind, of the truth of the principles which he advioeates. True courage is the courage of benevolence and piety, which counts not life dear in witbsta.nding error, :niperstition, vice, oppression, and the mightiest Fix's. of human improvement and happiness.—T. W. Bell, 124, Croxdale Colliery, Cb Durnam.
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1906-08-11 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

FINE  ART.  "Live and let live, but get your money as easily as you can," is the motto of the swindler. A certain thee of professional gentlemen. do this to perfection., and swindling to them Is a fine art assiduously cultivated. That it is lucrative cannot possibly be denied. In Berlin., recently, two men commenced a heated discussion in front of a large shop window. The quarrel grew animated, a crowd gathered,. and the climax Res reached when. one of the pair tumbled against the window, smashing it neatly without doing any injury to himself. The other man fled, whilst the unfortunate window-breaker-who 'wide no effort to get aevay—being, seemingly, too astonished— was immediately seized upon by the shop manager who demanded 1.:9 damages. "I've only got 1.:3 of my own," said the captive, a commercial traveller, "and I'll give you £1 10 0 mow, and forward the other £7 10 oon my return home." The shop manager was far from being satisfied, and began to talk of arrest, whereupon the unlucky traveller pleaded to be spared such a scandal, and said he would pay the full amount demanded out of maney entrusted to him by his firm. He then produced a. £6O note, out of which the manager deducted £9, giving £4l change. When the firm sent the note to the bank they were informed that it was a forgery. Last summer many of the inhabitants of a noitliern, town lamented the fact that same arrant rogue enjoyed a pleasant holiday at a s.alubrious health resort at their expense. " Furnished Apartments. Splendid Sea View. Piano; Address, X. Y. Z., Box 79, etc.," is an advertisement familiar to the newspaper readers. If you are ever tempted to reply to such, and ask for terms and are supplied with a. marvellously cheap het of charges, do'not, sand a depoeit as a guarantee. It is quite possible that it may be an ingenious fraud carried out by some unscrapulous person or persons also desirous of a chea,p holiday. A large amount of raiiney is cleared by this fraud emery year. When the notorious bkemon was released from prison after the turf frauds, he carried out a daring and clever swindle in Mexico. Madame Patti was touring America at the time, and the newspapers boomed that the Patti eoneert tickets WiCre selling like "hot mikes " in the aforesaid region--Maxico. ts tie arrangements had been made for selling tickets in Mexico, the mews came as an astonishmg surprise to Patti's manager—Mr H. E. Abbey, who at once repudiated the statements. Upon investigation it was found that over £6,000 worth of tickets had been sold, every one of which was a baref aced forgery. Benson es("pal with his plunder, but when caught scene tune afterwards, saved the authorities further trouble by generously committing suicide.-(Origina.l).—J. H. Moyse Walker, 5, Cowen-st., aydun Haugh., Blaydon-on-Tyne.
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1914-07-25 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

FOOLISH SHEEP.  A Colorado ranchman declares -z,flat no animal that walks is as hig.s fool as a sheep. We have to watch them every minute. and if vigilance is relaxed for an instant the entire flock is likely to ,practically commit suicide. In handling most animals some degree of self-help or intelligence can be relied on to aid the owner in saving their lives, but sheep seem to set deliberately to work to kill themselves. If caught in a storm on the plains they will drift before the wind and die of cold and exposure rather than move a hundred yards to windward to obtain shelter in their corral. To drive Sheep against the wind is absolutely impossible. I once lost over 1,000 head because I could not drive theim to a corral not 200. feet away. In the corral they are still num, foolish. If a storm comes up they all move 'down wind ' until stopped by th? fence. Then commences the proceeding so much dreaded hr sheeprnen known as 'piling. The sheep will climb over each other's backs until they , heaped up ten feet high. Of course all those at the bottom are smothered. Not one has sensi enough to seek shelter under the lee of the fence, as a horse or dog wool(' do. Again. if a sheep gets into a quioksa!_d its fat tearthe, nothing to those that come immediately after, but the whole flock will follow, its leader to destructi,on. No more exasperatingly stupid animal than a sheep walks.''  He is a bad s%oldier who follows his captain com  There is no religious fact which need make us despondent, no fact however solemn which should drive us to despair. Do we think of our sin, we an turn to a Saviour "able to save to the uttermost ail who come Unto God by Him." Do we think of the iii-desert of sin, we can rejoice ;n free pardon, and the entire removal of condemnation. Do we think of death with trembling, we can also think with grateful courage of the prom se of eternal life, and of Christ's own words of cheer: It Bemuse I live, ye shall live also."
Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1899-08-26 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

GORDON STABLES, M.D., R.N.  MANHOOD OR MONKEYHOOD.  "England expects every man to do his duty." Well, as a naval officer, a medical man, and a journalist, and 243 a writer for boys, I'm going to give myself the credit of saying that whe.ever have seen my duty I have made a bold push to go straight for it. Considering the millions of weekly: reaches I have—and thank God for it—l should be doing considerably less than my duty were I not to strike a note of warning that may haply appeal to the young fellows whose eyes scan this paragiaph. Whether we are descended from monkeys or not I need not here pause to consider, but of one thing I am perfectly sure—a large proportion of lads in their teens are growing up not towards s noble manhood, but to an imperfect moukeyhood. The three special causes of this retrogression are, first, injury to the heart from over-cycling, especially at club meetings; secondly, from smoking Lefoi e the age of puberty; and, thirdly, from etil habits, 1.1106 G learnt at schools. Cycling to exenes—i.e , scorching, racing, pnd spurting—stretches the heart, and injures kings and lives., and there aren't nine hearts out a fifteen, owned by those youngsters who cycle shove their strength, that would pass muster for fituations in the civil or military services. Smoking injures the heart, the nerves, the ganglia, and arrests development, while the school habits, with smoking combined, or the one without the other, are raising up around us a race of puny wretches that decent monkeys might well be ashamed to asociate with. And it is such creatures as these that give way to temptations which assist to fill our gaols, or whose evil habits drive them to the lunatic asylum, or down to suicides' graves.