npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1872-07-06 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

IHE LATE A TTEMPTED SUICIDE. At the Highest-prie togs out of the wool realised 76s Worcester Sessions, on Tuesday, Mary Kendrick each; fat cows, .631 16s: bullocks, £26; cows (22), no occupation, was charged with unlawfully and calves, 1:1;+ I.os. The competition was very taking a certain quantity of a poison called pro. brisk, and prices high. The eimpany was very cipitate powder, with the intention of killing large, and the qitle was over £2,000. herself on the 29th May, at Oldswinford.—Mr. - . Clive prosecuted, and called Mr. Lewellyn, assistant to Mr. Morris, chemist, of this town, who proved that on the 29th May prisoner came to Mr. Morris's shop, and asked for one pennyworth of the strongest precipitate powder. Witness told prisoner it was poison.—Margaret Kendrick, Sister of the prisoner, Said that on the day in question the prisoner came home, and taking a cup, went into the rad. Witness followed her, and prisoner said she bad been taking poison. She Was drunk at the time.—Mr. R. L. Campbell, surgeon, of this town, said that he was called in to see prisoner on the day in question. He could not at the time tell whether she was suffering from the effects of poison, she being very drunk. The poison is very insoluble, being composed of ammonia, mercury, and lead, and cannot easily be dissolved in water. The Pup when he saw it was empty, and her symptoms were rather those of drunkenness than poisoning. —Police-sergeant Jones apprehended the prisoner, who said to him she had taken poison, because she was tired of life.—That was the case for the prosecution. The prisoner made no defence, beyond asking for mercy. —The jury found the prisoner guilty, but recommended her to mercy. She was sentenced to be imprisoned for two months.  Goodman
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1872-01-20 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

LIFE-AND-DEATH CONTEST.  An exciting struggle between a would-be suicide and her rescuer occurred the other day at Pont de Loup. A man and his wife having quarrelled, the latter rushed out of the house in a state of the wildest excitement, and directed her steps towards the river Sambre. She was observed by a letter-carrier named Somveau, and he, suspecting her intention, resolved to follow her. She was some distance in adVance of him, and succeeded in throwing herself into the river, appearing at the surface just as he reached the river's brink. Hastily throwing off his coat, he plunged boldly in and swan towards the woman, who saw him, and endeavoured to elude him. He, however, succeeded in reaching her, and got hold of her by one of the arms, she resisting most violently, and at length managed to escape from him. The position wasgrowing exceedingly dangerous, the ourrent carrying them rapidly towards a high weir, the descent of which would doubtless have been death to both. The courageous fellow made another effort, and was successful in laying hold of her by the waist. Another terrille struggle ensued, the woman succeeding in getting her arms round Sonavean's neck, and stnvlng to pull him under the water with her. The case being desperate, and Somveau losing his strength by reason of the cold, he adopted the only course he saw open to him by striking her on the head as hard as he could with one arm. This had the effect of stupefying her for the moment, and causing her to relax her hold of his neck. Seizing the opportunity, he caught her by the hair of the head, and struck out vigorously for the shore, which he happily reached with his burden. Both were so exhausted that they fell down and fainted, and remained in that condition for some time, till they weie discovered by some passers-by, who rendered them the necessary assistance.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1872-10-19 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.  A Western paper saym—" Since the jubilee, Boston haaTuoeo entirelymusle-mad, that its men wear brass bands  Hawthorne said that Miss Bremner Woe " a mnat amiable little woman, worthy to be the maiden aunt of the whole human race."  " •-Josh is a amid authority on boring. "When you strike lie, stop bctring • menny a main time bored clean through and let all the lie run out at the bottom." A paper has been darted in Louisville called the True Iletencrat. Above the heading of the paper is the picture of a bare-doer fowl, and the legend, "Neither Grant nor Greeley e ;ware this chicken.. A misanthropic barrinter, writing to an American paper, announces—" The clock of our court-house, emulating the exsmple of some of our ladles, had a nice coat of paint MI his face yesterday." •  Ag an evidence of carefulness on the part of a steamboat proprietor, it is stated that an antiquated steamboat in New England alwai s curios a supply of wooden plugs with which to close up the holes that frequently appear in her worn-out boilers.  A man in the upper part of Rails county, MO., undertook to side a mule and carry a scythe one day last week, but Mond its difficult feat. When the operation was over. his mule had "only three feet and a little stumpy tall." In the course of a recent trial in San Francisco, growing out of a gamb'ing transaction, the judge asked "If there was any one in the room who could show how a ' cold deuk' was 'rung In' in a game of poker." Extraordinary to relate, most of the spectators rushed for the wPmess box. Such a crowd of witness, S was embarrassing, and the court concluded not to take testimony upon the points.  The Detroit Post publishes the following significant notice Gentlemen and ladles contemplating suicide by drowning viii confer a favour nprin the harbour master and coroners by leaving word at the central station what dock they intend jumping from. The harbour master is crow pro'iced with g handsome now dr./4 and set of grappling hooks, and is prepared to bring up dead bodies with neatne:s and despatch." A
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-07-11 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.  An inquest has been held in the Paddington Wolkhouse, London, on the body of a young woman named Louisa Davis, aged 27, which was taken out of the Grand Junction Canal. It appeared that the deceased was in service as cook in thu family of a Portuguese lady, Mrs. Pereira, Bayswater, where the sister of William Pretty, a young man to whom she was engaged, was housemaid. He went to Talbot-road on Saturday evening to see the deceased, and on leaving she desired to walk with him to the omnibus. The housemaid objected, as it was then 10 o'clock, when words ensued, and Pretty went away alone. The young women quarrelled, and the next morning the deceased left the house at 6 o'clock. The deceased called on a friend at Nottinghill, and then went to her uncle at Edmonton. On Monday night, at 9 o'clock, she went to her mistress's house for her boxes, which were not to he given up till the following morning. At 10 o'clock that night a voung man, named Morris, saw the de:eased in the Grand Junction Canal. A barge had passed over her. He plunged into the water and fl.lllll with her to the shore. She was partly dressed, and her crinane and upper gown were found on the bank. A doctor was sent for, and, pending his arrival, some men rolled the deceased about and rubbed her body, with the view to restore her. They, however, had made a serious mistake. On the arrival of Mr. Brown, a surgeon, he found the men had kept the head of the deceased down and the feet raised. He attempted to resuscitate the deceased, but unfortunately without avail. The cause of death was drowning. It was afterwards ascertained that the cause of her so abruptly leaving her situation was the sharp temper of the housemaid and the quarrel on the Saturday night. She had only been a month in that situation, and having obtained another, she applied to a lady with whom she had previously lived five years for a character, which was to be granted, but when she went on the Monday afternoon it was refused, as the lady had been informed of something with which she was disoeased. 'the jury were of opinion'that this affected the mind of toe deceased, and led to self.destruction. They returned a verdict of "Suicide while in an unsound state of mind."
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-08-01 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. On Friday afteinoon last an extraordinary case of suicide incurred at the Wye station on the Ramsgate branch of the South-Eastern Railway. The fast train from London to Ramsgate, which leaves the former place at 12'45, arrives at Wye at 249. Just as the train was moving out of the station, one of the foremen on the permanent way saw a gentleman sitting alone in a compartmen tof a firstclass carriage, and a stream of blood WM spouting from Irma head. He immediately caused the train to be stopped, and the carriage was detached from it. The gentleman was found to have a new Tranter breechloading pistol tightly clenched in bah bands, and it was evident that he had but a few minutes before placed the muzzle to his forehead and shot himself. He was still alive, although bleeding copiously from the wound, lie was carried to the "Victoria Inn," and in a few minutes two medical gentlemen arrived, hut they could not rio anything for him, and he expired about seven o'clock, without having recovered consciousness. The deceased was about five feet ten inches high. Ile had a number of his own photographs in his pockets; also a certificate denoting that "U. A. Appleton, Esq.," had been admitted a member of the Royal Academy. The deceased's pocket-book was filled with lead-pencil sketches of figures and scenes, some of a grotesque character, but all indicating artistic talent. On one leaf of the pocket-book was; written U. A. Appleton, Tavistock Hotel, Covent' garden," and on another, "U. A. Appleton, horn at Hornsey, London, 1g.36." The pocket-book contained in.•thoranda -h wing that the deceased left Melbourne in the latter part of last April in the ship Higkilyer, and that he had had a capital passage, and had visited the
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-01-18 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SAD STORY.  I An inquest has been at the London Hospital, at I which a sad story was told. The decease.: was a domestic servant, aged thirty years. It wan stated that she had borne a very respectable chargvtiv, but some time ago she was sticed by a footman who was servant at the same house with her, and with whun she was "keeping company." She quitted her place and obtained another about four months ago. Then the attentions of the footman ceased. Her new mistress noticed that the deceased was often in a despond. lug mood, and about a month ago she hinted that she thought something was wrong with her domestic. The servant said that all that ailed her was a bad leg. She left ner place in November, and entered the hospital, where she was carefully tended, and on the sth inst., uho WBA disehargeel as onrod. A. elle was leaving the hospital she dropped to the ground dead. When her body had been removed, a letter was found in her pocket which contained the following passage : My poor dear Ann, I am very sorry to hear if your sad trouble. But do not talk in that dreadful mariner about destroying yourself. It is altogether better to go to the Saviour for forgiveness and help. Although I had to lie on the floor arid eat dry bread, yet I never was rosily in want, for I relied upon Christ. only think what will he your fate if you destroy yourself —eternal misery. As to your character, that may be got over if you willful right, for all right-think- , ing people will consider that you are to he pitied is this trouble rather than blamed. And I think I can get you a situation to go to India.  This letter indicated that the deceased had contemplated committing suicide, and a post,,mortern examination of the body was made for the purpose of ascertaining if she had taken any poison. No poison was discovered, but it was ascertained not only that she was pregnant, but that labour was coming on at the time that she dropped down dead. The mother and sister of deceased expressed their opinion that death had resulted from a broken heart, and the doctor said it was caused by syncope resulting from great mental depression. The jury found "that deceased dropped down dead from syncope, and that her death was due to natural causes.'
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-10-17 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF A LADY NEAR BRISTOL.  Quite a painful sensation was produced on Maly night in last week, in Bristol, in consequence of its becoming known that a lady of means and position, understood to he the widow of an officer in her Majesty's service, had committed suicide by hanging herself in her bedchamber. The lady, whose name was Clifford, had resided at No. 10, Elton-terrace, and being possessed of ample means, and being of a cheerful and affable disposition, she had gained great popularity in the neighbourhood. To the poor she was a kind benefactress, and by the well-to-do-residents she was respected as a desirable neighbour. There had been nothing in Mrs. Clifford's demeanour to excite any suspicion that her mind was affected. One of her servants thought that she had observed a certain wildness of expression in her eye on Thursday, but it was not supposed that there was anything revlly amiss with her. On Friday morning she did not come down at the usual breakfast hour; but it was supposed that she was indulging in a little extra sleep. In the course of the morning a letter was brought which required an answer; and one of the domestics took it to her bedroom door and knocked at it, but failed to obtain any answer, the girl was itUrprised and returned downstairs; and soon after further attempts were made to arouse what was supposed to be the sleeping lady. All being in vain, the domestics became alarmed, and a messenger was despatched with all speed to the residence of 1)r. Challzowmbe, a medical gentleman residing in King-square, Bristol, who, besides being a professional adviser, was also a personal friend of M ' Clifford. Dr. Challaeombe lost no time in proceeding to the residence of the unfortunate lady, and, being unable to get into the bedroom by the door, he obtained a ladder, and ascended to the window, through which, to his great grief, he 119 AV the body of Mrs. Clifford suspended from the bed-poet All attempts to open the window proving in vain, the chamber-4°os was forced, and the corpse of the ill-fated lady was nut down by her man-servant. Life was quite extinct, and the body cold. The cord ny which she was suspended was composed of silk trimmings which she had taken from the bottom of her dress and twisted into a sort of rope. No cause can be awigned for the rash ,act.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-11-14 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AT GATESHEAD.—A yfry melancholy affair took place in Gateshead I m Friday evening. .Joseph Bell, a porter at an ale store, called at the '"frown" Inn, on his way house, and had a glase of whisky. He left that house —as is alleged by the occupants— quite sober. On arriving home his wife quarrelled with him when she says that he replied, "Well, it will be the last time I shall go there." She busied herself with getting something ready for him, and had occasion to go out into the yard, when she heard the report of a pistol. Instantly returning to the house, she found her husband sitting in his chair, bleeding profusely from a wound in his head. On the doctors arriving, it was found that the unfortunate man had placed a pistol to the side of his head, and had blown away a part the skull, leaving the brain visible. He died shortly afterwards.  How TO EXTINGUISH POLICE MISMANAGEMENT —Turn it off at the Mayne.—Pitnek.  A CAT STORY ! The Paris Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph writes_:— _ . _  I believe that, when French papers are at a loss for news, they invent a police trial about a cat—just as, at Marseilles and Lyons, cobblers supply crimes to the " Various Facts" ? of the evening papers. Here's a case to-day ; and "mark this," as Mr. Wilson Croker used to say—they are always widows who are mixed up in these feline felonies. A widow has stolen a cat, a fine Angola, "which weighed fourteen pounds, and looked like a grenadier's cap," and invited another widow to on e and eat rabbit with her. Cot must be gmal. "Good cot" must in future be a much more common expression than "Good dog ; " for, as the proverb closely ;roves, "dog may eat dog," but nobody else does. The widows dined, and then, as widows will, quarrelled, and let the cat out of the bag. Hence an action at law. The invited widow seas asked on her oath whether she slid not perfectly well know "Mimi" the murdered, and jugged cat She said, " Yes, during its life; hut who could know the dear departed thing when it was cut in bits and put in a stew-pan?" The cat, however is a valuable animal in l'aris. The widow who killed, stewed, and invited, and she who was particepscriminia partaker of the cat , got fifteen, and the other eight days " on the mill."
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-12-12 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DAMAGE BY RAILWAY.  In the year 1867 the railway companies of the United Kingdom paid £347,379 as compensation for personal injury—the largest sum they ever paid in a year for damage done to the person, and amounting to more than MO a day. In that year 209 persons were killed by railway aedidents, and 795 injured :-19 passengers were killed, and 689 injured from causes beyond their control, and 17 were killed and 8 injured through their own misconduct or want of caution. Fifteen servants of railway companies or of contractors were killed, and 62 inkired from causes beyond their control, and 90 were killed and 28 injured through their own misconduct or want of caution; 10 persons were killed and 2 injured at level crossings; 57 trespassers were killed (six were suicides), and live injured. In the six years 1862-07 the railway companies paid £1,460,568 as compensation for personal injury done upon the railroads. In those six years 1,268 persons were killd upon the railway's, and 4.426 injured ; and among them were 112 passengers killed and 3,897 injured without any fault of their own, and 97 passengers killed and 29 injured owing to their own misconduct or want of caution. •  The risk of life in railway travelling may be expressed thus i—ln the year 18 67 one in about tq million passengers was killed--namely, one ;n about every 16 millions from causes beyond his control, and one in about every 18 milli°, s from his own misconduct or : want of caution. This was below the average of the casualties in the five years, 1862.66 ; in those five years one passenger in about every seven millions was killed,- - namely, one in about 13 millions without any fault of his own, and one in about 15 millions, through his own misconduct or want of caution. The result has to be thus stated approximately only, because there are no means of ascertaining the exact number of passengers subject to the mischances of the road. There are now 120,000 hollers of season and periodical tickets, and the returns rendered by the companies give no estimate of the number of times these persons travelled. In the above statement it has been assumed that mason and periodical ticket-holders would probably upon an average travel not less than 150 times.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-07-18 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE.  DRINK AND REVENGE.  At Durham assizes, Jonathan Wnorlmassi a labounr, was indicted for wounding Percy Gibson, the manager of the Skerne Ironworks at Darlington, on the 7th inst., with intent to murder him. it appeared that. on the 7th of ;Tidy, at half-past six in the morning, the prisoner and an, titer man offered themselves for work at the ironworks of which the prosecutor is manager, and the prosecutor told the other man to go to work, but offered no work to the pnsoncr, who had before been employed on the premises. This seemed to have greatly irritated the prisoner. He went home, got a quantity of drink, and by nine o'clock WM nearly drunk. Ile then borrowed a table-knife of a neighbour and proceded again to the Skerne Irwin, orks, where for some ti nle he was walking about expressing his intention to kill Mr. Gibson, the manager, if he found him, saying, "Vie Lord hare merry upon hint if I ;wet hint, for I will hare none!" He WU then much the worse for liquor and violent, and some of the workmen told him to go home. At length he saw Mr. Gth6on crossin4 the yard if the works, and immediately made towards him ; when near hint he sprang upon him and dealt him so vii dent a blow ou the chest with the table-knife that he bent the knife, and alwort knocked Mr. Gibson down. He , then repeated this attack, stabbing at Mr. Gibson and hurting him in the groin, the knife cutting through his clothes awl grazing and bruising him. He then inflicted a cut on Mr. Gibson's thumb and on his face in the strug4e. Eventually he got Mr. Gibson down, and was found "digging" him in the back with the knife by one of the workmen, who pulled him off. Mr ' Gibson was faint with loss of blood, and for some days ill from the hurt in the groin. 'rhe prisoner's debmee was that he was so drunk he knew nothing at all about what he was doing. He was found "Guilty," and his Lordship, stating that his defence was no palliation or excuse for his crime, sentenced him to live years penal servitude.
The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-09-19 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SUICIDE AT PROADSTAIRS.-011 Saturday morning a widow lady, aged sixty-five, named Mary Emily Craft was found hanging to a rope in her bedroom at Broarlstairs. A surgeon was called in, who said the deceased had been dead about three hours. At the inquest it was given in evidence that the deceased had formerly been an innkeeper of Margate, and was independent, having an income of t2OO a year. She had for along time been under medical treatment, and was at times somewhat " strange " in her manner. She went to bed as usual on Friday night shortly after eleven, and nothing unusual was observed in her appearance. The jury returned a verdict that " the deceased committed suicide by hanging herself while in a state of temporary insanity." • •  A GREAT PATRON ON THE TITRE - OLD  Scratch.—Punch.  NOT DEAD corpse in an advanced stage of decomposition, as discovered in June last in a fiat of oats near Dijon. Although all traces of ideny were obliterated, objects found near it led to the mansion that it was the body of a man named Hierling, who had disappeared for some time, and it was duly certified as such and buried. A few days ago a man suddenly made Ids appearance at the house of the widow, who screamed and fled in great alam, on recognising her husband. The whole quarter was in , commotion and refused to acknowledge the supposed defunct, who, not being able to gain admittance into his own house, consoled himself with a few bottles of wine, but having taken too much he became disorderly and finally found himself in the hands of the police. When asked by the magistrate how he came to create such a disturbance he narrated what had occurred, and in consideration ot the strangeness of the circumstances was liberated in a few hours. The necessary measures are being taken to restore him to legal life.