npedrazzini/19thc_murder_suicide_news huggingface dataset:
The Potteries Examiner : — 1876-08-05 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

SHOCKING SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED WIFE MUR- I DER.—A very sad ease of suicide and attempted wife murder took place about midnight on Friday week at Rickleehureh, a small village about seven miles from Bristol. The suicide is a well-to-do farmer named Jonathan Gibbs, about 50 years of age, who has for a long time occupied Dodds farm. For some time past he has been in indifferent health, and there have been indications that his mind was giving way. About five or six weeks ago he was advised to try a change of air, and he went to a sister's at Dapley, near Codington. On Friday evening Edwin Gibbs, a nephew, drove him home just to see how affairs were going on at the farm. He chatted on family and business matters with Robert Gibbs, another nephew, who is in charge of the farm until eleven o'clock, when he told Edwin Gibbs to put the horse in the trap, observing that if they did not start soon they would be Licked out. The two young men went to the stable and harnessed the horse, and on their return they found Gibbs strug,jLing desperately with his wife, whom he had down on the rug in the parlour. He had inflicted a frightful gash in her throat with a razor, and cut her cheek to the bone. In the struggle both her hands were badly cut. The young men dragged him away, and Mrs. Gibbs got up and ran to the police station, about 150 yards away. Strange to say, neither of the young men followed to see what became of her, bat proceeded to assist Gibbs into the trap, and his nephew drove away with him towards Dapley. After they bad gone about a mile, the unfortunate man took a knife from his pocket, and attempted to cut his throat. The nephew struggled with him for aome time, and at length Gibbs jumped from the trap, immediately thrust the pen-blade into his neck under the ear, repeating the operation on the other side of the neck. In his fright the nephew drove on to WesterLeigh for assistance, and on his return an hour later he found the dead body of Hr. Gibbs lying in the ditch, with the penknife in his hand. The body was conveyed to the farm to await an inquest. Mrs. Gibbs' injuries were attended to by Dr. Skelton, Downend, and she is progressing favourably.
The Potteries Examiner : — 1876-08-05 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

THE BALHAM MYSTERY.  On Tuesday Mrs. Cox, in further examination by the Attorney-General, said that there were other matters mentioned in conversation in the family besides the family connection with Dr. Gully which might have led to suicide on the part of Mr. Bravo, especially his con. nections before marriage. In answer o Mr. Lewis, witness admitted that, after the connection with Dr. Gully was given up, Mrs. Bravo confessed to her that she had been criminally intimate with him at Kin singen. Up to that time witness believed the intimacy was an innocont one. She had a conversation with Mr. Bravo, in which he asked her chether she thought there was any probability of Mrs. Bravo's going wrong again. Witness said she should think not, and he added, " think a woman who has once gone wrong is likely to be all the more particular."—Mrs. Cox gave further particulars, on Wednesday, as to the intimacy between Mr. Bravo and Dr. Gully, and asserted that she herself had not the sli.o.htest ill-will towards Mr. Bravo. The deceased and she were on such good terms that she noel to call him by his Christian name. Mr. and Mrs. Bravo seemed to live on the most affecCollate terms, and their love for each other appeared to increase as time went on. Mrs. Bravo often told her how much she loved him. On Thursday Mrs. Bravo was examined. The witness :wowed very nervous and distressed. She gave evidence as to her marriage with Captain Ricardo in 1804, and her meeting Dr. Gully at Malvern in 1870. Captain Ricardo was in the habit of drinking to excess, and had three or four attacks of delirium tremens. Dr. Gully had attended her when she was twelve years of age, and he attended both her and Captain Ricardo at Mali-ern. She always did her best to live on good terms with Captain Ricardo, but at last they separated becalm of his habits, and he died at Cologne in the month of April. 1871. On learning in whose company he died, she refused to pay some of his debts. She frequently saw Dr. Gully at Mr. Brookes, Leigham Court Road, and the Priory. She beeame engaged to Mr. Bravo in November last. Having admitted her improper intimacy with Dr. Gully, the witness broke down, and had to be taken out of court weeping. On her return, she said Mr. Bravo knew of her intimacy with Dr. Gully, and he refused to marry her unless she sett'ed her furniture, horses, and carriages on him, which she did.
The Potteries Examiner : — 1876-05-20 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

DISTRESSING SUICIDE AT BIGNALL. On Friday morning week a most distressing case of , suicide happened at Jackhay, in the parish of Bagnall. The deceased was an accountant under the Chatterley Colliery Company. He was a man of about &5 years of age' and resided at the Bank Cottage, Jacking, going and returning to his office near Übberley, through Bueknall, night and morning. His name was Docksey. On Friday morninrz he rose at his usual hour, six o'clock, and made his usual preparations for starting to his office. Instead of proceeding there, however, after having prepared his own breakfast before any of his family were stirring, he betook himself to the outhouse or barn. With the help of a ladder he fastened one end of a rope to the beam, and, inserting his head within the noose at the other end, threw himself off the ladder. An hour later—about half-past seven—he was discovered by his wife suspended to the beam. The help of some neighbours being obtained, the body was cut slows, but life was then extinct. After the body hail been seen by Dr. Hughes, of linden, it was removed into the house. The determination to commit suicide had evidently been no sooner conceived, than it was carried out, without delay or hesitation. The preparations evinced a method, deliberation, and completeness, often wanting in similar attempts. The key admitting to the cow-shed—another part of the same building— was in his pocket, and the door of the barn itself blocked from the inside. He had previously shown no signs of mental depression, and had only the previous evening been bargaining for the purchase of an addition to his dairy. To those who knew him, the sad event seems most inexelicable. A more methodical, mild-tempered, inoffensive man it would be difficult to Sad. From his patient, plodding nature he was the last man apparently to lay violent hands on himself. He had also the character of an affectionate hu-band and father. Temporary insanity seems the only way to no. count for his too successful attempt at suicide. On Tuesday an inquest was held at the Stafford Arms, Bagnall. on the body of the deceased man DockBey. Messrs. J. W. Baker, Francis Hill, and Thomas Docksey, son of the deceased, gave evidence. The latter stated that his father had apparently not been in the full possession of his mental faculties for the previous two or three weeks.—Francis Hill said that, ! hearing Mrs. Docksey's screams, he went into the barn and found the deceased hanging by a rope to the beam. —J. W. Baker stated that he had examined deceased's books three months before, and found nothing in the state of the accounts to lead to an impression that they had not been properly balanced, or to lead to a suspicion of their having had anything to do with the way in which deceased met with his •lath--The Coroner having summed op, without leaving the room the jury at once agreed to a verdict of "Temporary insanity."  K AY's Tie PILLS, a specific in Neuralgia, Faceache de., are sold by all Chemists. Kay Bros., Stockport
The Potteries Examiner : — 1879-07-12 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

SHOCKING TRAGEDY AT PLYMOUTH. Plymouth was startled a day or two since, by murder and suicide of a peculiarly shocking character. The facts for some hours remained obseare, but the coroner's inquest elicited them. Harriet Marker, the daughter of a Plymouth lithographer, twelve yeah ago, being then eighteen, married arrival petty OffiCe named Lawrence. He went to sea for several yeare, allowing her no maintenance. After the first few months, she lived as a dressmaker at Manchester and Liverpool, and latterly at Chester. She had two children, one by an officer, and the other is called by her insides name. For a par past she has lived at Chester, and pissed as Mr.. Gregory, having formed connections with Alfred Gregory, of the Mews, Queen's Hotel, Chester. Lately her husband returned, Came to Plymouth, and was reconciled to hie wife at her father's house, promising to support her. Last week lie returned to Portsmouth, his wife remaining at her father's house. On Sunday morning Gregory, who left ( %ester the previous night, arrived at Plymouth, went to her house, and she went with him for the day. Monday morning she starlet for business as h•tz.th but was met by Gregory, persuaded logo with hi, to an hotel, and there, in a private room, he cut /I, throat and his own. The noise of her falling brought help, when Gregory was site cutting his own throat, which he succeeded in doing. The coronet's jury returned a verdict of 'Wilful mortar" ai,ainst Gregory, finding also that he committed suieide while of 111.101111 d mind. . . . _  The jury had just left the room when two elderly women, having with theai a little boy with his bead bound up, prum.ilied themselves, :ind asked to speak to the coro,,r. One of them was a Mrs. Bolt; the other, Mrs. Jago, was the boy's mother, and he was afflicted with King's evil. :she had been told by an old woman that SChOOL the boy was touched by a person who hwl committed suicide he would 110 certainly cured, arid ; ~.y now wished to make the trial. The coroner, of conr,e, explained the absurdity of the idea, and the applicants went away.
The Potteries Examiner : — 1879-05-24 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

SUICIDE  NEA.R LICHFIELD.  -- On Monday morning a shocking ease of murder and suicide occurred at Lynn-lane, in the parish of Shenstone, near Brownhills, and within about four miles of Lichfield. It appears that for some time past a retired farmer, named James Freeman, aged 66, has been living in a little cottage at a place called Birchley Hill, and exactly two years ago on Monday he married a young woman, aged 32, who has since resided with him, but apparently not on very happy terms. On Monday morning, about ten minutes to eight. Freeman was seen leaning over his garden gate with a gun in his hand, but there was nothing in his demeanour to attract particalar attention. At a quarter after eleven, a neighbour named Hannah Wheeler went to the house to see Mrs. Freeman, but on knocking at the back door no reply was returned, and Mrs. Wheeler then went round the house, tried the front door, which was also locked, and then looked through the window. The spectacle which met her g ine was of an exceedingly horrifying description. 31rs. Freeman was witting in a chair quite dead and covered with blood, and on the opposite side of the room, in another chair, was her husband, also dead and bleeding. Without waiting to ascertain more, Mrs. Wheeler ran away to alarm the neighbours. and very shortly afterwaads returned with two men, mooed Z ichaxiah James and Solomon Tuck' Icy. Information was despatched to the police, and at shout 11.40 mm. Police.constable Icy s-rived at the cottage, and gained an entrance by •a of the windows. He found Freeman was qa.to dead, haying a shot wound penetrating from the right temple through the head, the shot Pself being lodged in the ceiling. He was sitting in the chait, as seen by Mrs. Wheeler. and held with the right hand the miracle of the gun, and in the left hand was the ramrod. The gun had evidently been recently discharged, and it is said that about nine o'clock the report of a firearm was heard in the neighbourhood of the cottage. but does not appear to have given rise to any apprehensions. The deceased woman had also been shot in the head, part of tha skull being blown away, and the brain being exposed. Around both bodies there were pools of blood. There could be little doubt that the man had first shot his wife,and then shot himself. On the table a statement in his handwriting was found, from which it is , gathered that the cause of the murder and suicide was jealousy. Deceased was known to have lately suspected his wife of unfaithfulness, and this, with the difference in their ages, had been the cause of considerable unhappiness between them. The deceased woman was Freeman's second wife, and it is stated that there are several grown-up children by the first wife. The Freemaus have been very well known.
The Potteries Examiner : — 1879-06-28 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

TERMIN,  MELANCHOLY CASE OF SUICIDE. FATAL !ATION TO A FIGHT. OnTulreacaakyur7 aorni about half-past five o'clock. A navvy named John Melton, aged 32, a native of George r lighterman, of Rocheeter, was Lincolnshire, received injuries a few nights since in navigating his barge, the Bonnie Prince Charlie, the course of a fight at Haletowen which ended fatally below Greenwich hospital when he discovered a few hours after. The deceased and two fellow'. the body of a gentleman floating in mid-stream, workmen, after receiving their wages went along the Some letters found and inquiries since made, railway to their residence. On the road a dispute show that the deceased genecman is a Mr. Henry arose between them, and three men began to fight. Aldridge, who resided at 37, Stafford Place, Woof. They were seen fighting near a bridge which spans wich. Deceased, some years back, whilst carrying the road. In the coarse of the struggle the deceased on the profession of a teacher in phonography, writ. was knocked over the wall of the bridge, and fell a ing, Scc. at West Croydon, became acquainted with considerable distance to the road. He received Bliss Emily Clay-ton, an actress, and they were en. shocking injuries, and was picked up and carried lc gaged to be married. Subsequently the young lady a hut on the line, when the surgeon who was called disappeared with a German of good position, and in, did not think it desirable to have him removed. ultimately the body of Hiss Clayton was found The following day he was taken home, but he died a drowned near Hammersmith Bridge. Mr. Aldridge few hours afterwards. The two men, Thomas Price has since this affair manifested signs of an unhinged and Isaac James, who took part in the fight have mind, and has frequently threatened suicide. On been arrested on a charge of haying caused the deatt the table at his apartments was found a note at of the deceased. fellows;—" Unable to bear the thought of the ! loss of my dead love any longer, I follow her to a happier region. I have chosen the Thames.—Henry Aldridge."
The Potteries Examiner : — 1879-12-06 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

EXTRAORDINAY SUICIDE OF A LADY.  Mrs. Margaret Myers, an estimable woman, of Memphis, bad been made widow by the plague of last year, and it was generally understood that she had from 10,000 dots. to 15.000 dots. h-ft her by her husband. A man named Donovan began paying his respects to her, and had progressed so far in his suit that, as stated, when the fever appeared in July ho left the city with her, and accompanied her to St. Louis, where she, with her family, sought refuge. While there, it is stated, Donovan iuveighled her into marrying him. It is not known what became of Donovan after his marriage, only that by some means, it is stated, be got possession stall his wife'a money. She returned to Memphis with her children about ten days ago, since which period she has been very much depressed in spirits. On Tuesday afternoon, about two o'clock, she deliberately poured the contents of a can of kerosene oil over her clothes and set fire to them. In a second she was enveloped in fames, and before assistance could reach her she had been burned in such a shocking manner that death came to her relief at ten o'clock at night. Just before dying she called her children to her bedside and told them she had been driven to the desperate act by Donovan, who had disgraced her by marriage and afterwards robbed her of .11 her money; that they must go to him if they wanted even a dollar, since he had taken everything from her. John Donovan has not returned to Memphis, and his present whereabouts are unkuawn.—Arnerican Paper.  Ten tons of paper pulp have been shipped from Soletal, Los Angeles county, Cal., to New York City, as an experiment. It 19 from a wild plant.  The P.ournanian Goverment has received another coneignment of 20,000 rifles from Wittin, in Weatphaiia. It is inteniked gradually but speedily to increase the cumber of Henry-Martini rifles in store unI&1 they reach 100,000.  A Central News telegram says :—Detectire Lloyd, of la, Woodstock Street, London, who recovered 3iic wards, of Liverpool, and returned hertoher friends hie. had hi. claim amicably and honourably adjusted, s-rviees in tricing and recovering the young I y. Mr. Campbell, a friend of the family, visited I. :clon, and, acting under Mr. Edwards's instruc• t.- ~s, he saw 41etective Lloyd, and effected the • leti.ent indicated. Miss Edwards, aince her return I , no, has remained us the same depressed and meiet,,,holv condition,
The Potteries Examiner : — 1873-08-23 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

SHOCKING TRAGEDT IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE.— The quiet little village of Arlingham, near Frampton-onSevern, has been the scene of one of the most painful and shocking tragedies perpetrated since the Thorrdey murder several years ago. A young lady, named Amelia Selina Phippe, has been murdered by her sweetheart. The victim in this instance is 22 years of age, living with her parents at Went-end House, Arlingham, and her murderer is a young man named Edward Butt, whose mother lives at the Church Farm in the same village, which he hes managed for some years. It seems that Butt has kept company and corresponded with Miss Phipps about twelve month', and has been excessively jealous of her. He visited the family en Sunday afternoon, and had frequent conversations with Miss Phippe, who, with Butt, his sister, and two gentlemen, appear to have comprised the party. About eight o clock in the evening Miss Kate Butt observed her brother take a gun from the kitchen and leave the house, and it is supposed he concealed the weapon in the laurels on the lawn. A short time later the whole party were on the lawn, when Miss Phipps exclaimed aloud Edward is going to stab me." hir. Iderrett interposed, and remonstrated with Batt for using such threats. Butt then walked away, and others of the party went down the lawn. Miss Phipps separated a short distance from her friends, and in a few minutes the report of a gun was heard. Mr. Her. rett went to the place, and found Miss Phipps lying on the grass bleeding from a wound in the head, from which she died directly. Butt was seen to leap over the wall and make towards the Severn, and it is supposed he has committed suicide, as he has not since been heard of. A
The Potteries Examiner : — 1873-09-06 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

LEARNING TO READ.—ORS of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, the Rev. Cl. Steele, reporting this year on Lancashire, states that in regard to reading it is his custom to examine the first class in the newspaper of the day. The children stand in a semicircle, and pass the newspaper round, and he requires them to read In such a manner that he and all present can both hear and understand, and then he asks questions. He does not generally enter much into politics, but con. tents himself with the children's understanding who such persons as Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Disraeli, Mr. Forster, M. Thiers (now to vanish before a new name) are. The inspector says he almost always gets correct answers about the Queen and the Royal Family. Accidents, fires, and suicides excite the keenest interest, but he often gets very fair answers to such questions as these .—What is a telegram, a locomotive, an ironclad, a telescope? What do you mean by Prime Minister, Judge, Coroner, M.P., M.D.? Once to his question, what do you mean by P.M.? a little boy sharply answered, " Past morning," which was not bad. It shosved far better teaching and learning than that mere nice meal system of which inspectors so often complain as only an exercise in sound and not in sense. One inspector notices how very rare a 6 to smi dictionaries among the stock of elementary school books. Another, Mr. Renosif, mentions that in a paper written by a sixth-standard girl, it was stated that one of the pros isions of Magna Chas ai was that the rights of the Church should be pre: erved in violet." He is afraid that many even of those who wrote " inviolate" did not know what they were writing about. lt was a word for explanation in an examinatior. Mr. Steele observes that be never giv a first-rate report sinless the children .bow general intelligence as well ES accurate know. I kW
The Potteries Examiner : — 1873-07-19 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

THE SUICIDE IN A POLICE CELL.-0.2 Monday, Mr. Booth, coroner, held an inquest at the Copeland Arms Hotel, on the hotly of Thomas Albert Ash, 19, who hail committed suicide in one of the cello at the police station. The evidence adduced went to show that the deceased, who was an apprentice to Mr.Walklate, chemist, Stoke, had been summoned for neglect of work, but failing to appear before the magistrates a warrant was iosued for his arrest. He was apprehended on Friday night, and taken to the police station, where he was searched, after which he was locked up and detained until Saturday, at noon, being visited several times, however, by police officers during that time. At each visit deceased appeared to be in good spirits, and there was nothing to lead to the suspicion that he contemplated committing suicide. Between two and three o'clock on Saturday, a prisoner in an adjoining cell heard the deceased call out, "Jack, Jack, shout and tell there I have poisoned myself," and he at once raised an alarm. The police visited the cell, and found Ash lying on his bark, with his handkerchief pushed into his mouth, and there was a strong smell of prussic acid. He was at once removed from the cell, and medical aid procured, but he died in a few minutes. A poet mortem examination of the body revealed the fact that death had been caused by the deceased inhaling the vapour of prussic acid, which was said to kill in a quarter the time that the liquid itself took. A bottle cdttaining prussic acid was found in the cell afterwards—The mother of the deceased stated that a short time ago deceased had written to another young man, and said by the time the letter was received he should be dead. She also said that the lad's grandfather committed suicide—The Jury returned a verdict of suicide while in a state of temporary insanity, and said that no blame could be attached to the police.