Poisoned by Haddock

    Boiled haddock, purchased from a hawker, and eaten for breakfast and dinner, caused Charlotte Jane Short's death in London.  The fish was bad, she told a friend before she died, and she noticed this when eating it, but she was a poor woman, and said she could not afford to waste it. 

    At the inquest, to-day, a verdict was returned of "Death from accidental causes."  (Yorkshire Evening Post, August 2nd, 1904)

Choked by his False Teeth

At an inquest yesterday on the body of Mr. Edwin Clayton, who was suffocated at Endon, between Leek and Stoke, through swallowing his false teeth, a doctor said he found the top plate of Clayton's false teeth wedged behind the claque of his throat, which would cause him to attempt to vomit, but he would not be able to do so, the fluid would enter the lungs, and he would be suffocated.  A verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, June 8th, 1904)

Mysterious Death of a Husband and Wife

A shocking discovery has just been made at Bilston, Staffordshire, where a man and his wife have been found lying dead in bed, and the corpse of the woman in particular dreadfully discovered.  The neighbourhood is greatly excited, and very many rumours are afloat.  All, however, that appears to be definitely known at present is that the deaths must have occurred as far back as Thursday last.  (Yorkshire Post, December 2nd, 1873)

Killed by a Pig

At Galway on Sunday night a child named Mullins was, during the absence of its parents, attacked by a pig.  Its throat and chest were so lacerated that it died in a short time.  The pig dragged the child out of the house by the throat into the street.  This is the second fatal accident of the kind at Galway within a month.  (Yorkshire Post, December 2nd, 1873)

Signalman's Fate

    Colleague Shuts His Eyes to Grim Spectacle.

    A verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned by the Leeds Coroner at an inquest today on George Arthur Appleton (46), railway signalman, of Nowell Parade, Harehills, who died at the Leeds Infirmary yesterday as the result of being knocked down by a train on the North-Eastern railway line just outside Leeds on the previous day.

    Richard Herbert, signalman, who relieved Appleton at the signal-box, said he saw him go towards Leeds station on the four-foot way.  He noticed that a train coming from Marsh Lane was almost on top of Appleton, and he shouted, "Look out, George!" but it was too late.  When he saw the engine would inevitably go over Appleton, he momentarily shut his eyes.  He looked again after the train had passed.  Appleton had been pushed about 15 feet by the engine.

    Witness said that at the time a train was passing from Leeds, and probably the noise of this train drowned that of the other.

    The driver of the engine said that he had no idea that he had run over a man until he arrived in Leeds station.  He then found a piece of brown jacket hanging to one of the exhaust pipes.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, November 22nd, 1922)

Low Life in Birmingham

At Birmingham to-day, the Coroner's jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against John Patchett, cabinet brass worker, who on Friday night, in his house in St. Luke's Road, stabbed his wife in the neck with a pocket-knife, causing death within an hour.  Both were addicted to drink and led an unhappy life, the wife having pawned almost everything in the house.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April, 1891)

Caught by the Reaping Machine

On Saturday evening, a girl aged three or four years, daughter of John Hay, cotman, Holms Farm, Dalrymple, strayed into a field of grain where reaping operations were going on.  Being unobserved by the driver, she was caught by the reaping machine, which completely cut off one of the poor child's feet, and lacerated the other.  She was taken to Ayr Hospital, where she is doing as well as can be expected.  (Leeds Times, September 22nd, 1877)

Bitten by a Snake

    Serious Condition of English Tourists.

    NEW YORK, Monday.—Mr. Edward Bosanquet, son of the well-known English banker, was bitten on Saturday by a rattlesnake while he was out shooting near Dayton, Florida.  The snake struck him on the inside of the leg above the ankle.  Mr. Evelyn Walker, who was with Mr. Bosanquet, immediately applied his mouth to the wound, and endeavoured to suck out the poison.  Then having tightly bandaged the wounded leg, Mr. Walker raised his friend upon his shoulder and carried him to Dayton.

    It is feared, however, that all these gallant exertions to save the life of Mr. Bosanquet have proved of no avail.  He is reported to be in a hopeless condition.  Mr. Walker himself is also seriously ill.  It seems that he had a slight sore on his lip, and absorbed some of the poison into his system.  On his arrival at Dayton, broken down with fatigue, he was seized with an attack which resembled partial paralysis.  Last evening, however, he was rather better, and it was believed he was out of danger.

    Mr. Bosanquet and Mr. Walker were spending the autumn and winter at St. Augustine, Mr. Walker having his family with him.  Mrs. Walker only sailed for England on Thursday.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, February 2nd, 1891)

Electric Disaster in Liverpool

(Yorkshire Evening Post, February 5th, 1901)

Girl Drunk at Fifteen

    Exemplary Fine on a Colne Landlord.

    At Colne yesterday, Richard Smith, landlord of the Jovial Hatters Inn, was charged with supplying intoxicants to a girl under 16 years of age.

    The evidence showed that the girl named Clegg, who is only 15 years of age, went to the defendant's house, where she had two small glasses of port and a small rum hot.  She went out and was found lying on the flags in a state of speechless intoxication.  An emetic had to be administered before she regained consciousness.

    The girl said her father had first taught her to drink, and she had since purchased rum in bottles at hotels.  She had sent boys for it, drunk it in the street, and thrown the bottles away.

    The defence was that the girl had been given the drink because she was ill.

    Fines amounting to £6 and costs were imposed, and the licence was endorsed.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 30th, 1901)

Gross Cruelty by a Pupil Teacher

The Sheffield School Board on Thursday investigated a gross case of cruelty to a lad eight years of age, named Turton, at Newhall Board School.  The boy was taken home by some of his schoolmates in a state of great agony.  A medical gentleman who examined him found the boy's head discoloured from the back to his eye, and both ears swollen and black.  Punishment was inflicted by a pupil teacher, named Sykes, in the absence of the head master, who wrote, "I never saw such marks ; it appeared as if the teacher had used his fists.  The child must have received many severe blows.  His face for a couple of inches on each side in front of the ears, and the ears themselves, were quite blue.  The injured boy is a most harmless, inoffensive, and gentle boy, not too intelligent, and very delicate."  Legal proceedings are instituted against Sykes.  (Yorkshire Post, April 6th, 1878)

Only a Cyclist

    A Tale of Two Ladies and a Dog.

    A few days ago two gentlemen were cycling from Guildford to London and when proceeding down Effingham Hill at a fair pace they overtook a carriage and pair containing two ladies.  A small fox terrier belonging to the ladies was gambolling about in the road.  As the cyclists were passing the carriage the dog got in front of one of the machines, was run over, and the unfortunate cyclist was pitched with considerable violence into the road.

    The ladies got out of the carriage and ran to the assistance of the dog, which they fondled and made a great fuss of, and then they got into their carriage and drove away without so much as casting a glance at the ill-starred cyclist, who was lying in a ditch, bruised and bleeding and nearly unconscious, and whose bicycle was doubled up beside him.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 30th, 1901)

Trying to Jump the Strid

On Tuesday, whilst attempting to jump the Strid, at Bolton Woods, Mr. Jeremiah Black, of Brighouse (a past president of the Brighouse Co-operative Society), dislocated his ankles and is now confined to bed, suffering much pain.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, May 30th, 1901)

Love Tragedy at Manchester

    Alleged Murder and Suicide in a Crowded Room.

    A man named John Fritchley is alleged to have murdered his sweetheart, Miss Beatrice Fielding, at her home in Merryfields Street, Queens Road, Manchester, last night.  He afterwards committed suicide.

    Four other persons were in the room when the tragedy occurred, and one of them narrowly escaped the fate that befell Miss Fielding.  Jealousy is supposed to have been the motive for the crime.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, December, 1905)

An Irish “Wake”

Some extraordinary evidence was given at a coroner's inquest held in Dublin on Thursday respecting the death of a respectable young woman, who fell down a flight of stairs and fractured her skull at a wake held on the remains of a stillborn child.  The entire company at the wake were helplessly drunk, and when the woman's husband woke up in the middle of the night he carried away his wife's remains on his back.  (Yorkshire Post, March 30th, 1878)

Dogs Killed by Leeds Tramcars

    To the Editor of "The Yorkshire Evening Post."

    Sir,—I should like to call attention to the speed of electric cars on the various routes of Leeds, particularly the Woodhouse section.

    Personally, I do not think there is any necessity for the cars running at railway speed through streets that are at all times of the day crowded with people ; more so when parts of the street are not yet the required width on account of old property still standing.

    Last week no fewer that three dogs were turned into unrecognisable shapes—the work of these cars.—Yours truly,

    PUBLIC SAFETY.  Leeds.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 30th, 1901)

Dewsbury—Horrible Accident

Yesterday afternoon a most horrible accident happened at Messrs Thackrah & Co.'s new mill at Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury.  William Coulson, aged 53 years, a married man with eight children, was attending to a willeying machine, which is used for pulling rags into shoddy, when his foot slipped, and he fell into the revolving machinery.  This caught his arm, and he was pulled in, his arm, head, and shoulders being torn into pieces.  A most horrible and sickening sight was presented when the remains of the poor fellow were extricated, of course lifeless.  (Yorkshire Post, June 5th, 1873)

Dead at His Post

At Ravenstonedale, near Kirkby Stephen, yesterday, a North-Eastern Railway signalman named John Thompson, middle-aged, was found dead while on duty in his cabin, situated at a lonely point on the line.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, October 2nd, 1897)

Fatal Accident

On Thursday afternoon, a little child came to its death in Hunslet-lane, Leeds, under the following melancholy circumstances.  It had been walking behind a wagon, having hold of it at the same time, and on leaving it a coach was coming up behind it, and before the driver could stop the vehicle, the child fell and was run over and its head dreadfully crushed.  It was instantaneously killed.  Parents should be very careful not to permit their children to be on the high-roads.  (Leeds Intelligencer, July 21st, 1838)

And Still They Drink!

During the past two months in Idle there have been nineteen cases of typhoid fever, four of which have unhappily proved fatal.  There seems good reason to believe that the cause of the outbreak is to be found in the determination of a portion of the inhabitants to drink the water from the local wells, for no fewer than fifteen out of the nineteen persons attacked were drinkers of the well water.  In every case where death has occurred the victim had been in the habit of drinking water either from the Town Well or from the Town Pump.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, November 3rd, 1893)

Choked by a Billiard Ball

A singular fatality occurred on Wednesday night at a public house in Soho, London.  Some men were in the billiard-room when one of them attempted to get a billiard-ball into his mouth.  This feat he had previously accomplished and had successfully removed the ball.  This time, however, he failed to extract it, and it became fixed in his throat.  A cab was immediately fetched, but while being removed to the hospital the unfortunate fellow expired.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, November 3rd, 1893)

Sudden Death from Tight Lacing

On Sunday morning, as the service at Wimslow Church was about commencing, a young woman from Macclesfield, named Jane Goodwin, 22 years of age, who had just taken her seat near the pulpit, was suddenly taken ill, and was carried out of the church to the sexton's house ; but before her friends got there she was a corpse.  Her death was caused by being too tightly laced.  (Dundee Courier, October 22nd, 1844)

Post's Folly

Last evening, at Doncaster, a coroner's jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against Edward Post, a foreman platelayer, of Sheffield, for causing the death of a plate layer named Walter Atkin by throwing a brick out of a train which was proceeding to Doncaster.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, October 20th, 1897)

Death

While running to see a fire at Spalding last night Alfred Samuel Edwards, a bricklayer, dropped down dead.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, June 24th, 1897)

A Tragedy of a Pin

Mr F. Price held an inquiry yesterday respecting the death of Elizabeth Ann Rider, of 150, Stockport Road, Levenshulme, a mantle braider.  About four o' clock on Saturday afternoon the deceased went upstairs, and when near the top she missed her footing and fell to the bottom.  She called out, "Oh, my head, my poor head," and her brother-in-law, on examining her, found that the fall had caused a hairpin to penetrate her skull.  This caused death.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, October 25th, 1893)

Killed by Her Umbrella

The Wolverhampton Deputy Coroner held an inquest yesterday on the body of Harriet Cross, widow, 50 years of age.  The deceased was coming out of a tradesman's shop, when she fell down the steps, and the handle point of the umbrella she was carrying was forced into her right eye.  Inflammation of the brain supervened, and caused her death.  The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."  (Yorkshire Evening Post, October 25th, 1893)

A Boy Killed

An inquest was held at the Spread Eagle Inn, Darlington, on Tuesday, before Mr. Taylor, coroner, on the body of John Mann.  The deceased was about twelve years of age, and was the son of Mr. John Mann, gardener, Darlington.  He was employed on the farm of Thomas Taylor, and on Monday afternoon he was driving a manure cart through the fold doors.  While doing this he was accidentally caught by one of the wheels, which went over his back, and twisted his body round a post.  He was killed on the spot, and the verdict was to the effect that the death had been accidental.  (Leeds Intelligencer, January 11th, 1862)

Singular Cause of Death

Mrs Ellen Saunders, a widow, aged 40 years, living at Shepherd's Bush, has met with her death through her dress catching fire in the street.  It appears from the evidence given at the inquest on Monday, that the deceased and her niece were walking near the Uxbridge Road Station, when it was discovered that the skirt of her dress behind was on fire.  It is supposed that the fire was caused by a lighted fusee thrown away by a boy.  (Yorkshire Post, July 30th, 1878)

Young Man Shot

Yesterday morning, an inquest was held at the Court-House, Leeds, on the body of Joseph Jepson, a young man about 22 years of age, who resided at Chickenley Heath, and who died at the Leeds Infirmary, on Wednesday, almost immediately on his arrival, having been accidentally shot by a person who was shooting at a hen.  The inquest was adjourned to Monday at ten, for the production of the necessary witnesses.  (Leeds Intelligencer, December 29th, 1838)

A Brute

A fellow who rejoices  in the name of Hogg, and who resides at a village near Barnsley, the other day took in his finished work to the manufacturers in that town, leaving his wife in such a state of health that she was not expected to survive until he returned.  When he had finished his business at his employer's, he called upon the Registrar of Births at Barnsley, for the purpose of registering his wife's decease.  The disgusted Registrar, on hearing the circumstances, ordered the unfeeling wretch about his business, when he skulked away, muttering that he had called beforehand, as he thought it would save him a journey.  (Leeds Intelligencer, August 18th, 1838)

Disagreeable Mistake

One day last week, a gentleman called at a barber's shop, in a town in the West Riding, and requested to have the use of shaving apparatus, stating that he always preferred shaving himself, even in a barber's shop, as they (the barbers) were so apt to daub the lather across the mouth, whereby he was in danger of taking a disease from some person labouring under an infectious disorder, who had previously been lathered with the same brush.  The knight of the razor soon furnished his customer with the necessary appendages, and when the operation was near being completed, the gentleman wishing to compliment the barber, remarked that he never shaved himself so easily before, the brush was strong and good, and the razor, (which he should like to purchase,) was excellent ; to which the barber replied, "I know they are both good ones, for I have just returned from the Dispensary, where I have been shaving two patients with them, who are in the last stage of typhus fever."  The gentleman hearing this, swooned away into a state of insensibility.  (Leeds Intelligencer, November 17th, 1838)

A Batley Boy's Death

Distressing Discovery by the Lad's Father.

    A sad accident occurred at Batley, last night.  Charles Craven, aged 15 years, son of John Craven, logwood grinder, Whitaker Square, Batley, assisted his father, who is employed at Providence Dye Works.

    As the elder Craven was leaving the boiler-house he heard a noise in the logwood grinding place, as if some hard substance had got into the cog wheels of the machinery.  On examination he found that it was the body of his own son.  The lad's head was practically severed from the body, which was badly mutilated.

    It is surmised that the youth was grinding his pocket knife when his clothing was caught in the cog wheels.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, December, 1905)

Fatal Accident at Harewood

An accident, painful in character and attended with a fatal result, occurred yesterday on the farm of the Earl of Harewood at the village of Weardley, near Harewood.  A labourer named James Sweeney was, along with others, employed at a thrashing machine, when he inadvertently stepped upon the drum, the result being that his foot was drawn in and his leg pulled off below the knee.  He was conveyed to the Leeds Infirmary, where he died about eight o'clock, half an hour after admission.  Deceased was a married man.  (Yorkshire Post, June 10th, 1873)

Another “Jack the Ripper” Scare

A Girl's Strange Confession.

    Considerable excitement has been caused in the village of Arkesdon, which is close to the borough of Saffron Walden, in Essex, in consequence of the landlady of the Green Man Inn having received a number of threatening letters purporting to have been written by "Jack the Ripper," and couched in the most disgusting terms.  The excitement was brought to a head a few days ago, when Mrs. Taylor's daughter reported that she had been stopped as she was crossing the fields, and handed a letter by a man, who told her to give it to her mother.  When opened, the missive was found to contain the announcement that "Jack the Ripper" was in the village, and would visit the woman the same night with the intention of "doing for her."  Mrs. Taylor, being frightened, at once went to see the local policeman, and a large number of the villagers determined to form themselves into a search party, and in the evening some thirty or forty, armed with pitchforks and heavy sticks, set out to explore the locality, many of their wives locking and barricading the doors in their absence.  The search proved fruitless, although the daughter of the threatened woman had given the police a clear description of the man who stopped and gave her the last letter.  The divisional superintendent of police has since visited the place, and, after a long interview with the girl, she confessed she had written the letters herself ; but, as she has only just turned 12 years of age, it is thought highly improbable that she concocted such vile epistles without being prompted by someone.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 22nd, 1891)

An Aged Couple Starved to Death

The report reached Belfast to-day of the death by starvation last week of an aged fisherman named McManus, and his sister, at Kearney, in County Down.  Kearney is on the County Down coast.  The parties lived in an isolated cottage, and the severe weather of the past few weeks prevented the old woman from following her avocation of begging.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April, 1891)

Killed by £50

Yesterday, Thomas Sharples, 40 years of age, a cotton weaver, of Langho, near Blackburn, shot half his head away with a double-barrelled gun.  On his father's death in July he came into possession of £50, since when he had done no work, but had drunk heavily.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, October 2nd, 1897)

Leeds Baby's Shocking Death

Precipitated into Boiling Water.

    Another scalding accident was reported in Leeds to-day, the victim being a little girl named Ida Worsnop, aged 11 months, who lived at 16, Malmesbury Street, Amberley Road, Wortley.

    It appeared that the child was placed in a chair which overbalanced, with the result that the infant was precipitated into some boiling water.

    Medical assistance was speedily obtained, but the baby died a few hours later.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, January 21st, 1903)

Shocking Incident at Haworth

Girl's Hair Caught in the Machinery. 

    A terrible accident happened early on Saturday morning at Messrs. Merrall and Sons' mill at Haworth.

    A girl, aged nineteen years, named Louie Rollinson, living in Ivy Bank Lane, had started work only a few minutes when she bent down, it is believed, for the purpose of picking up a bobbin from beneath the machine.

    Her hair, which hung in a plait down her back, became entangled in the machinery, with the result that the unfortunate girl was almost completely scalped.  Another woman, hearing Rollinson's screams, stopped the machine.

    Dr. Wilson, of Haworth, was called in, and after attending to her, ordered her immediate removal to the Keighley Victoria Hospital.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, January 19th, 1903)

Wounded by Ghosts

Two women and a man have been admitted to St. Michael's Hospital, Kingstown, suffering from wounds which they alleged were inflicted by "ghosts."  The police are investigating the affair.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, March 18th, 1891)

Devoured by Wolves

Eighteen Indians Eaten Up.  (Reuter's Tele-gram.)
    Winnipeg, Tuesday.  News has reached here that a band of Indians encamped on the shore of Lake Winnipeg were recently attacked by about 200 ravenous wolves.  Eighteen men, women, and children were devoured by the animals, only two men escaping to tell the awful fate of their companions.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, February 3rd, 1891)

A Lethal “Game”

A shocking accident to mischievous boys is reported from Washington.  Three lads discovering a can of nitroglycerine set it up to throw stones at it.  The first stone caused an explosion, which resulted in two of the boys being blown to atoms, while the third received injuries which were likely to be fatal.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 14th, 1891)

A Cure for Cancer

The Vienna correspondent of the Standard says :— An important communication was made to the Vienna Society of Physicians at its last sitting by Professor Von Mosetig, the chief physician of the Surgical Ward at the Wieden Hospital on the subject of the cure of cancer.  That gentleman has chiefly occupied himself for the past ten years with the study and cure of carcinomatous growths.  He had tried every remedy which had come into use during the last 25 years, and had finally made experiments with solutions of niethyl violet, also called pyoctanine, a new pigment manufactured at Darmstadt.  This he injects into different forms, so that neoplasma is, so to speak, impregnated with the pigment, and by the use of these tinctures carcinomatous formations, closed tumours as well as open, that hitherto could not be removed even with the knife, constantly shrivelled up and disappeared.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, February 2nd, 1891)

After the Wake

The body of a woman named Margaret McGlinsky was found in the canal at Middlewich.  She attended an Irish wake, and was not again seen alive.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, February 3rd, 1891)

Shocking Occurrence: An Infant Child Destroyed by Rats

Mr. Hyndman held an inquest, a few days ago, in Dublin, on the body of a child, named Jane Drury, aged 15 months, whose death occurred under the following circumstances:—Sarah Tyler stated that she had charge of the deceased child, and having heard it scream at four o'clock on the morning of the 25th, she got up and lighted a candle, but there was nothing the matter with it then.  She had previously observed the noise of rats in the room, which was situate at the top of the house, 13, South King-street, and on getting up at seven o'clock, she went over to the child's cradle, and found it covered with blood ; her ears and face were marked with bites ; there were two rats under the cradle clothes, and one on the floor at the time.  She heard no screams from the child from four o'clock till seven.—Surgeon Bavan said that he saw the deceased in the hospital on the 26th, in a very exhausted and weakly condition from the loss of blood.  There were two wounds on her face, and about half of the inside of one of her arms was eaten off, and there were a considerable number of bites on the other.  She died of these injuries, and her previous emaciated state.  The jury found that the deceased died from having been severely bitten by rats.  (The Leeds Intelligencer, February 11th, 1854)

A Glasgow Man's Perilous Mistake

Seven persons have been dangerously hurt at Glasgow by an explosion of gunpowder.  A deaf and dumb man found a keg in a passage, and took it home ; he seems to have thought it contained butter.  Failing to force it open with a poker, he made the poker red-hot, and proceded to bore a hole in the keg ; the contents were gunpowder.  The explosion which followed blew the roof off the house, and every person in the building, except an infant, suffered.  (Leeds Intelligencer, February 11th, 1854)

Terrible Sight for an Engine-fitter

At Willesden, to-day, an engine-fitter named Symonds found two of his children, Minnie and Eva, dead, with their throats cut.  In the same room he found his wife and two remaining children, Charles and James, sitting on the bed, also with their throats cut.  They were seriously injured.  It is stated that the woman had been drinking heavily.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, July 15th, 1897.)

Forcing a Corpse into Too Small a Coffin

Shocking Scene.  On Wednesday, at the weekly meeting of the Bradford Board of Guardians two letters were read from Mr. G. Maude and Mr. A. Clarke, complaining of gross neglect in connection with the burial of William Sutton, who had lodged in the house of Mr. Turner, 30, Springfield-street, Manningham, and who died suddenly on Saturday, the 5th August.  Both letters agreed in stating that a parish coffin was applied for on the Monday following.  A coffin was sent on Tuesday morning, and an attempt was made to put the body into it, but it was too small, and, in consequence, another coffin had to be obtained from the same source. In the meantime the body had swelled and burst, and made a sad mess of the house, which had to be disinfected by an order of the sanitary authorities, and the first coffin was then burned.  It was alleged that the coroner had not held an inquest until the Wednesday, or the body would have been interred before that time, though information of the death was sent to the Town Hall a short time after the man died.  The writers of the letters wished to know who was to bear the cost of disinfecting the house, and the other expenses incurred in consequence of the interment being delayed.  (Leeds Times, September 8th, 1877)

Suicide through a Bicycle Accident

Mr. William Beaney, of Sunderland, a coal agent, and secretary of a local labourers' union, committed suicide under painful circumstances on Saturday night.  On Thursday last he was run over by a bicycle, and sustained such injuries to his nose and face that he was afterwards heard to declare that he would not be seen in the street in such a condition.  His wife, who is caretaker of a local place of worship, found this message in pencil on a form in the chapel : "Don't go into the cellar alone."  On investigation deceased was found hanging dead in the cellar underneath the chapel.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, June 21st, 1897)

Sudden Death at a York Inquest

At York, to-day, Mr. Joseph Fearne (72), an ex-inspector of police, was summoned on a Coroner's jury, and arrived at the place where the inquest was to be held with the son of another juryman.  Mr. Fearne appeared in excellent health, but whilst he was talking to a policeman he called out "Oh," and immediately expired.  (Yorkshire Evening News, December 27th, 1909)

A Tragedy of a Bog

A ghastly discovery was made in a bog near Cookstown, on Saturday forenoon.  A man cutting turf found embedded in the bog, about 3ft. from the surface, a human head in a good state of preservation.  The ears are intact, and the hair on the face and head is perfectly preserved.  The eyes and nose are gone.  (Yorkshire Evening Post, June 6th, 1897)

Escape of a Bear

On Thursday morning a black bear, belonging to Mr. Gorsuch, hairdresser, Parker-street, escaped from its place of detention, at Holmfield, producing great alarm in the neighbourhood of Aigburth.  He was pursued, and, as all attempts to capture him proved fruitless, he was shot to prevent him from committing mischief ; and his fat is now in process of being converted into "Genuine bear's grease."  (Leeds Intelligencer, February 11th, 1854)

A Gruesome Discovery

A gruesome discovery was made at Scarborough on Tuesday.  Some painters engaged at a house in Ramshill-road felt a peculiar smell emanating from one of the windows of a small tower at the top of the premises.  On making a search the dead and party decomposed body of a child was discovered in a jar.  (Leeds Mercury, October 13th, 1900)

A Child Mutilated by a Rat

One day last week the wife of Mr. George Lavis, tailor, of Wolborough street put her infant, a child about two years old, to bed.  In an hour afterwards she heard it crying most fearfully.  On visiting the room in which the infant was, she observed a large rat busily engaged in biting the little boy's face.  On her appearance, the animal ran off, and it was found that small portions of the child's flesh had been eaten off.  Medical aid was soon procured, and we are happy to say the child is doing well.  (Leeds Intelligencer, January 21st, 1854)

Another Gruesome Find near Barrow

The body of a man was found on the shore of Walney Island yesterday.  The head and hands were gone, and the legs were held to the trunk by the sinews, and both were broken.  He had a black serge vest and trousers and elastic-side boots, but there was nothing to identify him.  This is the second headless body found within a week, and neither has been identified.  (Leeds Mercury, October 19th, 1900)

A Woman Torn to Pieces by Starving Dogs

The skeleton of a woman was found, a few days ago, inside a fence, in the vicinity of Bantry, which has caused the greatest sensation amongst its inhabitants.  Strange to say, the face remained uninjured, whilst the bones of the limbs and body were literally bare of flesh, it having been torn and devoured by dogs.  What remained of the body was immediately recognised to be that of a woman named Sullivan, the wife of a comfortable farmer living in the neighbourhood, who generally attended Bantry market, and bought butter in small quantities.  The day before she was known to have bought about £10 worth, and when on her way home, it would appear she got over the fence for the purpose of getting on a more direct road not 100 yards off, when, from some accident, she was rendered so far helpless as not to be able to protect herself from the attack of starving dogs, with which the town and neighbourhood of Bantry are infested, and which are the greatest nuisance and terror to the inhabitants.  (Leeds Intelligencer, February 11th, 1854)

Ghosts in Bedroom

What Suicide Told His Sister : Strange Inquest Story.

    The story of a man who committed suicide, after declaring that he had been haunted by ghosts in his bedroom, was told at an inquest in Hackney to-day on Edward Gazzar (20), a potman waiter, employed at Dalston-lane, Hackney.

    Gazzard died from coal-gas poisoning, and the Coroner (Dr. Edwin Smith) recorded a verdict of "Suicide while of unsound mind."

    Evidence was given that Gazzard had very high ambitions, and was not satisfied with the progress he was making in the world.  He told his sister that he occupied a room where a man had shot himself, that he had seen ghosts and different coloured lights in the room, and that he heard rattling on the window.

    His socks had also disappeared from the room.  (Yorkshire Evening News, 1928)