The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-07-22 00:00:00

THE STOUR:BRIDGE OBSERVES

wine book that I opened a battle of Burgundy on the 19th.
, I made the entry an the 20th, but I find that while I en-
tered the wine on the 20th on that day, I did not enter any
Burgundy. I was in a muddle with my book at that time,
I and. I was making it up., Mrs. Bravo used'iotdrink sherry,
M.arsala, and calimpagne, and Mrs Cox the 'same. I never
noticed Mr. Bravo duck wattr at dinner. The morning
room is on the ground floor, and Mrs. Cox was sitting on
the other side of the fireplace to that on which Mr. and
Mrs. Bravo were when I last saw them ther,p—jnat about
nine o'clock on the 18th. There had been a talk among
the servants as to the probability of Mrs. Cox leaving
when Mrs. Ricardo was married, but it was said after-
wards that she would stay for two years—that she "had
got two years" (notieb). Mr. Bravo usually went to bed
ahout halt-pant nine o'clock. He lest undressed in the
room -where he died, and I took his clothes out into the
pantry. I used to empty the pockets when I brushed his
clothes—money and all being left in them. Mrs. Cox
locked the clothes up titer Mr. Bravo was dead When I
went to take those clothes away I thought that Mrs. Cox
had emptied the pockets, as they were moved. The dress
suit which he wore at dinner I put into the press in the
dressir g•room. I saw nothing in the room after the seizure
which had been taken from his pockets When Dr. Moore came,
he asked at once what had caused this illness--he asked this
of me, of Mrs. Bravo, and of Mrs Cox ; and one of the ladies
said that the deceased rubbed laudanum on his gums, and
the doctor was told of the mare running away. Neither.
of the ladies gave any other reason for the illness, and
the deceased was then unconscious. I was in and out
of the room where the deceased was until Dr. John-
son and Mr. Bell came. I was in the room when the
deceased became conscious. All the decoased said in my
presence was that he had taken laudanum. When he ilrst
became couscious, he kept muttering "No laudanum" 'sNo
laudanum." When he was able to speak he said that he had
only applied a little laudanum to his gums, and some might
have gone down his throat, They were always—every novz
and then—atking him *what else he had taken, saying that
laudanum would not account for his symptoms, but every
time he said he had only taken laudanum. Ile was asked so
often that he seemed to get angry at last.
Sir Henry James made a remark upon the word "angry."

Mr. Lewis asked : How did he show his anger?
The witness replied, —Well, they—the doctors—were
asking him what else besides laudanum he had taken, and
the deceased wad, "If I knew what I was suffering from,
why the devil should I send for you?" He alvays said he
had only taken laudanum Neither the deceased nor any
one else told me anything to account for the illness, the
symptoms, or the death. During the illness the deceased
was very grateful for the care bestowed upon him. He
appeared on affectionate terms with his wife during the
illness. He spoke of death on the Wednesday morning,
just before making his wilL He said, "Oa, Royes, lam
dying—shall I linger long thus in such pain?" He appeared
a little easier in mind after making his will, and I was re-
lieved from attending on am when his mother and her
servant camp. Ido not remember seeing the night shirt he
wore when he was first seized with the illness. All the
servants liked him very much. No one amf,ng the servants
had any ill towards him. I was alone with him several times
when he was ill, and housed to thank me, and tell me to sit
down, as I must be tired.

In answer to Sir Henry James, the witness said: When I
went into the service of Mrs. Bravo—then !Mrs. Ricardo—l
understood from her that she was about to be married. I was
always on good t.rms with my muter, and he never, from
first to last, expressed the slightest suspicion of any one. I
have heard of the name of Dr. Gully. I have never to my
knowledge seen the person of that name. Since I went into
the service, in November, f never knew of his coming to the
Priory, and I never knew of Mrs. Bravo seeing him.
Sir Henry James here stated that he had, by the courtesy
of Mr. Lewis, been placed in the possession of letters of the
deceased to his parents. There were private matters in
these letters, and it was not desired to make them public.
Reference would 1)2 made to these letters, in part, to account
for the wine shown to have been consumed. The deceased
wrote:—

"January 3.—We are expecting half-a-dozen people, and,
with chi'dren, we shall have 31 guests in the house besides
servants.

" Sunday, March 19 —We entertain company next Wed-
nesday, and want to borrow some dishes for table."
"March 22..—The snow was so deep when I left Balham
that the local aristocrats we have invited will not, I fear,
be able to come this evening. Nothing, however, shall
disturb my equal mind—not even the absence of the chief
guests. 1 here has been a great slaughter of cccks and hens
an I pigeons for the feast. I wished a goose; but Florence
wi.uld not hear of it; lhe gander is bnn pre famtile, and
his wives are, either Sitting, or expecting shortly to be in
that interesting condition."
The witness wo-Ceeded,—There was at times company and
other people Who came from London have stopped to
luncheon. The establishment was a liberally conducted one,
and Mr. Bravo called to me once and chided me for not keep-
ing the glasses well filled, and told me always to do an.
When the deceased came home on the 13th of April from
riding, and complained of pain, he placed his hands thus—
(on his hips)—and complained, too, of stiffness. He leant
forward at tabie. Ile kept turning his head round
as if h was in pain, and appeared like a man out
of sorts—dissatisfied with every thing. When I decanted
wine I used to put it in the cellarette, and I did
the same that day, the nth. Mr. Bravo.had a good taste
for wine, and 'could tell the difference between the classes of
the same kind of wine 'brought up. I have known him to
Critic'ze the different wines, and if he had any of the common
wines he would refuse them. On the night he was dying he
sent back a bottle of Moselle for the best champagne, the one
having been sent up by mistake for the other. If there had
been aO3 thing wro#bout the taste of the Burgundy I think
he would have d it. As to the wine from which he
drank, I did not n ce any being missed. [think, up to the
time (at the dinner) that I left the room deceased had taken
three glasses of Burgundy. I found Mr. and Mrs. Bravo
and Sin Cox in the morming•room about 20 minutes to
9. Mrs. Bravo had been ill and had kept her room for
about a fortnight up to the previous Friday. Since
she had come down she had gone to bed early, and
I believe she had retired when the alarm on the 18th
was given. Mrs. Bravo cried out to me—screamed to
me—" Go, and bring some one," "Fetch some one,' and I
went to Balham for a doctor. She appeared to me to be
sincerely arxioua, and among the cries she used was "Do
something, Rowe." I was going upstairs when she cried out
to me to fetch some one. When she afterwards spoke about
sending for the other doctors she told those who were present
that Mr. Bell knew Mr. Bravo. Mr. Joseph Bravo's servant
ika'hered up the vomit from the window, and it was not at all
interfered with before it was gathered The deceased did not
appear to me to wander in his mind after fully recovering
his consciousness. The deceased's night shirt was changed
sometime between that night and Wednesday afternoon. I
cannot say that anything was done to the clothes of the de-
ceased when I took them up to the dressing room The police
have been to the Priory, and I have been examined at the
Treasury, hut no question has till that now by Mr. Lewis
been asked about the night shirt.

In answer to Mr. Murphy, the witness said,—Mrs. Cox
was treated with consideration by Mrs. Ricardo before her
marriage, and the same consideration was shown by both
Mr and Mrs. Bravo after the Marriage. I dent know
where Mrs. Cox went—to what part of the house—when
she came in from Worthing. She came in just before
dinner, and I was going to to ask if the dinner should be kept
back for her when she came down. I cennot soy whether
or not she and Mrs. Bravo came down together. In the
conversation at dinner Mrs. Cox seemed to be trying to get
over the dislike of Mr. Bravo to go to Worthing. Mrs.
Cox, when Mr. Bravo was taken ill, seemed to be as soli-
citous to do the best for Mr. Bravo as Mrs. Bravo. I don't
remember Dr. Moore being told that the deceased had been
vomiting Mrs. Cot was sometimes left in the room with
deceased inlets illness. Once she told me I could leave the
peens, and licit her and the deceased together—l think on
the Wednesday, when deceased was lather better, and Mr.
Reyes Bell had gone down to luncheon I saw no difference
in the demeanour of deceased towards Mrs. Cox during the
illness to what it had been before. Mrs. Cox has noi been
with Mrs Bravo of late; she left when Mrs. Bravo was at
Brighton, where they went the 3rd of May. A bottle of
Beirgundy held about six of the glasses used at dinner by
l&r. Bravo.
To Mr. Gorst: A man named D ave was butler before I
was at the Priory, and ho left because he went to a shop.
On one of the occasions I speak of as when Mr. Bravo
looked tad" he said he felt sick. It was after breakfast, and
he asked me for brandy. That was about a month before he
died. I never heard or knew of his vomiting. He generally
took Burgundy, and when he took that he did not drink
sherry too. The sherry was taken by Mrs. Cox and Mrs.
'kayo. They had a good deal of sherry. When the
BUrgundy first came I nnderstood that it was for Mrs.
Bravo, but she only had it for one day. After that Mr.
Bravo had it, and he only, and the ladies kept to sherry and
Marsala. No one came to sea Mrs. Bravo on the 18th when
she came from London. She did not go out. She was in
the moraing room. I cannot say that the Burgundy was
in the celiarette all the afternoon. If I decanted it
for luncheon it was there all the afternoon; if for dinner, it
was decanted only just before dtnner. I, don't remember
how many I laid luncheon for that daye • If Mr. Bravo had,
a glass of Burgundy. after his ride he helped himeelfe—theref
was nothing to preeent him. I dout -remember noticing
that a glass had been used. I don't think his wife gave
him a glass between the time he came in and the time
the bath was ordered. I had looked in to see if the lire
wan'ed making up, and I went in quietly in case Mrs. Bravo-
should be asleep, and I retired as qu'etly. It was unite..
possible for either to have got a glass of wine out of the,
dining-room without my seeing it. I noticed that he
seemed in more pain than I should have expected a gentle—
man would have shown who was used to horses as the de-.
ceased was.
Mr. Gorst : Now tell us, do you think the deceased was
poisoned then, before dinner?
The witness, after some hesitation, said, "I cannot tell,"
adding—l think there was something the matter with dee
ceaised's stomach at the dinner. I put it down to the horse
accident at the time. The expression, "I shall net.
be there" did not seem to be understood by this
ladies. I did not tell any one that the expression was,
"1 shall rot live to see that house," and if any-
body says I did say so they do not tell the tzuth. I
did not tell of this expression, " I shall not be there,"
at the Treasury because I was cut short. I first told,
Mr. William Campbell about this. He had asked me
about the Burgundy, and I then said I had remembered
Mr. Bravo saying he would not see the house at Worthing.
I am sure thae I never said that the words of deceased
were, "I shall never live to see It" (the Worthing house)
The doctors wired me on the night of the 18th, er the
morning of the 19th about what wine the deceased had
had. No tea or coffee was commonly had after dinner at
the Priory. I have sometimes found bottles empty. show-
ing that seltzer or soda water had been used by them (Mr.
and Mrs. Bravo and Mrs. Cox) ; so for anything I
know they had some that night. I have heard of sherry
being taken up to the bedroom, but I have not
been asked knit for that purpose. I cannot say how
much sherry was left at the dinner on the 18th. I
drew the Marsala from the cellar. On the Monday I
drew four bottles of sherry, and on the Tuesday I drew
two, but the whole of the four on Monday was not drunt
by the ladies, for some one came to luncheon on Monday.
There may have been sherry taken in bottle to the bedroom
without my knowing it. When I went into the morning
room, just before they went to bed, I asked Mrs. Cox it ehel
had found out anything about the check, and Mr. Bravo
answered in his usual cheerful manner, as if he was quite
well, and said, "All right, Rowe; I've settled it." It was
soon after this that Mrs. Cox threw open my door of the
pantry, and told me to tell the coachman to go far Mr.
Harrison. I went out by the back door, and Mrs. Cox, on
going back, would have to pass the dining.room. When I
went back I followed Keeber into the trent lobby and
asked her what was the matter. She told ma Mr. Bravo
was ill, and that they could do nothing with him. I,
said, Shall I come," and she replied that I could not, as
Mrs. Bravo was in her dressing gown. I went to the pantry
and then Mrs. Bravo came screaming down telling '
me to fetch some one. I went out and Mrs. Bravo went
back upstairs. I was first asked about the remainder of
this bottle of Burgundy by Inspector Clarke, and I told him
that the doctors had drunk it. I thought they had. I re-
member Mrs. Bravo asking Mr. Bravo, sen., to have some
Burgundy. saying, "It is poor Charlie's favourite wine."
I asked Sir Gull if he would have Burgundy,
when he was there on Thursday—he had said he weuld take
a glass of wine and as he did not answer I poured
him out a glass cf claret. There must have been
Burgundy in the decanter then. When I first saw the
deceased he was ready for bed that Is, when I first
saw him ill he was undressed. I don't know to this
time Dr. Gully by sight. I remember Mrs Cox leaving the
house on the Wednesday and fnursdey when the deceased
was ill. She went out on those days. The ladies went to
Brighton the day after there had been a fire at The Priory I
did not then know that Dr. Gully lived in Balham. I have
had his house pointed out to me since. Inspector Clarke cattle
tothe house after the fire at The Priory. I think the fire %vas on
the 2nd of May—it was in the wall at the back of the morning
reom, and I saw the men take up the hearthstone of the
morning room, when I sew the beam charred. There had not
been an unusually large fire that day in the morning room,
but there was a fierce one—that I had noticed. It W 8.3 not
firy high, but it was very bright. This was about eight
Mclock at night that I noticed it so high. and E damped it
down. The burning was afterwards smelt, and we found the
beam charred under the fire-place. I went up to town just
before this inquiry began. I did not go to POO Mrs. Cox I
went to Mr. Brook's cface, and I came into this room when I
returieed. I heard Mr. Willis (landlord) say, "They are
looking for Mrs. Cox," and I said "I have seen her," but
don't remember saying "I suppose she has got into a mess
for sneaking the truth/" I think I said. "We are all in a mess
together."

By Sir Henry James After the illness (the oomplaint of
stainer) of a month before his death, Mr. Bravo got quite
well, and he played lawn tennis with me on the Saturday
before his death. I saw two syringes on the table after