The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-08-12 00:00:00

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DGE OBSERVER..

Was there anythhig painful said —No, he said nothing
painful; he was perfectly kind.
Did he think he should never see you again f—He did.
And you both took a final farewell of each other f—Yes.
After the interview we lunched together at my lodgings,
Para Cox being present. Dr. Gully left Brighton that same
night, to the best of my recollection.

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When was It alit you mentioned to Dr. Gully your
Intended enzagement to Mr 0 13,av ? —I don't know how he
learnt it. I don't think he learnt it from me. I certainly
did not write and tell him.
Did he speak of it at that painful interview 7—No, he did
not know of its likelihood. Mr. C. Bravo's name was not
mentioned, and he had not proposed.
When was it he wrote you the angry letter about Mr. C.
Bravo I—After he heard of the engagement.
Was not that after y, u wished each other good-by for ever
and had separateo?—Yes.
What makes you say the hitter was an angry one —Because
It was so.
What was there in it 7—l really can't tell you now ; I put
IL into the the. _ _

Dki he reproach you ?—No.
Did he reproach Mr. Bravo?—No, he never said a word
agair,st him in his life I cannot recollect what he said in the
letter, and I don't wish.
You can't remember what he said which made you !ay it
was angry 2—Because he last me. I believe a', our interview
he thought it would be a final one; but he may have had a
hope of seeing me again at some time.
Since the interview at the lodge at the Priory you have
never had any communication with Dr. Gully 1- I have
never excharg3d a word with him or met him once. lam
perfectly certain of it.
Toe confession of your impropriety with Dr. Gully was
made to Mr. Bravo at the Priory 2—Yes.

After the engagement had been sanctioned —Yes.
And he made you take a solemn oath not to mention it
Yes.
And he would not tell his mother 2—No; he would not.
Were you not very much astonished when you found that
he had been talking it over with Mrs. Cox 7—That was after
the anonymous letter. I suppose he thought she knew is,
and, therefore, there would not be any harm.
Did you tell him that she knew it 2—No; not to my recol-
lect ion.
Did you ever reproach him fcr telling Mrr. Cox 2—No; I
never reproached him for anything.
Did you ever reproach Mrs. Cox for talking about it 7—No.
Did you not think that either Mr. Bravo or Mrs. Cox had
done you a great wrong in mentioning it 2-1 don't think
they meant to do any ham.
What made you tell this to Mrs. Cox at Brighton 7—l don't
know.
Did you make Mrs. Cox promise to keep it secret 7—No, be
cause I knew she would.
Are you aware Vat m re.. Cox did mention it to any one be-
sides your husband aid Mrs tiarford ?-4No.
You told your family truss your acquaintance with Dr. Gully
was broken C.if attogethe:2—Yes. My mother came and
stayed at the Priory.
Wny aid you after that send to Dr. Gully to came to you
at the lodge 2—To tell him as a friend.
Diu you not think you were actb g unfairly to your mother?
—No; my mother might have been there.
Where did the interview take place 2—ln the parlour.

Thd Dr. Gully say abythiug. about the time Mr
.Bravo was

liky to he merely expressed his wish that we
should both ba very happy.
At that interview di he show any signs or traces of anger?
—Not in the slightest ;lin fact he reconciled us. I was disgusted
at this time with Mr. Bravo.

Did Dr. Gully try to remove your disgust ?—He did.
And to reconcile you to a marriage with thig gentleman ?
Yes.

And to surrender All your goods and chattels into this
gentleman's bands 7—Yes.
Did you not act upon bis advice and withdraw your objec-
tion ?—I did.

How long was that after the angry letter 2—A very long
time; about SIX Weeks, I think.
So in fact he made the match at last ?—He reconciled us to
the one fact. I had not previously made up my mind not to
give way. I did not tell Dr. Gully that I had not made up
my mind. I did not tell him one way or the other. His
advice partly induced me to give way.

When did that interview take place?—ln the morning
before lunch. 31r. Bravo and I had the discussion about the
furniture, ctc., the night before.
Toe statement you made at the Treasury was made volun-
tarily P—l heard that I was to answer Mr. Brooks' questions.
I never knew that what I said was to be wide publie. I
should never have mentioned the disputes with my husband
if I had.

Where was your statement taken down P—ln Mr. Brooks'
office. I came up from Brighton to London for that
purpose.
Da I understand you to say that you did not know for
what purpose Mr. Brooks was taking down your statement?
—I thought it was to throw light on this mystery, I was
very ill at the time. I forget who first asked me about the
interviews at the lodge. I have heard so much during the
last law months that I can't remember everything.
The court then adjourned for luncheon.
0,, reasembling,
Mr. Gorst said to Mrs, Bravo: Are you quite sure that you
told either previous counsel or myself everything that took
place between you and Dr. Gully at the lodge 7—Everything.
I am quite sure.
Did you ever tell Mrs. Cox that you acquired the habit of
driukiig more than was good for your health during the life.
time oi 3 our first husband did not tell her, because it
would not be true. _

Did you tell Mr& Cox about the little quarrel you and your
husu,nd had while going to town on the morning of the 18th
tof April ?—Not till afterwards.
When you did tell her did you tell her that the carriage
had been turned back in consequence of it ?—No; it was in
consequence of the rain.
Some dhcassion arose as to the question being in order,
and it was generally admitted by the counsel, and concurred
in by the jury that a great deal of time was being wasted.
When your husband said in the carriage, "You will see
what I will do when I get home," did you think he meant
anything serious ?—I did, or I should not have been fright-
ened.

Did you notice how he was looking at dinner?—Very ill.
Was there any Oing at dinner of which he alone partook
except burgundy ?—No. We both used the same salt cellar.
He at near me. We had no mint sauce, because there was
no mint In the garden. As far as I can tell burgundy was the
only thing of which he atone partook.
Do you remember It he sat later than usual in the dining-
room that night ?—No.

How did he look in the morning room 11—fie looked ill,
but he bad got over the peculiar twitching of his face to
a great extent. He did not a3k for any soda or seltzer
water.

Do you remember ringing the bell did not ring the
bell that night, because the servants were at supper. I
never disturb servants at their meals unless I cannot pos.
sir+ly help it.
Do you remember Keeber coming into your bedroom and
talking to Mrs. Cox about the little dogs ?—I remember dis-
tinctly hearing Mrs. Cox say, 'Be sure and get the dogs,
Mary.' I was in bed then and nearly asleep. I recollect the
outer door of my room being shut when I went into it with
Mrs. COX.

You remember the conversation with Dr. Johnson— did you
ever ask any more questions of 3lrs. Cos about it ?--I under-
stood that my husband had accidentally taken a large
quantity of laudanum for the neuralgia. I remember the
conversation. _ . _ _

Were you not very much shocked when you heard that
he had taken poison to commit suicide ?—I was horrified.
When did you first hear it ?—I heard him admit it to Sir
W. Gull.
Did you first become aware of hi s baying committed suicide
from what he said to Sir W. Gull?—Yes.

You said on Friday that you did not wish to say a word
against your late husband ?—Most decidedly not. I said to-
day that I would not have made those statements at the
Treasury adverse to my husband had I known they would be
made public. I told Dr. Dill that if my husband had taken
antimony he must have taken it himself, because as far as I
know there was none in the house. And on the day of the
funeral, when Mr. J. Bravo was standing at the porch of
the Priory talking to my father, he told him that antimony
was kept in his stables for his horses to make their coats
gl ,ssy, my father came in and repeated that statement in
the presence of my mother, and I said, "Perhaps Charlie got
It thee then.''
I don't mean that. Did you not snake a statement to Dr.

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thvolviug a very grave charge against your husband 7—l
have told you I can say no more.
Saortly after you went to Brighton did Inspector Clarke
see you 7—Yee. I knew he was making inquiries about my
late husband's death. I did not know that he was employed
by my late husband's family; I did not know who he was
employed by.
Did you t 11 Mr. Clarke to go to Dr. Dill and ask him what
you had told him 7-1 tail if he wanted any further informa-
tion about my late husband he must go to Dr. Dill. That's all
I said to Inspector Choke.
Do you mean to say that you did not tell Mr. Clarke to go
to Dr. Dill to ttli him something particular 7-1 meant about
my health, which I did not think I was called on to tell Mr.
Mrs. Bravo: lam not going to ask you about that.
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Witness: And lam not piing to inswer it either. I told
him he might go to Dr. Dill it he wished.
Did you tell him that Dr. Dill might tell him something
important ?—fie was asking such questions that I did not
feel inclined to enter into with any other gentleman except a
doctor.
Did you not know that what Clarke would learn from Dr.
Dill would involve a serious charge against your late hus-
band ?—/si.o, I did not.
You did tell him if he wanted to learn something to go te
Dr. Dill 2—Yes.

sorrow ?—The confession made to him in relation to Dr.
Gully before marris.gel
I Had you any other wounds exoept this knowledge of his of
' your conduct with Dr. Gully ?—No.
Have you had any other sorrow but that f—No.
On account of your intimacy with Dr. Gully your friends
had been alienated from you 2—Yes.
In another part of the later he wrote of his mother—" Her
temper Is as inconstant as the wind, and she may from the
very best motives soon inflict upon me most cruel wounds."
Wbat does that refer to P—She had said something to me
about my having ruined her son, and having out the carriage
at night. That had passed .ver, and she insulted my father
through me. and htr son toll her she ought to apologbe.

On the 9th of March Mr. Bravo wrote to you: "I think
however, much as I miss you, the change at Buacot will do
you good and though I long to see you with a longing of
intents° love, I never wish to ee the Priory Austin" Can
you explain that laat patsage I—Bicaule Dr. Gully lived near

-Have you any other reason to suggest why he should say
so 7—No.
Or,Sfarch llfh you were at Buseot, and he wrote to you as
follows :—" I h.tve earned this week four guineas, on paper
about enough to pay for those four beastly horses who are
taring their heads off at the Priory." Those were your cabs
and the two carriages horses 7—Yes.
Did you ever know of his taking any medicine out of a
smail bottle at allP-- N _

If he did it he did it without your knowledge ?—I never
knew he took medicine at all. _ _ _ _

Did he ever tett you anything abeut who his father was f—
ile told me before the marrilge that he would tell me after
tbe marriage, but I forgot to ask him.
Did he ever tell you what his father was, or what his posi-
tion was P—No, it did not much matter.
Did you tell your mother that Mr. C. Bravo did mention
to you the name of Dr. Gully after his promise not to
mention his name 7—l did.
There had been an agreement between you and your hus-
band that the name of Dr. Gully shorAd not be mentioned,
and you were anxious that your error and shame should not
be known to the world 7—Yes.

I believe the night Mrs. Cox saw Dr. Gully she did tell you
about the sitz baths and the spinal washes I—Yes.
The deed of separation; was it executed 1-1 don't know,
I signed It; I don't know whether Captain Ricardo signed
it.
I believe Mr. Bravo did suggest the propriety of your
making swill I—Yes, at the time of my marriage, and at my
with everything was given to him, even to the disposal of my
jewellery. . .

By a juryman: The medicine cupboard in my room was
kept unlocked.
This concluded the evidence of Mrs Bravo. ller manner
of answering the questions was generally subdued ; hut
when hard nreved, especially when she appealed to the
coroner and jury for protection, she spoke with great warmth..
Immediately afterwards, however, with great exertion, she
kept herself under control, and for a time her answers were
given in a cool and distant manner.

At twenty minutes past three the assessor commenced
reading the deposition of Mrs. Bravo previous to her signing
it, and this occupied the time of the court until the adjourn-
ment.

On Wednesday morning, Mrs. Bravo having entered the
court, Mr. Muir, the assessor, resumed the reading of the
depositions, which was concluded at a quarter to eleven
when Mrs. Bravo left the court.—The following condensed
account of the proceedings is taken from the Pail Mall
Gazette :

Mr. Murphy then read and put in three letterr, one dated
April 23, and two May 8, 1876, received from Jamaica, with
reference to Mrs. Cox going there.

Eli z ibeth Evans, a late servant at the Priory, was then
examined. Replying to Mr. Gorst, she stated that she
resided in Montgomeryshire. She could not state anything
which would throw any light upon Mr. Bravo's death.
Serjeant Parry said that he should like to ask a question,
but he would refrain. The other counsel asked no ques-
tions.

Mrs. Fanny Griffiths (who had come up from Herne Base
was then examined by Mr. Poland, and deposed that she was
in Mrs. Ricardo's service before her marriage, and left that
service in May, 1873. She went to the Priory with her
husband in 1875, and occupied the lower lodge. In N ovem-
bs r, 1875, she remembered that Mrs. Ricardo at the lodge
gave her a message for Dr. Gully. Mrs. Ricardo asked
witness to tell him that she wished to speak to him at the
lodge at once. Witness left Mrs. Ricardo there, and
went to Orwell Lodge. On seeing Dr. Gaily she delivered the
message He seemed rather surprised, but promited to
come, and came in about five minutes to the lodge, and was
shortly joined by Mrs. Ricardo. Witness did not hear the
conversation that passed betwesn them. They remained
together about five or ten minutes. Dr. Gully said to wit-
ness that he hoped Mrs. Ricardo would be happy, and that
he was pleased that she was reconciled to her family. Wit-
ness knew that Dr. Gaily was at one time in the habit of
visiting at the Priory. After the return of the presents, with
ie excoption in November, he never came to the lodge, nor,
so ter as she knew, to the Priory. Before her hue.
band came back to Mrs. Ricardo, and when living
in London, he had some tartar emetic. It was
kept to a box in a drawer in his sitting-room, and was burned
by witness while living in Warwick-square, because she
wanted the box and was afraid of poison tieing about. Her
husband told her that it was horse medicine, but did not say
where he obtained it. The time when she destroyed the
tartar emetic was the only occasion she had had any in her
possessioa. (ro Serjaant Perry r) There was no secret about
Or. Gully's visit in November. (To the Jury:) She never
heard her husband say that it was possible that the deceased
would not live more than four months. When angry her
husband expressed himseif very strongly, and he was angry at
being dismissed from the Priory.
At the close of this witness's examination Dr. Gully
entered the court, and at the request of the jury remained
standing while giving his evidence. In reply to Se rjeaut
Parry, the witness said that he was a doctor of melicine of
the Elinburgh University. He had had forty-four years
professional practice, and twenty-two years' practice at
Meivern. During the last six years of the time he
was in partnership with Dr. Fernie. He gave up his prac-
tice and partnership in December, 1871. lie had received
no formal notice from the Treasury of this inquest, and had
not been summoned by the coroner as a witness. He (Dr.
Gully) came to the court to be examined voluntarily, and
entirely at his own wish. His intimecy with Mrs. Bravo was
too true. Her statement was, he was sorry to say, quite
true and he felt his position most bitterly. He heard the
suspicions and rumours created by the inquiry, and, on
his solemn oath, he would say he had nothing to do
either directly or indirectly with causing the death of
Mr. Charles Bravo. The witness had had some threatening
and insulting letters sent him. They were too many to be
pleasant. Since the marriage of deceased he (witness) had
haa no communication with mre. Bravo. Since the inter-
view at the Priory he had completely avoided any communi-
cation with her, and he sought to avoid her. He did not
know the deceased. The witness said that since 1812, when
he went to Malvern, he had never pre- cribed or oroered in
any way a single grain of antimony. To the best of his recsl-
lection, he had never dealt wish Mr Clark, of Malvern. He
did not know of the purchase of two ounces of antimony by
Griffiths on the] 11th of June, 1369. In fact, the witness
himself most successfully treated his horses hydropathicelly.
He never wrote an order to Mr. Clark to supply those two
ounces of antimony. He had never had the key of the gate
of the Priory in his possession since the presents were given
up. The interview at the lodge on November 28 was not
sought by him. Mrs. Bravo's account of the interview was
perfectly correct. He gave her the advice not to squabble a
moment about the furniture, and raid to her, "You must
not let Mr. Bravo come into the house and suppose he is not
the master of it " There was no secrecy about the visit ;he
simply obeyed Mrs. Ricardo's summons. He never wrote or
sent an anonymous letter in his life, not even to a news-
paper. It was true that he had seen Mrs. Cox five times
in March and Aprii. Your of these meetings were acci-
dental. Ile remembered Mrs. Cox speaking of Mrs. Bravo's
sleeplessness, and when asked to suggest a remedy, he said
that he thought cold water. Ritz baths, and cold washings of
the spine two or three times a day would be useful. Whilst
journeying to Thornton Heath he thought that a sedative
might do good, and knowing Mrs. Bravo was driven frantic
by ordinary opiates. and thinking of laurel water, on return-
ing he stopped at Mr. Smith's to look at the Pharmacoemia,
and learneu and purchased the requisite dose. The witness
then wrote a note of direction to Mrs Cox. He afterwards
took the bottle and note to Mrs. Cox's house in Lancaster.
road. He left the bottle in precisely the same state as he re-
ceived it from Mr. Smith. The suggestion that be (witness)
had afterwards put tartar emetic Into the bottle was a
wicked and infamous falsehood. Dr. Gay then gave an
explanation of his treatment when prescribing for Mrs.
Ricardo when is flaring from illness These prescriptions
were perfectly harmless and effective for the purposes given.
Pending the inquiry he had been staying with his son at
Queensberry-terrace, and with the exception of seeing
Geffithe there, had not seen him during the inquiry. fro
Mr. Lewis ;) tie hsd given Orders immediately after his sepa-
ration from Mrs. Ricardo not to admit Mrs. Cox to his house,
and at the same time gave orders that Mrs. Ricardo should
not be admitted. He laid never withdrawn those orders.
Neither of them had threatened to come to his house. He
had not informed the ladies of those orders having bees
given. His first meeting with Mrs. Cox atter the separation
he thought was in March, at Victoria Station. Twice in
April he had met her, and had travelled from Balham to
London with her in the same railway carriage. He
received her on those occasions very cordially, not-
withstanding his orders. He did not iequire if
Mrs. Bravo had a doctor attending her. When in
the railway carriage Mrs. Cox informed him that
Mee. Bravo was suffering from a miscarriage. When
he sent the laurel-water he was unaware of the miscarriage.
He did not know it until the 12th of ApriL E.biuking all
communication with the Priory forbidden, he took the
laurel-water to Mrs. Cox at Lancaster-road. He knew that
decea•ed was aware of his (the witness's) previous intimacy
with Mrs. Ricardo. At the interview at the lodge in No-
vember Mrs. Ricardo told him that she had informed Mr.
Bravo of the intimacy. When Mrs Ricardo then said at the
end of the interview, before he kissed her hand, "I have
told my future husband all that paned between us." witness
replied, "Well, I hope that will turn out well." He did not
re c 'Beet Mrs. Ricardo saying anything about the marriage
being broken off. Nothing was said as to want of affec-
tion on either side. There was no other conversation at
the lodge. • At that time witness had not seen the deceased.
That was the first and only time that Mrs. Bravo told
witness of her having acquainted the deceased of their im-
proper intimacy. The witness first heard from a short note
from Mrs. Cox in November that Mrs. Ricardo was engaged
to be married. Oe his second visit to Brighton, on Novem-
ber 19. he first heard that deceased was approaching Mrs.
Ricardo with the view of marriage. On that oczasion she
told witness that she was not engaged to the deceased, for he
could fix nothing without his mother's consent. The witness
advised her not tabs in a hurry ; but to become acquainted
with the deceased and his family for three cr four months
before she Seed her fate, and she acquiesced. The witness at
that time had received a letter dismissing him, because she
wished to be reconciled with her family. Although it
was a painful interview at Brighton, he did not upbraid
her. Ile said to her, " I think I shall go to
Jamaica, my native place,'' hut he subsequently told her that
that would not do. She then said that she would not She
able to see him again. At that time he was mach attached
to her and she to him. He did not offer nor did she ask any
advice as to telling the deceased of their improper intimacy.
Mrs. Rieardo informed witness at Brighton that the deceased
was a member of the bar. From Sutton to Brighton witness
and Mrs. C- x travelled together on his second ',shit there.
It was not an accidental meeting, for Mrs. Ricardo
telegraphed that he would meet Mrs. Cox at Sutton. The
name of the deceased was not mentioned. The witness did
not .even in a poetical flight tell airs. Ricardo that she should
die it she married, but he said that he should be very un-
happy-for a while. He knew Captain Beceido at Malvern,
arid was the medical attendant of his wife. In 1870, a month
after she left, he gave twelvemonths' notice of -a diasolutiou
of partnership to Dr. Fereie. During 188 e, le€9, and 1870 he
set veil no ice of dissolution upon his partner, as he knew per-
t ectly well that it was coming. During the period Mrs. Rioardo
was his patient at Malvern in 1870, their attachment com-
meticed after a fashion. She was much alone and he asked
her to tea, with other ladies. He could not explain what
occurred between them while she was Mrs. Ricardo that
could have induced her to write to her maid, begging her
never to allude to it and to allow it to be buried in the
past In the spring of 1871 he knew that she had forsaker'
her family for him. He became the trustee of the deed by
which she became separated frsm Captain Ricardo. Wheu
Mr. Lewis asked the witness whether Mrs. Ricardo had saeri-
ficed her honour and family for him, Mr. eel jsant Parry
asked tne coroner to give Lie judgment as to whether or not
the que4tion was relevant to the tequtry as to how the
deceased came by his death. Serj.eaut Perry said that
the question had no otject except to torture the
witness. (Applause and losses in court.) Serjaant
Parry objected to the question. The coroner suggested
that he should wait and see to what it would lead. The
witness continued that it was a mistake that he had been
a- ked to leave his house at Balhane. Upon Sergeant Parry
again interrupting, a juror protested against the interruption.
The witness further said that Mrs. Weirdo on hi.secol
Be visit to Bilehten, said to him, "Don't you think it
slightest
liwhotuelst
spare you pain if you left Belham " nod n
idea that deceased was j Aloud of him,
°Mrs. Col said
that Mr. and Mrs. Bravo were getting on very welt, d
never said that his (the witness's) Liarae as meini oned
Mrs.we
ee
Bravo's was Oinageoco n
account
the
by the deceased morning, noon, and n ight.l;hrieagweiotnaenesdhhade
not spoken to Mrs. Bravo since liar ma
had not thero remotest
sir m
scimea e s ofhouse.
the intimacy was correct. Any enrcia4o ?,titimacy
between them commenced long after Ceptain Ricerd o death.
The witness was quite ignoraut s.f *het passed between Mrs.
Ricardo and her maid Landon at tialvern. There was no act
of criminal intimacy with Mrs. Ricardo, which he at that
time wished concealed. He knew nothing of what passed
between deceased and his wit a, and was not acquainted
with any of his sorrows or "wounds that would be healed
he time, Of wishes that he would leave the Priory.
(to Borioant nay :) Mrs. Ricardo lii tto alit= of