The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-06-24 00:00:00

STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER_

Itisd not taken poison. There *tithe evidence of
. named al'Calmont, a brother barrister and
, deceased, who said that he had seen him the
an which he was seized, and that he was in his
.th and spirits, and made an engagement for him to
A soend the day with him next day, and that he was
aulikely person to a. "it suicide. Such, with the
medical evidence, was the e '. i: the taken at the inquest.
Mr. Justice Mellon: Was tilire no further evidence?
The Attorney-General: None; and upon that evidence the
jury found that the deceased cited from the effects of anti-
moyiiire thatathey had not suilasient evidence under what
cir fma-Bteaame into his body. Then there was, how.
ev ...., the independent account of tne inquest given by Mr.
Reid the barrister, who was present, and had made Ole -
(it as to what had occurred. The --Ataornele
titan proceeded to read the account of the eaakrice
Mr. Reid. ..
The Lord Chief Justice intimated to him that
only read the notes of this gentleman in so fe
materially varied from the coroner's. e
• The Attorney-General accordingly did so. As to
dence of the earlier witnesses Mrs. Cox and the maid, .
there was no material difference ; the important discre-
pancies were In the evidence of the two medical mein ma
mined, especially as toswhat was said 'by elf. Bravcrabcs
poison. Mr. Reid's nete of what Mr. Harrison said '
this : .
"3lr. George Harrison.—On Tuesday n'ght I was caned
in to see deceased. Dr. Moore was with him. He was in
a complete state of collapse—almost puiseless. The prifils
of the eyes widely. dilated. Ills limbs were perfeetly•re-
taxed, but the muscles :were insensible. Ileo was tumble.,
even to swallow. We tried to give himasomebrandy-ancr-
water, but he could not 'swallow it. I did not detec
effluvium of chloroform or laudanum as arising iron.
breath ; the only smell was a slight smell of mustard. I
' was told he had been given mustard-and-water. I had
understood that that had been given him as an emetic, and
that he had vomited. At the time we thought it was a
failure of the heart; that was only a suppoeitiora He was
treated for syr dope, or collapse.' .He revived a ,bit three
hours afterward. 'I saw him next day, having been with
him all night, and saw him at frequent intervals after-
wards. To me he denied having taken anything. I bad not
been informed then that he had admitted taking any in-
gredient. We all repeatedly asked him. He denied having
taken anything. He recovered cmsziousnees. He made a
will. I came to the conclusion that there was some irritant
poison from the symptoms after he began to recover. The
symptoms I first observed were similar to those produced
by chloroform. The after ones were not. The first sym-
tom on recoveringewas vomiting blood; after that passing
blood from the rectum. That gave rise to the idea that he
was suffering from some irritant poison. At the time Mr.
Bell and Dr. Johnson were there. The symptoms were
more like arsenic than anything, but I could form no opinion
as to what it was. Ills mouth was not excoriated." The
Court would see how materially this differed from the
coroner's note of the same gentleman's evidence. Then
there was Mr. Reirl's note of Mr. Royes Bell's evidence :
"Mr. Royes Bell —I am a surgeon. The deceased was my
cousin. A carriage was sent for me on Wednesday morning,
about 1 39. At a little before 23) a.m. I saw the deceased'
with Dr. Johnson. He was then insensible. I went hp with
Mrs. Cox., Dr. Moore and Dr. Harrison were with him. I
continued with him till the moment of his death. Dr. John-
son said, 'What have you taken? You are not ill from
natural causes ' He said, 'I took some laudanum for my
neuralgia.' Dr. Johnson remarked, 'No, that won't explain
. your symptoms.' He said then, 'lf it is not laudanum I do
,not know what it is. I have taken nothing else. He made
no further admission to any one than that. I was present
when Sir William Gull asked him if he had taken anything,
and he repeated the same thing."
Here, again, the Court could see how materially this differed
from the coroner's note of it. It appeared from this gentle-
man's note that Mr. Bravo repeatedly denied having taken
poison knowingly; and Mr. Reid in his affidavit added some
material evidence omitted by the coroner in his notes. It
appeared that Mrs. Ce x was recalled after Mr. Harrison had
;given his evidence, and made a further statement as to what
was taken at dinner; and here the Attorney-General read
'Mr. Read'e affidavit, as follows:
"On the second day of the inquest evidence was given by
Dr. Payne and Dr. Redwood as to the discovery of antimony.
Previous to that evidence, no evidence had been given with
respect to antimony being the cause of death. Immediately
Professor Redwood had given his evidence the coroner began
to address the jury. I did not take any note of what be
then said, but I listened attentively, and the following was,
to the bast of my recollection, the subetance :—" That he
was very glad he had so soon discovered the cause of death.
for it seemed pretty certain it was antimony. The jury
would have to say whether it was administered by himself or
by others, or taken by accident. It was remarkable that he
had made use of the expression to Mrs Cox that he had taken
poison. If they believed Mrs. Cox. he had taken poison. If
they believed Mrs. Cox they would have to bear in mind that
be had made use of the word 'taken.' That word implied
that he had wilfully taken the poison ; if so, it was a case
of self murder—feio de se—unless he was insane, of which
there was no suggestion. He did not say 'I have-had poison
given me,' but 'I have taken poison.' He had admitted the
same to the doctors, and therefore they would have to con-
sider whether he had committed self-murder or not."
Immediately the corbner had finished, Mr. M'Calmont, at
my suggestion, informed the coroner that he had evidence.
to give as to the state of Mr. Brave's health the day
of his seizure. The coroner then proceeded to exa-
mine him as a witness. After Mr. alaCalmont had de-
tailed his interview with Mr. Bravo on that day, and his
Opinion as to the improbability of such a man committing
suicide, the coroner began to question him as to the theory
of the case, and whether he had any explanation to offer as
to how the' deceased died. The coroner spoke to him to
the f )lowing effect:—' You have been here all the time,
and now you come to give evidence you tell us you think
he was most unlikely to commit suicide: what explanation
can you give after hearing the evidence?' Mr. 3l'Calmont
replied that he merely came to say what he knew, sunlit was
the jury's business to say what was the explanation, Mr.
M.Calmont said also that he had not been there all the time.
Then the coroner said he thought he had seen a friend of the
deceased there all the time. I said then, 'lt is I who, littve
been here all the time.' The coroner then asked me if I
knew anything. I said 'I only know that I knew the deceased
well, and I consider him a most unlikely person to cemmit
suicide.' The coroner said, 'Don't you see that when Yon
prove he was in good health and not insane, that , all
strengthens the view that he wilfully committed suicide r. I
think it was [(but it may have been Mr. M'CalmOnt) who
replied that I thought it showed the improbability of his
committing suicide at all. The coroner then observed to the
jury that be did not khow whether they would like any,
other evidence. He observed that it would be very pains'
ful to call Mrs. Bravo to give evidence. One of the jury.'
men observed that the jury were rather in a fog. Dien
the coroner sent for Mrs. Cox and asked her a few ques-
tions. It was, I think, at this stage, but lam certain it was
about this stage, cf the inqu'ry that a medical man, whom I
have been since informed was Dr. George Johnson, stepped
hirward and said to the following effect, 'Mr. C, toner, I
should like to give evidence. I believe I can give important
:evidence. I attended the deceased throughout.' I think he
'added that he had spoken with the deceased en the subject
of his illness and its cause. I understood the coroner to
say, 'lt is unnecessary,' or words to that effect, and he
declined to hear Dr. Johnson, who was not examined. I
think it was immediately after this that the coroner directed
'the room to be cleared, and we all withdrew, leaving the
coroner in the room with the jury. I cannot say what
. passed in the room after it was cleared, as I never returned
to it again. I say that in my opinion the inquest was con-
cluded throughout in a most unsatisfactory and hurried
manner." .
Mr. Justice Mellor: Was there no evidence as to search
as to the remains of any antimony beyond that found in the
body?
The Attorney-General: None at all ; and your lordshipL
will see that even though Mrs. Cox was recalled, and inqniry
, was made as to the food taken at dinner, nothing was asked
or stated as to the drink, nor as to any wine which may hay
, been drunk at the dinner.
' The Lord Chief Justice: Nor any evidence of a search
to remains of antimony.
Tee Attorney-General: No; none whatever. Your Lord
ships will see that the deceased, in answer to the medic
men, stated distinctly that he had taken ilo poison knew
ingly. That is clear. But it is more strange that not
syllable appears on the coroner's note as to this. Ills th
more strange because Mrs. Cox had stated that the deceasedi
, •..told-her he had taken poison, and yet, though here
were two medical men stating that he had told thent
repeatedly the contrary, not a vaonci of it appears on his
notes.
The Lard Chief Justice ; And what is still more remarkable;
is that he appears to have forgotten it in his summing up-e..
ill his comments upon the evidence. 1
sa-The Attorney-General r Yes, he comments on the evidence
of Mrs. Cox minutely, stud dwells upon the words supposed
to. have been used by the deceased, pointing out that she
used the word " taken " as though to show that he had takep
it designedly, sig„d yet be omitted to notice the evidence 9f
these two mediWil men, and he did net examine the others
at all.
Mr. Justice Mellor: It Is 'difficult to understand, why
he did not examine , Dr. Johnson who offered-himself to be
.
examined.
The Attorney-General said Dr. Johnson had made an affi-
davit containing some important statments, which he would
read. He then read the affidavit, wnich embodied the fol-
lowing statement:—
" As ire were going down Mr. Royes Bell told me he had a
letter from Mr. Harrison, telling him that Mr. Bravo was
seriously ill 'from sudden failure of the heart.' Mr. Bell had
not then seen him. Mr. Bravo's carriage had been sent to
Harley-street for Mr. Bell, and so we went together in Mr.
Bravo's carriage. The statement in my history of the case
(just read from the Lancet, a communication made by me to
that paper) of what Messrs. Harrison and Moore told us is
correct. My inference from their statement was that they
had not ascertained what was the nature of his seizure. Not
a word was said by them about poison. We went to the
, bedside without speaking to or being spoken to by any
of the family. During the quarter of an hour referred to
in my statement, before tee patient began to be conscious,
only we four doctors, I think, were in the room; at all
, events, we had no conversation or any information from
- any of the family. Mr Bell's questions were simply
such as 'Charlie, what is the matter?' simply to arouse him;
1
' touching his cheek with his hand, and so on. No specific
•Tiestion was put by him. As soon as the symptoms on the
close stool occurred, we all saw that he must be under the
Influence of some irritant poison. Mr. Bell then went out of.
the room and returned to ask me to hear Mrs. Cox repeat eia
statement just made, as In my report. Mrs. Cox repeated tilts-
statement in my presence. What she said made a great
Impression on me. I remember her very words, 'I have.
taken some of that poison a the word ' that ' struck me as If
Ini had intended to point to the particular poison. I repeated
to her, 'Did you not find out anything more—the nature of
the poison or when or why he had taken it?' She said merely
'No' to all these questions. Mr. Bell and I then returned to
the_bedside. I may say that I at once inferred from Mrs. Cox's
• statement that the patient had attempted suicide. I said to
him, 'Mrs Cox tells us you have spoken to her, or told her,
' that you have taken poison?' I think I said, 'What is the
meaning of that?' or 'What do you mean by that?' fre
said, 'I don't remember of having spoken of poison.'
Then I said, 'But have you taken poison?' He said, 'I
have rubbed some laudanum on my gems for face ache
or neuralgia, and I may have swallowed sOnle-ei it.'
He seemed perfectly ready to answer my questions. lie'
c erirweht
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lie made any definite reply to this, but certainly I got no
farther information from him in answer to my re.— -
about his 'symptoms.' I asked him then if there'.
poisons in the heuse. He said 'Yes, severaL' I ask.
to name them, lie said laudanum, chloroform, and a rat
poison which was kept in the stables. That was all that
Was said by me and by him at that time. We then searched:
about in the bedroom for poison. We found a bottle con-
taining , a small quantity of laudanum and a bottle con-
taming compound' camphor liniment, which is a poison-fl
'bat would not explain the symptoms he had. We emit
find no vessel which had atparently contained poison, or
out of which poison had apparently been taken; no bottle_
of no cup with any remains of poison in it. I can't say
.whether it was Mr?. Bravo or Mrs. Cox who suggested about
'the horse running away, or whether the srgsestion was made •
at this time or at some other time subsequeatly.. I re
' mained with him three hours. He was very ill
,all that
time, but we learnt nothing more. I took aaray someaf
the vomited hut.', which I had tested for arsenic with .
negative results_ My . first impression was that the symp-
ca I
toms were the rent of areenic. I am certain now, since
the analysis, that the antimony found explains the symp-
toms ; but, except for the fact that no arsenic has been
found, I would not say that there might not have been
arsenic. I should not have made the above answer except
in reply to your question. I think Professor Redwood's -
analysis prcves the absence of arsenic. I saw him next
at three o'clock on Wednesday, the same day. On that
afternoon, at that visit, I said, in the presence cf Mrs.
Bravo, that I doneidered the case quite hopeless. She had
asked me my opinion as to his recovery. She than said, 'I
must now have my own way,' and she asked us all to come
and hear what she had to say. Mr. J. Bravo and the doctor
were all there. She said, 'I have heard from a friend that he
has cured a patient with these symptoms by applying a
mustard poultice to the spine, a cold compress to the
stomach, and arsenicum internally.' I replied, 'That is a
homoeopathic prescription, but no one who saw your husband
would believe that he could be recovered by such means.' I
added, 'The only part I otject to is the mustard poultice: he
Is in pain enough already, I would not torture him by apply.
hag mustard to his skin. Of course, I assume that the
arsenictun is to ho given in hilinitesimal doses.' On this
soccasion I took away about a quarter of a pint of the bloody
discharge fromahe bowels, which I sent*, Dr. Redwood.
lias next time i lIIIIT him was nine o'clook on Tharada7. MI
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cbndition was much the same, but the vomiting had been
less frequent, and Mrs. Bravo (the wife) expressed her
opinion that the areenicum had been beneficial. I saw
him again at 2.30 with Mr. Henry Smith, surgeon at King's
College Hospital. Nothing occurred on this visit for me to
mention. I saw him at 6.80 in the evening. I drove down
with Sir William Gull. I told him about the case as I was
going down.- When we got there we went straight up to the
bedside. I heard Sir W. Gull's questions. My impression is
that Sir William said to the patient., 'Whatever you took,
elf?' to which tient
Mir you took it ycxsaid ' Yea' I
thini .is is only point on w my recollection does
not . to agree with that of Sir . Gall. I say this only
be.. . 6 I had seen a letter written by Sir W. Gull describing
We interview: When SirbW. Gull had sate thli,ond fitished,
Paid, A If yon`die withent telling us more than we know itt
Present some one may be acculed or suspected of having
pAsonryou.' Ile replied at once promptly and clearly and
decide y, ' I -am aware of that, but I can tell you oThing
_more.' :- This Made a gybes inscrassion on uke—thalia, that
he ;silly could not tell-us anithing moreckthat IR could
not MEDIA' his symploms. My decided Delief and im-
pression. is that he had not knowingly taken antimony
or.--any., poison other than laudanum. I took aw,y
the vomited food, as stated.in,..my__KinteckreptFt to. the
Lancet- , The Torillted.foutl on ilag leads ha not been dis-
imbed._ ~ I was at the kfiat morale; I concur! n Dr. Piyne's
repot in everysespect: I didnot see him st,:t'ain alive. On
the morning of the adjourned inquest Mr. Campbell, sen.,
called on ma and told me that ha had been advised by sir
W. Gull to Come to me. He said. 'The question is what ver-
dict. shall we get: I can get a verdict of suicide in fl,e
minutes,' I said, ' How 1' Ile said, ' lly repeating Sir W.
Gall'i opinion. I said,' Then Sir W. Gall believes it to be
auiciae."He said, 'Yes.' I'said, 'Well, it-inay be But(
so far mil can see there. is no evidence to alio* it,
J (inly possible verdict is an open one that he died by
antimony.' I added I thought of going to the inquest. He
begged that I wouldtets and 'add he would telegraph for me
whether I should come or not. I received no telegram, but
I went to Balham and attended the adjourned inquest. I
saw the coroner was about to sum up, and tendered myself
as a witness. It was after Mr. McCalmont's evidence I gave
my name to the coroner, and said I had seen the deceased
several times. The coroner said, 'We don't require any
further evidence. It is quite unnecessary to examine
you."

go
,hat-yer- I to

cide,
, and I

The Lord Chief Justice asked when it appeaged that Hrs.
Cox told Dr. Johnson the dying man had toll: her he had
taken poison.
The Attorney. General said about half-past two in the morn-
ing, when Dr. Johnson came.

The Lord Chief Justice: And in the interval had she not
told the other medical men?
The Attorney• General : Not a vrord.
The Lord Chief Justice: When did they come?
The Attorney-General: Almost at once ; about ten
o'clock.

The Lord Chief Justice: And she said nothing to them
about it.
The Attorney-General: Not a word. It was clear that the
dying man had conveyed to the minds of the medical men
most decidedly that he had not taken poison designedly. Dr.
Johnson was present at the inquest; he came forward to
tender his evidence, and the coroner refused to receive it.
Upon these facts, said the Attorney-General, it is my duty to
' submit to your Lordships that there has been such misconduct
on the part of the coroner, and such a miscarriage in conse-
quence, that there ought to be a further inquiry.
At this stage of the case the Judges consulted together for
some time, and then
The Lord Chief Justice referred to the [toad case, and
asked if there was any report of the application to this
Court.

The Attorney-General said there was no report of it excel*
that in The Times, which he had obtained and read, from
which it appeared that the Court entertained the application.
It was true that in that case there was a formal defect, that
the inquisition was on paper, not on parchment; but the
Court expressly said that they should not set it aside on that
ground unless it was substantially unsatisfactory, and as it
appeared not .to be so, the application was ultimately dis-
missed. In that case, however, there was a verdict—a defi-
nite verdict—of wilful murder against some person unknown,
and the only grounds of the application were answered by
the coroner on the merits.
The Lord eget Justice: You may be able to show in the
present case that there has been a miscarrisge, and even
that there has been mticmduct on the part of the coroner,
and that if there had been a further inquiry there might
have been grelind for a more definite verdict, even for a
verdict of wilful murder against some persons unknown; but
the 'evidence you have as yet called our attention to—though
it may be sufficient to exclude the hypothesis of suicide—
does not appear to point to any particular individuaL Sup-
posing all the evidence had been received by the coroner, ft
does not appear that it could go further than to prevent hi
verdict of suicide. If you can show us that any practical ,
advantage would be gained to the ends of justice by a further
Inquiry it might be desirable, but otherwise it would not be
desirable msreiy. to keep up public exeitement. Have'you
any additional facts which, it brought before a jury, would
tend to solve what at present seems_to.be the mystery of thie
gentleman's death?
The Attorney-General: I hope so. I quite feel the force
of your Lordship's observations, and I make this application
In the interests of justice, and Irian a desire to ascertain
facts which may enable us to make a charge against some
persons.
The Lord Chief Justice: If you have any further facts.
The Attorney-General said he had reason to believe he
should have it a further inquiry was granted, and he pro-
ceeded to read the affidavit of Mr. Stephenson, the Solicitor •
to the Treasury, to that -effect. From that, he said, it ap-
peared that he had no,t' been able- to obtain such evidence
as would justify the Crown in making a charge against
any one, but he thought that if there were a lurther inquiry
and the Crown had the opportunity of examiniag wit-
nesses on oath, that some important evidence' would be
obtained. In the interests of Mrs. Bravo- and her family
themselves it was desirable, for it appeared that Mrs.. Bravo ;
and some members at her family atcl Mrs. Cox ha 4 made
statemeints voluntarily, from' which ft appeared that they
represented there were reasons why Mr. Bravo should com-
mit suicide, that he had not lived so happily as had been
supposed, that there were serious differences between him
and his wife, and it it was so, and it was a care-of suicide, it
was for the interests of Mrs. Bravo and her family that it
should be established. • •
-,nn are not ;airing for, th
VCti

Klan

The Lord Chief Justice: But you are not asking. for this
farther inquiry in the interests of Hrs. Bravo ;you are
asking for it in the interests of justice, not bellevlbeit, you
say, to be a case of suicide, but one of murder. -c,
The Attorney General: No doubt, I ask for it in theoin—
terests of justice. -
The Lord Chief Justice: We undevstand.you to sarthat a
searching inquiry has been made by the authorities to see if
they can find further evidence to bring before the coroner's
jury, and if they have, then we ought to accede to the appli-
cation; otherwise not so.
The Attorney-General : I do not thiniejnii feieta.-*e have
ascertained by themselves would itlsttly a charge against any
one, but we believe that we should obtain additional informa,
tion if we had the means of examining witnesses upon oath.
At present we can only hear such statements as are volun-
tarily made, and persons are not always willing to make
.statements.

The Lora Chief Justice : In the evidence taken before the
corcner there is not a word as to what the deceased may
have taken at cllnuer, nor as to. anything2he may have
drunk.
The Attorney. General: Not avoid; and this though Mrs.
Cox was recalled and examined as to the "food" taken at •
dinner and not as to his drink. Suppose the coroner had
examined the other medical gentlemen he would have fotind
that the deceased had repeatedly denied taking- poison
knowingly. Then he would have naturally turned his atten-
tion to what had been drunk Winner, .and he would -have
fount:Mat there was a bottle of Burgundy which was par-
taken of only by Mi. Bravo and was not touched by the
others, the ladies having drunk other wino, and he would
have found further that after Mr. Bravo had gone upstairs,
looking ill, an altercation arose between him and his wije,
and that shortly afterwards he cried mit fdr hot 'water, and
he would have found out many other circumstances which
would have thrown a light on the case. '
t •
The Lord Chief Justice: --It is impossible tà avoid seeing
that if the evidence of Dr. Johnson had been received, it
mast have tended to disprove the theory of suicide; and that
then further inquiries might have been made to ascertain,
what gr. Bravo had taken,, and whether in what he had taken
poison might not have been administered, • But now, sup--
posing a farther inquiry, is there anything to lead us to sup-
pose that it would have a different practical result.?
The Attorney-General: The most important evidence in
such a case is to be obtained from the servants living in the
house, and they do not alsdays like to make statements. It
Is only when we have an opportunity of examining them on
oath that we shall be in a position to elicit all they know.
And if a crime has been committed, justice demands that the
circumstances shall be elicited. "
The Lord Chief Justice (after consulting with bb brethren) :
Have you any evidence as to information to be obtained
from the servants?
The Attorney. General said it appeared from statements
that Mr. Bravo had drank of Burgundy at dinner, dzc.

The Lord Chief Justice: But, taking that, is there any-
thing more to show what evidence might be attainable?
Th 3 Attorney-General said there was a statement of Mrs.
Cox, which he was most reluctant to make use of. but in
which she in effect admitted that she had withheld informa-
tion from the coroner's jury. •
The Lord Chief Justice: What information?
The Attorney-General said he would read it If it Were
necessary'.

• Mr Justice Mellor: Does it appear anywhere in the evi-
dence what became of the remainder of the bottle of Bur-
gundy?
- -

The Attorney-General : No; I cannot find anything about
It. 'We have examined the butler, but we cannot find what
became of it.
tThe Lord Chief Justice: Is there nothing to connect it
with what he drank?

The Attorney-General: I am unable to dlEcover.
The Llrd Chief .Tuattce : Ilavewitnesses been examined
about it ?
The Attorney-General: They have.

The Lori Chief Justice: Have they shown any reluctance
to, make • statements? Is there anything to lead you to
suppose that you might elicit more from them by a further
inquiry?
The Attorney-General:, There is reason to suppose that
such would be the case. The truth is, they have made State-
ments contradictory. • ". . v '
The Lord Chief hatiCe : We, must see that an inquiry
which might cause conifderable excitement, and which may
involve painful suspicions, will be likely, to lead to some
practical result. We must ace-that We are really assisting
the p_ractical ends of justice. If we thought these would be
no evidence which would lead to a definite verdict, it would
be undesirable. . • -
The Attorney-General: At all events,' it may determine
whether it is a case of murder or suicide.
I The Lord Chief Justice: But you lead us to suppose that.
lou do not believe it to be a case of suicide. • •• - ;• •
; The Attorney-General: That is so. elit4 „
' The Lord Chief Justice: But you have no 'evidence which
would lead us to suppose there would be a definite result.
The Attorney-General: Is it satisfactory to Justice to-leave
It as it is? If it turns out to be a case of murder, we should'
be able to elicit- some evidence which would justify us in
making a charge against some one. What the coroner might
be able to do I cannot tall. If we have already the evidence'
which is necessary, it would not be necessary to have any.
further inquiry. But what we desire is the power of .exa-
mining persons who obviously mutt knotv more than they
have hitherto stated, and which could be elicited if they
wbre examined upon oath. Mrs. Cox has made • a statement
whichis deist important, and which I was anxious 'not to
disclose, but which I now 'fear that I must read. The
Attorney-General then read the statement, which was as
follows. It was made on the 2nd of Jane. Itwair headed
thus •
June 2, 1176.—Mr. W. Campbell came and. Introduced
Mrs. Cox to the Treasury Solicitor. The solicitor said,—
"You imderatand you come here voluntarily, and that I.
shall ask you no question, bat write down whatever you like
to tell me.?" Yes.' • -a' I
Jane Cannon Cox: I was examined as a witness op
the inquest on the late Mr. Bravo, but from doniusidn, and
from a mistaken idea of shielding, as I thought, the cha-
racter of Mrs. Bravo; I did not tell the full particulars-
which I am now anxious to state. There; was no cause
whatever or the slightest, reason for his committing suicide
for --, anit therefore, there' was no reason • why I
should not -have stated this before. 'Mrs. Cox, I have
taken poison for —; don'tdon'ttell Florence.' Beseechingly
were the words he used when he first told me he had taken.
poison. The words Don't tell • Florence' were used
emphatically in a mostimploring way.- I said, could
you do such a thing?' Ile only screamed -out as loud as he
could three times for hot water. Before the hot water ar-
rived he was sick out of the Window, and detecting the smell
of chloroform when he vomited, I rushed to look at the
bottle of chloroform, which I found nearly empty. I, of
course, thought it was that potions which he said he had ,
taken. There was a good fire burning in the room.' Abbut
quarter of an hour before I was called I was in Mrs. Bravos '
'cresting room with her, and Mr.. Bravo came into thferoom
and said, Yeti have sent, for'more wine; you have drunk
nearly a, bottleAo-day.' He said this in French to prevent
the servant (Keeber), who was following him with, a glass of
Marsala, understanding. Re said nothing else that night.
I put 'his feet and hands in hot mustard and water and
gave him an emetic, but he' kicked- his feet out of . the
basin,.. and •I ; then' • put mustard poultioes to -his
p feet, and with help raised' him up 'into a chair. I
PT? 41173 Etrong coffee to keep him awake, bltt e mid not
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keep it down. Be was too weak to swallow. Be could not
get it down his throat. His night gown was so saturated
with mustard and water and coffee that we had to change it.
I rubbed about his breast with camphor. This was while
Mr. Harrison, whom I had sent for, was coming. Dr. Moore
came previously. I did not tell him about I thought
it wculd cause such a scandaL I told Mr. Harrison, who
was the regular attendant, directly he arrtv6d, thit he had
taken chloroform. Her, of Dr. flarrison's letter to
me. I have the originl on, and will send it
up to you I, did not ' ,re, thinking suicide
from such a ‘vo's temper was so