American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-09-02
POISONING A HUSBAND.

POISONING A HUSBAND.
The UppermOst Social Topic in England
"A Coroner's Inquest that is Disclos-
Ing the Inner Life of n British Middle
Life Society.
From the New York Times.1
LONDON, August 5.-Since the Itch
borne trial no case has had such an en-
crossing interest for the public hereas
that of Mr.. Bravo, barrister, who was
latey poisoned. The doors of the house
in BALKAN, in which the Coroner sits,
are besieged by great mob, and the
room is densely packed. The nine law
yers in the case are allowed by the Cor
oner to introduce any subject they
please, and to ask the most remote and
irrelevant questions. The whole past
history, from childhood upward, of the
life of every body in the slightest de-
gree connected with the case is being
raked up and exposed to public view,
and there is no saying how far the in
quiry will be extended or when it will
be over.
Yesterday was the nineteenth day,
but apparently only the fringe of the
matter has been gone into. There has
been a great unearthing of scandal,
and the ladies are especially lively, and
they came in such numbers and made
SO much noise that the Coroner, a few
days ago, decided not to admit women
any more, and they are now vigorously
excluded. Monday next is the bank
holiday, and it seems to be expected
that large body of the holiday max
ers will attend at BALKAN. At any rate,
it has been decided that, in order to
balk the crowd, the examination of
Mrs. Bravo, the wife of the deceased
barrister, and the heroine, as she may
be called, of this tragic melodrama,
shall not be continued on that day.
During the days on which the unfor-
tunate lady has already been giving
testimony she has been greatly annoyed
by artists in court sketching her face
and attitude at critical moments, as
when confessing to errors of conduct,
and the Coroner has forbidden the
practice. AS yet the only positive evil
dence is that the deceased barrister was
poisoned with anthony, remains of
which were found in his stomach; but
as to whether he took it himself by in
tention or by mistake, or had it given
to him by some one else, there is really
no direct testimony whatever. The
case hitherto has chiefly consisted of a
searching inquiry into the most init
mate details of private life, and the
result has been some shocking disclos-
ures.
Mrs. Bravo's first husband, Captain
Ricardo, son of the political economist
and brother of the present Countess of
March, who will one day be the
Duchess of Richmond, drank himself to
death. After this, Mrs. Ricardo fell
into the hands of DR.. Gully, well
known hydropathic, homeopathic and
doctor at Malvern, with
whom she formed an improper init
macy. Mrs. Ricardo is about 80 years
of age, and DR.. Gully 60. Mr.. Bravo,
whom Mrs. Ricardo married after
a very brief acquaintance, was about
twenty-five, a young barrister, with an
allowance from his stepfather of f2O0
a year, and scarcely any practice. Mrs.
Bravo has "a, 1000 year, and it is liter
ally clear that Mr.. Bravo married her
for her money. His own small income
went in great part to a little "establish-
is to say, a mistress and
child, at pleasure place on the
Thames; and he began to live on his
wife soon after he was married. More
over, his mother, acting in his behalf,
objected to Mrs. Bravo's expenditure
of her own money, and wished her to
give up her maid and put down her
ponies. Four thousand year in En-
gland is supposed to justify these lux
uries, and Mrs. Bravo was naturally
by finding herself subjected
to this shabby persecution.
1t is difficult to ascertain how far
Mrs. Bravo disclosed to her husband
The fact of her relations with DR.. Gully;
she says she told him all, but this may
be doubted. At any rate he found rea-
sou to suspect that the intrigue was not
1T an end, and was constantly referring
to DIR. Gully and wishing he were dead.
He even told his wife that they must
separate, and that the money could be
could have half. This,
however, is her story, and is open to
question. There can be no doubt that
Mr.. Bravo was in very passionate
mood on the day on which he was tax
IN i'll that he had had several quarrels
with his wife, and was man who,
though naturally of high spirits, fell
into fits of depression and ungoverna-
Die rage when put out. Under these
it is not likely that he
poisoned himself. Mrs. Cox, Mrs.
Bravo's companion, or sheep dog"
says he told her he had taken poison on
account of DR.. Gully; but he himself
old Sir w. Gully, the physician, that
ne had taken only laudanum.
All that can be said at present is, that
f any one gave Mr.. Bravo anthony
here is no direct evidence on the SUBJ
ect; only suspicion as to motives in
hat direction. Mrs. Bravo has been |
put through an agonizing catechism as
o her past life, her chastity, her habits
If drinking, and so on, and there is fur
her ordeal to 60 through in the rest of
he examination. She is lady-like per-
ION, though worn with care and anxiety,
and gives her testimony with much
,cntannsS hut broken NV bursts of |