The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-22
POISON AND MYSTERY.
A Case Of Poisoning in High
Life in England.
CURIOUS FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
The Coroners Inquest Kept Secret-Who Did
the Murder

the spring Of the present year remarkable tho crim
inai annals OF England.
FIRST INITIATION
OF the terrible affair In the metropolitan journals APP
pcarcd on tho 10th inst, and ran iollows:-
TRAGEDY.
Westminster Hall Is rule, too busy with briefs
to occupy itself with specuatons possible cases for
criminal courts But 1t Is Just profoundly stirred
by grave suspicons and agitated by the fear that
tragedy has been enacted almost within It's precincts.
We tell the story It Is current ut the Bar suppress
Ing names and desiring only TO further tho ends
OF justice. Three weeks ago young barrster
who was rapidly gaining position In West
minste. Hall suddenly stricken with illness While
sitting ut his table IN HIS house He was carried
was sent Tor, who used the stomach pump and admin
stered brandy. Under this treatment the patient
slightly rallied, but only to suffer cxcrucating tor.
lures The local doctor insisted upon distinguished
physician beng sent Tor from London, and upon his ar
rival the patient was pronounced to be suffering from
metallic poison The patient gradually sank and dIcd
An inquest was held upon the body, and u post-lnor.
tenn examination revealed the fact that the deceased
had swallowed
Tho proceedings u the inquest described as
being peculiar The local doctor who had At.
tended upon me deceased came forward aud prouered
MS evidence, but was informed i not necessary
Al the time OF the seizure the deceased had finished
drinking half bottle OF Burgundy, aud u Is said In
Westminster Hail land prefer 10 leave the respon
sibillty Of such an
ASTOUNDING STATEMENT
with the learned gentlemen whose lips It Is cur
rcnt-hat the Coroner Tor the satisfaction of the j"ry
to be examined the other half OF the bottle
OF wine which the dead man had been drinking when
seized with the pains VI DEATH but fresh bottle from
the cellar which found DO in excellent condition
anu free from anthony No explanation was gwen Of
verdict OF death by poison administered by some per-
son unknown The deceased had been married a fow
months These arc the bare facts OF case which,
strange to say has hitherto been kept out OF the COL
uMns OF the newspapers II would be manifestiy i'm
proper TO state any grounds OF suspicion OF foul play
but rightly wrongly the deccaseds comrades at tho
communicated them to the Home Secretary, with
what result may shortly be seen.
TIE PRESS on TIM oUI WYE.
The metropolitan press which has remained in entire
Ignorance during three Of this tragca event. has
now taken the up and newspapers have odilo-
rails upon il. Tho Morning Post Of to-day has very
strong one, which with explanation the
why the had not been reported at the time
tho columns Of the Post and Of the other mcropol-
Tan journals This explanation is worth ranscrbing
In the pages OF the HERALD other than
to show how deren. these respects Is the London
from the New York press II would be difficult 10
ceive OF death from violent poison occurring Brook
lyn Tor instance, which would not find record in the
HERALD until three weeks had PASSED. The Post
says:-
Two days ago published a paragraph from the
Chaplain Observer, which gave a somewhat general
count OF very sad event which occurred nearly three
weeks ago at BALKAN. and readers were doubtless
surprised that should have been indebted TO our
for Information respecting an occurrence
within Tho metropolitan district and
ncnty calculated to arrest the public attention.. A
young, wealthy professional gentleman died OF the Of
fccts OF poison in his own house An inquest
bed and an open verdict returned that death had been
occasioned by n large dose OF mineral poison, and
". not single line Of Information was com
purvcyos OF intelligence to the public We arc
simply accusing ourselves OF neglect of duty, but
~ ono sense we plead guilty to the charge II must be
in the company OF all contemporaries. Why, IL
will be asked, was not our reporterv present the
rnqucstY Why not the proceedings published in
duo course IL deserving public atteutlnnY No less in
justice 10 ourselves than with the object OF directing
notice TO matter Of considerable importance to the
community. we Will answer this question FOR many
years past the accounts OF proceedings at Coroners
inquests have been furnished TO tho press
tho movements OF the Corouers. and who
send their reports to the various metropolitan
journals Although tho Coroncrs Court Is OF the
most ancient in the kingdom, It Is extremely perpa-
tetic, sometimes being held In taproom OF a public
house, sometimes in the boardroom OF u workhouse,
sometimes IN the drawing room OF private mansion.
potan district is very large aud tho majority call for
neither notice nor comment II will be therefore,
that beyond the fact that inquest DO hold with
open doors there fcw, II any guarantees that
thorough publicity which in such inquiries is desirabe
and that II may depend accident design whether
OF particular account appears IN tho public
Journals reporter may not have thought
It worth while to attend particular inquest; or, ir
such attendance has taken place. has been thought
inexpedicnt to publish the proceedings In many
cases, particularly those OF suicide, relations arc
to avoid publicity being given to what they re-
gard private misfortune, and II is notorious that
these wishes are frequently complied with. The result
Is tnat u docs not by any means follow that proceed
made public.
YuILER DETAILS
OF this most extraordinary my scrous affair arc ut
last published, and may DO briefly stated foows:-
AT BALKAN, in a handsome house, lived
Mr. CHARLES TURNER BRAVO,
rising barrstcr, member OF the Homo Circuit aged
thirty years. with his wife, whom he married about the
beginning OF the present year, and who the widow
OF an officer In the Guards named Ricardo The lady 3
antccedents are Of this Her former husband
Ricardo, had to institute proceedings for
divorce from his wife, but died while tho suit was
pending. Mrs. Ricardo derived considerable fortune
from her husband and lived in good style with a CON-
panion or housckcepor, a Mrs. Cox. On tho 18th OF
last month Mr. Bravo returned from his business us
usual and after his customary before dinner sat
down to that meal in company with his wife and her
companion, ana drank during tho course OF dinner
THREE GLASSES BURGUNDY
from bottle which had been specially decantcd for
him. Mr. Bravo retired to his after dinner, but
his bell rang violently, and he complained to tho
servant of great suffering the stomach and abdomen
DR.. Moore, resident the ncghborhood was sent for
and found Mr.. Bravo lying back In a char, brcathng
heavily and quito unconscious He partly un-
dressed and Mrs Cox rubbing his chest. DR..
Moore having Instantly recognized the danger which
the patient lay administered of brandy and
a mustard poucc over the heart Soon Dr. Harrison,
tho regular family medical attendant arrived and in
the early morning Or. Johnson and a cousin or Mr..
Bravo tMr. BelI both OF Kings College Hospital.
Tho unfortunate passed the night In intense suffer-
ing, vomiting continually. During the period OF uu-
Mrs Cox had told OF the ply sicans
that snc had heard Mr. Bravo cxclai,n,
~ RAVE TAKEN POISON
In the morning, however, consciousness returned.
aud his mother was sent Tor A. her instance tho
nent physician,
sfR WILLIAM GULL
was summoned to her sons bedside, and no at once
pronounced HIM to be suffering from the effects or
powerful irrilant poison scclng that recovery was
impossible Sir William advised tho dying man to settle
his Affairs Dr. johnson and Sir William both earnestly
questioned Mr.. Bravo TO what he had taken but he
solcmnly denied having taken anything except some