THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 8, 1939
TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE
NO. 71-THE BRAVO CASE
BY VINCENT TOWNE
Florence Ricardo, a wealthy, fus- cinating widow, still in her twenties lived at Balham, on the outskirts of London. Among her suitors was a young Oxford graduate, Charles Bravo,, a handsome, clever, promis- ing barrister, the only son of а wealthy mother. Bravo proposed to the charming widow but before she would agree to accept him she sub- jected herself to a painful humilia- tion exacted on her by a paid com- panion-Mrs. Cox-dwelling in house.
her
in-
BRAVO LAY STRETCHED UPON THE FLOOR,
(Mrs. Bravo's former cavaller). Don't tell Florence!"
The verdict of the jury, which re- mained out two and a half hours, was: "We find that Mr. Charles De- launey Turner Bravo did not com- mit suicide; that he did not meet his death by misadventure; that he was wilfully murdered by the adminis- tration of tartar emetic, but that there' is not sufficient evidence to fix the gullt upon any person or persons."
No one was ever tried for Bravo's mysterious death. The fact that aged Doctor Gulley's wife was still living seemed to dispose of any mo- tive that Mrs. Bravo might have had for disposing of her husband. After the verdict the police offered a large reward for evidence leading to the conviction of the murderer, but no further light was ever thrown upon the case, which so sorely distressed Mrs. Bravo that she went into
A
Mrs. Cox wielded an uncanny
After the coroner's jury had re- information showing where the anti- decline, suffering a painful death fluence over the young, widow, a
turned an open verdict that left themony had been obtained.
within a year after her husband's power which had induced Mrs. mystery unsolved, some of Bravo's Some of the most famous legal demise. Ricardo to confess to her secret friends petitioned
a
the Government minds in Great Britain represented liaison which, since her husband's for a special inquiry. This second the two families, and so important DOCTOR ROBBED death, she had had with Doctor Gul-inquest lasted 23 days, and cost an was the case that the Government ley, an eminent physician over 60 enormous sum, spent, not only by the sent the Attorney General to cross- years of age. And when Bravo ask-Crown but by the respective fami-examine the witnesses. ed the 'widow to marry him, Mrs. lies of Mr. and Mrs. Bravo.
The sensation of the hearing was this Forty-three witnesses were ex-sprung by Mrs. Cox, who stated that to amined and the dead man's solicitor the dying man confessed to her, "I Bravo's credit that he readily for-offered a reward of 500 pounds for have taken poison for Doctor Gulley gave his tearful sweetheart, promis- ing, upon his own initiative, never to refer to that chapter of her other- wise innocent life. So the couple were married, and Mrs. Cox tinued to live with them.
Cox persuaded her to confess intrigue to her suitor.
It was
con-
The Bravos now had every pro- spect for happiness and prosperity. They were both blessed with youth, healthy, wealth, cleveness and а passionate love for each other. But, no sooner had they settled down than the husband became seized with an insane jealousy of his wife's past. Repeatedly he fell into fits of brood- ing, followed by periods when he would taunt her with that period of her life which he had solemnly agre- ed never to mention, Again and. again she assured him of her con- stancy to him, which he never doubt- cd, but the more his love for her grew the greater his jealousy developed.
One morning, after they had been married about six months, Mrs. Bravo drove her husband to his office in London, and during the drive he reopened the painful subject of her former adventure. Seeing that he had caused her to weep, he be- came remorseful, begging her to kiss him, which at first she refused to do. But presently she yielded, and they had a happy reconciliation.
疲
In London that day Bravo had lunch with a friend, who thought him in the best of health and spirits. Returning home early, he went for a horseback ride, and his mount bolt- ed with him and shook him up; but he dressed for dinner, as did his wife and her companion, and the three sat down to an unusually plea- sant meal. The Bravos retired ear- ly to their adjoining rooms, and after the wife had fallen asleep her companion from another part of the
house heard Bravo call to his wife:
"Florence! Florence! Hot water!"
Mrs. Cox found Bravo in great
agony and Mrs. Bravo still asleep
in her room. She awakened the wife, who immediately came.
to
The sick
her husband's assistance. man lay stretched upon the floor and to his bride he muttered that he was in great agony. She imme- diately sent for 'physicians, and after three had arrived she sent in to London for a fourth, the noted con- sultant, Sir William Gull.
Obtaining from Bravo a cónfèssion-j that he had taken laudanum for neuralgia of the lower Jaw, Sir Wil- liam accused the sick man of hay- ing taken some stronger drug.. but he only muttered: "I swear I have only taken, laudanum and I can tell you nothing more."
Throughout his 'suffering he treat- ed his wife with the tenderest affec- tion and called for her whenever she went out of his sight. His behavior toward Mrs. Cox was kindly, and his entire attitude was that of а man unaware of the source d' his sufferinga. After 30 hours of agony, he died, and the post-mortem proved that he had been poisoned, not by laudanum, but by 40 grains of anti- mony or tartar emetic.
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Dr. Basil Thompson's residence, No. 33, Jordan Road (ground floor), was entered yesterday between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and a typewriter and clothing to the value of $403, was stolen.
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