THE
0
XONGKONG TELEGRAPH. THURSDAY,
APRIL 16, 1936.
Dr. Buck Ruxton: The True Story About.
His
Secret Bride
Later she wrote to tell them that she socks was free and had married Ruxton wore in London.
Ruxton introduced Bolle to Dr. Kango as his wife, and took fur nished lodgings in Barratt-avenue, Wood Green,
HIS
to
MARRIED, DESERTED
REAL WIFE, THEN
THEN FELL IN LOVE WITH 'BELLE'
By CYRIL MORTON
This is the full story of Ruxton, the Parsec doctor, and of Belle Ruxton, his principal victim. It was pieced together after long and exhaustive research.
ISABELLA RUXTON, one of Ruxton's victims, mother of his three children, known to all his friends and patients as his wife, was not his wife.
The police, misled by his statement that they were married, scar- ched vainly marriage registers in England and Scotand. Such a mar- riage would have been bigamous, Ruxton had already a wife in India of his own race and colour. He deserted her soon after their wedding in 1925.
Mrs. Motibai Hakim still lives in Bombay with her parents. She is heartbroken at the desertion and crimesį of her husband.
From the day in 1925 when she said good-bye to Ruxton until exactly ten years later, his wife heard nothing from him. of his doings or his whereabouts, beyond one request for money,
I have at last succeeded in filling that ten-year gap with oven greater detall than did the police who worked on the case. The task entailed weeks of investigation in London, Scotland, and northern England, and the following up of slender clues: more than ten years old,
Buxton WA:4 horn on March 27|fore unius in which celestial fire is thirty-six year ago,
His full name kept burning. WHE Bakhtyar Rustonji Ratanji | Ruxton soon tired of his wife, In] Hakim.
November 1925 he sailed for Europe,
A few days after his birth his lostensibly to study surgery at British parents followed Parsee custom by medien) schools for a higher degree, inviting an antrubugger to east h At first he did not forget her
cam- ativity.
pletely. In March 1920, the time of the Parsee New Year, Ruxton w219 the g of seven Rustin
Paris, contemplating
medical anderwent his first hitiation into studies
life until after bis arrest.
↑
PROUD FAMILY Ruxton's father was last in a long line of Parsee native doctors thr family name "Hakim" itself means "physician-an Ruxton
He was educated at the Sir Jam shet Jerfiblny School for Parsees a Bombay, and then for three years?
tudied at the Wilson College,
at the University Ho Junched
return home.
ogain.
mude his
tralin to try to borrow
were laid out for him, lo
a different suit each day.
LIFE POLICIES
Belle Ruxton loyally tried to make
and her tact retained many a patient
present ns a nurse at nor opera-
BAND CONCERT
He persuaded Belle a success of their life in Lanenster. By kind permission of Lieut.-Colonel A. C. write to one of her sisters in Aus- who had been offended by Ruxton's Marsh and Officers, the Band of the 2nd Bn., They stayed in Barratt-avenue, strange mannerisms. She was even The East Lancashire Regiment will play at the until Buxton secured another alone. sistant's position in mouth London.
During the last five months of 1920 they were sub-tenants of a flat at Grove Park-mond, Lee. Here they are remembered as a couple who quarrelled violently.
Here, on August 21, 1929, their first child. Elizabeth Ava Stewart Ruxian, was born, Ruston · regis- tered the birth himself, glving the of his mistress as "Isabeļla TATIZO Buxton, formerly Kerr."
She showed her financial acumen out ille palleles for inrge suma ng a by insisting that Ruxton should take Road method of saving.
She organised jumble sales for charities and parties for poor children of the town. These social efforts helped Ruxion's practice enormously. He soon had more than a thousand panel patients on his books,
Soon after the birth of his daugh iter, Ruxton real in the medical press
Yet she complained to her rela- that a practice was for sale at Tan- tions that "Bomuni" nikowed ber easter. Ife began negotiations with only 4 a week for housekeeping
solicitor in the district, and in expenses.
П
April 1930 arrived at Lancaster and By this time Dlans, their second put up his brass plate at No. 2. Dal-child, was born. Another child war ton-square, fncing the town hall and still owed great Impatience with
poller station.
mare
Ruxton was proud of his new servants, and, with the exception of position,
Mary Rogerson, none could be in- He began to tell his neighbours dured to stay in the Ruxton house- that he would be walthy and famous. hold for longer than a few month.
"Some day," he said to Mr. T. M.
When he wanted anything he Ireland, who lived at No. 4, "this would call Belle and the servants in
will be renamed Huston-discriminately by clapping his hands aquare in memory of me and my loudly, a trick which he had brought work!"
If people did Lanenstor people promptly nick with him from India. Hamed Ruxton "the Rajnh." This not run to his bidding he became annoyed him very much, as did all Having furnished his house, Rux- slighting references to his Indian ion had become a patron of the arts.
ntionality.
He grently admired a copy of Carreg- Ruxton's greatest ambition was to glo's masterpiece, "The Reading pass as an Englishman, which his Madonna," which he saw in the swarthy complexion and raven-black | studio of a local artist. lanir boficd1.
BLEACHED HAIR
angry.
fle arranged with the artist, Mr. J. Willman seor., 'that Belle should be painted in similar pose and Soon after his arrival in Lancaster | draperies. She was unwilling to give he bleached his hair from its natural the sittings, for she was expecting black to a bright yellow. The effect
birth of a child and pleaded in-
was patchy, the experiment n com-disposition.
plete failure.
He also tried cosmetics to change his swartby complexton. ile began to use flesh-coloured cream and attained
"rosy" complexion which deceived nobody.
Meanwhile, Relle Ruxton had re- Larned from London to Edinburgh with her infant daughter. She worked for a few months as as- sistant manageress in Woolworth's Cafe, Princess-street. Then she re- Joined! Ruxton at Lancaster.
f
him
But Ruxton insisted and the pic- ture was painted.
WRA "Ruxton
the sitting," Mr. Willman told me.
at present:
"He erliteked and made sugges-
tions. When the pleinre WATER finished he rubbed his hands with Rice and jumped for joy, bounding round the studio Hike a ten-year- okl schoolboy.”
Ruxton hung the painting in his consulting room. If patients did not uplies it, he would point it out to them.
arter
the ancient religion of Zoroaster, one day in the Hotel Petrogend, and or "Fire Worshippers." He was went shopping in the, Boulevard invested with the kusti, ar girdle of Haussmum, lavingg
She arrived at Dalton-square to his faith, which he wore all his memorandum in Gujarati of New and said fiercely: "Belle, I bind you stres, but with the Signs of the He put the chain round her neck and the walls of their new home bare Year presents to buy for his wife in to nas with this chain for ever.
One of his patients told me that India:
You
prominently
he discussed the picture with Ruxton, displayed. Rus- The girdle was woven by women
must never take it from your neck,į
ton delighted
ted in explaining their How's that for a fine woman? of the priestly class, and was cam „1"Motibni waja wasta jumper If you do, I
feel some great evil will would talk of the occult for hours, Mr, Ruxton,' he said, smiling all over mystical meaning to visitors und | Ruxton asked me. I agreed. That's posed of seventy-two Uhrends, bluse," (Jumper, blouse, and stock-happen to us,” presenting the seventy-two chapters ing for Pearl" (Motibri),]
Belle wore the chain for many
even when patients were thronging his face. He worshipped her.” the Yana, a book of Parsee såcred
Ruston wrote
waiting-rosstil. afterwards, onte
years, and obeyed Ruxton's injune-;
About this time Ruxton bought. writings.
appealing to his father-in-law for n tion not to remove it.
In these early days at Lanenster, Belle a tinra from a hairdresser. Joan.
The money was sent, and his But in 1934 when she fled to Edin Mrs. Ruxton would remark to her An in those days began the long wife asked him it the same time to burgh on one of the many occasions Kister: "Bommie has A heart of series of violent quarrels between him
the couple which She never Evard from when she determined to leave Ruxe gold."
were to end In ton, her sisters Mrs, Nelson and Mrs, steadily, and soon he fell into the
His debts to tradespeople mounted tragedy on September 44 last year. Although she wrote many letters Madden, noticed that the chain was hands of moneylenders. When they were the talk of Lancaster,
At least twn of Ruxton's quarrels to her, husband through his bankno fanger round her neek. mines to follow his ancestors' prns (puintained a bartless silence.
deter and a firm of travel agents, Ruxton They then felt sure that the link
for repayment he After one quarrel Belle decided for fession, but with degrees of Westernj
of affection between Ruxton and more money from other the first time that she would leave medicine.
He had begun to conduct a new Belle, of which the chain had boos sources to satisfy his most pressing him. She went to Lancaster railway courtship-in-ibig Ruston had a symbol, was at last broken for ever.
[creditors: fallen in love with Isabella Van Ess Ruxton arrived in London in 1927 his natural generosity male him the train she rang Ruxton up and told Betation and bought a ticket for Sent Ruxton's weakness for flattery and land. While she was waiting for the # married woman.
with little
money and no prospects. Pious
Zoroastrian as he was, Rux- For
of countless time he haunted the Indian victim
people who him of her intentions.. tos consulted the slags for omens. Students Jostel They were favourable to his suit. He University in Gower-street, W., try age of his good nature.
sponged upon him and took advan- would
walk hoe jubilantly under ing LO borrow money from their frindly twinkle to his sturlent's jacquaintances. lodgings in the Marchmount district
Members of
A strange trait in his nature was of the Parsed Association | London came to his aid. Mr. II. his dread of the dark. Mrs. Isabella Ess was an Edin-Dastoon, City necountant and priest Although he went for his car in barth girl of no great good looks but of Zoroastrian Teligion in Lon- the mornings to his lock-up garage with plenty natural vivacity..
don, Introduerd Hin various near the police station, he was afraid She had married a young Dutch Parsee doctors who were practising to garage it at night, Belic always
pat man when she was eighteen. Both | in London.
car away for him. realised that their marriage was a
"I am afraid that some one will mistake, youthful infatuation.
come up behind me in the dark and hit me on the head," was his exeuse.
Then they made up the quarrel He disliked dark rooms in the most lovingly and drove back home house, and Insisted on all the together. lights being turned on. Even when they were to be away from home, he left landing instructions that all the Ugh must be switched on at nights. Their electric ghi blils
His family were proud of his scholarship, and determined to send him to London University.
So, in November 11, 1918, a be. wildered "Bommie landed in of Edinburgh.
2 London which had gone mad with delight at the signing of the Armistice.
He was met and guided to a hostel in Cromwell-road, S.W., where he i lived for eight months. He passed the London matriculation examina tion in 1919, studied for a few months at University College, and returned to Bombay in July 1919.
Three years of study at the Grant Medien! College, Bombay, followed, and in 1982 he passed his medical examination, gaining the highest marks of his year in medical juris prudence and midwifery.
A BORROWER Young Dr. Hakim soon became Captain Hakim of the Indian Mexi cal Service.
an
r
ותי
to
SHABBY CLOTHES
Six weeks later they separated, nud Ruxton acted FLS Van Ess returned to Holland. Mrs. Van Ess found employement as Edinburich General Post Office.
waitress at Fairley's Cafe, near
VAIN, JEALOUS
London
assistant and locum tenens to doctors in Highbury and Tooting. The work was heavy. Ruxton did not get on well with his professional brethren; and moved one loctor to another as oppor-
nity occurred.
Ho broke away from his own people for a time and became assist
went regularly to the cafe. He intru prospect of growing rich receded.
Buxton and another Indian doctor His clothes became shabby, and the duced himself to her as Captain Gabriel Hakin, late of the Indian he was in love with her. Medical Service, and told her that
HIS DREAD
were enormous.
Although Ruxton feared the dark alone, he liked nothing better than nt to Dr. A. Hoda, Moslem, of a drive in the Lake District at night, Forest-road, Walthamstow, E. Dr. if he had company. Hodn remembers ILakim, the little
"love"
դ.
LIKE MADMAN
Ruxton ran out of the house liko
drove to the station
madman, jumped in his car and at full speed through the just before the train left, and had town. He caught her
an altercation with her on the plat form.
Then he rounded on the porter "You had no right to let her do who had put her bag in the earringe. it" he exclaimed.
On another Occasion ho told friends and acquaintances that he, and his wife had quarrelled furiously. In Lancaster Befle maintained a proud reserve regarding her differ- ences with Ruxton. But she un- burdened herself to Mrs. Nelson, her sister.
Many times she told Mrs. Nelson that she had a presentiment that Ruxton would kill her in a temper Home day. "It won't be planned," she would say. "He'll just do it," In July 1933, his son Bill was boch. Raxion was delighted. “I hayo gol a son now,” he kept ex- elaiming Belle Ruxton chose his names, William Gladstone Stewart,
"Call me 'Bommie," he asked her Parsee doctor who stayed with him in once to Balle and her friends. "The moon is full," he said more For two years Ruxton saw service Christian name was Belle. He ex-struck Dr. Ioda, as being a very Windermere. It's so, romantic.
when he had discovered that her for only eight weeks during 1928. Ile "Let's go and ratch it shine on in Bagdad and Insrah. His brother plained that "Bommile" officers, several of whom are now in mother's pet name for him, and that versity.
War his humble type of man, crushed by ad- Ils romanticlam extended to London, remember him as a conit made him feel less lonely to be scientious, capable doctor, but with
of poetry. One of his favourite He once confided to Dr. Hoda poems was "The Secret of Death," eniled by i uncontrollable
temper nel 4 Belle soon found that her dark woakness for borrowing money,
that he was desperately in love contained in Sir Edwin Arnold's col-
lection of Oriental postry. girl In Edinburgh. May 1925 Ruxton returned to skinned lover was vain, jealous, and Bombay, and married Miss Moti ambitious, He showed intense an
last found a haven and!
treasured, much-thumbed | lo spoiled his three children. He noyance if she smiled at other men. Ifere, he met Dr. A. D. Jilla, another other books for a few pence at the merit punishment and was foolishly bai (Pearl) Jehangirji Ghadiala. customers in the restaurant.
in the slums of Stepney. volume was sold with parcels of punished them when they did not He was five years younger than his bride.
Her three married sisters, Mrs. Parade doctor, who now has a prae- auction of Ruxton's goods after his lenient with them when they were Nelson, Mrs. Madden, and
Poplar,
In
stand
Л
with
Mrs.
tice
Tho
arrest.
perly when Boumis spoils them naughty. Belle was often in despair. "How can I bring them up pro-
no7 she wailed.
The wedding ceremony was per- Trench, who all lived in Edinburgh, B. R. Ryzate, an English doctor inapecinity marked in the margin. It
Dr. Jilla introduced him to Dr. formed with Parseo rites at the were dirmayed when Ruxton was
I noticed that a passago had been Atish-bahram, the Parsee Fire Temple, where priests
them as
"Belle's Cannon-street-read, Stepney, who rend: beaded to
was then more than seventy years Belle liked to hear her "Bommie old and needed an assistant..
Offers, knowing it threefold, It thrice-I say-fears not
The Ruxtons often went to Black- boost of wint a clever doctor he
Mr. I. Kudish, a Stepney chemist my noose
pool, where they usually stayed at was, and how he was going to be a few doors away, usually made up
Cast round his body-dles refole-round the side shows with the zest of the Savoy Hotel Ruxton dashed | Ruxton's prescriptions.
ingly,
Lost! 42 Pounds
of Fat In 12 Weeks
That is the happy report of Mrs, Mar
Mrak, Gary, Enrot
rich and famous some day. Ambi- Llous herself, covetous of wealth she thought that
and post her help might do big!
Ruxton things. Monnwille Ruxton had ant at In-Hank, 1.3.A., alnes Edinburgh for his F.R.C.S. diploma
taking tankoru. This and failed. He gave up his position
"Many people in this district And passeth to the peace of Swar- swear by Dr. Ruxton to this day."
galok!" Mr. Kudish told me "Several Rending was Ruxton's favourito women patients still speak of him occupation. He despised any hobby as the man who saved their lives or recreation like gardening or golf when other doctors had falled." which involved physical exortion.
There were times when his eccen-
In 1920 Ruxton regularised his
Amaking new wat in the eye clinic of the Edinburgh change of name by deed and left tricity roomed akin to madness.
mont banishes '«»'
cess fat in the safe Infirmary, and decided to return to Stopnay. and natural way by London.
clear water from "I will soon save up enough money
the Intestines to buy a practice,"
removing
retained
he told Belle,
FOLLOWED HIM
a small boy. Ile loved to be photo- |graphed in ridiculous positions,
SINISTER SIDE
There was a sinister side, how- ever, to Ruxon's attentions to his children, if Bello Ruxton was telling the truth.
The bath at his house in Dalton- Laquare was chipped and shabby. Hq She complained to one of her Installed the now porcelain bath sisters that when two-year-old which figured ad prominently at his mokture from fattyLater on I will come back to Edin- tried for a third time to obtain his
Diana cried out continually in He again. went to Edinburgh and trinl.
the night, Ruxton would get out tiation. Take a little burgh for you.".
When the now, bath was in post- Bankors in half a
F.R.C.S.
of bed and put the child to sleep degree. Again, he failed tion he gave orders that none was glass of orange Jules Defore menia for th Before Ruxton left. Edinburgh they On his return to London he accepted to use it but himself. He put the
with a whiff of anaesthetic. made an arrangement that they position with Dr. J. Kanaga, of old both in the cellar, Thero the would marry when Belle's marriage Bounds Green-road, Wood Green, Nother members with her Dutch husband had been another Parsee doctor.
Ruxton's temper became. even of the family and servants had to take their baths..7
more dangerous, dissolved.
At their leave-taking Ruxton to London. She had told her sisters cleanliness excessive and expensive he had quarrelled violently with hor Mr. Ruxton found Bommis's" Even in their early Lancaster days "bound" Bello to him ceremoniously in Edinburghi in September 1928 that in laundry bills. with a chain of gold.
It was a thin chain with thy also could get free from hor marriage. complete set of clean underwear and
bocnded he said she danced too much sho was going to Holland to see if Daph morning a-cloan shirt and with obter doctor."
(Continued on Pugo 7)
Text week Bee how quickly your un-: "wanted poenda vanish by the "Sexy stew.” as shown above. Eat plenty. Juss select the foods you like in their proper combinaton-an they not Sarsı 10, fat Free Has stove how to choose Dve porrect.rcombinaloes, Know the JOY af health and a slim, attractive, youthral Agure. For sale al mit chetto la Lan.
Inabelin Van Eas had followed him
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