ATTEMPT TO REVIVE THE BRAVO MYSTERY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 3318, 5 April 1879, Page 2

ATTEMPT TO REVIVE THE BRAVO MYSTERY.

A statement referring to the Bravo case has been sent us (Home paper, of January 27th) by two reporters, who profess to have received it from an authoritative source, and from it we give the following extracts : — Some documents which have recently been discovered throv light upon this case. It will be remembered that a reward of LSOO was offered by the friends of Mrs Bravo to any person who should come forward and prove the sale of antimony to the deceased. On August 20th, 1876, the following note was sent to Dr Gully: "Inconfidence. Dear sir, — lam in a position to unravel the whole of the mystery attached to Mr C. Bravo, providing I could see you privately, so as to exonerate all parties. — I am, yours faithfully, ."The advertisement offering the reward appeared in a newspaper of July 15th, 1876, when it was seen by the writer of this note. He wrote to one of Mrs Bravo's counsel, stating that he had supplied the deceased with certain powders, Mr Bravo having communicated with him, in consequence of an advertisement which had emanated from him. This advertisment ran as follows :— " Dipsomania (intemperance) is curable. Read the following : Colonel M states he cured his sister unknown to herself, and found the remedy far more efficacious than signing the pledge or attending temperance lectures. A wise women. — This lady was recommended to try the effects of the remedy on her husband by a friend, whose husband was so intoxicated at the time he had to attend to his duty that he would surely have been dismissed had she not taken the precaution to have a packet onhand ; he was sobered in five minutes. This wise lady tried the effect unknown on her husband and saved him his appointment. Captain S. S. writes: — 'His wife wa3 addicted to drink for years, and for weeks incapable of intending her household duties. Has now abstained six months. I consider her cured by followiug the instructions sent," &c. The chemist was in the habit of making up the powders himself. He describes tham as a "compound containing antimony." This drug he says he used to get from Torquay. On March 15th, 1876, he received a letter from Mr Bravo enclosing twenty-seven shillixjg stamps, and which desired him to forward six packets at once, to the post-office, Temple-bar. The package waa to be labelled 'To be left till called for,' and the chemist posted it himself. On Dec. 14, 1876, an eminent analytical chemist connected with one of the principal metropolitan hospitals examined some of these powders. His report is as follows : " I have analysed these powders, and I found the weights to range fcom onequarter of a grain to about one -half grain per powder. It is probable that a quantity of the substance had been weighed out and then mechanically subdividedinto powders, the size being judged by the eye. I find the powders to consist nearly entirely of soluble antimonial compound, commonly known as tartaremetic. Each powder contains about two-fifths of a grain of tartar-emetic, tinged with a minute quantity of an inert orange-red pigment. The quantity of this is too minute to permit of an exact determination of its nature ; it contained, however, a trace of an iron compound."