The Mysterious Death of Charles Bravo

The Mysterious Death of Charles Bravo
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A level 3 Oxford Bookworms Library graded reader. Written for Learners of English by Tim Vicary.

Charles Bravo died from the poison antimony. He took three days to die, and the doctors could do nothing to help him. There were three people who had reasons for wanting Charles Bravo dead – Florence Bravo herself, Charles Bravo's new young wife; Dr James Gully, Florence's former lover; and Mrs Jane Cox, Florence's friend and companion. But the enquiry into the death in 1876 could not decide who the murderer was, and for more than 130 years people have wondered who did kill Charles Bravo…

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THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF CHARLES BRAVO

In England in the 1800s, during the time of Queen Victoria, women did not have an easy time. A married woman had to obey her husband in everything; she could not decide things for herself. Only a man could do that for her. And if she had a bad husband, who beat her, she could do nothing about it.

Florence Bravo was young, beautiful, and rich, but she was not lucky in her husbands. Her first husband drank too much, and beat her. She left him and took a lover, who was kind and gentle, but he was already married. Then she married Charles Bravo …

Five months later, Charles Bravo was dead, killed by antimony poisoning. But who gave him the antimony? Who wanted him dead? Or was it an accident, and not murder at all?

This is a true story about a murder in 1876. It was a very famous case. The newspapers at the time were full of it, and everybody in England was talking about it. But no murderer was ever found …

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ISBN: 978 0 19 479387 2
A complete recording of this Bookworms edition of The Mysterious Death of Charles Bravo is available in an audio CD pack. ISBN: 978 0 19 479385 8
Printed in China
Word count (main text): 11,550
For more information on the Oxford Bookworms Library,
visit www.oup.com/elt/bookwormswww.oup.com/elt/bookworms
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Illustrations by: Adam Willis/Artist Partners
The publishers would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce images: Getty Images pp.12 (Bravo inquest/Hulton Archive), 14 (Florence Bravo/Hulton Archive), 27 (Dr James Gully/ Hulton Archive), 41 (The Priory, Balham/Hulton Archive), 51 (Charles Bravo/Hulton Archive); John Frost Historical Newspapers pp.10 (Four Doctors), 13 (Charles Bravo & Florence Ricardo)
e-Book ISBN 978 0 19 463029 0
e-Book first published 2014

PEOPLE IN THIS STORY

Florence Bravo, wife of Charles Bravo; previously, Florence Ricardo, wife of Alexander Ricardo

Charles Bravo, second husband of Florence Bravo; died April 1876

Joseph Bravo, stepfather of Charles Bravo

Alexander Ricardo, first husband of Florence Bravo; died April 1871

Dr James Gully, famous doctor, and lover of Florence Bravo

Mrs Jane Cox, friend and companion of Florence Bravo

George Griffiths, Florence Bravo’s coachman

Mary Ann Keeber, Florence Bravo’s maidservant

Doctors who saw Charles Bravo during his illness:

Dr Harrison, a doctor from Streatham

Dr Moore, a doctor from Balham

Dr Royes Bell, a doctor and cousin to Charles Bravo

Dr George Johnson, a well-known London doctor, and a friend of Royes Bell

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Полный текст доступен на www.litres.ru



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