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书虫3级《查尔斯·布拉沃的死亡之谜》11. 疑点

所属教程:书虫3级 查尔斯·布拉沃的死亡之谜

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2022年10月02日

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11. The mystery

Did Charles Bravo kill himself, or was he murdered? After listening to everyone's story, the Coroner came to a decision.

After listening to everyone's story, the Coroner came to a decision.

* * *

The Times

Friday 11th August 1876

Charles Bravo Murdered!

Yesterday the Coroner read out this decision: 'Mr Charles Bravo did not commit suicide and he did not die by accident. He was murdered with the poison antimony. But it is impossible to say which person – or persons – killed him.'

* * *

But was the Coroner right? And if so, who killed Charles Bravo? Over the years since 1876, many books and television programmes have asked these questions. But they have all given different answers.

The police learnt that the coachman, George Griffiths, was in Kent when Charles Bravo died, and his new employer said that was true. So Griffiths was not the murderer, but was he telling the truth when he said there was no antimony left in the stables? Perhaps there was some antimony left there – and someone found it, and used it. Or perhaps the antimony didn't come from the stables at all.

Here are the four main possible answers to the mystery.

First possible answer: Charles Bravo killed himself

It is difficult to believe that Charles Bravo meant to kill himself. Why would he do that? He was young and healthy, he seemed happy, he had a rich wife – he had every reason to live. And to die from antimony is a very painful, horrible death.

But perhaps he killed himself by accident. Is that possible? Think about it. Charles Bravo was not a very nice man. He married Florence for her money, not because he loved her. He hit her when she argued with him. She drank a lot of wine, and he didn't like that. Maybe he found the antimony in the stables, and put a little in her wine, to stop her drinking. After all, Florence did that to her first husband.

If he was using antimony in this way, perhaps he put some antimony in his water bottle by mistake; then forgot about it, and later drank from the bottle when he was thirsty.

Mrs Cox said he told her: 'I have taken some of that poison.' Did he really say that? And did Mrs Cox know which poison he was talking about? Probably not. She told Dr Harrison he had taken chloroform.

But then, if Charles knew he had taken antimony by mistake, why didn't he tell the doctors about it? 'I only took laudanum, nothing else,' he told them. And laudanum didn't kill him.

Second possible answer: Dr Gully killed Charles Bravo

Dr Gully loved Florence. He wanted to marry her. He hated Charles Bravo, and he was worried and angry when Jane Cox told him that Charles sometimes hit Florence. Did Dr Gully write that letter to Charles Bravo saying: 'You don't love her. You just wanted her money, that's all.' ? Charles Bravo certainly thought so.

Dr Gully certainly wrote to Mrs Cox, and sent her medicine for her mother. He was a doctor, he could easily buy antimony if he wanted. And maybe he thought: 'If Charles Bravo is dead, then Florence will come back to me.'

But then, how could he get into the house, and into Charles Bravo's bedroom, to put the poison in the water bottle? No one saw him there; he hadn't been inside the house for months. But perhaps he did buy the antimony. And perhaps another person put it in the water bottle. Jane Cox, perhaps? Or Florence?

Dr Gully lived until 1882. The last years of his life were unhappy. No other doctors would speak to him or read his books. He didn't spend much time with Florence, either. She wasn't interested in him any more.

Third possible answer: Jane Cox killed Charles Bravo

Jane Cox was Florence's companion and her friend. She knew and liked Dr Gully but she thought he was too old for Florence. So she introduced her to a younger man, Charles Bravo.

At first she thought Charles was a good husband for Florence, but she soon changed her mind. He was angry and unkind; he hit Florence when she argued with him. He got rid of many servants, and he tried to get rid of Jane Cox, too. So Jane Cox would lose her friend, and her job. She had three sons at school – how would she pay for them?

Mrs Cox knew Charles Bravo drank from his water bottle every night. She could easily go into his bedroom and put antimony in the bottle.

There are many questions about Jane Cox.

When Charles opened his bedroom door, shouting for hot water, why didn't Mrs Cox come out? She wasn't asleep. But she did nothing until the maid, Mary Ann, came to fetch her. And then, when she went into Charles's bedroom, she sent Mary Ann out, again and again. Why? Because she wanted to be alone with Charles, perhaps? What did she do when she was alone with him? Give him more poison, perhaps? Burn the rest of the antimony on the fire? Clean out the water bottle, to make sure there were no grains of antimony left inside?

Why did she send for Dr Harrison, when Dr Moore lived much closer? Was she telling the truth, about what Charles said to her?

Some people say that Mrs Cox did it, because she was afraid of losing her job. She was a poor widow and needed the money.

But there is a problem with this, too. Jane Cox's aunt, who lived in Jamaica, was very rich. And her aunt was dying. A month before Charles Bravo died, this rich aunt had left all her money to Mrs Cox's sons.

So Jane Cox didn't really need a job any more. And after Charles's death, she stopped working for Florence. She took her sons to Jamaica, and lived in a big house there. She was a rich lady, and died in 1917, aged ninety.

Perhaps she did kill Charles Bravo. But she didn't do it for the money.

Fourth possible answer: Florence killed Charles Bravo

Florence's first husband, Alexander Ricardo, died because he drank too much. Before she left him, Florence tried to stop him drinking by putting small amounts of antimony in his wine, to make him sick.

Florence was a very rich young woman. She had a fine house, with lots of servants and horses. She liked to do things her own way. But she lived at a time when men told women what to do. When a man married a woman, all her money belonged to him. If a wife argued with her husband, the husband often hit her.

When Alexander hit her, Florence ran away, to Dr Gully. Dr Gully was the only man in her life who was kind to her. But she couldn't marry him, because he was too old and his wife was still alive. So she married Charles Bravo instead.

She was only married to Charles for five months. They had many arguments, and he often hit her. He sold her horses; he got rid of her coachman, George Griffiths. They argued about money, they argued about servants, they argued about her drinking. She lost her baby, and he tried to get rid of her friend, Jane Cox. Florence had many reasons to hate him.

Was she really asleep, when he drank the poison? Charles shouted for help outside her bedroom, but she didn't hear him. She lay in bed with her eyes closed.

Did she find some antimony in the stables? Did she put the antimony into his water bottle?

But then, when she woke up, she tried hard to save him. She sent for five different doctors. All the doctors thought she was very upset. And Charles didn't think she had killed him. 'You've been the best of wives,' he said. His cousin, Dr Royes Bell, heard him. Charles left all his money to her.

After the enquiry, Florence Bravo left The Priory and went to live in Southsea, on the south coast of England. Her brother invited her to start a new life with him in Australia, but she refused. In Southsea she was lonely and unhappy. She didn't talk to Jane Cox or Dr Gully. She drank more and more wine every day. In September 1878, two years after her husband's death, she died. She had killed herself by drinking so much alcohol. She was thirty-three years old.

So did she love her husband, or did she kill him?

No one knows.

11. 疑点

查尔斯·布拉沃是自杀还是他杀?听了以上各位的讲述,验尸官作出了结论。

《泰晤士报》

1876年8月11日,星期五

查尔斯·布拉沃遇害!

昨天验尸官宣读了这一结论:查尔斯·布拉沃先生不是自杀,也不是意外死亡。他是被锑毒死的。但是有关于是哪个人或哪些人杀害了他,还尚无定论。

但是验尸官的结论正确吗?如果是正确的,那是谁害死了查尔斯·布拉沃呢?1876年以来的这些年里,许多书和电视节目都提出了这些问题,但他们都给出了不同的答案。

警方得知,查尔斯·布拉沃去世时马车夫乔治·格里菲思人在肯特。对此,乔治的新雇主可以作证。因此,格里菲思不可能杀人。但他说马厩里没剩下锑是不是实话呢?也许马厩里还剩下了一点儿锑——有人发现了它,并把它派上了用场。也或许,那些锑根本就不来自于马厩。

下面是对查尔斯·布拉沃离奇死亡的四种主要可能性解释:

第一种可能性解释:查尔斯·布拉沃自杀说

很难让人相信,查尔斯·布拉沃是有意要自杀的。他为什么要自杀呢?他年轻,健康,看上去很快乐,还有个富有的妻子——他完全没有理由自杀。而且,锑中毒而死是一个非常痛苦而可怕的死法。

不过,也许是他不小心误伤了自己。这可能吗?想想看。查尔斯·布拉沃不是一个非常和善的人。他娶弗洛伦丝是因为看上了她的钱,而不是爱她。当她跟他争辩时,他还打她。弗洛伦丝爱喝酒,他不喜欢这一点。也许他在马厩里发现了锑,就放了一点儿在她的酒里,以阻止她喝酒。毕竟,弗洛伦丝对她的首任丈夫也这样干过。

如果他这样使用锑,也许他就误把一些锑放进了自己的水瓶里,然后就忘了这件事,后来他口渴时,就喝下了水瓶中的水。

考克斯太太说查尔斯告诉她,“我服了些那种毒药。”他真的说过这话吗?考克斯太太知道他指的是哪种毒药吗?很可能不知道。她告诉哈里森医生说他服了氯仿。

但是,如果当时查尔斯知道自己误服了锑,他为什么不告诉医生呢?“我只吃了鸦片酊,没吃别的。”他跟几个医生这样说,而鸦片酊是不足以致命的。

第二种可能性解释:格利医生害人说

格利医生爱弗洛伦丝。他想要娶她。他恨查尔斯·布拉沃,当简·考克斯告诉他说查尔斯有时会打弗洛伦丝时,他又急又怒。那封写给查尔斯·布拉沃,写有“你不爱她,你就是想要她的钱,仅此而已。”的信是格利医生写的吗?查尔斯·布拉沃肯定是这样想的。

当然,格利医生给考克斯太太写过信,还把给她母亲治病的药寄给了她。他是医生,如果他需要锑,他很轻易就能买得到。也许格利医生是这样想的:“如果查尔斯·布拉沃死了,弗洛伦丝就会回到我身边。”

但是,格利医生怎么能进入房子,走进查尔斯·布拉沃的卧室,并把毒药放入水瓶中呢?没有人在现场看到他,他已经有几个月都不去他们家了。但也许他确实买了些锑,然后是另一个人把锑倒进了水瓶中。可能是简·考克斯?抑或是弗洛伦丝?

格利医生于1882年去世。他在世的最后几年过得并不开心。没有医生愿意跟他说话,愿意看他写的书。他与弗洛伦丝呆在一起的时间也不多。她已不再对他感兴趣了。

第三种可能性解释:简·考克斯害人说

简·考克斯是弗洛伦丝的陪护兼朋友。她认识格利医生,也很喜欢他。但她觉得格利医生年纪太大了,配不上弗洛伦丝。所以,她把弗洛伦丝介绍给了更年轻的查尔斯·布拉沃。

一开始,她以为查尔斯会是弗洛伦丝的如意郎君,但很快她就改变了看法。查尔斯脾气暴躁,人也不和善,弗洛伦丝和他争辩时还打她。他解雇了很多仆人,连简·考克斯也想撵走。这样简·考克斯不仅会没了朋友,还会丢了工作。她有三个儿子在念书——她哪来钱养他们呢?

考克斯太太知道,查尔斯·布拉沃每天晚上都会喝水瓶中的水。她能轻易地进入他的卧室,并把锑放到水瓶中。

简·考克斯有很多疑点。

查尔斯打开卧室房门,喊着要热水时,考克斯太太为什么没有出来?她并没有睡着。直到女仆玛丽·安来叫她,她才去帮忙。后来当她走进查尔斯的卧室时,她一次一次地把玛丽·安支出卧室。这是为什么?也许是因为她想和查尔斯单独呆在一起?当她和查尔斯单独呆在卧室时,她又做了些什么?也许给了他更多的毒药?或者把剩下的锑都丢进炉子里烧掉了?或者清洗干净水瓶,以确保里面没有剩下一点儿锑?

她为什么要叫人去请哈里森医生,而不是住得近很多的穆尔医生?她把查尔斯跟她讲的话如实转述了吗?

一些人认为是考克斯太太害了查尔斯,因为她害怕丢了工作。她是一个穷寡妇,需要工作来养家糊口。

但这其中也有说不通的地方。简·考克斯有一个姑姑住在牙买加,她非常富有,而且身体已经不行了。在查尔斯·布拉沃去世前的一个月,这位富有的姑姑就把她所有的钱都留给了考克斯太太的儿子们。

因此,简·考克斯实际上没必要再工作了。查尔斯去世后,她就不再为弗洛伦丝工作了。她带着三个儿子去了牙买加,住进了当地的一所大宅子。她成了一位富有的夫人,之后于1917年去世,享年90岁。

也许是她毒死了查尔斯·布拉沃,但她这么做肯定不是为了钱。

第四种可能性解释:弗洛伦丝害人说

弗洛伦丝的首任丈夫,亚历山大·里卡多,就是因为酗酒而死的。但在弗洛伦丝离开亚历山大之前,曾经在他的酒里放过少量的锑使他呕吐,想以此来让他戒酒。

弗洛伦丝是一个年轻富有的女人。她有一幢漂亮的房子、一大堆仆人和一大群马匹。她喜欢按自己的方式行事。但她生活的时代却要求女人对男人唯命是从。当一个男人娶妻后,妻子的一切财产都归丈夫所有。一旦妻子和丈夫发生口角,做丈夫的还常常打妻子。

当亚历山大打弗洛伦丝时,她跑了,跑到了格利医生那里。格利医生是弗洛伦丝一生中唯一对她好的男人。但是她不能嫁给他,因为他年纪太大了,而且他老婆还健在。所以,弗洛伦丝嫁给了查尔斯·布拉沃。

她和查尔斯结婚仅五个月。他们经常吵架,查尔斯还经常对她拳脚相向。他卖了她的马,赶走了她的马车夫乔治·格里菲思。他们为钱争吵,为仆人争吵,为弗洛伦丝喝酒争吵。弗洛伦丝流产了,而查尔斯还要解雇她的朋友简·考克斯。弗洛伦丝恨他也是情理之中的事。

查尔斯喝下毒药时,弗洛伦丝真的睡着了吗?查尔斯在她卧室外大喊救命,她却没有听见。她闭着眼睛躺在床上。

她在马厩里找到锑了吗?是弗洛伦丝把锑放入他的水瓶中的吗?

但是,当她醒来时,她努力想挽救他的性命。她叫人请来了五名医生。所有医生都认为她非常伤心。查尔斯也认为不是弗洛伦丝害的他。你是天底下最好的妻子。”他说。他的堂兄罗伊斯·贝尔医生听到了这番话。查尔斯把所有钱财都留给了弗洛伦丝。

研讯会后,弗洛伦丝·布拉沃离开普里奥里,来到了英格兰南部沿海的南海定居。弗洛伦丝的弟弟邀请她一起去澳大利亚开始新的生活,但她拒绝了。在南海,她很孤独,郁郁寡欢。她既不和简·考克斯联系,也不和格利医生联系。她每天都喝酒,一天比一天喝得多。1878年9月,在丈夫去世两年后,弗洛伦丝也离开了人世。她是因酗酒而死的,死时年仅33岁。

那么,弗洛伦丝是爱自己的丈夫呢,还是杀害了自己的丈夫呢?

没有人知道。

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