§ Mr. Serjeant SIMONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the manner in which the inquest on Mr. Bravo was conducted; whether some of the medical men who had attended Mr. Bravo did not tender their evidence to the Coroner and were not refused a hearing by him; whether the Coroner is not by law required to read over to each witness a written report of the evidence given by the witness, and to procure the signature of the witness to the same; whether, in the case of the inquest on Mr. Bravo's death, the Coroner complied with such requirement; and, whether he intends to direct further inquiry into the cause of Mr. Bravo's death, and also into the 923 conduct of the Coroner, and the proceedings before him?
§ Mr. CALLANasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the mysterious death of Mr. C. D. Bravo by poison at Balham on the 21st ultimo, the facts of which are stated in the "Morning Post;" whether several of the physicians called in to attend him and persons in the house were not examined on the inquest; whether all accounts of the inquest were withheld from the public Press; whether Sir William Gull received a positive assurance from the dying man that he had not attempted to take his own life; whether, notwithstanding this important fact, Sir William Gull was not examined by the Coroner; and, whether an open verdict having been given by the jury, after only two meetings, it is his intention to give directions for a fuller investigation?
Mr. ASSHETON CROSSI need hardly say that the consideration of this very painful case has taken up a great deal of my attention. I will answer the Questions as far as I can; but as some of them have been a little altered from the terms in which they stood on the Notice Paper last night, I have not been able to obtain full information as to the whole of them. I am asked first, whether some of the medical men who had attended Mr. Bravo did not tender their evidence to the Coroner, and were not refused a hearing by him; and whether several of the physicians called in to attend him, and persons in the house, were not examined on the inquest? I am very sorry to say there were a great number of physicians—I think amounting to four—who were not examined before the Coroner, and that some of the servants also were not examined. I am not able, for the reason I have just stated, to say whether they tendered their evidence, but I am not aware that they did; and, at all events, their evidence was not taken. I am asked whether the Coroner is not by law required to read over to each witness a written report of the evidence given by the witness, and to procure the signature of the witness to the same? and whether in the case of the inquest on Mr. Bravo's death the Coroner compiled with such requirement? I believe that to be the law, and I am sorry to say that the law does not seem to have been complied with in 924 this instance. I am asked, next, whether all accounts of the inquest were withheld from the public Press? That I am not able to give positive information about, but rather negative information. I cannot find that an account of the inquest was sent to the public Press, and I am informed that it is not usual to do so, and that it was not done in this instance until after an account of the matter appeared in The Daily Telegraph and other newspapers. Then I am asked whether Sir William Gull received a positive assurance from the dying man that he had not attempted to take his own life, and whether Sir William was not examined by the Coroner? Sir William Gull was not so examined; but he writes me word that he received no assurance from the dying man that he had not attempted to take his own life. And, lastly, I am asked whether, an open verdict having been given by the jury after only two meetings, I intend to direct any further investigations into the cause of Mr. Bravo's death, and also into the conduct of the Coroner? The second day of the inquest was on Friday, the funeral took place on Saturday, and on the Monday detectives were placed in communication with the friends of Mr. Bravo in order to inquire into the circumstances. The police have had further instructions to give every assistance in their power to investigate this case. I have thought it right not only to do that much, but to put the matter into the hands of the Solicitor to the Treasury—there being no Public Prosecutor at present—to take such steps as he may think fit in order that the facts of the case may be ascertained. No expense will be spared and no time will be wasted in sifting the matter to the bottom. So far as the inquest and the Coroner's verdict are concerned, the House knows that I have no power over the Coroner. All I can say is that, from the facts I have stated, I, for one, am entirely dissatisfied with the way in which that inquest was carried on; and after much consideration I have thought it best to place the whole of the papers in the hands of the Law Officers of the Crown, who will advise me as to whether there are grounds for making application to the Court of Queen's Bench for the issue of a writ ad melius inquirendum, or whether any and what further steps ought to be taken.