The Indies Connection
This is our second major work in progress which examines the famous case of the poisoning of Charles Bravo in 1876. As might be expected, no one asked the right questions and Jane Cox laughed at them all. Yes, she faced the jury of 15 men and told them it was none of their business who was paying her QC's expenses.
The Attorney General described her as a very dangerous woman but even he failed to secure a verdict against her. She led them a merry dance and so did her mistress, Florence Bravo, nee Campbell. They were the major suspects in the case and the only ones so far as the police were concerned.
The Police can be forgiven for failing to bring charges. They were up against high society and business magnates. Robert Campbell wanted his daughter acquitted and the cost was irrelevant. The Police were right when they said that it didn't matter whether they offered £250 or £500 reward for information because more would be paid to say nothing.
None of the Campbell family attended the inquiry except one called James Orr.
He was Florence's uncle and a reporter noted his presence. He was Robert Campbell's troubleshooter who was keeping an eye on proceedings and making sure everyone did what they were supposed to do. No one mentioned that he was one of the last to see the deceased alive but was that relevant?
By now, you may be wondering what the Indies had to do with it . Known today as the Caribbean and India, they were major sources of Britain's wealth up to the end of the 18th century and into the 19th. The Campbell's made their money in Australia but Cox and Bravo were Indies merchants and plantation owners. Jane Cox never said who her father was and avoided talking about her past altogether because she dared not let the jury know the truth. Lies, they were all lies that they told. Florence was caught out in a few but she cried and they let her off. Jane too was tripped up but not in anything serious.