Apart from the case of the Somerton Man, has any other police investigation ever revolved around a book left in a complete stranger’s car? Personally, I’d be surprised: this seems to be a unique feature of the whole Somerton Man narrative.
But what, then, of the obvious alternate explanation, i.e. that the Rubaiyat was in the car already? For all the persuasive bulk the dominant explanation has gained from being parroted so heavily for nearly seven decades, I think it’s time to examine this (I think major) alternative and explore its logical consequences…
Gerry Feltus’s Account
To the best of my knowledge, Gerry Feltus is the only person who has actually talked with the (still anonymous) man who handed the Rubaiyat in. So let us first look at Feltus’ account (“The Unknown Man”, p.105) of what happened at the time of the Somerton Man’s first inquest when the police search for the Rubaiyat was mentioned in the press:
Francis [note: this was Feltus’ codename for the man] immediately recalled that his brother-in-law had left a copy of that book in the glove box of his little Hillman Minx [note: not the car’s actual make] which he normally parked in Jetty Road. He could not recall him collecting it, and so it was probably there. He went to the car and looked in the glove box – yes, the book was still there. To his amazement a section had been torn out of the rear page, in the position described by past newspaper reports.
“Ronald Francis” then telephoned his brother-in-law:
Do you recall late last year when we all went for a drive in my car, just after that man was found dead on the beach at Somerton? You were sitting in the back with your wife and we all got out of the car, the book you were reading, you put in the glove box of my car, and you left it there.
To which the brother-in-law replied:
No it wasn’t mine. When I got in the back seat, the book was on the floor; I fanned through some pages and thought it was yours, so when I got out of the car I put it in the glove box for you.
A while back, I pressed Gerry Feltus for more specific details on this: though he wouldn’t say what make of car the “Hillman Minx” actually was, he said that the man told him that the book turned up “a day or two after the body was found on the beach, and during daylight hours“. Gerry added that “Francis” was now very elderly and suffering from severe memory loss. Even so, he said that “I have spoken to Francis, his family and others and I am more than satisfied with what he has told me“.
Finally: when “Francis” handed the Rubaiyat to the police, he “requested that his identity not be disclosed”, for fear that he would be perpetually hounded by the curious. Even today (2017) it seems that only Gerry Feltus knows his identity for sure: though a list of possible names would include Dr Malcolm Glen Sarre and numerous others.
Newspaper Accounts
All the same, when I was trying to put everything into a timeline a while back, I couldn’t help but notice that Gerry’s account didn’t quite match the details that appeared in the newspapers at the time:
[1] 23rd July 1949, Adelaide News, page 1:
[…] an Adelaide businessman read of the search in “The News” and recalled that in November he had found a copy of the book which had been thrown on the back seat of his car while it was parked in Jetty road, Glenelg.
[2] 25th July 1949, Adelaide Advertiser, page 3:
A new lead to the identity of the Somerton body may have been discovered on Saturday when Det.Sgt. R. L. Leane received from a city business man a torn copy of Fitzgerald’s translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam said to have been found in his car at Glenelg about last November, a week or two before the body was found.
The last few lines of the poem, including the words “Tamam shud” (meaning “the end”) have been torn out of the book.
When the body was searched some time ago a scrap of paper bearing the words “Tamam shud” was found in a pocket.
Scrawled in pencilled block letters on the back of the cover of the book are groups of letters which appear to be foreign words and some numbers.
These, it is hoped, may be of assistance in tracing the dead man’s identity.
The business man told Det.Sgt. Leane that he found the copy of the Rubaiyat in the rear of his car while it was parked in Jetty road Glenelg, about the time of the RAAF air pageant in November.
He said he had known nothing about the much-publicised words “Tamam shud” until he saw a reference to them on Friday.
[3] 26th July 1949, Adelaide News, page 1:
The book had been thrown into the back seat of a motor car in Jetty road, Glenelg, shortly before the victim’s body was found on the beach at Somerton on December 1.
[…]
Although the lettering was faint, police managed to read it by using ultra-violet light. In the belief that the lettering might be a code, a copy has been sent to decoding experts at Army Headquarters, Melbourne.
Why Do These Accounts Differ?
The Parafield air pageant mentioned unequivocally in the above newspaper accounts was held on 20th November 1948, ten days or so before the Somerton Man was found dead on Somerton Beach. Yet Gerry Feltus was told by “Ronald Francis” himself that the book turned up “a day or two after the body was found on the beach”. Clearly, these two accounts can’t both be right at the same time.
I of course asked Gerry directly about this last year: by way of reply, he said “Don’t believe everything you read in the media, eg; ‘The business man told Det. Leane…. etc…’.“. Moreover, he suggested that I was beginning “to sound like [Derek] Abbott”, who had “nominated the same things as you”.
This is, of course, polite Feltusese for “with respect, you’re talking out your arse, mate“: but at the same time, all he has to back up this aspect of his account – i.e. that the book turned up after the Somerton Man was found, not ten days before – is “Ronald Francis”‘s word, given half a century after the event.
Hence this is the point where I have to temporarily bid adieu to Gerry Feltus’s account, because something right at the core of it seems to be broken… and when you trace the non-fitting pieces, they all seem to me to lead back to the Rubaiyat and the car.
So… what really happened with the Rubaiyat and the car? Specifically, what would it mean if the Rubaiyat had been in the car all along?
The Rubaiyat Car Theory
If the Rubaiyat was already in the back of the “little Hillman Minx”, it would seem to be the case that:
(*) Ronald Francis had no idea what it was or why it was there
(*) Ronald Francis’ brother-in-law had no idea what it was or why it was there
(*) …and yet the Rubaiyat was connected to that car in some non-random way
(*) …or, rather, it was connected to someone who was connected to the car
Given that one of the phone numbers on its back was that of Prosper McTaggart Thomson – a person who lived a quarter of a mile away from where “Ronald Francis” lived or worked, and who (as the Daphne Page court case from five months earlier demonstrated beyond all doubt) helped people sell cars on the black market by providing fake “pegged-price” documentation – it would seem reasonable at this point to hypothesize that Prosper Thomson may well have been the person who had sold “Ronald Francis” that specific car.
There was also a very good reason why many people might well have been looking to sell their cars in November 1948: the Holden 48-215 – the first properly Australian car – was just then about to be launched. Note that the “little Hillman Minx” could not have been a Holden if it had been driven to the Parafield air pageant, as the very first Holden was not sold until the beginning of December 1948:
If “Ronald Francis” had just bought a car in (say) mid-November 1948, I can quite imagine him proudly taking his wife, his brother-in-law and his wife off to the Parafield air pageant for a nice day out.
If Prosper Thomson’s behaviour in the Daphne Page court case was anything to go by, I can also easily imagine that the person who had sold that car might have wondered if he was being swindled by the middle man. In his summing up, the judge said that “[t]he defendant [Thomson] had not paid the £400 balance, and had never intended to do so“: so who’s to say that Thomson was not above repeating that same trick, perhaps with someone from out of town?
Perhaps, then, the person whose Rubaiyat it was was not Prosper Thomson himself, but the person from whom Prosper Thomson had just bought the car in order to sell it to “Ronald Francis”.
Perhaps it was this person’s distrust of Thomson’s financial attitude had led him to hide the Rubaiyat under the back seat of the car, with the “Tamam Shud” specifically ripped out so that he could prove that it was he who had sold the car to Thomson in the first place.
And so perhaps it was the car’s previous owner who was the Somerton Man, visiting Glenelg to track down the owner of his newly sold car, simply to make sure he hadn’t been ripped off by Prosper Thomson.
The Awkward Silence
I’ve previously written about how social the Somerton Man seemed to have been, and how that jarred with the lack of helpful response the police received. For all its physical size, Australia still had a relatively small population back then.
So perhaps the silence surrounding the Somerton Man cold case will turn out to be nothing more than that of jittery people buying and selling cars not through dealers, people who the Price Commissioners pegged prices had effectively turned into white-collar criminals – for how many professionals were so well-off in post-war Australia that they could afford to be principled about losing £400 or more in the sale of their shiny American car?
Incidentally, it has been reported that on the back of the Rubaiyat were written two phone numbers: one of which was the (now-famous) phone number for the nurse Jo Thomson (which her soon-to-be-husband Prosper Thomson was also using for small ads in the newspapers), while the other was allegedly for a local bank.
These are the two things people selling black market cars need: the number of the middle man who was laundering the transaction, and the number of bank to make sure cheques clear (remember that a dud cheque to pay for a car was ultimately what triggered the Daphne Page court case).
But the other thing such people need is an absence: an absence of discussion about the transaction. And if “Ronald Francis” had only just bought his car on the black market through Prosper Thomson (thanks to Price Commission pegging, only about 10% of car sales back then went through official car dealer channels), he would surely have had a very specific reason not to want the details of his sale explored and made public.
And so I wonder whether this was the real reason why Ronald Francis didn’t want his name revealed: because if the police were to understand the web of dealings that had brought the Somerton Man to Glenelg, that would inevitably make it clear that the two men were the participants in a black market car sale, one which – though widely practised – was still a Price Commission offence with stiff penalties.
Along those same lines, I also wonder whether it was Ronald Francis himself who erased the pencil writing from the Rubaiyat’s back cover, to try to cover at least some of the tracks that might lead police in his direction. Of course, we now know that SAPOL’s photographers were able to use ultra-violet photography to (mostly) reconstruct the letters: but this may well not have been known to him at the time.
Please note that I’m not saying this is the only plausible explanation for everything. However, insofar as it tackles (and indeed resolves) a large number of the trickiest aspects of the case, it’s at least worth considering, right?
A Final Note
To be clear, when I ran this whole Rubaiyat Car suggestion past Gerry Feltus (admittedly in an earlier iteration), he dismissed it out of hand (though without any actual evidence to back up his position):
“I will not go into the possibility that the man purchased his car from Prosper. It is an absolutely rubbish suggestion that has no credibility. Poor old Prosper. He must have been the only ‘black market’ racketeer in Adelaide. From my knowledge of the climate during that relevant period he was a ‘nothing’.”
Well, Gerry was absolutely right insofar as that in 1948 Prosper was a small-time black marketeer, a mere minnow in the Melbourne-dominated black market car pool: but all the same, he was a minnow that lived extremely close by.
I suspect the real problem here is that if the mainstream story is wrong – that is, if Ronald Francis’ car had not long before (like so many others at the time) been bought at a premium on the black market, and if Francis had told white[-collar] lies to try to cover up his part in an illegal transaction once he realized what had happened – then people have been concealing their true involvement with what happened for nearly 70 years, not because of murder but because the price control legislation made criminals of nearly everyone selling their car.
And so it might well be that Gerry Feltus (and indeed just about everyone else) has been viewing the Somerton Man as entirely the wrong kind of mystery: not a police cold case, but a Price Commission cold case. How boringly middle class!
I know little more about Somerton Man than that which I read on your site, Nick, but I own to liking this theory.
Emma May Smith: thanks, I’ve been thinking about this for more than a year, trying to work out what’s wrong with it, but it has survived all my attempts to destroy it. 🙂
Well, it ties up a lot of mystery with (if you excuse the description) a banal explanation. No big conspiracy, just petty criminals watching their own interests.
I also like that it has an easy way of being proved or disproved: find the car, identify the previous owners, and track them down. If the previous owner of Ronald Francis’s car disappeared shortly after it was sold, then you have your man.
So, do such records exist and are they accessible?
That’s a nice piece of research nickpelling, enough to keep the matter alive for some time. This can only be good.
… a couple of things: we have photographs of the dead man, his clothes, his suitcase and contents, the Tamam Shud slip and the photo( of a photo?) of the code. But no photograph of a phone number(s) said to be written on the back of the book and none of the back cover of the Rubaiyat itself, or none that I can find.
petebowes: in the past, I’ve worked really hard behind the scenes to try to fill these gaps in the Somerton Man’s evidential trail, and I expect that I shall continue trying to do so for some time yet. 🙂
Evidence has shown that the dead man had many serious health issues, and in the absence of conspiratorial poisoning, do you think it likely a man in such a frail condition – he would be dead in 24 hours – would embark on a black market car-sales operation after an overnight train ride from Broken Hill, or Melbourne?
petebowes: I don’t think we know enough about the man’s situation to be able to assess degrees of likelihood just yet, sorry. 🙁
I’m not looking for apologies, nickpelling, and don’t understand why you offer them. In any assessment of a mystery – be it the Voynich Manuscript or the Tamam Shud mystery, there comes a time when informed judgement plays a necessary part.
Petebowes: let me know when your judgment become sufficiently informed to start that process.
This is your blog, and this is where your judgement might become sufficiently informed to start that process, not mine.
Petebowes: assessing likelihood in the absence of even moderate evidence is arguably even worse than speculation, because it pretends to be scientific and rational (despite being neither).
It’s certainly an interesting thought, and while I take Feltus’ point that you can’t always believe the papers the Air Show would seem to be a specific reference to when the book was found – that is “in November” could be dismissed as a media error (especially given they all likely use each other as sources), whereas “…around the time of the RAAF pageant” suggests to me that someone (ie the finder of the book) had had a specific reason to make that reference and that it is repeated through the media (which to me makes it far less likely that the media got it wrong). I’ve always liked the Pruzinski “connection” and I think this version is potentially consistent – although if SM is a concerned (or even ripped off) seller (and if the suitcase is his, which people seem to insist is unquestionable) then it’s a little at odds with his possessions being those of a car thief – although I suppose car thieves sell cars too, and still get ripped off by bigger (or at least other) crooks.
I also can’t really see how the code ties in in this scenario. While this all links the Rubaiyat in nicely it doesn’t really explain why random (or not random) characters are scribbled into the back – nor why they were thought significant enough to erase (if indeed they were erased rather than a light pencil that had faded). If SM had scribbled the code before leaving the rubaiyat (not necessarily immediately before, of course), what purpose was it supposed to serve, and why would “Francis” be so keen to erase it? If it were “Francis”, I think there’s even more questions….
The autopsy findings are public, he was a very sick man, so much so he was dead soon after arriving in Adelaide. How is this ‘moderate evidence?’
Let’s clear this matter up before moving onto your theme of a conspiracy of silence regarding Mr Francis’ purchase of a black market car. A conspiracy that could only have involved DS Leane, his superior and the venerable G Feltus. That is the direction you’re heading isn’t it, uncertainties notwithstanding?
Slightly Random Thought. What if….
Why Francis?
in 1988 (before Feltus’ involvement) the South Australian Police Headquarters moved to number 60 Wakefield St. This building is at the corner of Gawler Place, directly opposite the Catholic Church Offices (which were I think built in the early 1990s) which sit next to the grounds of St Francis Xavier Cathedral – probably the most prominent building in the skyline in the early 2000s. What if “Francis” is code for “Xavier”? Looking through the Adelaide directory, the only Xavier that leaps out (there may be others that are listed simply as ‘X’) is a ‘Xavier Hann’ in Norwood (the other side of town to Somerton in the inner East). All I can find out about “Xavier Hann” is that he appears to be a “Xavier Rosenhain Schmidt”, Son of “Kate Marie Rosenhain” (who married 3 times, including to a “Hugh Hann”). Xavier married an “Adeline May Topham”. I’m trying to work out whether she links to the “Topham Mall” in Adelaide’s CBD (so far it looks unlikely).
In recent years, an old Clipper “The City of Adelaide” has been returned to Adelaide resulting in much interest in it, including a site dedicated to it. Most of the information comes from that site, with Xavier being a descendant of the Bateman family who arrived in Adelaide in 1866. Unfortunately, I haven’t managed to link them to Glenelg – nor to any particular stature in the community.
NB1: Of course, the Frankie X link could also just suggest “Francis” is a devout or significant Catholic
NB2: My original searches for “Xavier” kept coming up with “Xavier Herbert” if we want to get all conspiratorial….
NB3: There are no doubt a million other reasons to pick “Francis” too….
Scrub that – there is a record for him in 1983. Not sure how I missed it (he also seems to have gone by the name “Bill” for some reason – not that it matters). Guess that counts him out.
@nickp: I’ve taken the opportunity to extrapolate your blackmarket theme, would you like to see how it all ends?
It’s only short. I’ve linked it.
Petebowes: it ends, as always, with a inferential leap to murder, long before we even know who Mr Francis is or was, or what make his car was, or the name of the person from whom he bought it.
@nickp: then why persist? The Forensic File is more fulfilling. Thankfully we have put the black market theory to rest, unless you believe the vendor was murdered by Thomson for the outstanding funds.
I remember reading a similar proposal years ago, it was shouted down. Remember?
Petebowes: “why persist” in doing what? Trying to uncover evidence, putting forward hypotheses at all, or speculating about things where there is too little evidence?
My strong belief is that it is often possible – though difficult – to genuinely reason in conditions of uncertainty, and without having to resort to reconstructing a complete narrative as a notional starting point.
Persist with a theory that puts you, the author, in an impossible position.
Petebowes: what I’m putting forward here has many of the same elements, but a new focus on the relationship between Ronald Francis, Prosper Thomson, the Rubaiyat, and the Somerton Man. It’s a very joined up theory, and one that’s built on the facts of the case. The only departure from Gerry Feltus’ account is the notion that the Rubaiyat was already in the car: everything else flows from there.
Not quite. This is what flows from there …
Mr Francis, dealer in black-market goods with a known villain, walks into a police station and hands over evidence crucial to an open murder case. He says he found the evidence in his car. He probably parked it outside.
In doing this, Francis linked himself and his car with a murder that took place nine months earlier. The body in that case, coincidentally, was found close to the home of the known villain who sold Francis the car, Prosper Thomson. The murder victim, coincidentally, was the blackmarket vendor.
Francis asked DS Leane for anonymity.
DS Leane agreed because he wouldn’t like to see Francis hounded by the press.
No wonder GF lumped it with DA’s theories – neither of you thought it through.
petebowes: you assume (a) that Mr Francis knew who the man was (there’s no evidence that this is so), (b) that he knew that the Somerton Man had been murdered (there’s no evidence he knew this), and (c) that he knew he was potentially incriminating himself (there’s no evidence of this).
It’s no less possible that Mr Francis didn’t know who the man was, that he didn’t know what happened to the man, and that he didn’t believe he was incriminating himself. There’s no evidence that Mr Francis even met the Somerton Man. Perhaps he suspected Prosper Thomson and/or the Melbourne car trade – which had a reputation for being cut-throat, sometimes literally so – would be out to get him if he gave any more than the Rubaiyat?
Milongal … over to you.
nickpelling: here’s a fellow (Francis) walking into a police station with evidence in a murder case. The evidence was found in his car not long after he bought it (your theory) – It follows that the police might enquire as to the details of the sale, murder cases do excite the minds of investigators, can we agree on that?
What does Francis do, lie about the car’s provenance?
As I said, the black market theory runs out of steam very quickly.
Petebowes: your objections here are based on your assumptions and presuppositions, not on the hypothesis as presented.
Yes, the assumption the police might be interested and presupposition that they might want to question Francis are not on the presented hypothesis.
So?
Daphne took Prosper to court over a black market transaction – and the court seemed to frown upon the fact the sale was bodgy, but nothing more came of it. Putting yourself through a (reasonably public) court case seems more extreme than walking into a police station over a book that you think is linked to a murder (and have no reason to think is linked to your black market car). Naively you might even assume that if the police offer you anonymity they won’t find you again if they realise the car is a bodge….
(and just because the Fuzz will be interested in the car, doesn’t mean Francis realises it).
2c (since you asked)
Petebowes: they’re your presuppositions (along with several others), not mine. So why would the argument I put forward need to take them into account?
You’ve provided a partial hypotheses, a slice, which works if taken independent of any consequent reality.
Admit it, you cannot advance your hypothesis …. and I have the feeling you would rather not.
Petebowes: one does not need to advance a complete novelistic narrative in order to put forward a useful, revealing hypothesis.
This reminds me if the Dance of the Seven Veils. Except in this case I would prefer to be in the bar when the final unveiling takes place on stage. Anti-climaxes being as they are.
Petebowes: impatience with the facts may provide a good reason to write a novel, but it’s a lousy way to be a researcher.
Ok, so a useful, revealing hypothosis need not have a beginning or an ending and is complete in itself, that how you see it?
Petebowes: a useful, revealing hypothesis helps you ask the right questions of the archives, where the results of your search (hopefully) then move you forward. Hypotheses are necessarily incomplete, unless you are somehow Sherlock Holmes.
Well, there you go.
Nickpelling: did you ever ask yourself how the Francis Rubaiyat managed to remain both unfound and untrampled after 6 months in the back footwell of a car?
Which begs the question: if indeed it was left as proof of original ownership, why wasn’t it hidden?
Which leads us onto another troubling matter. How do you see the original owner enforcing his black market rights if indeed he was stiffed on the transaction? Prosper was the middleman, Francis a stranger to him. His beef would have been with PT
It all looks a bit messy from here.
Petebowes: until we can find out when Ronald Francis bought his car, we won’t know whether it was there for a day or a year. “6 months” is nothing I’ve ever said, the book actually spent 6 months safe in the glove box at the front.
As for whether it was hidden or not, unti we can get Ronald Francis’ brother-in-law’s own account, we won’t know whether or not it was hidden.
I suspect SM (scrapes on his hands, you always liked that detail, right?) could look after himself, so perhaps he would have sorted things out with PT in a straightforwardly medieval way. But first he would have had to be reasonably sure that he had been stiffed…
Fine with me, if you like a useful, revealing hypothesis that incorporates ‘I suspect’ and perhaps.
Petebowes: do you have a working hypothesis for the scrapes on his hand?
Yes …
All these years protecting a car racket? Really? So much time after the fact and nothing to just set it straight?
Misca: it makes rational actors of everyone involved, and directly explains just about everything. Lies once told and retold a fair few times can achieve a special status…
A businessman walks into a police station and up to the desk, tells the sergeant he has found something in his car that might be of importance in an open case.
He is introduced to the wily Detective Sergeant Lionel Leane who sits him down in an interview room.
All smiles, all round.
Francis hands over the Rubaiyat he found and Leane goes straight to the back page and sees the hole. A good moment. But what of this businessman Leane asks himself, and what of his car? This is a murder case, there are questions, one in particular.
Was the semi-conscious Somerton Man taken to the beach by car, helped out then half-carried down the steps?
How long has this gentleman had his car?
Who did he buy it from?
‘May we have a look inside, sir?’ Leane might have asked.
……… nickpelling: where would a hypothesis go from here, given that Francis walked out of the station without any record of interview?
Any views?
petebowes: this is the part you don’t seem to get. In this scenario, Ronald Francis is a whiter-than-white collar professional in a time of deference, of respect (not like today). They bought into his story then, just as Gerry Feltus still buys into it 70 years later. What I’m pointing out is that the Price Commission may, by turning him and thousands of other car-owning professionals into criminals, have given him something to hide.
I suppose the other question is: why is everyone still so heavily invested in the story that someone threw a book linked to a mysteriously dead man into the back of a stranger’s car? If it was important to get rid of it, why not just throw it in the bin, as just about everyone else in the world would?
Unlike others, I’m not about to quote GF, but you can believe me on this …. Leane did as he was told.
Petebowes: …for which you have no evidence beyond ‘you think that’s what happened’.
No, the gap between us is closer than you think … your Francis is a businessman, mine something else. As an afterthought, do you think Leane made the decision to keep Francis’ name out without telling his superiors?
Petebowes: for Leane, I have not the faintest idea. But I would certainly distrust any scenario that primarily relies on a network of conspirators keeping each other’s secrets hidden.
What do you believe, nickpelling?
Was Francis his real name?
Was there a Hillman Minx, a brother-in-law, his wife, a book in the footwell, later placed in the glove box?
A trip to Somerton a couple of days after the body was found?
Do you believe GF invented the whole scenario, or just parts of it?
petebowes: I believe that Gerry Feltus’s book tells a lot of what he believes to be true, but that there are obvious inconsistencies between what he wrote and what the papers said at the time that he cannot explain. He insists that he talked a number of times with “Ronald Francis”, his wife, and his family, yet when pressed doesn’t actually seem to be sure about the make of car. It would be strange if he had made all that up in toto, but until we know more it’s extremely hard to tell which bits are fact and which are fiction.
My opinion – for what it’s worth – is that Feltus may well have fallen victim to a much-repeated lie, and that he has perhaps also shown too much of the same deference that allowed the lie to enter the mainstream account of the events of that day in the first place.
“If it was important to get rid of it, why not just throw it in the bin, as just about everyone else in the world would?”
Yes indeedy – and everytime it’s brought up it’s dismissed. The Rubaiyat in the car makes little sense in the “traditional” explanation of events. You’re at the beach, you want to destroy something, but rather than chuck it in the sea (or one of the bins that line the beach every 100 or so metres). Instead, you whack it in your pocket, walk 1.5km back to Glenelg and chuck it in the back of a random car that happens to have a window open.
Now everytime I’ve suggested some things can only be explained by incompetence or stupidity in a theory (eg the spy one) I get yelled down that these must have been very intelligent people. Sure, I can understand that you might not want to leave the Rubaiyat close to the scene, but they would have passed a large number of bins (and many, many drains on the street too) to get to Glenelg. If you chuck it in a bin the police [i]might[/i] find it (if they decide to search every bin within 2KM before they get emptied – which these days is daily). If you chuck it in a car you risk someone going “WTF is this crap??” – and either chucking it in the bin (in which case you’re in much the same position as doing that yourself – except now someone else will remember it) or you risk them rushing somewhere to hand it in as lost property (and therefore bring attention to it).
If the Rubaiyat is directly connected, its presence in the car suggests:
1) SM had chucked it there at some stage, perhaps on the day of his demise, or perhaps beforehand (I have a little difficulty with this one in so far as it seems to have been obvious enough to be found so you’re relying on a lot of luck that the finder isn’t going to dice it – so it’s hard to see a purpose for it)
2) The Owner of the car put it there (I still wonder whether it was a hoax – the pictures certainly look like the tears are different, and the “scientific” proof is by someone who was expecting to confirm a match – and a government official at that. Without being overly cynical, my experience of Government Departments is that instead of “can you get me AN answer for this question” you instead have “Can you find THIS answer to the question” – that is, about the grossest confirmation bias you can get)
3) Somebody wanted it found and put it there (this to me is very difficult to explain – other than the idea of an official plant)
Further (and again probably redredging old ground), the code in the rubaiyat still potentially means nothing (as indeed the phone number). How long was the Rub in Francis’ possession (in itself a strange thing to some degree)? Who else accessed it in that time? Could the “code” be the scribblings of children who had found it in his car and defaced it (it’s what kids seem to do)? Could the phone number be Francis (or someone related to him) scribbling down on a “useless” scrap paper?
The Rubaiyat seems to be one of the most unreliable pieces of evidence in the case – and yet there seems to be a romantic obsession that this is the most fundamental clue that is most likely to explain who SM was and what he was doing. To me, it appears a fairly circumstantial piece of evidence which – even if involved – has very little traceability from the crime to the time it was found and so all bets are off about any scribblings on there.
Increasingly I lean toward #2 – Francis faked it (ie the Rubaiyat that was handed in is not the one the TS fragment came from) and it spun out of control when the police appeared to confirm a match – at which point it’s a bit hard to back out. Of course, keeping mum on that for 70 years despite repeated efforts by different investigators (professional and otherwise) is pretty impressive….
NB: How did Feltus find Francis? From official police records? Is it possible the 1978 Doco also found Francis but didn’t think him an overly important (or interesting) player? Might be time to dig the archive again….
There has been a development in the blackmarket theory, Milongal, certain connections have been made, a narrative has been fashioned, a neutral course taken.
We pursue the Pelling scenario to its logical and very tidy end.
petebowes: I’ve looked at your webpage, and you don’t seem to have quite understood how the black market worked. If you go through the Daphne Page vs Prosper Thomson court case again, you’ll see that they both were (according to the court) dishonest about their dishonesty. That is, both parties had pre-agreed the (black market) price that her car should be dishonestly sold at, yet when Thomson claimed (falsely, said the judge) that his (unnamed and unidentified, but you don’t want to mess with him) buyer’s cheque had bounced and he refused to pass her more than the pegged price of the car, she tried (dishonestly) to pursue the balance from him as a loan, and so took him to court.
In the end, even though the judge couldn’t hide his distaste for Thomson’s behaviour, he also couldn’t rule in Page’s favour because the version of events her claim relied upon was false.
In the case of the Somerton Man, I think it far from improbable that [in the Rubaiyat car scenario] the seller of the car agreed terms with Prosper amicably (as had Page), but was then tipped off by someone as to the stunt Thomson had got away with with Daphne Page not long before. And so the seller then constructed the whole Rubaiyat / Tamam Shud thing as a proof-of-ownership trick so that he could try to outsmart Thomson if he were to try some kind of similar the-buyer-scammed-me-so-I-can’t-pay-you scam on him.
and how would the Somerton Man execute his rights, in the absence of a court?
Petebowes: I somehow doubt 1948 Adelaide had a culture of mediation professionals anxious to resolve extra-judicial differences relating to black market car sales. So I suspect his Plan A would be a right hook, and his Plan B a haymaker. But if Thomson’s Plan A response was a Winchester, who knows how this would all play out?
SM knows he is about to die. He is either suicidal or has a fatal illness. Either way, he wants to die at the beach. The Rubaiyat means more than anything to him. He tears out “Tamam Shud” and throws the book into the open window of a random car. He goes to the beach and dies alone. Perhaps the phone no. is JEstyn’s (a lost love/relative). Perhaps it is Prosper’s (a car he wanted to buy/sell). Perhaps “The code” is an anacrostic. Perhaps it is random scribbling. At this late date we can only speculate. Perhaps to dream.
Both PT (buyer) and SM (seller) would have a piece of official paper from the original transaction. Both PT (seller) and Francis (buyer) would have a piece of official paper from the secondary transaction. These you need for MV transfer, MV insurance and MV registration purposes.
So why would SM play silly buggers and hide a book with a tear in its back page in the car so he could identify it later, if need be?
All he had to do was pop the hood and read the compliance plate.
@Bumpkin – not entirely comfortable with the slip indicating he expected his demise
– If suicidal, why does he die with the note rolled up in a pocket somewhere – surely if this was the text he wanted to die with it would be clutched in his hand?
– if fatal illness, how did he know he was going to die then (and if he did the same for the note as for suicide). If he knew his days were numbered but not when it was coming, then the book would likely have occurred some time before?
Petebowes: in that scenario, the point of the Tamam Shud slip was to prove to the new owner that he was the previous owner.
Milongal – The slip said “Tamam Shud” which means “The End.” If that doesn’t indicate expected demise, than what does? He knew he was about to die. You can not apply reason to either a suicide or fatal illness. I also believe he threw the Rubaiyat in the car deliberately so that someone would find it. He let fate decide who that someone would be.
Without being overly facetious, if we can’t apply reason to suicide or fatal illness, then the whole assumption that TS relates to suicide or fatal illness is flawed from the very beginning, isn’t it?
IMHO the point of a note like “The End” is either contemplation or explanation. That is, it is either something that focuses you to the reality of death – in which case surely it’s purpose would be to hold it, and read it, and meditate on it in your final minutes; OR it is something to explain to other people what happened (like Tibor’s goodbye, if you like). In that case, while there might not be such a need to hold it (particularly on a beach where you might fear it will blow out of your hand or something) but wouldn’t you still want it somewhere obvious? If it was in his (missing) wallet, or in his pocket with the tickets, or whatever else then maybe I’d agree, but folded as small as possible and hidden in an obscure pocket? Doesn’t seem to fit the bill for mine….
Nickpelling: that’s right mate, stick with it … never mind the bleeding obvious, transfer papers are exactly what they say – transfer of ownership.
But it’s your little theory, and good luck with it.
I doubt SM knew either JEstyn or Prosper. The “phone no.” was a letter and four numbers. Maybe that’s all it was. No code either. Just letters jotted down.
Bumpkin, no mate, the phone number was seen by DS Lionel Leane, written down by Detective Len Brown and given to Detective Errol Canney to chase down. Some facts remain indisputable.
Milongal: Cleland thought it was suicide before he found the slip, said it made no difference, and he had to dig it out twice.
.. and it doesn’t fit my bill either.
petebowes: people can think what they like, but there was no doubt at the inquest that SM had been poisoned, the only problem was identifying the toxin wotdunnit.
nickpelling: please examine your posts for accuracy before you hit the send button. There was doubt at the inquest, Cleland’s. Read his deposition.
Unless you have summarily overruled his opinion.
If so, on what basis?
petebowes: back in 2015, Byron Deveson correctly pointed out from the inquest record that because the heart was in contraction (systole) at the point of death, the only acceptable inference that could have been drawn at the time was that the SM had been poisoned, and that is indeed what was proposed (digitalis and strophanthin). Byron further pointed out that this same unusual condition could also have resulted from barium carbonate or (similar soluble barium compounds), which was not known in 1948.
Any 1948 coroner could therefore only have reasonably concluded that SM had been poisoned, because there was no doubt as to the relevant facts of the case (the man died with his heart in systole): the only doubt was in the 1948 limits of the knowledge of substances that could kill someone in that way.
That’s terrific, but I was chatting to Milongal about the doubt about suicide …
petebowes: oh, ok. I wrote “there was no doubt at the inquest that SM had been poisoned”, so perhaps you would prefer that I had written “there was no doubt at the inquest that poison was the cause of SM’s death” just so I don’t seem to (arguably) be prejudging whether or not he had killed himself.
But note that death by barium carbonate (as per Byron’s comment of “the same stuff that killed the two X-ray patients in 1949”) would hardly have been suicide, more accidental death.
petebowes: incidentally, I don’t know if Byron or anyone else looked through the local newspapers (i.e. near Millicent) for other people with similar sounding deaths in late 1948, i.e. before the coroner recognized the deaths in mid-1949 as having been from barium carbonate misadministered in place of barium sulphate. For what it’s worth, the nearest newspapers to Millicent would seem to be the Border Watch and the Narracoorte Herald, both of which are in Trove.
Here’s a man, expensively dressed, taking hours to die while lying on a public beach on a summer evening, poisoned, probably, and nobody helped him.
It’s as if he wasn’t there.
1948, a city of ex-servicemen, a large hotel close by, strollers using the stairs to get down to the beach, others climbing back to the road.
The first to see him was Lyons, the second, Strapps, then nobody after 7:30 pm.
It’s as if he wasn’t there.
The Somerton dragon leads you into a labyrinth of mysteries.
Petebowes: come on, Pete, the lividity was all wrong for death on the beach, only Derek Abbott still believes that this is a possibility. No, the SM died somewhere where the back of his head was lower than his body: and for that you have to construct scenarios such as dying with his head over the edge of a small suburban bed, etc, not laid out on the beach. If it seems as though he wasn’t there, let’s not eliminate the possibility that he wasn’t actually there.
Nick, with barium carbonate it could be a case of murder because barium carbonate was available over the counter in 1948 for use as a rat poison. I would expect that barium carbonate would be tasteless, or nearly tasteless, so it could be hidden in food. Lead acetate was also available and could be slipped into some food (it is sweet tasting). Lead acetate could be made down in the woodshed without anyone being any the wiser and I suspect that some (maybe most? all?) of the cases of lead poisoning of infants, supposedly from peeling paint, was in fact deliberate poisoning.
Byron: but how much barium carbonate would be needed to kill someone?
I’ll take the Pete, and I agree. But who was the first guy, a drunk who later walked away? Because I agree with that as well, Nick.
DA did have SM’s hair Mass Spec analysis data re-examined for one of the (stable) barium isotopes and found the concentration was similar to that of the control samples. However, this does not rule out acute poisoning with barium, particularly if the poisoning only occurred a few hours prior to death because there would not have been enough time for significant amounts of barium to reach the hair. Also, barium may not be efficiently transported to hair in the first place. The literature seems to be silent on this point.
Byron: but what would be a lethal acute dose? For a barium sulphate meal, about 350-450ml is used: so presumably less than that?
Petebowes: so where were all the mosquito bites?
Nick, barium sulphate is very insoluble in gastric fluid and the Pharmacopoeia specifications include strict limits for soluble barium (essentially none). Barium carbonate is soluble in gastric fluid and the bioavailabilty could be very high depending on various factors. The Merck Index or Martindale would be the best place to look for human LD50 estimates. There are some internet sources that suggest that as little as one gram of barium carbonate could be a fatal dose. I previously described how SM’s probable sub-acute lead poisoning would have potentiated the effects of barium. And if SM also downed some digitalis (it was used as a treatment for alcoholics in 1948 from memory) then all three, barium, lead and digitalis would have pushed in the same direction.
Byron: thanks very much for that. If barium carbonate is that bioactive, presumably the person ingesting only a few grams would be unwell within seconds, and dead within minutes?
Unwell within a few minutes. Death could occur within 20 minutes under some circumstances.
The semi-conscious fellow Strapps and Neill were observing was also being watched by a man standing on the road. He thought it a fortunate coincidence to see a man in such a situation because not far away he had a body that needed disposal.
The drunk was woken up after Strapps and Neill left. He too left the beach.
Later that night a body was taken from a nearby house, loaded into a car and driven to the beach, unloaded and carried to the same spot by the steps the drunk had occupied. The body had abrasions between the knuckles on its right hand, a Tamam Shud slip in its pocket and the book it was torn from had been put back into the bookshelf it was taken from.
….. part fiction, part truth.
@Pete – makes a bit of sense that one. TBH I’d always assumed the ID(s) the night before was a deliberate plant or something – but never occurred to me someone may have seized an opportunity seeing an intoxicated gent. Wouldn’t have to be on the street either – easy enough to wander along the beach and see him without neccessarily admitting as much to the authorities afterward. It even helps explain the location a little – something that I haven’t been very comfortable with for a while……
Funny you should think that, Milongal, thanks to a recent post by Gordon C, I’ve thunked up yet another scenario … and the possibility of a staged incident.
Purely imaginative, of course, though flavoured with reality.
Chapter one is up, chapter two not quite figured out. Contributions welcome.
I think you’re a Sydneysider Pete, so not sure how well you know that stretch of beach (if you do, feel free to ignore the rest of this) – it is about as narrow as an Adelaide beach would get – and likely often underwater at high tide (get on google street view and go to the corner Bickford St and the Esplanade, Somerton Park [and skip through the various dates too] – although there is some height from the road so it’s not fully clear how narrow it is, it should given an idea – and I reckon if you ‘drive’ along the map, you’ll see the beach actually narrows at that spot…).
Of course, water lapping around a body could wash away vomit, but it would also leave salt stains on clothes and make the shoe leather funny (and I’d imagine the clothes would’ve still been damp too). While the beachscape might have changed a little since the 1940s, I don’t think the narrowness is all that new (I found an online picture before of the beach from about the Somerton Surf Life Saving club many moons ago, and the beach didn’t look all that different).
To me the ‘drunk’ on the beach can not be SM (or at least if it was he left/was moved and returned, I suppose). This idea is strengthened by the fact that witnesses saw the man but could not agree it was definitely SM (“Civil Twilight” ended at 7:42pm) – interesting that the witnesses who saw him arounf 7PM (while it must still have been light) couldn’t say the body had the same face, and the couple who saw him later (albeit possibly when darkness was setting in, as the streetlights were on if we believe wiki) saw there were ‘mosquitoes’ (I think more likely flies) around his face that he wasn’t reacting to, but couldn’t agree the face was the same either (It’s interesting I can’t see any street lights in the picture with the ‘X’ anywhere within cooee – but with the angle there may well have been one directly behind them)
It all suggests the man sighted on Tuesday night as maybe not being the body on Wednesday – and when people say ‘but what are the odds, same location’ etc, I would suggest that next to stairs/walkways to the beach would be a common spot for people to rest.
Was Jetty Rd where the Rubaiyat was found? GF says: “…who used to regularly park his car in Jetty Road”, rather than committing to that being the actual place although the Newspaper articles seem more adamant (they consistently talk about a “businessman” finding the book “on the back seat” of his car “parked in Jetty Road” in “November” (I find this interesting, because the implication is the Rubaiyat was actually found before the fact – making it more likely it was SM who got rid of it – but not that day….There’s also an interesting question about how he was certain it was in November – vague recollection something about an air show at Parafield). Their consistency may just indicate fact-sharing (they also all talk about the fragment being “trimmed” and even suggest that although the paper was thought to be the same (ie same texture and colour paper), a conclusive link between the book and the fragment wasn’t actually made.
What stuck out for me, however, was (closed the article before noting date):
A photographic reconstruction of the body made by the police is available for inspection at the Detective Office.
So all the talk about the picture appearing tampered with would seem to be on the money – but it’s worth pointing out the police apparently never tried to hide this fact (that is, so there’s no need to suspect ulterior motive there). That, and the difference between the bus and the “photo” might go a long way to explaining Jestyn’s reaction – that is, that she did indeed know SM, but from the pictures in the paper had convinced herself that it wasn’t him – and was rather startled when she realised it was.
But that was all totally aside – I was looking for the location of the car because I think people don’t quite realise the distances (in fact I think the original reports are to blame). The papers talked about her living “a quarter mile North” and in modern measure this seems to be echoed in Wiki’s “about 400m North”. By my measure, it’s closer to 500m North AND 400m East. So the actual distance from her house to where SM was found is closer to 900m. Jetty Road (the heart of Glenelg) is about 1.1km North from her house (along the beachfront it would probably be about 1.8km from the body, and close to an even 2km if you swung by her house – although I did dig up an article 20 year before hand complaining about the lack of bins along the beach). While this doesn’t immediately discount any of the events anyone has talked about, it’s worth noting because I think most people assume the distances are much smaller.
The World’s News (Sydney) 22nd October 1921 page 10.
“Rat poison. …… Experiments have found barium carbonate to be the most effective poison, as it is tasteless, odourless, effective and easily obtained.”
Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW) 14th August 1929 page 1
“Notice to canegrowers. Barium carbonate rat poison in biscuit form is now available, free on application at Harwood Mill. Bring your own tins. C. Goddard. Secretary Clarence Sugar Executive.”
The Armidale Chronicle (NSW) 17th June 1925 page 3.
“…..The most effective poison bait can be obtained from all chemists. Barium carbonate 8 oz., oatmeal 16 ozs., beef dripping 8 ozs., salt 1/2 oz., …… cut into /2 in. cubes. This is sufficient for 1,000 baits…..”
Northern Star (Lismore, NSW) 17th July 1909 page 8.
“Eating poisoned flesh: An old trick exposed. A peculiar poison of gypsies known as drab has just been identified by Mr J. Myers as barium carbonate, known to mineralogists as Witherite. An old practice of gypsies was to poison pigs and then eat the flesh., and Professor Sherrington concludes that if the poison was barium carbonate the flesh would be safe to eat provided all parts coming in contact with the entrails were carefully washed.”
Hmm. I wonder how many people in 1948 knew that barium carbonate was a tasteless and effective poison? Many, indeed most poisons available in 1948 had a strong taste that would tend to make them generally ineffective for homicidal purposes. I note that the mineral Witherite occurs at two localities in South Australia; at Wheal Watkins at Glen Osmond and at the Commonwealth Mine in the Mt Painter area, Flinders Ranges. It is also found at the Rosebery Mine, Tasmania and at Hoskin’s Mine, Grenfell, NSW. Glen Osmond is a suburb of Adelaide and Wheal Watkins mine is 13 Km (8 miles) east of Somerton Beach. Hmm. There are relatively few places worldwide where the mineral Witherite can be found, 259 to be exact (see Mindat.org). I calculate that there is about a 0.04% chance of an occurrence of Witherite being within 13 Km of Somerton beach (and Moseley Street). If I just consider Australia the odds lengthen to about 1 in 8,000. Hmm.
Byron: surely most pharmacies would have stocked some?
Before we all jump to conclusions, do you think it wise to compare the effects of barium carbonate ingestion to those as detailed in the inquest papers?
This, for instance, fro toxnet.nim.nih.gov.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Most patients with barium intoxication have gastrointestinal and cardiac involvement with tetraplegia. Barium carbonate is a rare cause of hypokalemic periodic paralysis. Diarrhea and arrhythmias are due to direct stimulatory action of barium ions on smooth and cardiac muscles. Heart failure and hypertension may occur in a few cases. Barium blocks the potassium channels and thus potassium efflux from the muscle is reduced whereas the sodium-potassium pump is intact. This causes increased potassium in the muscle and decreased resting membrane potential. Barium acts mainly at the neuromuscular junction by this mechanism.
Petebowes: gastrointestinal? Check. Cardiac failure (in systole)? Check. Available in SA at the time of death? Check. Not known to coroner? Check.
As an aside, imagine the frightening concept where both the Somerton code and the Voynich Manuscript are proved to be examples of steganography.
Nick, quite right. And, yes, most pharmacies would have stocked barium carbonate at the time for D.I.Y. rat baits. I was just covering all bases. I expect a cunning poisoner would take care about the purchase of a poison. I would expect that in 1948 it would be necessary to sign the poisons register and the pharmacist would have to know the purchaser. I also had in mind a certain person, a plausible gypsy, who had a deep interest in pharmacology. The poisoner may not have known the chemical identity of the poison, but knew that a mineral with certain physical properties (high density, appearance, crystal form etc.) was poisonous. And maybe the intention was not to kill, but just to make ill. And maybe this person had been told by local gypsies that “drab” could be obtained from the Wheal Watkins mine at Glen Osmond.
Byron: also, the suggestion that a pharmacist might have used barium carbonate is, of course, far too obvious for any highly-skilled conspiracy theorist to put forward. So in the end perhaps that’s all it will come down to. :-/
So lets try sexing this up a little and talk about the new single serve IV shooters like sodium p. (& dirivitives), warfarin or even LSD which the FBN were playing with in ’48. Good spy v. Spy stuff and still in service because of their effectiveness and quick dispersal properties. Our late Victorian era medical witnesses seemed a little shy on the subject at the inquest, making self serving guestimates about this & that whilst not being too commital and one can’t help but noting, they all relied Cowan’s ability for analytic discovery. Dwyer and Cleland both hinted about masking IV delivery but did not play it up and although Dwyer made mention of the marks between the knuckles, he was not overly concerned that they might have concealed a logical entry site for a hyperdermic syringe; such as the one found on the beach?.
I thought (and could be wrong) the only mention of a syringe was by Leane in the Documentary years later…..and I thought Leane wasn’t one of the attending police in the early days, so the syringe is easily dismissed. How does one administer a syringe between the knuckles without being noticed (I suppose there’s nothing to say it wasn’t noticed).
What’s to say the poison was bought in SA and not carried interstate? Poisons’ registers are all beaut and fine, but the further away from a crime scene you buy them, the harder they are to track, no?
Finally, and way off track, but transport buff stuff just because there’s a hint of a coincidence…..
I can recall Adelaide bus numbering in the 90s having 161 (and later 163, 164, 165, 166, I think) on Glen Osmond road, and 167/168 to Moseley Sq Glenelg. I know when I was driving buses (in the early 0’s) there was a lot of through running and generally the numbers were related (10_ on Magill Road to 11_ on Grange Road, 12_ on the Parade to 13_ on Henley Beach Rd, 14_ on Kensington Road to 15_ on Port Road (and later some to 13_ on Henley Beach Road, 171/172 from inner South through Hutt St to 173-179) North East, and the 182 on Prospect Rd became the 19_s along Unley Rd [The 170-190 routes befuddled my rule that buses starting with a 1 ran primarily East/West and crossed the city through North Tce or Grenfell St, and buses starting with a 2 ran North/South via King William). 203 became 204-209 (and later the 203 became a 200 and a 202 existed on the other side too), 21_ Goodwood Rd became 22_ Main North Rd, 23_ Arndale and Churchill Rd became 24_ Marion, 253 (later 25 anything) Torrens Road became 26_ via Anzac highway. 271/273 North East Rd became 275/278 to Glenelg, 281/282 Paradise became 286/287 Henley beach, 291/292 Marden/Oakden became 296/297 (300s were primarily Western Suburbs, 400s were Northern Suburbs, 500s were OBahn, 600s were Inner South (Marion/Blackwood – but can’t recall whether they existed before Serco lost their contracts, or whether they had different numbers – I know a lot of through running at Marion was swapped for little 600 routes that went to the suburbs (and strangely at Arndale, POrt Adelaide and West Lakes the opposite happened a lot of little 300 series routes became through running off other services)), 700s were outer South, 800s were Adelaide Hills services. (from memory, school routes used a 600 or 800 series on the ticket machine (888 rings a bell??), but displayed a letter) But we digress…
While I understand the system wasn’t under MTT/STA/TA/PT[BO] and was privately run, and probably looked vastly different to the system in the 90’s, the numbering in the 90s hints that at some stage there was a Glen Osmond to Glenelg (via City) Bus Service – that’s not a bad coincidence either….
On a side note, I much preferred that than the random letter these days that seems to refer to a road at one end of the route….
The newspapers always referred to the man as a “businessman”. This seems to imply one of several things:
1) Someone who literally owns a business (for some reason for me a publican springs to mind – which is perhaps consistent with the car “normally being parked on Jetty Road” and “parked near the Pier Hotel)
2) Someone who wears a suit every day and likely works an office job (as opposed to Salesman)
3) Someone who is described as a businessman to obscure their identity or part of it (other than spy or copper, this might include people in the military or certain types of government employees? Especially in a paranoid Cold War world)
There’s a niggle with me that Prosper may have been described as a business man, but the fuzz would surely have twigged to that if it were the case (if not at the time, then certainly GF).
In other news, the papers of the time consistently talk about the TS fragment being “[neatly] trimmed” – this is sort of unusual if its primary purpose was to demonstrate a link between the fragment and the book (whether spy theory, or bodgey car sale theory or other).
There was a Darwin man R E Davis who was dismissed as a possibility because he was 3 inches too tall (from memory that still makes him 1 inch shorter than the Fed)?
I think I mentioned it yesterday, but the papers seem to prefer the term “photographic reconstruction” rather than “photograph”
There was something I wanted to say about Carlin’s suitcase (1950s), but I forgot
The papers also seem to focus on cause of death being unknown (that is, the implication is the coroner never concluded it was poison, just said poison because nothing else could be explained)
The papers seem to be careful saying the paper is the same texture and colour on fragment and book, but not that they’re conclusively same.
A newspaper article about the lady leaving flowers suggest she was an elderly woman (ie not Jestyn)
There was also a Leonard Berry (owner, not brand) suitcase found in early Dec ’48
There was a body found on Semaphore beach (ie closer to Largs Bay) 3 days after SM
The train ticket was “Punched, but not used”. I’d like to knwo what that means. I thought it gets punched when used, but there’s a suggestion in one of the papers that it would have been punched on the platform (or to access the platform) – but in that case I don’t know how you tell it’s not used – unless it gets punched twice
Well, we did have the Ina Harvey needle, which as I recall, prompted a degree of lively discussion and resulted in a no contest between two lively combatants. In hindsight I think Ina may have added a litte guilding to a story conveyed to her by her brother Tom Loftus, SM’s mortician, perhaps some lengthy period after his involvement. It was suggested that this concerned a possible suspicious possible jection mark on the cadaver, so to speak and if so, Ina may have seen it as her moral duty to make this known. I still believe that her hotel room staffer reported some unusual piece of equipment in the guest’s room, but alas we will never likely find out whether it was a hypo. syringe, a mod. 03 Win. semi auto magazine, or indeed a common everyday flute cleaner sans flute.
It was probably a flute needle old salt, commonly found in a flute case.
Leane’s active involvement in the case only came about after ‘the case’ was found, that is not to say that he wasn’t at the beach on the day, perhaps overseaing a search for evidence. He claims to have found the hypodermic syringe about 100yds from “where he was sitting on the seat”. OK, so who saw him on the seat?; The one seat that I’m aware of was on the other side of the mainly unusable stairway, the one that provided Strapps and Neill with their main vantage point. The other question is how can a dead or dieing man get from that position to the one in which he was found? he may have clambered over the broken stairs or jumped down to the beach and struggled gamely around, but why would he attempt such a tricky maneuvre? after all one spot is as good as the next when you’re on your last legs. Of course he may’ve taken his chances on actually climbing the stairs, seeking help but then lost balance and tumbled off through the broken railing and ending up insitu at X marks the spot. As for the syringe, well ” it’s all down there in the place still; the police have it”. ” Thanks for that Lionel and another Coopers pale if you think you can get one down “.
@JS – agree the syringe bit comes across very unreliable. In more recent times some Adelaide beaches have had a problem with syringes (not ones in that area, I think, but I vaguely remember areas Henley to Semaphore being in the local Messenger – then again, probably a different Messenger for Glenelg (West rather than Portside, or something)). As you point out, the further away the syringe is, the less likely it is to be linked (if it even existed).
As for the Coopers, for some reason I always assumed Leane wanted Sparkling Ale (but I guess the Sydneysiders might not have realised and bought the Pale instead).
There are 10 “R Francis” listed in the Adelaide directory from 1948. The 2 closest to Glenelg (not that living close to Glenelg is necessarily important) are an R E Francis in Melbourne St, St Leonards (about 1km North of Pier Hotel) and an R S P Francis in Elder Terrace, Glengowrie (aabout 3km East from the the Pier Hotel). Two suburbs further North-East again (past the Morphetville Racecourse) is South Plympton, and in the North Eastern corner of this suburb is Winifred Avenue (where H C Francis lived) – About 7km from Glenelg.
To be fair to GF, the media accounts don’t appear to agree with themselves on when the book was found:
“In November”
“In November some weeks before the body was found”
“At about the time of the Parafield Air Show”
“At about the time the body was found”
etc.
I think some of this is journalists adding words and inadvertently making the timeframe more specific than it was.
eg:
“When did you find the rubaiyat?”
“Well, I remember we were taking the kids to the Parafield Air Show, so we cleaned the car out then, and the book definitely wasn’t there at the time”
“Would you have been in the area of Glenelg since then?”
“Well sure, I work in Colley Tce, so I’m there almost every day – sometimes I’m lucky and I get a park up the top end of Jetty Rd”
“And could you have found the book much later? Say this year?”
“Oh no, we definitely found it before we went Christmas Shopping – and that would have been the first weekend in December. We always try to get that out of the way in Early December”.
So this gets translated by police to:
“The Rubaiyat was found between the Parafield Air Show and December”
and then the media further bastardises that into “some time in Novemeber” (or whatever else they came up with).
TBH, I prefer the Rubaiyat appearing before SM dies anyway, because as I think I’ve said before the nature and location of the TS fragment to me suggests it wasn’t used as a method of identification.
So when GF says “don’t believe all you read in the media” I think he’s making the point that they don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. Perhaps more to the point, they need to make things sound good, – and if this inadvertently masks actualities then so be it. The specifics (from a media perspective) aren’t really that important, in fact in most cases the specifics aren’t important for ‘most everyone….(It’s also possible he’s alluding to the fact that in some cases the facts released to the media are released a particular way to put a particular spin on things – but I think that’s less likely in this case).
Incidentally, if the relationshp between Francis and the Car-owner is BiL, then the car-owners surname is not likely to be the same….
If we really care about Ronald Francis (and I’m not sure if we do)….
It occured to me that either Ronald Francis or his sister must have been married (in fact I originally figured he had kids, but instead I think the ownder of the car had kids…call it speculation based partly on the fact that he went to the Air Show, and partly because I’m sure someone’s account said so – just not sure whose) so (on the odd chance that that is actually his name) I thought I’d trawl the personals between 1920 and 1945 looking for births and engagements (when I started I was working on the kid hypothesis, and so cut off the search at 1945, because even at 3 years old they maybe a little young for an airshow).
What really struck me was the number of “Ronald Francis” as a first-middle name combination. That is, there must have been hundreds of “Ronald Francis X”s wandering around (even more than Pavel Ivanovich Fedosimoff’s).
Eventually I found an engagement for a Ronald Francis in 1942:
MARSHALL—FRANCIS.—The engage-
ment is announced of Grace Florence,
youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. W.
Marshall, of West Thebarton rd., Thebar-
ton, to Ronald Howard, elder son of Mr.
and Mrs. L. F. Francis, of Cawthorne st.,
Southwark.
I’d like to be clear that I’m not suggesting anything other than I found a Ronald Francis in Adelaide (West Thebarton Rd, Thebarton is an Adelaide address. I think a part of Thebarton might have once been Southwark (certainly there’s a Cawthorne St in Thebarton, and I’m pretty sure what most people call the “West End Brewery” is actually (or was) the “Southwark Brewery”). In fact Google’s fun fact is that Colonel William Light (you know, the guy who planned Adelaide) lived on Cawthorne St, Southwark. There doesn’t appear to be any RH Francis in the 1948 directory, however there are 3 just plain old ‘R Francis’, and 2 of them are close to Thebarton (Torrensville and West Croydon). (NOTE: I sort of subscribe to the idea that in Adelaide and possibly elsewhere people often stay close to their roots – at least when they first leave home)
If any of Gerry’s people are still tuned in; perhaps he might like to comment as to the possibility that it wasn’t Ron Francis that he spoke with in recent years, he having passed on in ’87, but the ‘ brother in law ‘ who died on 4/7/15.
The car theif theory was first floated by your truly on this site. isn’t that right Nick? and I was trolled to hell and back for it at the time however others have started to see the light and in the end I am confident that it will prove to be correct in some form (Nick is on the right track)
Its the only hypothesis that explains everything. Even the scratches knuckles are typical of someone who is reaching around inside cars. He was in town to collect and was expecting to drive home. Hence no return ticket. He was travelling under the radar and that’s what threw everyone off. He wasn’t where he was supposed to be.
The Dude: Pleased to report, I’ve never tried to hot wire your car racket theory per se, though admittedly my thoughts on the auto theft contention, did not really take hold. Recent developments concerning Prosper Thomson’s likely connections to well documented mafia figures, lead me to the conclusion that there may well have been a crossover link between his own dirty car business and the more serious organized crime scene. This might well have him being perhaps reluntantly knowingly concerned with gangland murder and mahem, the likes of which invoked the SM termination. Is that something you could consider viable?…
I know you wouldn’t use your special scissors and zinc strip to hot wire my car theory Nick. Yes I do consider murder and mayhem or the fear of it viable . To understand Prosper there is some well documented records of his brushes with the law. Particularly the Perth car scam years before where he threatens to take his own life when the cops close in on him. Does it not stand to reason that he would if cornered be prepared to take his own as previously threatened or potentially another mans life.
The Daphne Page case is a serious insight into Prosper and his MO. He was prepared to shaft those who trusted him and he was connected to underworld types in the eastern states. I am surprised that this just went under the radar at the time as the DP case was only a few months prior. In fact even to this day I can’t remember anyone raising the DP case prior to my mention of it. PT was dead set dodgy and maybe Jess’s only connection was the fact that she happened to give a ROK to Boxall. I consider Boxall to be the most over rated member of the SM ensemble. If Jess was such a hard core spy as she is being touted , trained in Russian language , trained to lie ,trained to withstand interrogation and possibly torture yet she gives up her fellow spy Boxall to the flakey Adelaide plods on the spot ???? I don’t buy it. Prosper ran the cab ranks in Mentone when as a married man he managed to woo young and vulnerable Jess (pregnant and alone) he ships her of to Adelaide and starts running his scams. Yes he’s small time but sometimes people get in too deep. The SA cops never talked to Prosper and got thrown by a pretty little red herring called Jestyn, or Jess or Jo and 70 years on they are still convinced by daytime soap drama and spy theories of lost love and espionage. People who are not where they are supposed or where they’ve told others they are going must be careful not to wind up dead.
Dude 747: So far so good; give us some more of your insight and let us in on a little more general perspectives on the Adelaide shonky motor trade aprapos post war era interstate (Melbourne/Perth Calabrian) connections If you can. I for one would be particularly interested in any similar Page type cons (hundreds), suspected, Police Motor/ Dealers Squad protection influence, close lawyer relationships and anything to do with possible Broken Hill, NSW auto title tranfer arrangments.
There’s a couple or three words in Bozo’s last sentence of ribuke to Dude 747 that one might be inclined to vervently disagree with; but part timers probably have more insight than short timers at the end of the day ay (sick).
J S interstate title transfer of registration did not require a physical inspection of the engine number nor did the motor reg talk state by state i9n the 1940s. No computers or data bases. In fact motor reg never communicated between states until the late 80s. Growing up in the 80s I recall a mate who lost his licences in SA and was able too get a Victorian licence and drive legally. AND that was in the 80s !! not the 40s
So one scenario in the car ring theory is that SM could make an overnight trip to Adelaide, hook up with his local fixer return to VIC or NSW behind the wheel of a recently hot-wired Hilman minx and present it for registration in Victoria with a legitimate pink slip supplied by an SA car dealer which in fact belonged to an identical Hilman Minx sitting on his showroom floor. That why I call it the “Thomson twins’ theory. There is the original Hilman minx and the twin (stolen with the help of the tool kit) then driven back to NSW or Vic with the altered number plates and a legitimate pink slip. If the local plod in Broken Hill gets nosey and radios in the number plate (which they were doing at the time) the plate comes back clean and for good measure he has the pink slip. Its a slam dunk. New title in NSW after a visit to the region office. People forget that a new or near new car was worth as couple of years wages to the average man back then so big rewards.
thedude 747: It’s quite apparent that our toffee nosed city bushmen types have never had to strip down to their bare essentials and spend hours grovelling to put a gearbox back together, beneath an old rusty heap out west. I can well imagine someone like Somerton Man having to engage in such pursuits and probably more than once; with arms and upper body beneath the vehicle to do the dirty work, legs hanging out from the groin down is the standard pack drill. That’s how one might end up with Dr. Dwyer’s well documented last season’s tan, and as for the further commented upon clean, cared for hands, good condition and Mr.Paul Lawson’s celebrated high calves; should be elementary, even to any decrepit old Cranberry college, old boy types, who might struggle with most mundane chores or unassisted toilet needs. You’ll get it in a trice dude, but if any of our avid followers can’t work it out for themselves, I’d be pleased to help out, so long as it doesn’t interfere with my important other demands.
john sanders: I don’t often delete comments, but sometimes people give me little choice. 🙁
thedude747: it would be no surprise to me if one of the car-related scenarios turns out to be the key to the whole case. I just wish someone had applied to the police to get the name of “Ronald Francis” released.
thedude745: Any chance that SA Museum will be raffling tickets for the dig. It would be most desireable to have some detail on exactly what controls are likely to be in play to ensure nothing is missed. If you could be discreetly on hand for the actual coffin raising, perhaps you might jag the opportunity to whip out a tape and measure its length, despite the risk of eviction. Also Ciphermysteries as the most credentialed and reliable SM investigative entity, could seek leave to play a key representative at the venue in the interests of fair play and international interest.
JS the dig is on old mate. I was literally in a room. half an hour ago with Feltus, Derrick Abbott , Rachel Egan and even old Lawson the taxidermist was there. He’s 100 not out. Premiere of the new Doco. “the curious case of the Somerton man”. Was hoping Feltus and the professor might punch on in the car park.
The shadow AG in SA was there and he was named after the ROK so he’s a lock and Vicky chapman the AG said she wouldn’t block it. Also the head of the bookmakers was there and he’s on board. If you were serious JS the controls on exhumation are VERY strict and it would be done appropriatly
PS Nick the real “Ronald Francis ” has come forward only yesterday. There is due diligence being done as we speak. This could be dynamite.
thedude747: this is amazing stuff, thanks for the heads up. I’m looking forward to seeing how the next few days play out, should be fascinating…
thedude747: Heard that the grand old man was still going strong but didn’t know that he was going to attend. Was trying to reach him through his contact at the museum after his 100th birthday party at the nursing home on the ninth and was waiting for word about todays big do at the Merc. Any how good news comes to those who dare and we’ll wait with baited breath for some more conclusuve details on the id..Cheers js.
Where did the real RF come forward?
Couldn’t believe it when Feltus walked in. I have to say respectfully that Rachel Egan looked gorgeous. She has inherited Jestyn’s petite stature. The woman is tiny. The professor is batting well above his weight and he knows it. Some fascinating insights from friends of Jestyn’s and her sister. According to friends George met Jestyn when she was on a cliff about to jump off LITERALLY.
thedude747: did you mean “litorally”?
[Sorry, but I know I’ll never get another chance to say that.]
Was wondering if the sister was Jean Moir Carr, of 1935 sack race fame who set up house in Adelaide with her man Third Mate Norm during the war.
Litorally? . Are you quite shore on that one Nick? Sorry but I for one don’t get your drift…but I did pick up on the uranium bit, rather suttle I must say.
RF or a representative of presented themselves to the filmmakers 48 hours ago. I think its legit because Feltus didn’t blink. This COULD have big implications particularly for the above hypothesis. I will claim to be the father of the car thief theory although Ive warmed strongly to Nicks version of it.
Literally about to launch herself of the Litorally the hard way when George stepped in . Could there be a more dramatic way to meet?
Think I got it; the litoral zone ala Suttle lake, Oregon with its deep shoreline gutter, rising to a mile long gravel bar twenty yards out, where rainbow trout can be seen in mass feeding frenzie, agorging on mollions of emerging nymph larva, litorally. Trick to catching the lunkers is to get a black march fly beyond the sweet spot and let the onshore drift bring it within the strike zone…Can’t for the life of me see what fly fishing has to do with a car thief’s intervention in the attempted suicide of a pregnant nurses aid.
thedude747: Interesting about George. Seems to me like he wasn’t able to maintain his early success in the slick auto trade, being happy to fit in with the new Calabrian high stakes push from the East when they needed a local man on their team. As always happens when an outsider makes deals with the mob, things turn sour, when they get set up in the new local. Soon after one must suffer the inevitable indignity of being pressured out of the business, usually by threats or extortion if your lucky. One probably could have predicted Prosper being ultimately squeezed out and not on his own terms, though he was probably fine with the two wheelers which, for some reason, were never a big ticket item with the Mebin Market crime push…Great work by the way, sorry our time zone inflexibility didn’t allow for immediate response to your big night out..Gordon Strepps was your guy, the bloke with Olive Neil on the Ariel motor cycle, who spoke of seeing SM in the evening as they sat near the beach stairway.
My money would be on either one of the Bickford lads for Ron Francis. Not sure about Frank who was Neville’s boy, but Ronald was still with us until 2011 and more likely to have been Det Feltus man. Ron had two daughters, Variety Jane bn. 42 and not Variety Jane bn. 1945, so perhaps one of the little lasses rembered playing in the Minx that day in ’48 when the ROK came to light.
Strepps yeah thats him He was there and he’s in the doco. It was a who’s who or as the director put it was like an SM convention. Nobody liked George. He would greet visitors cordially but the sense of intrusion was palpable.
thedude747: Gordon Strapps?
Nick: Yes, Gordon; no question about it and we might wonder if his chubby little bride was with him. In fact everyone who was anyone seems to have been invited but us, the dedicated few; not even the foull blown SM sites got a look in, which seems rather discourtious of the promoters. Now that the tumult and the shouting has died, are we in any better position to proceed or are we to just throw up our collective arms in disgust and depart the battlefield for shame?…
Yes Nick Gordon Strapps. Apologies for the confusion. Good question JS “are we any better off now?” I would say yes we are but it will take time to extrapolate the necessary data from what has been un covered in this latest doco. Most significantly is that there appears to have been a shift in attitudes across lets call it the SM community. Feltus and DA are both the most prolific figures in the hunt for SM yet Feltus is everyones hero whilst DA is considered the villain by many. Adding fuel to the fire is that as DA says “Feltus hates me”. A fact that appears to have some merit. I won’t argue the for and against for either figure but both have made significant contributions and their feud hasn’t helped bring about a conclusion. These boys couldn’t be any more different. Feltus the old no nonsense copper and Derrick the dreamer who has let his heart rule his head and got to close to it. The fact that they both appear (albeit not together) in the film and both attended the premiere was significant. The secret society appears to be softening. Don’t forget until recently only a few in the SM community knew the identity of the nurse and it was here that I believe her name was first published widely. The previous government didn’t want a bar of an exhumation and it was a widely known case in the community whereas the current AG Vicky chapman is keen as is the shadow AG. This shift in attitudes and latest surge in publicity has broadened the profile of the case certainly in SA and now the average Adelaidian knows of SM and is curious. This has flushed out the new “Ronald Francis” lead. This could be significant. I believe these factors will ultimately lead to an exemption and hopefully a conclusion.
thedude747: The follow-on resurgence of local historical interest in the film is understandable and one might assume that this may well be due to its portrayal of the case in the light of it’s seemingly unfathomable mystique and timeless intrigue for those interested in the true detective genre. The true test will be how the presentation comes across to an Australia wide audience at least, perhaps even internationally. While we can only await word on new developements to see if they might bring us any nearer to getting answers to all or any of the unresolved ingredient proofs that might lead to closure. There are eight of them, all commencing with WH and I’ m feeling confident that I’ve now got six covered to my general satisfaction.
So do we know who the real RF is? Is the documentary out?
Misca: you can now (as of today) pay your £3.93 to rent the documentary via Vimeo (but I’ve been tied up all day on other stuff) – https://vimeo.com/ondemand/somertonman
However, I’m reasonably sure that “Ronald Francis” outing himself at the Adelaide premiere was a surprise to the film makers, one entirely unconnected with the – I strongly suspect – romantic love-child nonsense they seem likely (to me) to have presented in their overall edit. But that’s just my best guess, make of it all what you will. 😉
Nick – Thanks for the info regarding availability on Vimeo. I realize now that they contacted me in December 2017 asking for information on John Lyons. I was suspicious at the time thinking that it was some other researcher (who I didn’t recognize) trying to get info and I got busy with other things and didn’t respond. I now see that the individuals that contacted me were Carolyn & Wayne/Australian International Pictures…It sounds like it is the producers of the same documentary.
Is thedude the only one who has seen it? If “Ronald Francis” outed himself, do we know who he is?
Having seen the start of the slow moving dope fest on Pete’s site, I would not have had the stomach do digest any more. I’t be better to spend the four nicker on a Wenzel’s of Glenelg, poppyseeded vegetable pastie. I’ve heard that with a snack like that, it would suffice to mask the effects of an opium tincture overdose, and prepare the comatose patient for a final farewell in the form of a pre dawn ‘burking’.
To be clear “Ronald Francis” or someone speaking on his behalf contacted the filmmakers the day before the premiere. They did not make themselves known ant the premiere but the approach looks credible and the due diligence is being done as we speak.
thedude747: that’s great, thanks. 🙂 Errrm… but how do you know this? Are you in contact with the film-makers?
Is a blue-ringed octopus someit we can discount? Happened to stumble across a story yesterday about a young-kids close encounter with a blue-ring (I certainly knew they appear further North (have seen them down Henley, Semaphore, Largs, North Haven – and, on the shores of West Lakes).
Explaining how a blue-ring would get him up against the seawall is more difficult (especially given he had shoes on, so it’s not like he’s been walking in the shallows where they wash up), but it’s just a thought….
I guess more specifically, would they have been aware of Blue-Rings in the 1940s, and would they have recognised a bite mark?
@JS: Gave up on that site a while back. Aside from the crazies, it seems you can’t have a disagreeing opinion without getting ridiculed off the park….
There were occasionally some interesting threads and/or opinions/angles there – but found it too hard to filter out some of the aggressive commenting.
There used to be a very senior Superintendent who used to come down from Canberra every so often to lecture at the Australian Police College in Manly. He was a charismatic fellow with a bit of a history and had once been a Detective Sergeant in SAPOL. He was a great story teller and as he was dealing with student officers undertaking an Investigators course, most of his stories related to the early years working in Adelaide and another largish city further afield. One particular case that he loved to talk about was of course his involvement, from the outset with the Somerton case. He was also a name dropper and he made mention of some of those also involved in the investigation such as Stan Sleane, Ray Whitrod and others that we are all by now well familiar with. All this was so long ago and far away, so recall is somewhat fuzzy as to his claimed actual part in the related inquiries. The old detective’s son had not long been back from his tour as a young infantryman in some now forgotten war (still going in ’74) in Asia and the old top cop took a shine to one or two of the constables who had also done time in the Army. On one or two occasions over drinks at Manly Vale pub, when things were fairly fluid, and full of ‘hail fellow well met’ good Xmas cheer, he made mention of a name unofficially that had come to light early in the beach body investigation. Not a specific name that one might recall, but more a regional version of a name or place perhaps. Fed or Slav comes vaguely to mind and our informant was quite clear in his belief that the victim had been a part of the Russian Ballet tour of Australia before the war and who had gone bush to avoid problems with his overstay, hence the lack of identity. The officer, who was about the same age as Len Brown and Paul Lawson would have been a great assett to have had in later years for the Somerton Man docos, but I’ve got a feeling that he passed on at a fairly young age. One or both of his boys might have been happy to share thoughts on their dad’s secrets. Alas folks don’t seem to have either the initiative or time to bother about that lateral sort of chasing up in this age of total reliance on credible official sources only; thanks anyway….
Nick, Wayne announced this latest approach from the finder of the ROK to the audience at the premiere. I am in contact with Wayne and he advised yesterday that they are still doing due diligence on the new “Ronald Francis” lead
thedude747: as one car guy to another 🙂 , this is [hopefully] good news, as I have a string of questions a mile long I’d like to be able to ask. 🙂
Nick: Looks like the only car you’re likely to get is Elvis’s ‘Long Black Limousine’, all the way to West Terrace cemetery, compliments of the granstand bookmakers and Elliotts undertakers; sorry no Hillman Minx in sight pal.
john sanders: it probably wasn’t a Hillman Minx, if that’s any help.
thedude747: the obvious things to point out are…
* only two people have ever been materially connected to the Somerton Man
* both claimed to know nothing about the man
* both asked the police for anonymity
* one knew the identity of the man, but never disclosed it
* and the other…?
Well, even if ‘Ronald Francis’ never know the dead man’s identity, it now seems overwhelmingly likely to me that his car was connected to the dead man in some non-obvious way – and not by a stranger leaving a book on the floor in the back.
So: the more we can know about his car (and there is a very great we could learn about it), the closer we will be to the dead man’s identity, DNA or no DNA. Simples.
Nick; Which two people have been materially connected to the Somerton Man?
Nick; Which one knew the identity of the man, but never disclosed it?
Right you are Nick it was not a Hillman Minx. A n umber of factors lead me to believe that this approach may very well be genuine. Your assessment that the other person “Ronald Francis” may have been connected hold water to me because why stay in the shadows all this time if you have nothing to hide. It doesn’t make sense.
Interesting one lad at the premiere who seemed otherwise quite sane was suggesting in conversation that he is “potentially” SMs great grand son but NOT through the Thomson connection.
I’m inclined to view that we might have been much better off had we treated ‘the book’ and it’s compositor with a deal less reverence than we did, knowing that we have been taken for a ride. A great deal of effort has gone into keeping the dogs off both Jestyn and Alf through deliberate falsehoods related to probable paternity issues.The same goes for our ubiqitous Mr. Francis, for a different, though equally deceitful purpose. Should anyone need to read something a sight more factual, I would reccommend the Sephen King version ‘Mystery of the sands’, Kerry Greenwood’s thriller on Somerton man, or perhaps even the James Ellwoodish ripper ‘Bushwacker’s Right Ball’.
The small car that can be seen in the contemporaneous (?) photo of the site of SM’s death could be the car in which the ROK was found. If this is the case then “Ron Francis” may have worked as a doctor at the crippled children’s hospital.
Nick: Point taken, merely highlights another fib amongst the many. An interesting mildly connected piece information stored away in my noggin is, that the first locally assembled auto coming out of the new Goodwood plant, was of course the ever popular ‘medium sized’ Hillman Minx family sedan from Roots…..Stanley Swaine not Sleane 1924-2003, the Sapol detective of Beaumont and Adelaide oval abductions fame, former junior corroborating officer who was known to shoot first and keep his own counsel…..James Ellroy not Ellmore whatever, bn. 1948 US author of L.A Confidential, Black Dahlia etc.
And on we go, with more shenanigans…
Nick: Four perfectly valid points and a fair question. I would rather that you had included the word APPARENTLY someplace of your own choosing within each statement so as to better define a certain hint of credulity and give your self some deniabilty when their flimsy basis in fact are exposed to the light of day. Get my drift?…
Pete: You may be looking at the wrong ‘Variety’. My voracious sister combinaion would only be in their mid seventies, possibly still playing off impressive handicaps at Royal Adelaide twice weekly and cycling hither & thither from the impressive historic South Glenelg Bickford mansion. Alas I’m not going to lose much sleep over whether either of them come forward or not; only thing they can help with is whether the ROK was in the non existant glovebox or found lying in the rear seat foot well. Besides I’ve all but ticked the relevent WH box for the ROK.
Bumpkin: answering both your questions – the copy of the Rubaiyat (linked to the scrap of paper in the Somerton Man’s pocket) had the nurse’s phone number written on it and was found in the back of ‘Ronald Francis’s car. The nurse told police (and, indeed, Gerry Feltus) that she didn’t know who the man was, but it was revealed by her family in a TV documentary a few years back that, actually, she did.
Byron Deveson: hopefully we’ll find out soon…
the dude – Did the lad “who seemed otherwise quite sane” share his name or why he thought he might be SM’s great-grandson?
Miss-ca: Nada…
Nick; “Ronald Francis” was only connected because the ROK was found in his car, That could have been random. Jessica Thomson was only connected because of the phone no. written on the ROK. That could have been Prosper’s no.or it could have been random. As for her family, her daughter knows only what she was told. That’s called hearsay. Her ex-daughter-in-law and granddaughter know nothing about SM. I think the Thomson/ Egan connection is a dead end. The exhumation should answer that question.
Bumpkin: it could have been random, sure. But it’s a bit unlikely. As for the phone number, that could have been random too. But that’s extremely unlikely. As for hearsay, if that’s all the evidence you have, that’s what you have to work with.
The Thomson connection is hardly a dead-end, it’s just a part of a larger story we can’t yet read in full.
If SM is exhumed, his DNA can be matched with Rachel Egan. Assuming Robin was Rachel’s biological father, DNA can prove with 99.99% certainty whether or not SM was related to Rachel and, therefor, to Robin. My guess – no relationship. We shall see.
Bumpkin: from what I know, I think that will turn out to be a fairly safe guess. However, the more interesting part is that cross-referencing DNA to DAN databases has the capacity to reveal all manner of things…
Nick; You are correct, sir! BTW, what is the status of the exhumation? Yes? No? Maybe?
Bumpkin: the exhumation is now arguably looking a little more likely, but given the volatility of Australian politics, who can tell which way up on the floor the toast will land? 😉
@Nick: State politics is a little more stable than our Federal politics. SA has just elected a new government after their previous Premier sat for 2 terms (~ 7 years)….He would have seen 4 Prime Ministers in that time – 2 Lab and 2 Lib…
That’s not the first time I’ve heard people suggesting the car in the background is somehow related? I would have thought the chance of that being the case are on par with the chance of SM being Pav….
– The picture was not necessarily taken immediately after SM was found (in fact, the absence of coppers there suggests not even the same day)
– The Rubaiyat was (by some accounts) found _before_ SM was found, and seemed pretty definitely to have been linked to Jetty Rd (Surely if the fuzz at the time saw a connection to a closer location they would have sold that idea rather than Jetty road?)
The car in the background is just a car in the background….
SA polotics is far more stable than the national so don’t stress Nick. We had the same party in power for 16 years.. Unlike Canberra where you move from politics to be a suicide bomber because you are looking for something more long term.
Our former Premiere even managed to shag a married waitress at parliament house , a waitress who’s husband exacted his revenge by assaulting said Premier in front of 300 of Adelaide finest at the Adelaide wine centre using a rolled up magazine as his weapon and still said Premiere was re elected. Vicky Chapman our nee AG is a doer and all the planets are aligning now. Exhumation is now inevitable. I suggest all theorists get their ducks in a row for the reveal. A SPY? A lover or a thief ? make your call !!
PS The “otherwise sane lad’ who claimed a non Thomson family connection was interesting and he seemed to know the right people. Unfortunately I didn’t follow him up for more details.
Byron: Nevill Bickford was the boss doctor at Alvington CCH cnr. Madge Terrace and Brighton Esp. (later Bickford & South) and also chairman of the hospital board, following death of his father Reginald just the week before SM. Younger brother FRANCIS worked for DHA as the chief chemist in the company’s packaging and GP dispensing department, so you’ll certainly remember him from the Millicent barium carbonate death inquest in ’49. He was ultimately found to have been the likely culpret, however after being subjected to a severe reprimand by the coroner in October, he seems to have disappeared from his home off Moberly St. and ‘we don’t know where he are’. Now let’s expand and look in on Francis’ cousin RON who I believe to be a main contender for the ubiquitous person of ROK in glove compartment/rear seat footwell fame. For the sake of unity, we’ll refer to the vehicle as being more than likely a shiny new, straight off the Woodville assemby line, Holden family sedan with factory glove compartment. Ron’s dad Harry had his mansion on The Broadway at Glenelg Sth and was big boss of the other company bottling interests and a grower of fine merino wool with brother William at the Naracoorte family spread called Burnside Ststion. Ron’s mum was an Irish lady formerly Tessie Murphy, who up and off with Col. J. Antill and three of his old Galipolli pals just after the lad’s birth in 1917. As opposed to Francis who was in field command (ADC Gen.Wooten), Ron fought his war in the air and did pretty well by the same token if you’re into all that….At last Byron, this is for your specific attention and in response to a recent post on Pete’s site concerning the kids in Nick’s non Hillman Minx. Ron’s little girls aged six and four, just the age when kids of old would love to play around in their dad’s new car (oh for those innocent times of yore). The young family were living over Naracoorte on part of the by then (1948) divided property, however they were known to have been regular visitors back to the old homeplace. As with cousin Francis, I have no idea of what became of all these mucking Bickfords, although Ron apparently died (not Adelaide or Naracoorte) in 2011. If the girls are around, they are in their mid seventies and are subject to my recent post on the matter, so I’ll leave any further inquiries in your most capable hands and apologies if you found any hint of likeky shananigans herein.
thedude747: Sounds awfully like our young friend, ‘alias Jessie’s James’ of the Namibian/Monaco based Marshall O’Philes, who thinks he‘s the missing link of the very last Habsberg family branchline. He may have been knocking around with Ruth or Kate, two of his alleged H’berg rellies.
Any new facts in the Missing Pieces docu? Has anyone watched it?
john sanders: What is your source on Francis Bickford?
Thomas: Trove newspapers and stuff that I am suspected of inventing mostly. Wrong question, or wrongly put I guess, but other folks who pay for their info will put you straight I suspect. No offence; OK?…
No matter what I tried to do with my first comment in many months, apparently I am persona non grata on Nick’s notes in re the Somerton man’s rather messy appearance on the beach near Somerton’s headquarters.
bd
john sanders:
Found it, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/201018818/22459421.
Interesting story. Two men died after A.M. Bickford and Sons had supplied barium carbonate instead of barium sulphate in January 1949. Francis Bickford (apparently a chemist and BTW master of the Adelaide Hunt Club) was interrogated.
Thomas: comments here are interesting too:
http://ciphermysteries.com/2011/10/28/review-of-gerry-feltus-the-unknown-man-tamam-shud-book#comment-342563
…and here:
http://ciphermysteries.com/2015/02/04/the-hillman-minx-that-was-or-wasnt#comment-315668
Nick:
Thank you, sometimes an Ariadne’s thread is needed.
Thomas: Not sure we need go that far, Logical progression, lateral thinking and an appreciation for how people associate with others of a similar social level, can be invaluable, eg. Our Francis Bickford has a sister name unknown. Trove tells us sis ter is wife of C. Wood whom we can presume to be of an affluent family…Ah here we go, Colin Hope Wood, prominent ‘city businessman’dies, 1953 aged 48 leaving four kids, Alistair, Nigel, Ian and Alison (Frank’s sister possibly Alice so store) Trove also gives us a little bonus with Colin’s army unit .Archives then gives us a nice little connection in that our ‘brothers-in-law’ saw service with seventh division in Tubruk and Borneo under George Wootten. And we’re now off and running with another possible, albeit long shot lead which we must of course take through to its logical conclusion, picking up other little tibits along the way, and all free of charge…Peesapiss.
Francis had at least three sisters. Alison Cudmore Bickford, Rosamund Cudmore Bickford and Margaret Cumore Bickford.
Colin Hope Wood was married to Margaret Cudmore Bickford. His brother Linden James Wood was married to Helena May Lynch. After Linden died, Helena married Arnold Bean. Arnold Bean was first married to (Margaret) Alison Verco.
Verity Jane and Victoria Bickford are the two daughters of Ronald Ferguson Bickford and Corale Blanche Smith.
thedude77: Not being pushy bro. Nothing wrong with a bit of DD; can’t be too diligent these days I always say and after all we’re a patient lot (mostly). I’m just wondering if the ROK informant might not be so difficult to identify by certain colatable discreet means ie. age, gender, local or even a casually dropped pet name e.g. “Say folks, I’m Blinky Bill from Stirling, got a lead on the W&T book and need a buyer; intrested?”.. Any how, if it happens it does; if it don’t it won’t and we’ll be no worse off.
Then we have William Ferguson Bickford, Ron’s son who might just have been given some hint of happenings in Somerton the year before his birth. Dads generally prefer to talk of secret stuff to their sons rather than less reliable little girls, so someone might care for a drive up to Adelaide Hills and call in on the fellow for a chat. Can’t do any harm what?.
Hey JS. Yeah the only word I have at this point is that they are still working on it and about the difficulties after such a long time to verify with certainty the information at hand. The filmmakers have been very careful with all of their research. For the most part the film is a very good catalogue of the facts. They are leaning in the direction of the Robin T being the son of direction b ut have remained open. I have full confidence that they will get to the bottom of this latest lead but when they go public is anyone’s guess at this point. Unfortunately we will just have to be patient.
Not getting any word on Francis Bickford or even his socialite spouse Adelaide (Blades), after the Millicent inquest piss canning in October ’49. Perhaps unusual or maybe not so. It could be that Leon Leane, a man of his word, got Frank on a witness protection deal and got him fitted with a new monicker after the ROK hand over; so as to keep the Italian mob or Fred Wake’s Asio goons from taking the poor fellow out ala SM. Sure hope that Sapol lets him know when it’s safe to resurface; if it ever is of course.
JS – Yes. Francis seems to have been cast aside after the piss canning. I did find an article in 1953 which may or may not be him with his comments about the prices of haircuts…other than that, nothing. He died in December 1989 and is buried in Pasadena, Mitchum City but Adelaide does not appear to have been buried with him. I haven’t found the children but he does appear to have had 3 boys and a girl.
“Pasadena, Mitchum City”??
I assumed Pasadena means Centennial Park Cemetry (but I would have thought that was Marion Council rather then Mitcham (could be wrong))…
Oops, maybe it is Mitcham after all…..
The three Bickfords that went off to war, Reg and brother Francis along with cousin Ron are all together out there at Centenial Park God’s care while Ron’s missus Coral is at one of the other Adelaide cemeteries. There is an Adelaide Bickford with her but she does not seem to be Frank’s wife (dod 1947 stated age 70). I’ve got a strong feeling Ron & Francis got into Bickford wine interests post ’48 under brand names like McClaren Vale and one called Morambro estate wines which are both still active.
My best guess is that Jess may have half expected the cops to come a knocking, after all her boarder had left around the time of SM’s discovery and perhaps a nosey neighbour recalled his earlier presence at her residence and reported it. The book and the slip may have been a well planned blind for such an event and if true, then it went over like clockwork. Of course she could not have been sure what the cops were up to, though might have been relieved when Sapol accepted her story about having given Alf Boxall a ‘possibly identical’ edition back in 1946 (sic). Tiny Jess also could claim some payback for having been duffed by the randy old Lieutenant who had blamed one of his matesdi doubt. Predictably all would have turned out rather swimingly for Jestyn and her tall conspiratorial hubby to be, one would have thought. NB: Boxall’s ROK and the one she told Canney about were chalk and cheese as it turned out.
The problem I have with a pre-planned blind is that the book is a totally different edition in a totally different format. While that sort of seems less suspicious, it means they expected things to unfold exactly as they did – and that there would be no mention of a ‘little softcover booklet’ so that their hardcover didn’t arouse suspicion….
In fact, the problem I have with most theories involving pre-planning in any of the events is that conspirators would have had to quite accurately predicted how the police would react to specific pieces of evidence. Not impossible, of course, but not as simple as it is to make those same connections in hindsight
Anyone have any notion as to what Derrick’s Tomb Raiders hope to achieve in their upcoming Ghoulish quest at West Terrace. Will it simply be to extract DNA mateial to assess their SM paternity theory or do extend that to allow for identity to be determined. Are they also likely to deal with pathology issues etc.
milongal: Fair enough, though I’m not really talking of pre planning per se; more like a criminal mind’s instinctive response to the usual police line of trap questions. Don’t forget that the Sydney presshounds claim to have seen a cleanskin book as opposed to the dual language job which Alf displayed some time earlier to the police….If your up to it, Rudolf Herman Schwanke bn. 03 Germany of Kingsford, was one ahead of recruit Boxall in the line. 5’10” blue eyes with brown hair and a scar on his left wrist (one of three). Looks like your normal Kraut in his army get up and can’t really see much of dead SM there. The fellow was in Bouganville same time as Robin’s prospective father.
Definitely no pathology issue. DNA science recently identified the “golden state killer” after he had been living quietly in the community for 20 years through ancestory.com. Through the same type of process it is actually possible to nail down a nationality a region and relatives or even better in some cases. I personally don’t see it as “ghoulish” The other evidence has been lost through incompetence so this is just science using available evidence to identify a John Doe and possible murder victim. Police at the time went to lengths to preserve old mate just in case he was needed to be dug up in future so why not? Someone somewhere is missing a relative. If not for SM or because its a potential crime then at least for any living descendants. Someone may have spent their whole life thinking their dad or husband ran out on them. Maybe it would bring them peace to know he didn’t. Without DNA this will never be resolved. Its time.
Flash: Nice catch, and yes I’d be first to admit that ads have an historical place in the collecting and deliverance of secret information. In the case of both the watch and the rifle I’ve done a rethink, returning to my original more realistic conclusion that Prosper’s ads were more likely a con man’s self defence measure. Hey what about my gift of Stephen Jeffery; now his ad may well have been a clandestine message, especially with his middle name of Barnabas and him working for the old OTS mob who took over servicing of the suplus ‘enigma’ four reeler decoders after the war. PS: No thanks necessary, you’ll be needing all the help you can get.
Flash: Don’t mention it..Your timely mention of the long defunct P.M.G abreviation only a day after my connecting it with Mr. Jeffery’s employment with a branch of that organization O.T.S.(C) also jogs my addled old memory bank. I’m sure you’ll recall Alf Boxall’s two service mates from Water Transport, David Herbert and James Hawkins. Well it is a little known fact that just like Stephen Jeffery of Glenelg, they also worked for O.T.S.(C) after the war; Dave in P.N.G. (the protectorate) and Jimmy in Nth Sydney. So happens, the latter was known to have undertaken, some pre operational Bahasa linguistic training with S.M.E. at Moorebank in ’44, so that could initself be a clue as to where Alf’s Malay/English R.O.K. came from, the one Jestyn kindly wrote her memorable lines in…By the way chances of a five digit number repeating in the manner you describe are roughly 14 to one times the power of six, but I’m happy to lay half a crown against such sporting odds. In fact a top candidate of mine in an ongoing ID wrangle over in S.A. was well known to Police in St.Kilda and lived off St.Kilda Rd. from the thirties through 1947. Teresa (stage a.k.a.) would have been forty five in ’49, had that person survived.
If the book narrative be factual, than the Adelaide News artical of 25th July is a signficant lead, re the anonymous informant’s advice to Leane that he had known nothing of the ROK slip until the Friday beforehand. It seems to me that not too many folks in Adelaide would have been so unknowledgeable of this much publicized piece of information. However a busy person such as Ron Bickford may not have been aware, spending much of his time away at distant Naracoorte attending to farm management business. Of course we do have the Adelaide society page glimpses to tell us of his periodical visits with his family to the city, which we should disgard as a source of SM related news updates. What we might ironically take from this, however, is that the bloke would almost certainly have had the use of a reliable city/country automobile, perhaps one with a lockable glove compartment to secure his valuables whilst on the road.
I’m assuming that everyone apart from those living below the poverty line will have seen the SM documentary by now, this being attributed to the total lack of in depth on line discourse concerning content thereof. While people may take their time to deceminate what has or has not been reveiled which concerns previously held opinions on the facts at issue, I’ll just plod along and continue to flog my old dead neddy…Nick our, honest as the day is long modertor, spoke to Gerry via the heresay network in 2017 and was told that he had personally spoken with an ailing Ron Francis, his wife and children(2010?) and was told certain things pertaining to events of late 1948. Ron Bickford passed on in 2011, his wife did likewise in 2015 and at least one of his kids Billy, we know to be living in the Adelaide area. This scenario seems to a general consistency with Gerry’s version of events concerning his Ron Francis and our own Ron Bickford; Whilst we may well be beating our collectives to a pulp in vane, there seems no option but to continue until the theatre party breaks el silencio and comes up with the current scorecard.
Well may we say abandon hope, all ye who enter here..This is the big daddy of all criminal conspiracies. A huge can of worms to unravel and I’m only getting into the edges. As I put forward recently, for the most part it all involves identity theft on a potentially monumental scale. It would seem that my SM, a bosom buddy and Tudor were tempted in Melbourne with promises of a quick quid to sell off their un needed valuable citizenship documents and then payed full fare for their folly in the end. What we have so far as I can tell, seems to be a home spun operation with really strong ties inside various government departments. There is one stand out name of Irish derivation in the thirty odd different identies seen so far pulled, encompassing every state, some of whom were long dead by 1948 and others variously infirm. Their documents show obvious signs of tampering and one common female name5 appears to have been inserted in their stead to alter original designated next of kin. If all pans out the way I think, we may as well discard most of the evidence that has been accrued to date about Soviet led espionage and the like, though staying with Prosper, Jess and the lower eschellon Melbourne connections, who would have been enlisted to help out in key local jurisdictions….Think I jest. I got this moving an hour ago while watching Melbourne hammer Geelong and almost choked on me beer, would you believe; its the real deal to be sure, to be sure.
Having now processed all open files in my previou post re specific name catagory pretty thoroughly (some are extensive), I’m battling to find the expected smoking gun. Despite reasonably held suspicions of various alterations made to the records, along with the single common thread Irish Catholic surname, some thirty in all, each connecting with a female N.O.K. named Annie G……..;Absolutely nothing stands out as being worthy of follow up, which seems truly amazing….NB: My key word surname, one left untraced by a less concerned SM blogger, is the only name variation, though Annie G……..is the same nominal NOK…The remaining unresearched archives re some WW2 records and others relating to immigration referals are not on line and so may yet prove to be a source of interest….
Byron: Here’s a little something that you might have a look at. The Nunns were living at 15 Sth. Esplinade as we are all aware and it consists of a corner block, with Ferris St. Running off square. 23 Ferris is next door to the Nunns and the resident an A. Koehler whom I’ve had an interest in for some time, lived there in 1948. The A. may stand for Arno who has links to a number of people who worked for Wirth’s travelling circus during the war years and subsequently moved from Melbourne to Adelaide.
@JS you saying the Dees are the real deal? I’d put them second best of the sides remaining (in fact for mine Richmond + the winner of Hawks-Dees will make up the GF)….I’d almost give GWS a chance, but not when they have to beat Richmond to get there….
Only problems Dees could have is a relatively young side that hasn’t had recent finals campaigns will start to feel very tired in the legs with each week they progress…
Byron: As you will have noted, the Nunns may not have been in residence in late 1948, least wise Ella and the kids, they having returned Stateside for summer on the Joisey shore. Had the residence/surgery been left unoccupied, then whoever was left in care might have had open slather to all the stored quack potions and snake oil stored on the premises. Perhaps a locum had relieved Doug or more likely, the neighbours had agreed to watch over the place. We also note from the Ella’s alien file that the family had been residents of Somerton since at least 1940 and were still there as recently as 1964. The block is now occupied by sea front units and the Nunns are obviously long gone.
Flash: That raises a good question apropos the Widmer declaration and him having known Tibor for the past two years prior to April 1948. Seeing as K.J. had only been discharged from the army in March, ’46 having spent the previous four years in a Jap POW camp. With some degree of certainty, Cpl. Widmer would have spent quite a bit of time, upon his return to Australia undergoing a rigorous rehabilitation regimen, most likely at 116 or 25 hospital in Melbourne or even possibly another recognised institution nearer his hometown of Balllarat. How a man in his delicate condition befriends an alien refo of all people is quite beyond my comprehension I’m afraid. Perhaps Tibor had been friendly with the mysterious nok, Annie Gallagher which of itself goes on, as in how long’s a piece of string or summit. As for the Jess phone number Gordon, perhaps you are asking the wrong person; I know jolly well how they got it and how it ended up where it did. I’ts clearly spelled out in two publications that I can think of, but only a very few of us have woken up to the revelation. The problem with most folks who take Gerry seriously, is that they have been overcome by the dreaded confirmation bias affliction, which terminally affects their intinuitive thought processes.
There are still more questions than we have answers to regarding the dual language hard cover copy that our girl Jestyn allededly gave to her lover Alf Boxall in early 1946? according to her calculations. The interesting things that we have previously discussed re Alf’s A.P.C. linguist lesson version being not at all like the one that Jess described as being similar to the W & T pocket copy ‘shown to her by Sapol in July, 1949’ et., we might set aside though not forget…Here’s a good one that might earn us an interesting post or two and yes it still concerns Alf’s ROK and Jestyn’s hand written 70 quatrain on the frontice page. Can some one tell us all what is most odd in the context of her little otherwise meaningful thought. Pick up on it and let us discuss it’s very important clue; If not then I’ll just keep it as a sad reminder of my frustrations with the lack of interest being displayed to SM these days.
Flash: I’ll say it just this once more, Sapol got the number from her, just as they most likely did her Adelaide Bank, Currie St. account details for varification of the name Thomson and status etc. Gerry’s stearing around these issues in a certain manner seems to affirm what I believe and of course the Murdoch press does too. X3632 was said in some circles to be a silent number, yet Gerry asserts in round about way, that he found it in an old phone book. Who can give us the truth; I’m still trying to piece together why Jess would need a silent number, especially in that her account name Sister J.E. Thomson seems to promote a commercial service. As for her providing a false name and credentials to the PMG authority for her new connection, that’s a also a caution and food for thought…By the way our pow mate K.J. may have done his post war rehab in 124 Special Hospital and his case is also the subject of some importance in a book or paper held in Aust. Archives which I saw someplace recently.
Flash: Here we are; Cpl. K.J. & Sqn. Ldr. R. Widmer DFC @ Official History 39-45 War Biographies, AWM Australian Archives. Bring your money with you.
One big finally for a week in late July, 1949. Ron Francis comes forward with his W&T Rubaiyat; The X3632 phone No. on cover leads to Sister Thomson, who gives up her lover Alf Boxall but makes no identity of the SM cast. Alf is interviewed by NSW police and his story on the book verified (to their satisfaction). The code details are given to Eric Nave who gives an unofficial non commital opinion. Press then dutifully reports on all of the above. SAPOL basically closes down the investigation and it moulders ‘down in the place’ for fifty years. Cold case officer Feltus comes on the scene around the late 90’s to appease an eager public who have suddenly taken interest in the dead end Rubaiyat involvement, along with its accessory players like Jestyn and her friends.
I certainty agree that many of the people that have been scrutinised down to their DNA have been dead ends. My car theory may or may not pan out but I do know that if say 12% of the thousands of hours the amateur and professional sleuth have devoted to going through Boxall and Jess had been to devoted to the far more shady suspicious and complex dealings of one Prosper Mctaggart Thomson we could have uncovered a lot more valuable information than say how Boxall was on a motor bike and what he did in the war. Sounds like Alf was an all round decent aussie bloke but useless information. I have always considered Boxall to be a totally irrelevant distraction. Who knows what Jess knew maybe less than we think.
But Prosper now there’s a shady dude if I’ve ever seen one but when I came in to this network he was barely mentioned. Who was he dealing with , what were his interstate connections , what about the Daphne Page case. What about his previous convictions for deception and his threats of suicide. Nowhere near enough known and if there was anyone likely to be connected to some shady character travelling incognito to Adelaid eon one sort of dodgy busness or another it was Prosper M Thomson. The number on the book did not mention Jess it was his number and he was dealing with all kinds of random’s with his small adds from Adelaide to Broken Hill and across to Port Lincoln and he was dealing with Dodgy underworld figures in Melbourne. He admits as much in court (see Daph page case) but lets ignore that and have another look at Alf Boxall !!! Please
thedude747: It seems that right from the get go, Alf Boxall’s part in this complex investigation, has not proven anywhere near intriguing enough to consider as being anything more than a sideshow diversion for most sportsfans. On the contrary, he has always been in my sights as being a likely game changer, primaryly due to his so called fleeting relationship to our female leading role Jessie Thomson. We can be forgiven to a large degree because of our general confirmation bias in accepting as true, certain flawed details taken off his less than complete WW2 file. There appears to have been a serious misunderstanding of the officer’s postings during a period of about eighteen months in 1945/46, which fails to take in a likely extended affair between a soldier boy and his pretty nurse. One that ended with her pregnancy and his timely escape to sea to avoid paternal responsibilities. We also have the saga pertaining to ‘Jestyn’s’ faux pas verse 70 entry into Lt. Boxall’s copy of the ROK, that no one seems to have picked up on, and which may have been for a purpose other than a gently reminder of troth…
Like a game of cluedo we all have our favourite suspects. Boxall doesn’t appeal to me because
1 If Jess WAS a seasoned spy (which I don’t believe) trained to withstand interrogation and torture she’s not gonna give up Boxall to the bumbling SA cops on the spot. If she was a spy she was the worst spy since Maxwell Smart to give up Boxal so easily. I don’t buy it
2. I can’t buy him being Robins dad. They are so dissimilar in physical appearance that I just can’t see it.
3 IF boxal was either a retired spy or worse an errant father then by 1977 he would owe approximately 30 years of child support he’s not about to go on the ABC and give Stuart Littlemore an interview knowing Jess would see it. Not to mention his wife who if I remember correctly he was married to before he met Jess.
I think Jess just had a bit of a crush on old mate. She clearly had a thing for the older stronger type and she gave him a small gift. Full stop.
thedude747: Yeah, I see what you mean about Alf’s role on the Littlemore show in ’78, and it must also be noted that Jestyn didn’t get the chance to give her own story regarding the timing and setting of her unbelievable verse 70 ROK signature deal. We might also take into consideration that the sweet thing might have been on equal terms with Alf Boxall’s Clifton Gardens beer swilling 14 water transport amigos ie. Tom, Jim, Fred, the Herbert brothers and Sgt. Cau from the good ship Crusader, to name just a few possible contenders for ‘the not Jestyn by a long shot’ connection. Whose your main suspect for paternity anyhow? and don’t say Fletcher Jones, he was in supplies.
JS I put SM a 50/50 bet as Robins dad. The similarities with the ears , teeth and the ballet connection can’t be ignored. Thats why Im have one foot in the baby daddy camp and the other in the Prospers dodgy mate camp.. If SM is not Robins dad then its unlikely to ever be known. Could have just been a short fling at The Clifton, a cab driver in Mentone or GI on 36 hour leave pass.
No doubt there was a flirtation with Boxall she was taken by him and Im sure he was flattered. You don’t give a dude a poetry book with a personal inscription to someone unless there is something going on BUT any connection between that and a dead guy ending up on a beach 2000 kilometres and 5 years later are purely coincidental.
Thedude747: Alf Boxall was a 40 year old man in 1945, the war was over, he had a family and a good job to go back to. He chose to continue service in the military and apart from possible perks with recovery of war materiel in the islands, his army salary would not have gotten close to that earned as chief mechanic at Randwick bus depot…On 15th June 1946 Alf took up a home posting in Sydney, which would have given him a real opportunity to renew his relationship with Jestyn; On 29th December, he went back to his shipboard duties on the Crusader which included trips to the north and Darrwin, arriving home in June. Some time around mid December ’46 Jestyn would have known or at least suspected that she was pregnant and no doubt would have given the happy news to whomesoever might wish to claim paternity, whether our good seafaring Lieutenant or another lucky man (Willem Styn perhaps). I’m sure you’re right of course mate, It could not have been an officer and gentleman like good old reliable Alf, and so just a mere coincidence that he had to go off on ‘active service’ once more at just that particular point in time. Of course missy chucked her nurses job in about the same juncture and went home to be with the family in Mentone, connecting fortunately with St. George Thomson, her knight in not so shiny armour; But any port in a storm, so her sailor man might have boasted to his pals at the pub down Clifton Gardens….By the way there had to have been two ROKs going concurrently between the lovers during their tryst and the one she signed was his own copy before their meeting as far as I can tell, the other one being Susie Boxall’s from Xmas ’44… like hell!…..
I sort of always assumed Alf was more a father-figure than an interest…
I find Alf comes across a little cagey on the Littlemore doco, but that could be because he feels silly rather than anything actually being a miss…
The verse in the book is a little odd….it’s not actually addressed to anyone. Is it possible it wasn’t given to Alf to keep, but rather to pass on to someone else (other than in that case why should she tell the police she gave it to him rather than the end target, I suppose)?
Either way, if it’s intended as a romantic gift, isn’t it a little odd that there’s no salutation? Surely then it would start “Darling Alfie” or similar…
To be fair Pete, Len seems to have gone on to more career enhancing matters after the inquest, so one might become a little sceptical of his historical knowledge of specific book markings that he should not have concerned him in late July 1949. Let’s not forget, it was also by then Chief Detective Superintendant Brown who told reporters that his “Taman Shud” slip came from a Collins ROK and that it was found in SM’s coat pocket. He also went on to infer that Ken and Olive had arrived at the beach in a car which would have been more appropriate than a 500 Royal Enfield hog I’m sure. I could go on and create a small indexed volume of various other inconsistencies involving every aspect of this case, including those guilty in the proliferation of fake news eg. the coppers Brown, Leane, Moss etc., the court jesters Cleland x 2, Cowan, the latter day sleuths Feltus, Bowes, Abbott, Pelling, Cramer, Turner, SANDERS and numeous others who chose to hide behind anonymity. It seems that the only folk who never changed their yarns were Jessica, Ron Francis, Alf Boxall, poor old Keith Mangnoson and a few other worthies who ‘played fair, done good’.
Milongal: Not only odd; it’s also out of context with the particular second edition ROK in which her first edition verse 70 should be logged as being verse 102. I’m not sure why this was never brought up, as it seems so obvious. There is another little part to this that also suggests a more deep seated intimacy between Alf (sugar daddy) and his diminutive shy thing. but I’ll put that aside as a sort of check to ascertain whether anyone, apart from you and ‘thedude747’ are still paying attention….thedude747:…And wow! what a match made in heaven; An out of work sweet nursie type with child, ready to jump for loss of pride with nobody to turn to,…And the professional confidence trickster who because he has no known ties, can’t get away with his shady deals like he used to when Queenie the hairdresser was in his camp for effect…Make the move to Adelaide with a complient bimbo in tow, then set up shop in a respectable neighbourhood, put everything in her untarnished moniker and hey, our team is off on the never ending trail of gullible suckers..
Pete: Let’s just see if we can’t help you out of your dilema, before the mellowing effects of the Tanduay and Pleiku pink start to take control here. It seems that you have now fully taken on board the record of interview twixt our intellectual ten pound tourist from Adelaide University, with the well publicised Tommy Reid credentials, and his Sapol accredited centenarian informant. Based on tiny written numerals preceeded by the letter X, written down with a pencil on
a piece of primary evidence, from 65 years earlier, by this ancient detective, who had long ceased to be connected with the case in question. We can all now see what he and his former boss saw clearly without the aid of our eight power lens. One may fairly comment that those old time suits must have had eyes like peregrine falcons to read such a microscopic game changing number on the rim of a letter Q. Of course there were many other things about the participants of said discourse that we have commented upon previously, and with respect to them, are now best left to Bhudda. Nothing like a bit of confirmation bias though and added contradictions to make for frivilous friendly converstation. We’re all guilty of it and that’s Grahame Greene’s human factor for you.
Pete: Read on, both bins and don’t miss the nulls; I’m sure that we’ve all had a variety of fanciful theories based on the existence or not &c of our tricky old SM slip. Great work though on Gordon’s blow up of the letter Q. I now seem to be looking at figures 35X52 mostly within the top curve and a really impressive number 5 (S.A. postcode) at the tip, so brilliant all round result. As for Nick’s accompanying piece of comparison crap, not even a dot. Only as one might have expected from the man; Absolutely unmarked and therefore no use whatsover. Guess what pal? Now I’m a believer too; So hey hey for the Monkeys!….By the way is it Fedisimov’s call sign or are we onto an Afio ‘OpsOn, eyes only, need-to-know bizzo?…
.. onto it
The nuances Pete; Don’t miss the nuances, especially Brownie and the postman. Alf and Henry can be crafty and y’man drew it out of them in the end. I’d seen Littlmore in Phillip Street in the eighties before he took silk and lost the common touch; They sure picked the right man for the job at the time though and more’s the pity he was not served up a more case enlightened bunch of suits to screw for those little extras of no material value. The ones that break the case.
Flash: I guess it’s long past the time for anyone to tell this old egg sucking hound how to do it with any more couth or finesse. I’ll be first to give credit when it’s due and there are maybe some old decrepit street suits still out there who’ll vouch for that. As for the suits involved in this case, all I can tell you is that having had brief, though meaningful connections with two, perhaps even three of them, I came away rather less impressed some may claim to be, though they may have had closer ties with them than I. On a more complimentary note, I did get to know a chap of the same name and rank as this third officer, who was acting as a Detective Inspector on secondment, common in our mob during the seventies. Ron was both a credit to his Force and a pleasure to work with, so there you go…With regard to the other Q thing, I was being facetious of course and I trust that your own responsive thank you notatation would have been of a kind…..
One can just imagine the amount of enthusiasm being projected towards gophers like Horsnell, Sutherland and Co. from the likes of the new ‘go slow’ partners, who came into the case truly believing that SM had offed himself with some self induced juice exclusive to a tribe of ‘African Americans’ from the jungles of Brazil. No hint of direction from immediate hiarachy which might have been anticipated, had their been anything untoward…Something in the order of seven weeks before Brownie could put his brief on the slip together, or his mate Leon not even aware of the Somerton body’s location when found. No indications of ineptness that I can make out; looks like I’m being a little hard on the likeable lads as is my wont. And yes, you twigged to it Pete Bowes in a previous plea for info from the fans; No call for action or even feigned interest from Inspectors G. Leane or Sheridan. Nothing to get the feckless team moving forward with a little more show of verve, nor any signs of repect for dearly departed SM. One might have expected some thing like what used to occur, if only rarely, back in Brisbane Street awhile ago..”Time to get up off your over rested, slovenly deskbound arses ladies and hit the crime traplines; Super’s on the lookout for uniform volunteers….but only if yous can spare the time mind”.
Chief Detective Sheridan was a cronie of both Leane brothers and before taking over Adelaide C.I.B. from his predicessor McMahon, had undertaken extensive new Scotland Yard m.o.i. at Sydney C.I.B. Being a great advocate of recent forensic advances, he had increased staff and re-equiped the lab in Adelaide from around 1938. He went to extremes about the possibilities of plaster casts in c.o.c. work and this would suggest that he primarily responsible for the SM bust. Apparently a well liked knock about bushie type who could take to the saddle on an extended country murder suspect’s trail with the best of em. Why he chose to lay doggo on this one can be excused perhaps, by R.L.L. having most likely reported on a “sure as shootin’ suicide boss” about the day he took over the case in January ’49. The cast was more than likely just a nice decorative reminder of the case and we can be now most thankful for that little touch of overkill.
Let’s forget (for the time being at least) all the tedious stuff that we’ll never likely come to agreement upon in our time left for cohesive thought. I think you all know as well as I that those abominable finger prints (probably taken by mounted Constable knight), that we have been served up, could never have been considered as being fit for fair comparison, especially to the likes of the FBI. Even S.A.Police would not have dared submit such trash, so we must ask what became of the two other readable sets; could either Feltus or his antagonist Abbott be holding them back for spite I wonder. I’ve got people on my books just begging to be eliminated and the frustration is showing up more and more, whenever I gaze into their crumpled silver toned images. I’ll put it to you first Flash Gordon old chap, because somehow I still maintain a mild trust, in your integrity; And to others, whom I don’t, but who might be hanging back for personal gain nevertheless, please come clean if you know the whereabouts of the ligitimate fingerprints, those duly signed off by James Durham Esq. and lets share in the glory. Now if this not be a goer, I can possibly get by with the crap set, providing reasonable enhancement allows for some ridging, whorls or even minute scar discoloration to get me a match or three and over the proverbal line of acceptance.
@JS – I guess the latest post means that X3239 wasn’t micro-coded after all?
A bit tedious, alas the saga of Alf and the shy young pre-em gift bearer Saki aka Jessica goes on; Mainly due to none of our team having picked upon a subtle clue that lends weight to possible prolonged contact between the pair. I thought by mere mention of Alf’s book being an F/ROK second edition, someone would have at least twigged to the fact that Jestyn’s verse 70 add on, is actually a First edition number. OK! so whats the big deal you may ask, she likely recalled the lines from her own W&T copy back at the nurses home and remembered her wording from the equivalent verse 102 in the gift edition. I thought so as well until a closer look and comparison of the two corresponding verses highlighted three very subltle differences with regard to punctuation and a single gramatical effect. This suggests a scene of two lovers with two books, tucked away snugly in one war time rent by the hour, crash pad at Clifton Gardens pub, the lusting pair bidding their fond adieus, whilst reciting their special lines of troth… Off course ‘then came spring’ of 1949, much water had passed under the bows of the good ship Crusader and our old family man Alf, had of course, no pentinence at all for whats-er-name‘s no-blame predicament. After all wasn’t it old Kiwi Jimmy, whose ex wife Joyce who had introduced them, that said “This little wahine is known by the company she keeps, nominally, A B & C Coy, aye old cock?… Not so our petit Jessica who had something special to remind her every day of the events and her folly in trusting that randy drunken swine from Water-ship-down troop three years and six long months ago at that Clifton Gardens pick-up dump. Now thanks to good old, now divorsed nursing pal Joyce, she could get hold of the previously unknown Parer street address and give her old unrequitted lover boy a little surprise ‘hows your father’ thanks mostly being to the dead bum on the beach down Somerton, for giving her the fine idea; Indeed Indeed.
Milongal: X3239 also not below the code where it was just yesterday, nor at the right top dark spot where it happened to be the day before. Not to worry though; I’ve just returned from a measured walk on my little Asus pad to Somerton Beach from Jetty Rd. Glenelg. Starting out from Inside the Tramway Terminus, east along Mosseley and Tarleton Streets thence to Alvington Mansion Stair Top returning to Glenelg Along Beach. X-actly 3639 paces each way which is roughly equal to 3 kilometers in what we used to call hard yards. What do think?…ps. I took notes of course and they might be found down in the place with R.L’s hypo death instrument and other SM cold case evidence.
Anonymous@BS: Can’t find the thread line, though no fret. I’m not doubting that Jetty Road was wide enough to have fairly convenient parking for most part, though I’d say that even in 48′ time limits would have applied. My real point in fact, one you may have missed through ignorance, was the possible mix up with Jetty Street by the original police informant. Not only would it have been better suited to long term safe, convenient parking, especially with children in the car, but it’s also right across the way from the professional medical suites at 118 Jetty mucking road… You got any problems with that M?. Nobody?….
Pete: I think that over the years we’ve all perhaps assumed that Cleland made his discovery in the manner fed to us by Gerry in his ‘unknown man’ novel, and so not taking into consideration that the old fellow may have first noticed the TS slip, as being just a piece of paper and not worth telling anyone, some time before it’s later ‘recovery’ and noted potential impact, quite out of the blue just prior to the inquest. If it hadn’t come to our attention in the confusing way that the press described, it might be some cause for more concern. At the end of the day though, it doesn’t seem that Leane’s assignment for Brownie to locate the Taman (sic) Shud slip’s origins, was delayed with deceitful intent.
J. Burton Cleland, was amongst other things a writer of books, world authority on so many divers subjects and well travelled to all parts of the globe, in pursuit of a passion for all facets of natural science and anthropology. Nurtured in Engllsh liturature and a great lover of prose poetry, his very favorite thmes being of sayings & expressions. Yet here we are asked to accept the affrontary of this great personage, having to have the meaning of the ROK/1 finis ‘Tamam Shud’ explained to him by some hack reporter from the local ‘Daily Planet’. Of course it was his eminent self trying to pull the wool over our eyes no doubt there. Because later hh had the gall to tell the world that in his (not so) humble opinion, the body that he got to know inside & out on the slab, was surely a ‘Britisher’ no arguments. Just one other little piece of mild deception offered very shrewdly to the inquest, which was also covered nicely by his lead ‘cut and tuck’ man Dr. Dwyer was SM’s “Height to be advised” or “Tallish” in the case of the latter. Some may agree with Burt’s stated place of likely origin and some may also support the height given by two cops who never laid eyes on SM, but not this team of avid skeptics…Where does this leave the related Ron Francis ROK; Well that’s to be advised.
Gordon Cramer: Well what can I say? I sure am looking forward to your “promised” exposure of us? and if we can be of any assistance re times, dates or places etc., don’t hesitate to ask…You’ll be knowing what folks advise in this brave new clockwork orange world of RAGE. “If you see a head that makes yours seem small, just go ahead and kick the basket”!….Thanks for dated info on the prints, I’m sure someone out there will find it of some use, though I’m personally well acquainted with the submission process. You might note that Sydney F.P.B still holds the central depository for Australasia and the Pacific region including PNG with regard to fingrprint records, unless I’m also out of date.
Pete’n’Clive@69: Should we really be so hard those honest plodders who could only do their routine best with what they had which was FA. With the Brown/Leane team’s belated arrival, cocked, locked and loaded for yet another intrigue filled beach suicide investigation, things must have bottomed rather smartly. Afterall SM had no collatable possessions, not even a railway baggage redemption chit; Hence nothing to suggest that the poor chap had arrived on the Overlander from Melbourne, as Feltus likes to dwell upon, or that he had any property other than what was with him at Somerton. Also I think that in those days, most hotels were compelled to report their out of town guests and so checking such establishments would have been a routine sort of assignment for the overworked, overpaid Sapol constabulary in any case. What about Brownies quoted “Railway Refresh..ah Cloakroom” gaff Pete?. It sounded very much like a nuance to me, but I wouldn’t know shit from FA, right?…….
Missed that .. ta
Pete: Another little tidbit that you may have glossed over, was Neil Munro’s interview with John Lyons, the eighty six year old, very impressive loupe de loupe Jeweller. You’ll recall that in his original police statement the old soldier talked about being with mother on the beach around 7.00pm and seeing our man positioned with his head against the seawall and raising his right hand as if trying to light up, then dropping it suddenly. When talking with Neil thirty years later he stated, more emphatically that he initially saw two hands raised, then fall quickly, as if the movement may have been triggered by onset of ‘deaththroes’. My personal untrained opinion is that when he came down the following morning ‘to swim’, he was there in expectiont of seeing a dead man, pure and simple, so in that regard he certainly wasn’t disappointed. A couple of other things to note, are that the ghoulish horsemen then present were more of a cavalry unit than merely a couple of strappers with their nags. Also the old fellow was insistent at the ’49 inquest that the cigarette on SM’s collar, near his right ear was unlit. Not so John Moss, the well schooled old local copper, who declared assertively and not unexpectedly, that the fag was mostly smoked…I have more thoughts on some other asspects of this initial contact scenario, so as to include Dericks first evening attendant ‘teenagers’ but we’ll leave it for now and await your thoughts before proceeding to the next phase.
Here’s a body with nothing much on it but two tickets that lead back to the city and a railway station with a luggage office many times larger than any city hotel. A drover’s dog would head that way first … yet the police waited for Brown to join them before making the call.
It’s about time you joined the party, Dome, where are you on all this?
Pete: there was no sense of urgency because ~99% of missing persons cases solve themselves, simply because someone misses them (the clue’s in the name).
Yet Nurse Jestyn knew who he was, and said nothing – not even anonymously, not even to her family when asked. So the real question should perhaps be why SM was such an unmissed missing person. And no, he wasn’t a Russian spy.
Pete: I gather you didn’t find Len’s fluff, and nor were you impressed with my reason for SM’s missing baggage claim chit. I may be quite wrong of course, but from what I can gather, the huge cloak room area was by its over generous Victorian design concept, far and above that actually needed for the post depression, dwindling passenger base. As such, most if not all of it’s space, was taken over by the more needy Australian Taxation Office and refurbished to their requirements in1940. I think the designated Cloak Room or Left Baggage Office was then relocated to the eastern end of the main building off North Terrace. Of interest to melies in the fact that numerous “refresh…” ment rooms within the main hall and on country platform were in operation and well attended. I’m sure many a forgetful, weary, or russian passenger, after taking respite in one, may then have up and left their suitcase behind, which might thus have being secured in the station cloakroom to await recovery upon proof of ownership and payment under the usual left baggage terms. NB: Police may not have had any claim to left property without warrant within the specific terms of a railway provision covering such and I’m certain Sapol would not have considered this in the early days of the SM investigation.
I’m just trying to get my head around a few simple things, like why the police didn’t fingerprint the hard surface items in the suitcase. That’s one.
Flash IT P: Please note that I personally take no particular exception to the Winnie the Pooh bah expose, nor do I find any stand out humour or case based need for it’s inclusion in a murder investigation. Had the main character been a Paddington bear, I’d concede some tie-in based on the name assignation locality significance.
Pete: I could suggest that they didn’t know how, but I can’t back up such a claim and there were supposed to have been five with talent, under LHB Hudd, who were surely capable of lifting latents, perhaps not Jimmy Durante (No 3) who was responsible for our smudged, useless SM prints. I was just thinking, it being smack in the guts of the holiday season, perhaps they were short staffed, but in any case all cops were trained to dust for prints. And we must not forget that if they were only wanting to ID y’man, they had no readable card to compare with so why bother. Catch 22…
Thanks for that, Nick?
More’s the pity we never got a Durham snap of SM’s thin metal comb. The only one that I’m able to find that seems right is the Wehrmacht alluminum kamm that resembles a modern slim barbers job mit standard 50/50 split tooth configuration. Seems the yanks had a service issue folding model and not surprisingly the Empire forces must have had to provide their own.
@JS: Which bit would have been ATO? Only ATO interest within Cooee of the Railway Station is the Casino – but I think that appeared upstairs in the 80s (from memory taking over operations’ offices that were no longer required).
I’d sort of assumed the cload room at the time was in one of 3 places:
1) At the Northern-most end, where today I think there’s some heritage items one side (and the big old station clock), nothing much the other side, and a walkway through to the Festival Centre
2) At the bottom of the ramp from North Terrace, directly opposite where the current platform gates are (on the RHS behind Cash Converters and the Donut Inn….if they’re still there)
3) At the bottom of the ramp on the other side (where the toilets are behind the newsagent.
It’s sort of hard for me to remember what that place was like in the 80s and 90s, let alone consider how much it had changed since then (eg the underpass to Hindley St which I think appeared in the late 80s).
Incidentally, IIRC, the Railway Station was used for a scene or two in ‘Gallipoli’….but can’t really recall whether that was the concourse or some of rooms upstairs (which became the Casino).
Gordon: I am inclined to agree with you regarding the Hicktown USA prints and accordingly that Sapol should have put put Mr. James Durham’s work in for an honourable mention,by comparison. By that token, using the adage ‘forces for courses’, there are understadably those more professional organisations, that due in part to a sense of dedication, pride and public duty, would naturally have higher expectations of their officers. No disrespect towards any police force you may yourself have honourably served with to be sure. I’m thinking that yours may well have focused perhaps more on strength of numbers as an acceptable offset to other smaller more specialised investigative operations based detective teams. Reliable
uniformed Crowd and traffic control constables come to mind specifically, and would in our particular case, be opposed to proper qualified detectives for major crime interdiction and prosecution jobs. Had any of our fellows attempted to submit prints of the quality you seem find adequate for comparison, would find themselves on the next Pioneer Flxible Express bus on their way back to the police college for another shot at the Trained Constables Course….By the way Flash G., what ever became of old Tom from Marri…ah that’s right, it turned out to be yet another bummer and we can blame MM for that one eh?..
Mr. Lyons, the jeweller, avered to his recollection twenty eight years prior to being interviewed in ’77, that one of his fellow witnesses at the SM inquest came out confidently, that in his opinion, the body was that of a Czech, Hungarian or Central European. I see nothing like that in the corresponding affidavits and wonder if such an important point of view might have been culled from the records for some reason. I can recall once reading handwritten statements of Olive Neal, perhaps also Gordon Strapps, which seemed to have been strongly amended maybe for judicial reasons, but that would not be likely to account for an opinion made on oath upon the stand…Clive: Re FG’s interest in happenings around Glenelg and environs in the days before SM, which we know to have included the carnival near the the old Luna Park grounds and various events connected with Adelaide’s establishment anniverary, I have a feeling that a wake was held for a Reginald Bickford about that time. He died ten days before our man, also at Somerton and the venue may well have been on the grounds of Alvington Mansion, the place of his birth. If you have a free moment, perhaps you could check with the papers and also the Adelaide Turf Club of which he was one of the head honchos. Cheers pooh bah.
Another question: was the man seen alive the evening before the same man found dead in the morning?
Yes? No? Maybe?
Johnno? Nick? Milongal? Dude? Misca? Howabout you Mark Knowles … if you’ve been reading JS’ comments you probably know more than me.
Pete: Maybe!. Depends on whether John lyons’ was seeing his alluded to death contractions or voluntary arm raising motions. It could also depend on whether the middle aged gent standing at the fence railing directly above, was pulling any strings. I see both scenarios holding merit and so it could swing either way. As for you Pete; Are you’re a spy theorist, a Prestige Johnson combo foxglove burking fan or a Lionel Leane/Len Brown suicide by poison tipped syringe advocate. If I had to make a choice, I’d probably be inclined toward Tessie’s man and a substitute body around dawn.
One down.
Peteb: haven’t you got your own commenters to troll?
Theses are your folks and the question is relevant to the subject you proclaim on your masthead. What are you afraid of Nick?
Flash-in-the-pan: Rest assured my man, I certainly have the goods, but I’d rather put up with your insults, than give you the pleasure of learning how I pursue my objectives. You could try a little humility and Pooh bah intuition, but other than that simple advice, I won’t be sucked into your web of deceit old man and am much looking forward to your continued snide attacks. Ones aimed at my cowardly unwillingness to provide you with yet more ammunition to attack my rather adequate though modest credentials. My advice to you my fiendish friend is to get to understand your own limitations before enviously knocking another’s possible talents and if you can’t be detered, be sure to look for your dirt with a long handled shovel.
Peter Bowes: ah, so now you’re trolling me as well as my commenters. Not sure where you are trying to move this to, to be honest.
To be honest, this is where I’m trying to move …
Was the man seen alive the evening before the same man found dead in the morning?
Yes no or maybe?
Nick Pelling: I’m thinking that your answer most probably lies in the positioning of the TBT chess board configuration, although a check mate appears not to be in the offing at this point in time. I figure that I’m not in check by my humble estimation so Pete is probably just fishing.
peteb: it’s a question for which you’ve surely got plenty of material to work with – newspaper reports in Trove, the inquest testimony, Littlemore, Feltus, the recent Aussie documentary film etc. Why come over here and try to push people’s buttons?
mulongal: Sorry mate had to get that one in to impress the joker. I picked up on the east wing which may have been a recent shift and it seems that since the move of the country terminals to other places, not even the coin operated baggage lockers are available. How do you feel about the new identity; I’ll gladly trade places if you wish, just being satisfied that we’ve got that self wanabe ‘anonymous’ old AfIO has-never-been imposter on the ropes.
What’s with the doco anyway; last I heard was thedude747 telling us to hold tight for the promised “Due Dlligence” Ron Francis disclosure and that was a month ago it seems.
John Sanders: I don’t know – the real identity of Ronald Francis (and, perhaps more importantly, the details of his car) has yet to arrive here. From my perspective, this could easily be one of the most important pieces of information we’re missing… so I’m on the edge of my seat too, just so you know. 😉
@PeteB” That’s an interesting question (and one that’s always bothered me because when it came to it, both Lyons and the two lovebirds couldn’t be sure – despite the fact that they must have been reasonably close and in reasonable light).
Of course, there’s also a chance that it WAS the same man, but that between being sighted there and being found the next morning he’d been off somewhere else (not necessarily voluntarily).
There doesn’t appear to have been any attempt made to find people in the area who DIDN’T see him (or who may or may not have seen him). Not entirely sure how you’d go about it, but I know these days in the papers (and on FB and the like) you get ads for ‘Witnesses sought’ (especially relating to car accidents, not sure whether so much for other stuff), but I’d assume even back then the fuzz would be working to corroborate as much as dismiss evidence – even if in the background somewhere (and of course I take the point that no public record of it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen).
I wonder whether the Somerton Sailing Club would have been around the place that evening. The sailing season had recently opened (in the previous week), but perhaps sailing is more of a weekend thing….
Going back to Littlemore; John Ruffles, the personable young man who got that show up and running for Neil Munro in 1977. Whilst professing to have been a SM spy theorist at heart, he also seemed very much open to all of the other possible case scenarios as well, which some might like to ponder on. The young postman, of whom some nice promo pics exist of him outside the Boxall residence?, was said to be writing a book, and I for one, would like to know if his apirations of being a published author ever came to fruition.
Thanks for that, Milongal.
NP: you appear to have misunderstood the definition of trolling, nevertheless I’ve achieved what I wanted, direct communication with someone you warned off my site about three years ago.
It appears that despite the many advances made in the interim you and your commentators have not budged … I consider this good enough reason to engage them.
If you consider that as a trolling exercise there’s nothing I can do about it
milongal: Sure things should have been up and running again at both the Surf & Sailing Clubs, although they were both a fair distance from Alvington. Alvington Children’s Polio Re-hab centre would certainly have had some form of security set up in place to guard against children straying from the ground and keeping a wary eye out to inderdict perverts or othe miscreants coming up from the nearby dune ‘doovers’ to cause alarm and afront. It seems beyond belief that only four visual witnesses could be found by old Harry Strangway and his team (of none?) investigating SM’s demise. Beautiful mild evening, perfect weather and beach conditions to watch the sun setting over the bay; And all we have on hand to witness that events, including plight of our expiring friend, being a blind jeweller & his obedient lady, the brace of love birds and a lone mystery gentleman ‘string puller’ with his all encompassing seawall vantage. Did Dirty Harry and team think to check with the clubs up the beach. did they inquire with staff, ground security or the kids at Alvington. Or think fit to canvas the near environs to see if local denizens at home or abroad had spotted noteworthy activities in the neighbourhood lately?. Not on your sweet Nellie I’ll bet.
Nick: Because of its multi agenda interest stutus, blogs such as yours can go with the flow and still maintain a decent participation base, particularly with the likes of VM. Of course there has been a marked lessening of interest with the SM code and some of the other cipher subjects, mostly due to slow progress and a neglegable clear up rate. Peteb has understandably simply crossed over to have some company which might be encouraged to a degree; So long as his brashness can be held in check during visitation and that he endeavour to limit use of exceedingly repetitious dialogue in his exchanges. As for Tamam Shud BS with its clever leaning towards a totally anonymous support base of nonentities, that site now holds an invidivous lead over those dealing only with SM. In future we can expect BS to be more outspoken on its dedicated theme of a Soviet death ray squad of assassins designated team 18 or Danetta, known to be behind four known sanctioned killings. BS will further demand full loyalty observance from non entities to scornfully ridicule anything related to Venona ’44 intercept disconnectiony, non subversive alternate explanations, denial of micro writing on most stationery including book covers. Adherents to the BS rules and by-laws must renounce any previous habit related to alcohol abuse and to use recreational organic substances, non complience of which could mean expulsions in the short term…Do y’hear there Indiaman?…
Pete: it shouldn’t be hard to work out the identity of the person who has done most to dissuade people from commenting on your site, though sadly it’s not me, not by a country mile.
Why were Cleland and Cowan asked to identify the deceased through his clothing sizes and not his fingerprints?
Hi JS, Reg Bickford died 20/11/48 and cremated 22/11/48-nothing on a wake. CliveT
petertherash: Guess Cleland arranged for it as a personal convenience, though conceived under a ruse that it might assist his cousin the Coroner on professional aspects of the upcoming inquest. Clothing size could be deemed a good method to satisfy ownership of the Keane suitcase in support of other items of commonality. The Tamam Shud slip proved to be an added fortuitous bonus to add weight for a face saving suicide verdict. The main problem with the prints seems to have been that J. Edgar Hoover sent back a set belonging to some petty crim named Al Capone, which were equally useless to those sent to the yanks. I recall that Gordon recently raised the subject so you might like to refer it back to him for expert BS opinion.
‘Lo Clive, and thanks for the back up. Reason for my interest is that alias Ron Francis may have told police that the ROK might have been put in his car as early as the time of the local Air pageant, 19th November. Francis was also the name of Reg Bickford’s son who lived in the bush, so I had considered the possibilities of a tie in with a wake or some memorial service at the old family home. Still a possibility.
Peppy: There you go; As if we didn’t see it coming, because in a word you’re predictable to a fault and will seemingly never come to terms with your own limitations. No problems with being a troll, so long as you have the mental aptitude to expand on the terms of reference. Sadly you are not able, therein lies your major hurdle. If you had been prepared to come down from your ivory tower, people like Ellen, our lovable old Beady and at least a couple of others would still be loyal adherents to your game and be prepared to bolster your self serving peep show. Get real man, you still have some place in this investigation but your not gaining any new devotees, or even detractors, that you can slag in your nasty contemptuous Point Piper style. Come to me as an equal and I will treat you in kind; take the super cilious path and you’ll find me a determined and resilient untiring adversary that will run you into the mire. With regard to my impressive number of posts; so what; I came here because of a longheld interest in the SM case and because I had a feeling that I could offer some different perspectives in solving the mystery. I also had a lot of time to spare and I needed to communicate thoughts in my mother tongue after a thirty year hiatus. At the end of the day, I feel that I’ve achieved both objectives and am totally at ease regarding my place over here with folk who can put up with my nonsence. What you got to say punk?
Nick: You saw it coming first and responded accordingly. I always like to give every sucker an even break and so I paid for it accordingly. We Aussies are usually better able to hold our emotions in check, but that son of gun is a real caution to the commonly held faith in human dignity. My sincere apologies if I overacted!…
Looking at Alvington mansion, one might care to note that the first floor balcony, newly enclosed by ‘48, thereby extending a large common room gathering place for patients and there carers. Looking out across the beach from its windows must have been a common passtime and would have given unobstructed views to the western seascape as well as the nearby beach access stairs and immediate foreshore. Had anything unusual been going down during the late afternoon or into the early twilight period on the day of interest, folks would almost certainly have observed it from that vantage point; Yet there was never any mention, lack of which may point to nothing untoward having taken place during the time period. To emphasise my point; If any person is interested enough, try creating a line of sight direct from the balcony windows, say above mid point and project it towards the base of the beach staircase to where SM’s body was laying a little to the right along the wall. The resultant point of intercept at point X on the photo will confirm that the lower part of a man’s body would have been visible from almost anywhere along the wide balcony area…..Its interesting, though rarely commented upon discoveries like this, then sebsequent reflections of others in their own interesting (ie milongal) reconstructions, that have me going back time and time again to pick up on new ideas or minor nuances that had not occurred to me before (trolling?).Three times or three thousand times a year make little difference when time is on your side. We all realise of course that there are folks not so well placed with their valuable time and who are usually also not endowed with a patient mind set, which is a sure fire recipe for failure Bozo!…
JS (several replies ago – gotta catch up the rest soon):
I know the Sailing club is a little ways away (although not that far – maybe 500m?), but my point (which I think you subsequently pick up on) is with sailboats out and people coming and going to the club, there must have been more people on the beach – even at that time, who might have seen (or just as importantly NOT seen) the man lying by the stairs.
I realise people wouldn’t report the absence of something they didn’t know was there before the event, but I mean afterward. If you were walking along the beach and noticed someone slumped there youo might think nothing of it. When later you see an article about a dead man in the same place, you’d likely think ‘Holy, Moley, I think I saw that’….
At what point was it released that Lyons saw the man the night before? If it was suppressed then there’s little surprise noone came forward, but if from an early time it was public that the person might have been there the previous night, and you happened to have passed that way, if you couldn’t recall seeing anything would it be worth contacting the police to say so? (I’m increasingly thinking you wouldn’t, actually).
Either way, the lack of other people saying “me too seen him on the beach” when there’s so many people knocking on the museum door saying “I think I might know the guy” does seem to suggest that while someone was at the steps at some time between 1900-2000 and a body was there at about 0630 the next morn, there’s a distinct possibility it weren’t the same bod….
Pete on balance I think the person seen by the couple in the evening and again in the morning was most probably one in the same BUT that is not to say he was there the whole time. He may have made a rendezvous ,left the beach then returned OR been deposited back there at some time throughout the night.
JS re the doco and the new lead its not exactly in my hands hence the filmmakers will release any news at their own discretion. Lets hope its soon
Arthur Albert Dowling, Bn. Forest Lodge NSW 1893, found deceased amongst weeds (drowned?) above the waterline at Semaphore on 4th December, 1948. An old burnt out digger with no ties it seems, found with all his paperwork intact and residing destitute at a local soldiers home. A well known drunken bum with no family or friends to keen over his unfortunate demise, with no messy inquest necessary. An easy offing in the making with no need for police to follow up I’d ecpect and sounds awfully like a conveniently staged double beach suicide in the offing. Of course the clothes found floating on the shoreline at Somerton on 29th instant makes for a little added spice in the stew pot. Any thoughts?…
Weeds?
Semaphore generally has less sea weed than say North Haven to the North or Henley to the South, and even in those places I wouldn’t imagine large quantities in Summer (it gets washed ashore during reasonably rough weather – hence ‘above the high water mark’, I suppose).
How does someone drown above the high water mark?
Gordon Cramer has managed to expose tiny writing under the ink used to cover the initial, pencilled indentations DS Leane saw on the back of the Rubaiyat using ultra-violet light.
GC has also been generous in that he has published, extensively, the methods he used to strip away the layer of ink, particularly the letter Q.
Detective Len Brown’s notes state that telephone numbers were found written in tiny writing under the code on the back of the Rubaiyat
Dude, Milongal …. do you see a connection here?
(the accompanying link illustrates the result of GC’s work on the letter Q)
If, as most of us would assume, the Somerton Man that we’ve come to know and love, is that one in the image most frequently depicted on line, with white collared shirt, striped tootal tie and hair awray; In what manner and form had his facial features altered, post the autopsy, so as to warrant a police photo reconstruction to be produced as means to assist in identification. This was reported in the Adelaide press only three days after his death and subsequent cold storage preservation at West Terrace Mortuary….Alexander Arthur Dowling was the Semaphore chappy, my error.
You over the hump yet Johnno?
A most respected investigative journo of the early seventies, talked about the apparent discovery of a human skull piece beneath the surface of SM’s grave by someone turning the top soil to plant violets. His news article doesn’t elaborate, but I can put together a scenario based on Cleland’s denied last minute attempts to inspect the cranial cavity and the Coroner’s man, PCC Scan Sutherland arriving late at the funeral with a brown paper bag under his arm.
NickP, do you still hold with the slip and the book being used as a sort of proof of ownership if a car deal went awry?
Dude47 … do they fit anywhere in your theory?
Johnno, it was his lunch, scan liked pasties
Frank Kennedy, Police roundsman for Adelaide advertiser was promptly rung some source at Sapol, upon getting the word, to reveal the surprise translation for Tamam Shud, that had apparently stumped Balliol college entity and traditional English poetry lover, John B. Cleland. A name like Kennedy is rather difficult to research and pehaps Frank may not have been as popular in Adelaide as Len Brown would have us believe. In fact the only Frank Kennedy I’ve been able to come up with in the newspaper lists is the namesake mate of Prosper Thomson, who in about 1954, accompanied him on a veteran car trip. Could Frank’s impromptu translation call in, have been in reality, part of a pre-conceived better case for suicide submission that the coroner might hopefully consider favourably for a desired sine die indeterminate cause of death.
Peter Bowes: it all comes down to the car. My position for some time has been that I find the story of the book randomly appearing in the back of the car for no reason whatsoever… somewhat hard to swallow. But if it was there because it was connected to the car, then there are very few explanations that work.
Award winning journo Pat Burgess’ informants included Detectives Keith Moran and Ron Thomas whose inqiries in the 50s led to the ’58 sin die inquest. Burgess had done the Somerton beach walk with the officers and was also made privy to the Senator James Cavanagh private papers on the SM code decipher and other well known cases of the time. irrespective of Scan Sutherland’s assigned duties at the funeral, it seem that the aged piece of scull found beneath the soil on the grave site bares thought, especially for those that might have to make some changes in their accounting, when it comes time for the the West Terrace uplift.
But you see a relationship between the slip and the book it was torn from. … they identify with each other. Is my interpretation correct?
It’s my personal view that the book and it’s intriguing slip were likely to have had nothing whatsover to with the MURDER of SM. It seems to me that these confusing implausable connections were just part of a bogus attempt to push a contentious professional opinion on causation, by one or more parties involved with the inquest proceedings. At stake, personal vanity and self esteem by an individual and perhaps any number of compliant cohorts. I’d like to think that this view may provide a plausable answer to the WHitcombe & Tombes problem at the very least; As for the all important WHen, Where, WHy, What (how) and by Whom we must be a little more patient, as I’m not yet totally satisfied with my WHo.
Pb: that was the view of the police at the time, having examined both under the microscope. Given that I know of no evidence that points in any other direction, it seems a pretty reasonable starting point.
John Sanders: I’ve never said that the book and the slip had anything directly to do with SM’s death. Rather, it seems to me that we have a chain of things forensically linked to each other, but where the deeper pattern continues to elude us.
Nick: What would you think about extortion and identity theft as grounds for our friend having been left posed in a public place like Somerton Beach for general exhibition. I have pointed in that direction and alluded to it with my 200 Hindley St. thoughts. These were accompaned by some supporting documenary evidence, though I don’t seem to have turned any interested heads in that direction to date.
Pete the book and the slip have always been central to my proposition. In fact Im pretty sure I was the first to suggest this being the case however Nick has refined it to a higher level which hold water to me in the car theory. Too many people judge the main character actions by and some of the outcomes todays standards. If this happened today SMs image would be online and identified in hours. This was 1949 and and an interstate hook up between parties who are strangers engaged in dodgy business. The book and the slip could have been used in a number of ways as an identifier / receipt of deal/proof of purchase, secret handshake etc etc.
Nick, Dude, many thanks … any evidence to the contrary will not be held against you.
Lifted from the thread – it saves going back and forth:
“Perhaps, then, the person whose Rubaiyat it was was not Prosper Thomson himself, but the person from whom Prosper Thomson had just bought the car in order to sell it to “Ronald Francis”.
“Perhaps it was this person’s distrust of Thomson’s financial attitude had led him to hide the Rubaiyat under the back seat of the car, with the “Tamam Shud” specifically ripped out so that he could prove that it was he who had sold the car to Thomson in the first place.
And so perhaps it was the car’s previous owner who was the Somerton Man, visiting Glenelg to track down the owner of his newly sold car, simply to make sure he hadn’t been ripped off by Prosper Thomson.”
Nick, do you have a precedent where a black market car dealer used this type of scheme as a protection of his title?
peter bowes: as you know well, I don’t have a precedent for this hypothesis – but I also don’t have a precedent for someone dropping a book connected to a suspicious death onto the back seat of a car.
In terms of historical research, we have two mutually exclusive scenarios to work with: either (a) the book is connected (however tenuously or indirectly) to the car or its owner, or (b) the book is utterly unconnected to the car or its owner.
The dominant account for nearly 70 years has relied on (b)’s being true, but on balance I think it an order of magnitude more probable that in fact (a) was the case. I suspect that our attempts to get closer to the truth have been significantly hampered by the long-standing reluctance of the police to even consider that the (a) scenario should be pursued. In many ways, the car is the only physical clue we have, and we still don’t even know what make or year it was, etc etc etc.
It looks like you do have a precedence for your (a) scenario, that precedence being your belief the police hampered the investigation by their reluctance to consider your (a) scenario.
peteb: my best understanding is that Gerry Feltus’s position on this is entirely typical of the SA police’s position, insofar as he seems to consider the possibility that the book was actually connected to the car (rather than having been mysteriously dropped in there at random by persons unknown and for reasons unknown) somewhat fantastical.
It all goes back to your refusal to entertain anything to do with spooks and espionage … not dissimilar to what you perceive to be the police’s position on the investigation.
Nick: Neither position enhances or detracts from what I believe to have been the more logical offering on both the ROK and TS slip ‘stated’ discoveries. These having been conspiritoraly designed with the express purpose of circumventing a certain undesired inquest determination. I’d agree that the Ron Francis business does make sense, but that it was handled very badly from the start. Of course Feltus hasn’t helped by his his continued furphyism and belligerence toward others intent on learning the truth. So I guess, all of the numerous posts on Jetty Road chemists can now be shelved in favour of the recent Drs. Hendrickson and Robson disclosures. I’m not sure what now to make of the blue ‘48 type two Minx drop head coupe, conveniently parked in Pier Street, with convenient direct access to ‘the Esplinade’ on the beach, a BS so typically misinforms us.
Peteb: I certainly considered the possibility. However, when I published what I consider more than sufficient proof that there was no microwriting whatsoever on the Rubaiyat, I stopped having any interest in trying to keep that particular ball in play.
You, old boy, are a jockey in The Occam Cup. A three horse race. The odds are being set as we speak.
For any other racing fans, ‘Trap for fools’ is shortening for next month’s Caulfield Cup, after an impressive win at the Valley last Saturday. Sired by ‘Poet’s Voice’ (GB), It seems to have the edge on it’s handy stablemate ‘Romanesque’, both well settled in by now and trained by McLean from Perth. For a face saver you could put a quid on a roughy ‘Best Solution’, who’ll give it a real shake at any odds. As for ‘Omar’ and the other Newzlnd stayer ‘Hot Saki, rumour has it they’re both nursing chipped fetlocks back in the land of the wrong white crowd and won’t nominate.
peteb: top tip for Occam Cup punters – before betting on a horse, count the number of legs. 🙂
Yours has got five, we suspect he’s a ring in. Not that it will change the odds.
Frank Kennedy was not merely your run-t’mill journeyman Adelaide reporter, who blew open the case with his ‘bolt from the blue’ Tamam Shud translation; It seems to me that perhaps old Frank may also have dabbled as a disappearing artiste. Not only can’t I trace what became of the well versed fellow, post his suspect, timely TS fragment translation in 1949, I can’t find any subsequent record of him whatsoever. I must be wrong surely, the only interesting FKs I can come up with for the time, being Prosper Thomson’s mate and a bigamist sailor from South Africa, which can’t be Freaking right surely!..
On line lists for Adelaide journalists, numbers some several hundreds tracing all newspapers back to the 1840s. You guessed it; No mention of the Advertiser’s knowledgeable police reporter Frank Kennedy, who supposedly advised Det. Sgt. R.L. Leane on the Tamam Shud significance on 23/7/49, suggesting he seek a copy of the ROK with the missing slip. I am surprised that I can find no follow up search for this important informant, so as to obtain his own recall of the approach to police. Had this not occurred in the manner oft mentioned, it really does open up that part of the investigation to concerns that evidence was concocted to deceive. The obvious culprits might thus be readily identified as being the aforesaid Sgt. Leane and his partner in the “Ullo look what I’ve found here” chance discovery, J.B. Cleland.
Backtracking a little ways up the chain (in the pessimistic contrarianism I’m apparently famous for), it’s possible the book isn’t connected to the case at all. The evidence tying the book to the TS slip is a bit vague (‘Oh, the shape is totally different, but the paper might be the same’), and to me reeks of a Government analyst coming up with the results he thinks are expected of him (as opposed to results that are necessarily factual).
What if the whole “book in the car” was a lark, and as it spiralled out of the joker’s control, they could do nothing but double down on their story.
Whether we believe in spies or in something else, most ideas seem to focus on the slip and book being 2 keys to a secret exchange. For that to be the case, surely the shape of the slip and the rip has to match, otherwise Oscar may have intercepted us and played us a fool (especially if he happens to know the exact editition of the book we will use). Ultimately, the TS fragment was ‘neatly trimmed’ and the whole in the book, well, wasn’t….Further, wouldn’t it make more sense (and probably be more subtle) to rip and entire page out, rather than rip/neatly cut around the text?
Like so much else in this whole narrative, it simply doesn’t quite make sense, no matter how you try to explain it. Assuming it was meant as an ‘on the spot’ verification, then you shouldn’t need a Government Analyst to decide the paper might have been similar in composition. And even any ideas of someone trying to subsequently obfuscate the exchange, wouldn’t it make more sense to rip the whole page out? The more I think about it, the more I don’t like the connexion betwixt the book and the slip….
Actually, the only reference I can find anywhere, which names R.L. Leane’s original informant on meaning of Tamam Shud, is in Gerry’s TUM, where Frank Kennedy is named as being, The Advertiser’s police roundsman, who advised on translation and the different ROK editions to Sgt. Leane in person. I’ve searched all newspaper SM related lists for mention of the slip finding, without obtaining anything that relates to Kennedy or J.B. Cleland’s alleged chance discovery. Years later Stuart Littlemore raised the subject with an aging Leane, who spoke in some detail of not being able to learn what Tamam Shud meant from his own intellectual base. On being prompted about whether he may have later learnt those details from an unamed journalist, his reply was “Yeah”. The Tamam Shud slip was without doubt, the link that brought everything together including Boxall, the Thomsons, Ron Francis, the Venona curse, the whole box and dice. Yet we have no precise mention of it’s introduction, identification and remifacations anywhere which I find to be a little offputing quite Frankly. Neither is this detail included in most well researched, pre TUM published accounts on the SM subject, such as, Sapol’s Hue and Cry piece from 2007 or the SM chapter in Australias Greatest Mysteries from 2006…. I get the feeling that most of us have been content to leave logic and intuition out of our interesting posts, in the certain knowledge that everything of historical content has been derived from well intentioned honourable sources and passed down to us with the utmost goodwill, compliments of our all knowing, totally reliable, like contributors to the internet experience.
Milongal: You may well have just so happened to plead my case for exactly the same conclusion, though more satisfactorilly perhaps. We can’t very well say that the damn book didn’t exist, though we could venture to say that the slip idea was a concocted, conspiritorial thing that was supposed to be used as substantive cover for a bungle. Subsequently when things threatened to spiral out of control, it’s inclusion could well have become a powerful police tool for the case to being put into the too hard basket.
Milongal: you should perhaps reread the part of The Unknown Man that talks about the slip and the book (p.172?). Gerry says quite clearly that the book photographed in the press was almost certainly not the ROK from the car.
I’ll go out on a limb to say that, actually the book, for all intents and SM related purposes, quite possibly did not exist. It may have been an idea concocted to support evidence of a likely case scenario, conjured up by a certain detectives and their co-horts. R.K.Leane once amitted to being a ROK enthusiast, who must surely have known what Tamam Shud was all about, so it could easily have been his own copy that formed part of the brief. We will note that the book itself was not once produced for scutiny upon coming to light, after the inquest and the coroner had actually refered to it’s Tamam Shud slip as having come from a Fitzgerald second edition. As far as we know no other person outside Lionel and his own loyal team ever spoke of having seen it; Only confirming that it was thought to have been in possession of the un identified Ron Francis and that it revealed the phone number of an un idetified nurse . It may well have been Lionel’s own book, with his own writing on the oft debated cover, hence the need to have the printed code letters dubbed over. Later submission to the Navy for a code translation, would not be out of order, on the contrary, it would back up justification the book’s evidentiary worth. Everyone within Sapol possibly doubted the lurk from the start, to the extent that later description of events in police journals, chose to avoid its dubious past history for inclusion. The ROK was said to have disappeared mysteriously from it’s place amongst the other SM case exhibits in the early fifties, though friend Leane always maintained that it was still “..down in the place”….On second thoughts, I’ll go out on a limb for you and your old boss Len, as I’m sure most other dedicated SM folks will too, especially seeing that you’re still able to look back on glory days of olde.
Frank Kennedy police roundsman reported on the Maralinga atomic test 1956
“Other times: The life and work of Max Fatchen” by Andrew Mail. Page 119
“The senior journalist on this assignment was Frank Kennedy, the police reporter who became a local journalistic legend.”
Frank Kennedy – Radio entertainer in Adelaide 1939?
1966 Frank Kennedy, Advertiser, interviewed PM Harold Holt.
http://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/original/00001278_0.pdf
If one were to look with a jaundiced eye at what went down during Frank’s mission to Maralinga in 56 and later on what happened to Harold Holt in ‘67, perhaps questions might be asked of his SM doings in ‘49 as well. Frank was apparently so legendary that his name is not recorded on the extensive wiki list of past known Advertiser journos. I wonder, is our Gordon aware of Frank’s possible clandestine plottings and brewings.
I really loved the single question interview with PM Holt in ’66. It went something like “when are you going to build our Adelaide entertainment centre”. I don’t reacall the response, however the journalistic legend’s forceful manner must have been effective, as the sod turning for the enterprise occurred just 23 years later. I’ll try to catch up with the Max Factor and rocket range stuff when I’m free, as well as Frank’s possible foray into radio in 39?. Meantime, I’ll put the question once again. Anyone know anything about Frank Kennedy the TS informant from Adelaide (not the Mr. Racing Frank Kennedy)?.
@NP: Even aside from whether the book in the press was the one in the car, the reason the analysts looked at whether the paper was a match was because the shape of the hole wasn’t the same as the shape of the paper, wasn’t it?
@JS: Blimey, didn’t realise the Entertainment Centre was that old.
@JS: Where did you get that Boxall’s Rubaiyat wasn’t a 1st translation? There’s a Youtube posted by Adelaide Uni (presumably Abbott) of “Boxall’s Rubaiyat”, and (based on v70 and the last quatrain) appears to be a v1. Have I crossed somoe wires somewhere?
milongal: be careful, the police made copies of the Tamam Shud slip and as a result a number of incorrect stories circulated about it (see The Unknown Man, pp.81-82). Gerry Feltus also states on p.172 that the slip fitted exactly into the hole on the page, so it’s well worth re-reading those two sections for clarity on this issue.
Milongal: I seem to recall that when Australasian P/C, P/L brought their ROK out just before the fall of Singapore, it was a one off order for a local Sing. outlet Kelly & Walsh as a duel language textbook version, hence the longer second edition (110 Tamam), in a larger format which was deemed to be more suitable for the teaching purposes. Later, on 1st January 44, they must have done a reprint; Though I’m not absolutely sure, it seems likely that this one was fobbed off to the army, namely RAA School of Engineers at Moorebank, where Alf Boxall served as an instructor in 44/45.
Nick: Your persistent reliance upon the veracity of Feltus’ book seems somewhat misplaced, especially inlight of all the factual errors exposed therein over a long period. I can’t see any problems using it as a layman’s guide to some varifiable aspects of the case, but that’s where it ends. Looking from my own standpoint of perceived facts, I’m prepared to just about disregard completely, all Gerry well conceived efforts to tie the ROK and its long list of players to Somerton Man’s totally unconnected, innocent take down.
The things you miss.
– as per Gordon Kenneth Strapps Deposition, page1, line 20.
‘I shd say he had on brown striped trousers.’
The light was good. The body only yards away. Strapps the keen-eyed motorcycle rider.
Striped trousers .. ?
Everyone has got to be red-faced about this.
One should realise that ‘should’, in the context young Stropp (sic) used it, would have been in a nonchalant relative context. Certainly not an overly confident description of SM’s duds, as they appeared to him in the waning light. We note that the stripe effect was at odds with the more catagorically definative plain brown description, as given by Gordon’s sweet Olive, in her much more confidently worded deposition. Maybe the fellow was second in line and differed just to nark the wench.
Really?
Flashman: Thanks for the offer re Omar. Seems like you must have had a good grounding at school, with well ‘versed’ teachers the likes of Mr. H.E. Savage. Gawd, he probably rubbed shoulders with Orwell and that other grand old Godless fruit, Somerset M. in pre war Kuala Lumpur. The only knowledge of Omar Khayyam my tutorial staff at Come-by Chance Elementary, were likely to have had with Omar Khayyam, was his win in the 1917 Kentucky Derby. I think me and the old Eeyaw are pretty well up to date with the various editions and their variables, though no thanks to certain other no name authorities on Fitzgerald, that seem to be just that. Thanks for the kind offer anyhow. Best as always, Paddington B.
@JS first Pooh, then Paddington? Not sure I can bear too much of this 😛
milongal: yeah, eeyore to know better by now.
@NP – It’s hard to know who/what to believe (page 172 is 206 in my digital adobe edition).
Newspapers
9th June 1949
….
Tamam Shud is believed to be a contraction of the Tamain Shudan. which according to Wollaston’s English – Persian dictionary, means “to end” or “to finish.”
Detectives believe that the dead man cut the words out of a book.
In an effort to trace the book, photographs of the scrap of paper will be sent to interstate police
23rd July 1949:
…On the back of the book are several telephone numbers and a series of capital letters, written in pencil, the meaning of which have not yet been deciphered.
As the scrap of paper found on the dead man had been trimmed, police were unable to identify the book merely by fitting it into the torn page.
Proof will now rest with tests on the paper and the print.
While I take the point that you would think the police are more reliable than journos, it seems odd that (1) both articles imply the paper was cut, not torn; (2) that the mismatch (And the need to analyse the paper) are mentioned at all (on the same day the book was handed in, not after the fact when speculation might become rife). I have a vague idea that this is also echoed in the inquest, but can’t find the reference at the moment….
But something else leaps out a bit here (something which admittedly I might have previously argued against). J’s number comes from the Rubaiyat. Boxall’s Rubaiyat (which is in a totally different format to SM’s one) comes from what J said to police. While the idea she had no idea of what edition/version SM had is perfectly plausible, does it seem odd that having said “Oh yeah, I gave some chap in Sydney a copy of that a few years back”, noone seems to have produced the one from the car and asked “[CW]ould this be the book you gave ‘im?” (there’s a hint in some articles that she might have been, when they say she had given him a ‘similar copy’ – but I don’t really want to read too much into that)
And here’s one that might interest other people….
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128841879?searchTerm=Rubaiyat%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=l-state=South+Australia|||l-category=Article|||l-title=461
Lol @NP.
Off topic.
In a newspaper article about Ruffles he alludes to another death in Adelaide (which Ruffles thinks is related, although there’s no further elaboration). On 8th December 1948, the body of Peter Symington (24) was found in water off the Henley Jetty with a railway brake block wired to the leg.
On the 15th of December in a Victorian paper, there’s a memoriam from his mum (which suggests the death was on the 6th December and lists it as ‘accidental drowning’ (the original article lists it as suicide – is tying a weighted (15lb/7kg block to yourself and jumping into the sea a common way to suicide?)).
Not sure if people have looked into it much (especially why Ruffles thought it potentially related (other than ‘Spies; Adelaide’).
For those interested, the Inside Story paperwork at NAA has some pictures (I think from the right era) that show how narrow that tract of beach actually was – go to pages 157-162. So with a reasonably high tide (as has been mentioned previously) that whole section could have been underwater that night.
On the off chance that the so called ‘series of capital letters’ were, to some extent overwritten faithfully to the original hand, I’ve lately been comparing the known printing stylesof some of our key players, notably the investigating police. Having had the feeling for some time, that they may have been complicit in the Rubaiyat’s introduction to enhance a particular line of inquiry, I was tasked with seeking some sampling, including that of the two most likely suspects. Having now completed evaluations with albeit rather limited comparison material, I’d be prepared to rule out one as being too “tiny”. One worthy’s distinctive style, however reveals similarities that might well encourage the rise of suspicion to point in a certain direction, particularly it’s size and configuration. Of course it may have been that this worthy, was in fact responsible for the chinagraph? highlighting only, having nothing whatever to do with the original lettering, that was subsequently saturated with confusing micro junk (only joking).
1970’s Newspaper: A morgue attendant aid “His body was smooth, faultless. He could have been an invader, someone from Mars”
and another:
Many immigrant Australians were convinced that the man was either a Yugoslav or a Latvian (it feels a bit specific to be saying a ‘Latvian’ rather than a ‘Balt’ ).
So….has anyone checked out the possibility he could have been a Martian, Yugoslav or Lett?
Milongal: A.W. Hamilton, was an author and Malay translater, who under express assignment to Australasian Publishing Co.,on behalf of Kelly & Walsh (S’pore), compiled numerous Malay (ba’hasa) language orientated text books as teaching and trandlater aids. His Sha’ir Omar Khayyam was of 120 pages that incorporated the Fitzgerald 2nd edition dual (opposing page) English/Malay text ROK. It included a supplementary glossary of words and language familiarisation terms for students, along with illustrations by an associate, named Stirling, whose art seems agricultural and rather uninspiring. NB: APC’s dual language ROK only came in second editions, so don’t let any fool tell you differently.
milongal: I Can’t imagine that suicide in the manner you describe would be all too common. One would have to first ensure that there was a siding dump on hand, in order to grab a loose railway brake block unseen; Then you’d need to confirm that the water depth was adequate so as not to defeat the objective with embarrassing or Heaven forbid injurous consequences. If you could get those two items in sync, I guess a successful outcome might be achieved; though I’d give it some serious consideration first. Surely you can live without footy until February or March at the very latest…I recall some helpful Egyptian telling Lean that his nominee J. Keanic was most likely a Jugoslav or Czech. I don’t believe I saw anything about Latvians as opposed to other Balts, but there certainly was a Martian connection from memory.
Milongal: Somerton Men are from Mars, now officially confirmed.
Nick: And their women, living up the roadaways, from Uranus, but that is still wildly hypothetical in my reserved estimation of the known facts.
JS: (Thought I mentioned before) there’s a youtube of the ‘Boxall Rubaiyat’ (complete with JEstyn’s scribbles, and the translations you speak of). But its definitely a 1st edition.
“Well, who are you gonna believe? Me, or your own eyes?” – Chico Marx
@JS: 8ft water seem a bit shallow for such a plan? That actually seems a bit strange to me, because (unlike Semaphore and Largs where you can walk out forever without getting water up to your knees), I thought Henley and further South got pretty deep, pretty quick – so even at low tied 8ft seems a bit shallow for the end of Henley Jetty and could be mis-repoprted. Certainly people jetty-jump off their (and off the roof of the structure at the end, even), so I’d imagine it’d have to be at least twice that depth…..
My recollection of Keanic was that it was ‘most likely Bulgarian’ (to be honest, to me it sounds more Middle-Eastern). It’s certainly (*IMO) not Latvian, every Latvian surname I can think of would (in the masculine case) end with ‘s’ or ‘is’, and occasionally a ‘sh’ sound (an s with a diacritic mark (I think a caron, if we’re pedantic)). I think Poles and Ruski’s might have a few names ending with the sound ‘itch’, but I think they normally like to add a z in there (eg Kasperowicz).
But if we’re talking footy (and waiting for February is a struggle – the Dees are going places next year 🙂 ), why not Jakovich?
Regarding the typestyles in the ‘Code Page’ – would you agree there appears to be multiple hands at work?
milongal: The writing style and letter variations are also noted in the twenty characters of my definate one person comparison.
milongal: Very strange indeed, indeed. I’ve seen the Utube Alf Boxall version and it’s implications are nonetheless quite mindblowing, in the context of my longheld perceived understanding of Hamilton’s works. I have noted that Jestyn has faithfully reproduced the 70 verse and it also appears to be in the correct format for a 1st Edition; and yet both the NAA & Singapore Library, along with Amazon and other traders, stipulate Aust. Pub. Co.1944 SECOND edition, with identical editorial format and the same 120 page dual Malay English layout as appears on the S.A. Uni. (Abbott) clip. I’m not denying it seems to make me look the fool and perhaps I’ll have to own to it; But was I sober when I swore?…I still remember Kiwi Dave’s gran and her little W &C, along with all the scanning and scamming claims that were played out during that farsicle episode. Being now more aware of the mechanations determined folk are able to achieve by digital means, I’ll have to run that video clip over a few more times, with a more jaundiced eye than the first.
milongal: If you’d care to gaze upon the editorial leaf of Alf Boxall’s decidedly 75 verse, 1st edition Fitzgerald Rubaiyat; behold ye, 1944 2nd edition, plain as day, right below 1st pressing 1932. Spot the problem; Precisely the same as poor murdered George Marshall’s Methuen 7th edition, which also happened to be a Fitzgerald 1st, from memory. I’m more than happy to wear my dunces cap, though so too should NNA, Google books, Rep. of Singapore Library, Amazon and a host of other follow on purveyors of misleading and overpriced books..rare second edition Fitzgerald Rubaiyat etc…Indeed, Indeed.
milongal: Page 78/1 Inside Story will allow you to compare Lionel Leane’s hand printing (30 yrs. on) with the code page overwriting. While you’re at it, checkout the 1948 alternate St. Leonards – Somerton Park marked bus routes eg. Anzac Hwy.- Partridge – Broadway – Moberley – Tarlton – Whyte – and return via Partridge to Anzac thence city…I’m no great shakes on those Czech, Polish and Ruskie monickers either, Pavel Fedosimov or Vlad Putin being about the best I can manage for the Ivans or Felise Slavinski and Fred Chopin, the Poles. I should include my two radical Czech farmers, Jan Huss and Peter Chelcicky, whom you might call Slavs at a pinch…..
I’m now watching 7.30 Report on ABC TV, Bonnegilla Migrant Hostel, Albury for displaced Baltics 1947. There’s Somerton Man’s suicase case, spot on, so might we assume it was a common Aussie made Globite or similar large contract standard issue for displaced persons?….O.K. now checking Globite cheap cases and looks very interesting.
Globite Suitcases @ Head over heels antiques, tagged Baby Brownie, appears most similar to SM’s model. Note the centre offset key latch and non lockable side latches which maybe at odds with the showcase that Gerry used for his book promotion.
Remix: Headoverhillsantiques.com au..The Globite 45 x 30 cms. very good nick and a steal at 45 bucks. Shop is at Mount Barker, up in Adelaide hills where the Balts went post war to work the pink lady apple orchards or in the tanning pits. Someone might like to swing by and grab the mucker as it’ll be needed for the block buster down the way. I’d do it, but I’m not so handy.
@JS: Re Bus Route: yeap, that’s the description of the route given as a “variation on the St Leonard’s route” in the late 30s. I could easily imagine (even within a depot setting) that both variants of the route were referred to as ‘The St Leonard’s service'(and in fact that the printed timetable likely called it something similar). So I’ve maintained that was the more likely route for a long time now, and all assumptions about jumping off at Adelphi (assumed because it was the closest to Glenelg on the original route) somewhat misled.
RE Boxall’s Rubaiyat wouldn’t that particular ‘Second Edition’ refer to the second (presumably edited) print run for that publisher? You wouldn’t change the edition of the Rubaiyat translation you use, would you? Or perhaps I missed your point?
I’m a little intrigued by the bookshop sticker (is it Craftman bookshop? – the video is a bit wobbly)
Unfortunately I been out of South Aus for a while (although I know people in the Adelaide Hills in and around Mt B, so we might see what we can do). Not sure whether the Balts were so big down that way, but certainly there’s a very heavy Kraut influence pre both WWs (during the first war they renamed Hahndorf to ‘Ambleside’ (a lot of Germanic suburbs in Adelaide changed names during the war)). Fruit around Mt B would be a couple of strawberry farms, and perhaps Cherries too, but Apples would be a little distance away (admittedly not as far as Adelaide). That said, might actually be worth a looksie when the Adelaide->Mt Barker railway connection was stopped (as late as 1984 if the Gunzels updating wikipedia are right).
milongal: Yeah, you missed my point, sorry, could have put it better…I’ve mentioned the Germans up Mount Barker way working in the tanning vats and how a long haired SM might have got his artificial tan or supple hands by such means. I lived at Woodside and was quite familiar with the area…One of the Leane team was from there also before moving to Canberra in ‘80, about the time that the suitcase went missing. Wouldn’t that be a turn up for the books?
Milongal: Gordon Strapps described the duds our man was wearing in the evening as striped, yet the body found in the morning was wearing plain.
What do you reckon?
Milongal: I’ve done the math using the can of Kiwi polish, and along with Supt. Brown’s body width for comparison, we are right on the money for the suitcase dimensions. At 45/30, its much smaller than I would have imagined and infact, no bigger than a childs school port of that era. Thinking about it now, there wasn’t a great deal in there, largest items being a dressing gown an extra pair of similar brown trousers to the ones he wore, a coat jacket with a coupla shirts, underware and other small junky stuff.
PB: Not sure how much we read what each other says, but I’ve long been skeptical about the lack of ID from the best witnesses. The lovers couldn’t definitively agree the man they’d seen on the beach was the body. Lyons was vague too, and uncertain (despite daylight being ok, and no room on the beach to be too far away). It’s a very, very narrow tract of land (and Ithere’s pics of the beach closer to the time than googlemaps) that suggest if anything it was narrower then….
A body on the beach from the night before (ignoring the pasty, the time of death, the witness statements tha put all of that earlier than it could of been etc) must have been wet, because the tide thqat night MUST have flooded up to the rocks….
IMO, the only way the man the night before was the body the day after was if he were taken away and move back….
@JS: By the sound of it, a couple of my sibings had cases that would fit the bill…..although, no sure they’d hve fit 5 items of clothing…but I think I took the point/thought/idea
@js: re me missing stuff….that would certainly be interesting, but it sort of depends on specifics….
One of Leane’s team being from there is mainly interesting because (even in my lifetime) the journey to Mt B has been straightened and improved (used to have to go through Devil’s Elbow before the Heysen Tunnels were made) – so in the 40’s it’s hard to see someone commuting to work in the city (athough the train line would’ve helped if you were near a station (other than Mt B, the only other beyond Belair that DEFINITELY existed was Bridgewater). So i’d have a slightly hard time of a cit copper living that far into the Hills at that time (these days I know people that commute from Murray Bridge)…
Milongal: I seem to recall the Mount Pleasant line servicing Balhanna, Bridgewater and Woodside in the early sixties and that some sort of regular bus or van could get you back to Mount Barker whithout too much difficulty…The evening body transfer scenario at Somerton is of course still a reasonable explanation (amongst others) and it has merit. Though someone wanting to put such a proposition forward to backup the plot for an historical novel, must do a little better than back it with a young ex sailor’s rather vague recollection of a bloke’s striped strides, if you get my meaning…We know by now that the case for a body exchange is well supported by the big spring tide, though let us not forget old constable Moss saying that the body was damp when he attended at 6.45am.
Oops, my boo boo. The only person who described anything along the lines of SM’s evening clothes in detail, does appear to have been Gordon Strapps who suggests striped brown trousers, exactly as PB suggests. Notwithstanding, I can’t see any eye witness testimony that is contrary in context; so it would appear that no change was noted in the morning attire. In fact the only disagreement, would have been between Moss and Lyons concerning whether or not the found loose cigarette had been lit or nay.
Milongal, with respect, I’m talking about the striped trousers worn as witnessed by Strapps in the evening vis-a-vis the plain trousers on the body in the morning.
Strapps was only yards away and the light was clear.
No ifs and no buts; nobody who saw SM? on the evening of 30th November, apart from Gordon Strapps, ie. the Lyons and Olive Neill described what he was wearing. Gordon did say “I would have THOUGHT that he was wearing striped brown trousers……” which sounds a little uncommitted. In another context, Olive thought that he may have been dead, whilst John Lyons was quite certain that the body seen by him on the morning of 1st December, was the same as the one seen the evening before. No one else including the four Police who testified gave specifics re colour of the trousers, nor did Cowan or J.B. Cleland. Who knows the source of those mid tone brown trousers that are portrayed on the cover Feltus‘ gem. Perhaps the same as the one that gave Gerry’s SM the non tootal tie, and stuck those great non existent boulders along the seawall. One thing’s for sure and that is, we are not going to prove one way or another, from the colour of the trousers, whether or not the body was moved or else substituded, in that ten hour hiatus.
There has over time been many items of SM related kit trundled out for us to fawn over on the various websites, and via video news clips, most of it interesting and very well presented to enhance a feeling of connection with the case. Take the suitcase and its contents for example. We can for instance very easily determine without ponification that the dead man’s trousers were a plain midtone brown or fawn colour and not striped, according one most emphatic claim. It was Detective Brown who pointed them out to Stuart Littlemore in 1977, thus ending any debate. Also in this splendid short overview of the property, Len shows us where a label had been removed from the end of the original suitcase, such position being totally at odds with a very recent trolled account of the ‘Globite‘ and it’s look alike being shown on 7.30 Report mere days past. All goes to prove that even our most knowlegdeable informants can at times get important things wrong, so if in any doubt, it pays to check the validity of all dubious claims personally
@JS: I don’t think PB was suggesting the pants on the body in the morning were striped. I think he was suggesting the pants witnessed the previous evening were striped and therefore it either isn’t the same man, or he’s somehow disappeared and gotten changed.
I think there is a case to be made for the man the evening before not being the man the morning after. Whatever about Strapps being a weak (and potentially easily influenced) witness, it is an extra conflict in the story which add to the confusion around:
1) Time of Death: Coroner’s time vs Pasty time vs Time if the man on the beach at 8PM was in the process of dying
2) Lividity and therefore location/position of death
3) Inconclusive identification by all 3 witnesses that the man was definitively the same person (including the allusion to Stripey Pants)
On the other hand (to play Devil’s advocate), it seems a bit hard to resolve how/when the body would have otherwise appeared there – especially given the tide (perhaps one option would be dumped from just above as the tide was receding in the leadup to dawn – which would explain why there wasn’t any obvious disturbances in the sand (although no disturbance being found could also be down to the fact that the Horsie guys had trodden everywhere, or by the fact that at that time the fuzz weren’t assuming murder. I wonder how often they pick up ‘unexplained deaths’ with little reason (from the outset) to suspect foul play…
milongal: Yes, I am aware of the evening ware disparity and the body swap business, but thanks for reminding me. Lyons was convinced that both his SMs were the same!
Milongal – we mustn’t forget the statement made by the gent walking with three others who saw a man carrying a man along the water’s edge on the night of the 30th. Feltus found and interviewed the fellow and although the he waited ten years to contact the police – he thought others may have done it – GF found him believable and reliable.
Gerry Feltus, by the way, was a long- serving detective in the Homicide Division in Adelaide and it wouldn’t surprise me if his experiences in that field of villains surpass those of John Sanders anywhere else.
Peteb: Surprises may be in store for those smart enough to find them. Whereas fools are left wandering aimlessly in never ending witless circles…I had the feeling that your respect for the great man was seriouly erroded by his negative views on the only other SM farce with more holes in it than his own.
And what a surprise was the stripe on his trousers – for everybody. And Nick, I know you take to research like an addict to opium, what happened on your watch?
It still remains a contentious issue, one of the many, how Lyons could not remember what his man was wearing the first evening and could not see his face. Yet..”I would however (say) that it was definately the same person”. So how was the man so sure that the deceased fellow the next morning was one and the same. Simply because…”The body was in the (exact) same position the next morning, with the legs (still) crossed”…Say some covert mob of body snatchers had been working an uplift or exchange in the evening, or returned with a new SM after the tide had peaked around 0430am. Would they have been so totally precise in their placement, just to fool one blind old jeweller. Not likely in my estimatation, even had the same players from the night shift been involved… So no need for those complicated Pete Bowes manouvres just to serve the crook plot of his crooker novel. Let us be content with Olives’s railing man standing giving SM‘s right hand an invisible piano wire controlled wave salute any time someone passed by; The ‘puppet on a string puller’ is a much simpler more ingenious plot and it’s easy then to guess how SM came by the skin abrasions either side of his right middle finger…PULL!!!
Peteb: I’m thinking about it. Remember that the trousers the Somerton Man was found wearing had had a pocket repaired with the same thread found in the suitcase. But there’s not a lot else to work with here, as far as trousers go.
Agreed, but there is as far as bodies go.
john sanders: ah, there have been plenty of times when a long string attached to raising a dead man’s middle finger would have been useful on this blog. 😉
Nick: Any retarded AfIO operative, with some insurgent background could confirm that the old ‘deadman line pull‘ technique was a standard SOP in the Venona Danetta days.
Remembering the Muppets Show:
‘Just when you think this show is terrible something wonderful happens.
What?
It ends.’
@JS: I don’t like the puppeteering, however it would account for the strange wave, I suppose. Does that imply he were dead already, then?
Re Lyons, “Exactly the same position” – is he trying to convince himself it was the same person, or the police? If we consider, for a second, the supposition someone (maybe JS) raised, that Lyons returned to the beach in the morning not because he always went swimming at Sparrow’s Fart, but because he had a bad feeling what he had seen the night before was going to result in a body then he’s already convinced it absolutely must be one and the same, and will likely say anything to anyone to convince them of it too…
I don’t think we can read too much into anyone saying ‘Exactly’ (although a trained investigator saying it would IMO carry more weight)
She knew who he was or she didn’t. If she did, she’s complicit in his death. If she didn’t, she was incredibly negligent in setting up her family for scrutiny unnecessarily. Think about it.
As anticipated, my ‘Fisher of Men’ propososition was not swallowed hook line and sinker, no more so thentwo years back when I first offered it on another site, which promoted a fairly rude response. I could explain once again its purpose, merits conception and undertaking, with the finer points highlghted, but to what end. Now as for ‘The night of the ‘body snatchers’, that of course is a different kettle of fish altogether, making for the most perfect deception ploy yet devised by KGVD spy.com. What’s more, poor old deep cover agent, Lofty Fedosimov would have had no inkling that he was to become dead bait and not merely burley, in what may have been the greatest sting operation ever created in fiction.
Oh, it seems that police had been able to aquire the whole Rubaiyat between Saturday and Tuesday, but wanted another copy for ratification of the Tamam Shud’s association and position. Does sound a little overblown for a suicide inqiry.
My first instinct was that (according to the papers) their ‘paper is same colour and texture’ seems to have come back pretty quick for a Government Analyst with a lab full of experiments on the back burner (or was that bunsen burner).
Incidentally do you find it interesting that both of them foudn the number in different exact locations in a similar area of the page? Almost like there was some communication about where, but confusion over the exact location. Mind you, I must be blind, because to date Nick’s SEGA is all I’ve managed to make out.
In the true spirit of fairness, something prompted me to rehash the three known or suspected statements made by our ancient jeweller John Bain Lyons, from 1947 through 1972. There are a number of discrepencies noted that should not be overlooked, as much as I’d like not to have been alerted to them. Of course there is the one where, as part of his inquest testimony, he is clearly at odds with Constable Moss on the partly smoked/definately unlit cigarette issue. As opposed to this, during two later ad hoc statements made to jounalists, the not so ancient man goes in another direction. Firstly there’s the Moss retraction from the inquest and another contradiction about SM raising his hand to ash a fag. In the very next exchange he sees SM raising a now strangely smoke free hand, then in the final interviews, at the age of just 81, he bares witness to our dear friend shoot both hands in the air simulaniously, as if activated by an involuntary reflex spasm. The final turd in the chilly bin, comes with Mr. Lyon’s disclosure, made actually in his paraphrased follow-up interviews, both with absolute certainty, that “the body was not leaning against the wall, but lying on it’s back with one leg crossed over the other”. Then the very last….”Strappers…standing by the body of a man lying on the sand”. Of course this string of inconsistencies could yet help Peteb’s case for the brown striped duds and save his tale (sic). Although he may need to tread carefully around those alleged, involunary reflex two hand salutes, which seem to be equally supportive of string pulling ala some goofball’s muppet show ending.
What case? One body was in stripes, the other in plain. Two bodies, only one waving.
“…….I should think” (?????)……The words of an ex swabby, down the beach with only one thing on his mind…..Olive!…Not a chance for brown striped pants!
Slut humour, not worthy.
Peteb: Gordon might take umbrage to your slur; after all that little episode with a so-called slut may well have cemented the bonds to a match made in Somerton! They later became united in Holy matrimony!….
Can we have a little more on this thread/line of thought please. Someone elsewhere asked why would anyone toss a book in a car instead of the bin….doesn’t seem logical. My bet that Carl Webb perished in that car, he would have also vomited in the car, who was the cars owner? if the chemists were involved , was it barium poisoning. ? there was talk about a gentleman’s club was there illegal poker happening? if he was getting driven to somewhere where would he be staying, was there a hotel or was there someone he knew in town?
If no one ever checked for fingerprints how do we know that Charlie Webb ever even touched that book? All we know is that someone ripped out those words and that that slip of paper ended up in Charlie’s pocket.
Been lurking here for years, mainly in the Voynich sections. Can I make a couple of points about the Car theory – I have tried to read myself in to ensure they aren’t already out there, but I may have failed.
The theory is excellent to the extent that the torn out tamam shud is an identifier. I don’t think the car identifier argument stands up, because the Rubaiyat was so easily found. If you were doing this to identify the car you would hide the identifier as deep as you could under a carpet or bootliner. You would also probably put the tamam shud slip, which is easier to hide, in the car, and keep the book which is easier to keep tabs on, and which contains incriminating, identifying or just plain usful information (the code, the tel no.)
It is much more likely that the tamam shud slip is a token for a person to identify themself: A tears it out and gives it to B, and undertakes to pay money to anyone presenting it to A on behalf of B. Of course this could work the other way – A keeps the slip, hands over the book – but for reasons above A more likely wants to keep hold of his book.
Note that A and the slipbearer could be in proximity for two reasons: either the slipbearer is B leaving the scene of the above deal, or he is B’s agent coming to identify himself and collect payment (or whatever). The second scenario would fit in with the early, November date for the book being found in the car (for which I find the “at the time of the airshow” stuff fairly persuasive): A and B meet in November and agree that B will cause to happen something which A will be able to read about in the press, say an assassination. This has now happened and B has sent Somerton Man to collect. Alternatively Somerton Man might be B who has concluded rather than performed on the deal, and the November date just a mistake.
As for the book getting into the car, there is one possible explanation for this. When I go out to post letters I quite often lose them, and much more often than not they end up attheir destination anyway. It is possible that A just drops the book in the street, next to a car, and a helpful passerby thinks that the least worst thing to do with this bit of lost property, which will blow away otherwise, is to assume it fell out of the nearest parked car and post it back in.
If there is anything in this theory, itis probable that Somerton Man is not A and is not book owner, nor author of the jottings in it. Never mind photographs, the Holy Grail at the moment is a handwriting specimen.
Exactly!
No evidence he made the indentations.
I don’t understand why anyone thinks SM was necessarily the book’s owner at all.
@EM – yeap – agree that not being in a bin was odd; but B Lackdown’s point about dropped in the street and chucked in a car by a Good Samaritan is a possibility. Perhaps SM had the envelopes in the suitcase because he would regularly mail out a booklet (not necessarily always the Rubaiyat) and hold onto some token from it for ID (as mentioned above and many times in the past).
@LBL – you’re right, we don’t know that SM ever touched the booklet, but I’m not sure about someone planting the slip. It was apparently in a fob pocket somewhere awkwardly close to the fly.
@B Lackdown – there’s a whole lot of in-between too. Perhaps the book was originally his, but the scribblings happened after the book left his possession. How long had the book been in the car before the owner found it? Which stories about finding it do we believe – Brother In Law? Kids? etc. And given the concealment of the TS slip, it’s entirely possible that SM has bought 2nd hand pants that happened to have something in a pocket noone really knew about. And while perhaps not probable, there is a possibility the Rubaiyat found wasn’t the one the TS was taken from. But a lot of these ideas have been covered elsewhere on this site to varying degree.
The guy whose truck the rubaiyat was found in said he was at the Parafield Air Pageant on the 20th November 1948. He thought it had been put in his truck then.
The implication of that is Carl arrived in his own car on the 20th and then stayed in a hotel, like the one in Hindley street hotel where Tibor Kaldor committed suicide.
We are assuming he was travelling by train and bus because of an unused ticket. But we know he had a car in 1941/2. We know he tried to sell it but perhaps nobody wanted a roadster during ww2 because of petrol rationing and having to justify the need for petrol coupons.
The ROK in the car !!! So strange.
There’s something quite peculiar about Carls visit to Adelaide.
His packing indicates that he was prepared for a short trip (a week or less) and that his visit was “business” related but business that was unofficial in nature.
How do I reach such a conclusion? Its the only one that makes sense.
If he was on a legitimate work assignment there would be a footprint ie train tickets , accomodation etc and or someone such as his boss , a co-worker, following up when he failed to return and he would have been identified.
If the business was of a personal nature he would certainly have told someone he was off to SA ie one of his 4 living siblings , a friend or sweetheart. in either case no-one connected Carl with the John Doe on Somerton beach.
The only logical explanation as to why no-one followed up as to his whereabouts in SA when he disappeared of the planet and the lack of any footprint in SA ie train ticket hotel booking etc is that he was traveling incognito and he told no-one he was coming to Adelaide.
He packs a couple of decent outfits , toiletries and a set of unique tools.
We know now he wasn’t Robins dad or a spy nor a shipping clerk on leave with his stencilling tools.
The tools are the biggest clue to the reasons for his visit. If he’s on a love or suicide mission why the tools? We know now he’s got mechanical/electrical skills.
He also a bit of loose cannon, a gambler with a temper and may have been out of work. He got the phone number of an ex victorian car dealer with a shady past.
I raised the car racket theory years ago and was called out for as a nut job for suggesting he could be anything but a spy , Robins dad.
@David I think he said it was on the day of the Air Pageant but the car wasn’t there. It was parked on the street in Glenelg (where SM got the bus to, 20 minutes walk from the beach).
thedude747: the car connection scenario always seemed to me to be 100x more likely than any of the countless romantic bullshit stories circulating, so you’ll hear no criticism from me. 😁
How does Rubaiyat car theory stack up against the Broken Hill Sock rifle hypothesis, though, or are they compatible? Embarrassment of riches if they aren’t.
What is central to everything is Prosper McTaggart Simpson. His address is central, 5 minutes walk to where the body was dumped and 5 minutes from Ferry Road where the rubaiyat car dump happens. And what is extraordinary is how he evades the limelight by being billed throughout as Jessica’s bloke. His or their phone number is described as her phone number, his or their place as her place.We know from court cases he’s a crook and we know from his wanted ads he specialises in cars and rifles. Rubaiyat cars is about cars, Broken Hill has a car, a motorbike and a rifle. And there’s two suitcases.
First off I don’t think BH is predominantly about rifle theft because a bog standard second hand rifle isn’t worth that much. I mean, I have no idea about 1948 Australia but they are pretty simple and easily manufactured bits of kit and you can buy lots of models new in Australia today starting at 800 AusD. Why steal a motorbike to steal a rifle, and fail to monetise the motorbike? And it is surely unusual to fence on credit: you sell as seen for cash. If PMT wants to view the goods he has cars at his disposal, SM ex hypothesi does not, so he can drive to BH and view the piece before buying. Note that Pruszinksi gets fined for car theft, no mention of theft or illegal possession of firearms.
Also rifles are not made of porcelain, they are pretty robust things. if it were me I’d disassemble the thing, wrap each part once in something thick and strap them to me or the bike. Much less visible and suspicious than that size suitcase on a bike.
So, my guess: Pruszinksi is doing a delivery of SM’s luggage to PMT, they fallout over the fee and he goes off in a huff and trashes everything (because otherwise why dump the bike? Why not ride it back instead of walk 12 miles, nick a car and get caught?)
So what about Rubaiyat car theory? It is a nonstarter that the Rubaiyat is a car-identifier because 1. that works if you squirrel the ID deep in the car’s innards, but if you leave it on the back seaqt or floor it lasts about 3 minutes and 2. it’s irrelevant anyway, in a Thomson vs Wotsername situation the identity of the car is not in dispute, it’s how much was (illegally) agreed to be paid for it which is. And 3. unless car owner is 100% blameless in every single aspect of his life the overwhelmingly sensible thing to do with the book is burn it.
So what about TAMAM SHUD? well: it is I now realise over the top to regard this as an indenture, charterparty (charte partie), tear a 100$ bill in half and match the halves up, sort of situation. Equally you want something less reproducible than just the password itself cos anyone can write that down. So your halfway house is the torn out slip which you know the recipient will recognise as the right sort of paper, typeface etc. in days when you’d need access to a full on printworks to duplicate it. So once torn out, the rest of the book is valueless, it is not needed as half of the key. So you drop it in the street, or dispose of it in the first opening you come to which happens to be a car window.
And what SM proposed to do with the slip, will be a mystery forever.
@thedude747 – Not sure who called you out as a nutjob for thinking he was anything other than a spy. There’s obviously some who are certain that was the case (and some of them have called us all nutjobs at one time or another….), some who think there’s varying amounts of likelihood or possibility he was a spy. But I think there’s a good number of people who might entertain it as a possibility, but think it’s less likely than most other scenarios….
@thedude747 there is also the fact that prosper was advertising for a business partner if I recall correctly from the adverts posted elsewhere.
Certainly Nick has always been open minded.
I floated this (and the threads will confirm this ) a number of years back on this site and Im not aware of it ever being floated prior to that. Nick followed my post up with a feature article highlighting the post and the possibilities of it being plausible.
B Lackdown is saying what Ive been talking about. It was an accepted unchallengeable fact that the number was for “the nurse” PT barely if at all mentioned. A major flaw in the argument and I am suggesting why this case went down a rabbit hole for 70 odd years. Talk of Russian spies , Jestyn, Boxall , love children/ballet dancers !!. Seriously does my head in. Bloody Boxall thousands of hours investigating that red herring.
Prospers own relatives describe him in the recent doco as “a shady character”
Could it be as simple as Carl gets told to meet guy number 1 at Somerton beach with the slip and the cash. Carl is to identify himself by providing the slip which will match the book carried by guy number 1 precisely and will contain the phone number for guy number 2. But guy number 1 and 2 are the same guy and he relives Carl of his cash. in this scenario Carl never actually has possession of the ROK hence he retains the slip in death.
Dude, NP … the car scenario is fine except it doesn’t include the circumstances surrounding Webb’s death and the disposal of his body, add to that the obvious relationship he shared with Harkness who knew him well enough to nearly keel over when she saw his bust. It’s almost as if you don’t wish to be lumped in with the ‘nut jobs’ by having a shot at including them.
@ B Lackdown
I think you are very onto something with the charte partie theory!
eg: The Rubaiyat was a signal or calling card – “we’ll look for the bloke reading poems”, hand over the list of names… (the letters), give this slip of paper (Tamam Shud) to x bloke and he will give you the money… but alas for Charlie “Tamam Shud”! I think the book ending up in a car was a wild slip up… (eg it should have been placed in the bin). I have another weird and wild theory re the names – detailed over on the Technical School thread. Ie. they are WWII military intelligence staff – linked to various requisitioned houses within short walking distance of Charlie’s 1940s Bromby Street apartment)… Who knows if it has legs, there is no one here to tell us!
The one job we ‘potentially’ know he had in the 1940s from a newspaper article was nit-keeper. He was the lookout/bouncer for card games.
It could be Carl was the nit-keeper/door security for Sigint – checking IDs. In 1948 in his ‘code’ he created his list of key names – who arrived into Kellow House.
In 1948 with his RAF/RAAF tie (from his deceased brother-in-law) he may have been trying to pose as a former RAAF pilot Keane attending events such as the Parafield Airshow Pageant on the 20/11/1948 near to Somerton.
The Rubaiyat was discovered in the car at Glenelg and then put into the glovebox – but it could have been put into the car at the Parafield Airshow Pageant. They may have left the rear window down to keep the car cooler for the return journey from the Pageant.
With Carl at the Pageant with his RAF tie posing as Keane.
Alternatively, Carl sold the car to Thomson who in turn sold them their car. He took it to Somerton leaving the poetry book in the back on the floor.
PB it certainly would be something to come come up with the precise details of his actual death including the location of his demise and means by which he was disposed of and transported to Somerton beach over that day 72 years ago..
However it strikes me that despite having a well preserved body and suitcase full of belongings, a decent set of photographs the full resources of the SA police of the day and many seasoned detectives since along with a thousand amateur sleuths DNA , 3D facial technology and a nutty professor it took 72 years just to come up with a name.
So unless there is a 100 year old living accomplice who is prepared to come forward and come clean some of those details Im afraid may never see the light of day.
However fro the reasons specified in my previous post there is strong evidence that points to underworld business being at the heart of Carls visit to SA and his seemingly disappearance never followed up upon by his many living relatives and associats .
AND when you mess around in those shady underworld circles all manner of shit can go down.
Peteb: what’s the good oil on Taffy Jones; I note that milongal has confirmed his mate over on Brighton Rd., right by Jestyn in ’48, as being a car dealer in his own right.
Mention of mums-in-law, mine’s a gem in that she lives next door to my lodge and apart from one notable occasion, I haven’t had any harsh words with the old dear in a coon’s age.
…to my mind, shonky car dealers be like street suits, shonky or not; They can spot one of their kind a mile off, so why the need for a ‘secret handshake’ ID to conduct shady car deals?
There is no evidence for the car going to the airshow, the owner says the book was put in the car in Ferry Road *at the time of* the airshow. It’s just how he remembered the date as far as we know (understandable because it was heavily publicised and probably because planes were visible from all over Adelaide)
If Carl was selling his car to Prosper Thomson could the code be his map from his location.
ending…
At Moseley St Go Around Back.
AMStGAB
Very interesting to see the small adds that Carl was posting provided by NP. Certainly very similar to the adds PT ran regularly around the same time.
Note both PT and Carl posting adds seeking the return of lost property and mentioning”good reward”.
Seems like a long shot for anyone to expect a result from such an add and quite coincidental that both of them did this.
dude47: it does indeed seem rather coincidental. But I’m still in more of a data gathering phase for Carl Webb, so let’s perhaps see where the evidence takes us first…
NP I wonder what a trained profiler might make of what we now know about Carl.
Initially the toned and trim body and smart attire fed well into the spy and or former lover narrative. There was the air of a paperback hero about the unknown man .
That image was perhaps at odds with the alternative black market theory of SM.
However there’s a different picture emerging about the man we now know to be Carl Webb.
Whist he was in decent shape the clothes were either borrowed or hand me downs. He’s a gambler, bit of a sore looser known for mood swings and bouts of depression.
Didn’t exactly set the world on fire academically and may have even dropped out of his studies . His marriage failed and left his wife very jaded.
Looks like he avoided any active service in WW2. When he disappears clearly no-one was interested or cared enough to launch an extensive search for him. In fact his wife assumes he’s simply done the bolt.
The fact that both PT and he publish adds for lost property and promising a “good reward” with Carl mentioning a particular bench at a particular intersection mmmm very interesting.
@David m pretty sure that is what it is.
Another day, another hypothesis
1. The tearing out of tamam shud as an identifying token for a car or a person is archaic young Adult fiction stuff. Doesn’t happen in real life.
2. Jessica lived at Mentone, Melbourne 1945-6 and during childhood while Charles Webb lived up the road at South Yarra, for years. Jessica knew Prosper Thomson who was in the Melbourne dodgy car business as was Charles Webb. Highly likely Thomson knew Webb, likely Jessica knew Webb.
3. Jessica has form for giving Rubaiyats to love interests (Boxall, 1945).
4. THE HYPOTHESIS: Jess and Charles had a (Rubaiyat themed at least on jessica’s side) fling in 1945/6 (or perhaps earlier as teen sweethearts before Jessica goes nursing in Sydney). In November 1948 Charles is at an emotional loose end and writes to jess suggesting a reprise for old times’ sake. Jess’s romantic, bittersweet way of telling him to F off is to tear the words tamam shud out of any old cheap copy of ROK she happens to have lying around, an allusion to when they were in luuurve and an unambiguous but polite “get lost”, and post them to him. She then chucks the cheap, scribbled on and now defaced ROK away, and it ends up for reasons we are unclear about in a car in Ferry Road. The scribbles on it are a red herring (shopping lists?)
5. Two weeks later, surprise call from Charles from Adelaide station. Perhaps lie to him and say you live at Henley Beach to gain a bit of time? Consult with Prosper, agree a lovelorn Charles in the flesh is a serious problem requiring a permanent solution. Prepare poison, await visit.
Now, this is melodrama but it explains very neatly why tear those particular words out of that particular book, why send them to Charles and bin the book (and the date of binning), why Charles would carry the slip around with him BUT NOT keep it nice and flat and safe in his wallet because he needed to present it to someone in good and legible condition as a token for something (as we hypothesise he did with the ticket for the suitcase). Certainly more economically than any competing theory.
someone suggested chronic malaria as cause of the organ enlargement. …https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4257629/ ….
Its worth running any such theory up the flagpole I reckon .
BUT I can’t agree that it trumps alternative theory on several grounds.
1. The ROK is reportedly “chucked out” on the same day Carl arrives is in SA which doesn’t fit with the timeline of that Hypothesis.
2. The ROK has the 90a Mosley st number X3239 written in the back. Why is she writing her own phone number in the back of the ROK ? then throws it away not in her trash but up the road into some randoms car? Seems unlikely.
3. Cant see how Carl being an ex lover of years back would somehow have Jess’s new address in SA where she has recently shot through to with Prosper to raise an illegitimate child.
4. Strangely she receives his letter at 90a Mosley and responds prompting his visit “two weeks later “yet on arrival she claims to be living at Henley?
5. So if we can get over all of that we then have to accept that on hearing an old flame has come to town to express his love for Jess , Prosper and Jess decide that the way to deal with him is to murder him !!!!!!
When a simple firm chat from the very street tough 6ft 4 Prosper at the front door telling him to clear of would have done the job.
If not a call to the coppers to get rid of this unwanted visitor. But no lets kill him??? Sorry that just doesn’t float.
5. Irrespective of all of that it still doest explain the tool kit. Why bring all that stuff on what was purely a love mission.
Any theory that is gonna float for mine needs to include a logical explanation for the tool kit. Anyone is gonna shlep all that stuff across to another state has done so for a very specific reason.
I wonder whether the Rubiayat was in another car? – ie one used to take a drugged/poisoned Charlie down to the beach. Once he has been disposed of, the book is spotted in the back of the car and is tossed out of the window, picked up by a good samaritan and placed in another, (nearest car)… Charlie was perhaps trying to provide some “charte partie” evidence for his demise?
@ B Lackdown – Mentone and South Yarra aren’t really very close by… There was however, a small private hospital, Coonara, almost next door to Kellows on St Kilda Road and around the corner from the Webbs. Could Jessie Harkness have worked there?
EM: don’t knoe how long the malaria parasite lasts in a deceased person, not too long I’d think, because Dr. Dwyer told the inquest he could find no evidence of it from the autopsy despite the enlarged spleen being usually a good indication. Your mention of enlarged organs, has me wondering if those infected lady anopholes mosiquitos could cure my problem.
dude47: one day punters may get wise to the fact that newly sworn detective Len Brown was the culprit what wrote down Jestyn’s number in the ROK. When she phoned in on Sunday with her boxall yarn, Len jotted it down on the ROK in tiny writing mindful of it’s importance to the case. So police already knew who the subscriber was without needing to get it from the PMG (illegal then as now) and Len pointed to his guilt twice during the ‘Inside Story’ doco.
dude47 OK it’s not a theory of everything. It doesn’t address the other suitcase and rifle issue. But it is the only theory which attempts to explain why tear those particular words from a copy of that particular text and send them to someone else. I am not wedded to anything else about the theory, including any Henley Beach deception or a killing *purely* because he was a pest.
The evidence for the rubaiyat being dumped 20 November is much better than the later date
The guy is very possibly a professional car thief. If those tools are enough to steal the average car and take up so little luggage space you’d keep them with you. You can steal cars anywhere so it’s only like carrying a credit card.
She told police she got a letter from Boxall in Adelaide so we know she was reachable by post by old flames
Telephone number on ROK explained above.
. Irrespective of all of that it still doest explain the tool kit. Why bring all that stuff on what was purely a love mission.
it has been suggested that the tool kit would have been used to break into cars.
malaria can lie dormant in the system even after the initial treatment so unless there was a liver exam for hypnozoites’ it could have gone undetected. would be interesting to see what the initial report says
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180222125635.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4184481/
might also explain his disappearance a couple of years after his brother Roy died
passenger lists heading to Singapore or Malaysia might shed some light
is this all we got on the autopsy? never mind the geoforensics…if only we stilll has that barley grass
The pathologist’s report in Somerton Man case: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yFWG-kelPmm4mzHIoE8Xn8vqGD0Uj5Vj/view
I like any hypothesis being thrown out , why not but , No you wouldn’t walk about during the day with the tool kit when you had no intention of using it until later, no chance. Were talking about a sharp tools ,scissors , screw driver etc, no comparison to a credit card and likely to raise questions if confronted. Makes no sense at all.
AND I don’t buy her giving forwarding addresses to old flames when she moved on and living as Sr J Thomson in another state even though she neither a sister or a Thomson.
As far as Len Brown writing the number in the ROK I think he may have done that on the grass knoll just before he faked the moon landing.
B. Lackdown: No! She told police her mother received a letter from Alf Boxall in Melbourne which he denied sending. Read the original script and please don’t say “we know” because we the truth seekers know better. Got it?
If the Tamam Shud strip was a (allegedly precious to him) letter from Jessica, the SM should have put it in his wallet. It is a bit too convenient that his wallet is missing and yet we know the message, because it was found in his fob pocket.
The last letters of the code are
ITTMSAMSTGAB
Could it be Carl was told to catch the bus to Moseley Square to buy a car with instructions he wrote down.
I turn to Moseley Stop (tram), At Moseley St Go around the back.
If he arrived at 90a Mosely street to buy a car he had two numbers written down – the local bank and Prosper Thomson’s.
So he may have been intending to withdraw cash from the Glenelg bank to pay for a car.
OK taking a step back:
The point of a written message is usually to convey information from writer to reader. This slip is torn out of a book, but the tearing out turns it into a new message as much as hand writing it would. A theory which expains it as a message from A to B where it fits with great neatness with what we know about what A might want to say to B is pretty powerful in a field where no other message explanations of any kind are forthcoming.
The charte partie/token theory is even weaker than I thought it was because the slip does not match the hole in the police photo of the book, it has been trimmed, which makes it worthless for that purpose.
John Sanders: sorry, my mistake, but this leads to an even more powerful version of the theory. Assume Boxall did NOT write to Jess’s mum but Jess did write to him what she says was a response to his letter, but actually was out of the blue, saying Hey Alf I am married (Adelaide Advertiser 27 July 1949). Perhaps she is bored, slightly unbalanced, and writes a similar letter to Webb which prompts more of a response than she bargained for.
Other points: he isn’t carrying the tools about, they are in his suitcase. He doesn’t treasure the TS slip, he hates it and obsesses about it and screws it up as small as he can but can’t bear to chuck it. The tel no on the book is easily explained in any number of ways. Lots of people scribble notes when they are on the phone. I have a bit of scrap paper in front of me with my postcode in my handwriting on it along with some other stuff. Obviously I was on the phone and giving it to someone else, and wrote it out automatically.
@David Morgan , i have theorised that the code were merely directions for years and in my mind it is the most logical explanation especially when you have a set of instructions crossed out only to be written after ….a series of steps he needed to remember to follow
@B lackdown its all good yet sounds like a flight of fancy something you would read in a naff romance book. In real life i am afraid somewhere along the line Carl Webb became a very broken man plagued by demons who arrived in Adelaide to rebuild his life only to be taken of all his possessions . it couldn’t have ended any other way than tamam shud
The syringe.
It never seems to get mentioned that in the Littlemore doco he interviews one of the old original detectives. Can’t remember which one as I haven’t seen it in a while but he was well on in years and from memory being interviewed in a nursing home in Victor Harbour. His theory was suicide and he mentions finding a syringe close by to the body. A syringe could be suicide or murder but it strikes me that this never comes up in any hypothesis. It’s usually suggested that he is administered poison surreptitiously by Jess.
Naff romance? We are talking about an unidentified corpse with a snippet of the world’s cheesiest love poem in its trouser pocket so how on earth is that a criticism?
dude4711: looks like we are now in for a new run of ‘Prosper/Estyn’ interstate auto heist sideshow theories and TBT ‘dead Kennedy’ quips that we must brace ourselves for, to the detriment of generally intelligent input to which we have become aquainted. At least you might have enquired about contentions re Len Brown having been responsible for inserting Jestyn’s phone number in the ROK on whilst on weekend shift 24/25 July ’49. No, you wouldn’t risk having to deal with anything that might place a spanner in your GTA toolbox, especially when tossed in by a fellow well versed in old hotwiring technique.
B. Lackdown: perhaps your counter argument to Jo’s Mentone mother’s mailing makes sense perhaps not. My measured guess is that it would much depend upon means and frequency of postal services at Guadal Canal in the Solomans where assumed ex lover AB had deployed to transfer four year old body parts across the Bismark sea to Rabaul NG for re interrment late 1945 & ’46. Possible, certainly but Fuzzy Wuzzy posties could not be expected to have done mid ocean deliveries with the same frequency as their conterparts in Australian suberbia.
dude – It was Leane that mentioned the syringe but he actually wansn’t on the case until several months after and couldn’t have been there to see it.
@ B Lackdown
There may have been problems with the more conventional means of getting from Broken Hill to Adelaide in November 1948.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48577001
Train services between BH and Adelaide were cut in November 1948 due to a coal strike. Special trains were put on in December to enable people to travel from Broken Hill for holidays…
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48580136
Further to train disruptions between Broken Hill and Adelaide in November 1948
https://undertheclocksblog.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/timetablensw30scountry1936.pdf
The 1930s time table has trains leaving Broken Hill on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7.45 pm, arriving in Adelaide at 9am. See p 51, above.
Thanks Misca. Wether he saw it with his own eyes or not you would think that he would have had a decent source if he was so positive there was a syringe found at the scene.
Not interested in such nonsense regarding Len Brown and other associated conspiracies, sorry Colonel, but keep doing you , its great. Perhaps some people are struggling to deal with the reality of plain old Carl as opposed to the 78 year old myth of the Somerton man.
dude 47: so your saying that instead of the missing ‘sharp tools etc’ our near death car thief had other suitable items on him to do the job if required. I guess the two combs would serve some purpose and perhap the bus/rail tickets for lock slipping I guess. As for trying your sharp edged credit card tricks on CM punters, any dumb ass dude should be aware that credit cards were not so common in Adelaide circa. 1948. Chicago GTA heist mobsters didn’t get their fine polished fingers on them til two years later in the form of Diners Cards, so looks like you jumped the gun on that one.
Colonel, for gods sake keep up. You’ve got your wires crossed re credit cards old mate. Never mentioned them except in reference to B Lackdown making a comparison to the tool kit and credit cards in a metaphorical sense (that means not literally)
As for anyone who’s genuinely interested the tool kit was clearly for use at a later date and certainly wouldn’t be cared about during daylight hours.
Now I’m even more confused. From a Q & A session ‘Experts answer your questions about the Somerton Man case’ on ABC 3 August:
“I’m curious about the person who turned in the copy of the Rubaiyat with the torn piece missing. Had Carl been in the car where it was found? And if so, was he known to the owner of the car? And if so, wouldn’t that have pointed the finger to his identity immediately?
– francesca
Here’s Derek Abbott:
The problem here is that a number of people handed in Rubaiyats to the police, but only one was the correct one. The two names of people we know handed them in are: a pharmacist John Freeman and a GP called Dr Douglas Buxton Hendrickson. There is evidence they both handed in Rubaiyats, but which one handed in the one that was Charles Webb’s copy? Don’t know!
This is research in progress. Even if we find the correct person, it is doubtful we’ll be able to show that Charles Webb is either linked to Freeman or Hendrickson given that all have passed away. Unless we get a lucky break…..”
Reading some of the above comments I was shocked to see that the Colonel referred to Elvis’ ‘Long Black Limousine’. Surely he knows that Vern Stovall did the original version:
https://youtu.be/mOnxbZ3LWsI
And what about bus conductor Jack Harper – sorry Leslie Francis Wytkin? Perhaps my sly ref there to OTB will be lost on all but Brits of a certain vintage!