“I don’t think there’s any great significance er- in the um – level that er – having possession of the book at this moment.”
Lionel Leane was upgraded from Det. Senior Constable to Det. Sergeant then moved from being a paper shuffler to joint head the Somerton Body case with Det. Constable Brown only for him to lose the most important, the most crucial piece of evidence less than a week after receiving it from Freeman. Lost it before anyone had a chance to photograph it, lost it without letting anyone outside the investigative circle know what the second phone number was or who subscribed to it. Lost it before anyone could photograph Harkness’ phone number or the torn page. The newspapers were denied all of it and had to conjure up their own images of the Rubaiyat and TS page. Feltus acknowledges this in his book.
But nothing was said about the loss at the time, for that we had to wait nearly thirty years for this unintelligible response Brown made in his 1978 interview with Stuart Littlemore.
“I don’t think there’s any great significance er- in the um – level that er – having possession of the book at this moment.” Detective Inspector Len Brown (pic).
The Somerton Man .. 
We might wonder how the Leane & Brown team happened to be paired up in the first place. Lionel senior case officer had been assigned to detectives from mounted division a decade earlier and had only gaine one extra hook; unlike his dad and younger brother who had both made it to the top in half the time. As for partner Len Brown, he had been in the force ten years and came over to Adelaide CIB from a one man bush station just two moths before SM. Far as I’m aware A.L Leane retired in 1956 and Len, having by then been assigned to administrative duties at which he excelled, stayed in the farce until retirement as a Detective Chief Superintendent following his debrief with Stuart Littlemore for Inside Story on ABC. TV. in 1978.
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The ROK was possibly (unofficially) confiscated by a higher authority.
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Nice try Peteb. Seems that Gordon be unaware that it wasn’t the Navy who had first crack at the Rubycode, but the Army. That’s according to Leane’s own version of how things played out from his1978 televised interview with Stuart Wagstaff or some such?
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Calypso #
We think alike for a change Sandra?. I reckon the Rube could’ve been perloined by the Man who steals the water; can’t get much higher than that. JC would have taken one gander at the hole where the TS Amen slip shoulda bin, suspected a terrorist plot and disappeared it in a trice. Ahab the Ayrab whatever, plus his band of camel Jocks shudder known better than to muss with our Holy Ghost bejeezus.
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Ah, if you only knew JS, if you only knew … Beware that Cerberus won’t come and bite your head off 😉
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Brown’s ‘insignificant’statement be telling and could mean that the so called Freeman Ruby was nothing more that a dead rubber following publicity of it’s discovery in Genelg. Also offers hint that it had likely been part of Lean’s bag of tricks all along. Having given it to Eric Nave for his expert opinion on the dummy code was for all we know a ruse to ensure no come back from the brass. It’s subsequent disappearance could also have been contrived between the pair. Good night Ruby goodnight.
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JS .. Nave only received a
‘similar’ copy.
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Calypso #
Reminds me that Eric Nave (RAN Cerberus) is believed to have been shown the coded ROK some time during terminal leave in Adelaide between May 1949 until taking up his ‘C’ appointment at ASIO in October. If we accept that it had been a copy given to the Army in late July, then could Leane have allowed Eric Nave to have the Freeman copy. If so, whose to say the original Ruby ever made it back to Angas Street CIB and it now be gathering dust in ASIO’s Royal Commission (espionage) archives as some rather astute fellow suggested on CM’s Nave thread.
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Generally speaking, evidence in a criminal case can be made to disappear for a variety of reasons, especially if it is potentially incriminating. The Freeman Ruby could have been “shown” by either of the two detectives on the case. Likewise, it is also entirely conceivable that someone took a “peek” into the Navy’s personnel files. So who’s to say the Freeman Ruby, or CW for that matter, ever even made it to ASIO?
You know, the mythology about Cerberus is also very intriguing. For example, have you ever heard of ‘Clash of the Titans’? Currently I am examining the beautiful flowers that Cerberus was said to have spat on: Aconitum.
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PB: You mean a photo copy of the code page?
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Nave got that and a dud copy .. Leane appeared to be just the lad if you wanted a half-baked investigation.
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Nave was offered an ASIO S.A. Directorship to start but declined and, although aged fifty with health issues, he opted for an active ‘C’ field agents role at a much reduced salary package.
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Cerberus #
If you be refering to Len Brown as the other detective, he says he was no longer on the case for hand over on 23rd July ’49. I doubt that Errol Canney, who may well have had it to show Jessica on 26th inst., would retained possession when he was seconded to to Compol though anything goes in this game of thrones!
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@JS
Game of Thrones indeed. With one Titan and his companion ending up on the beach.
So Det. Leane could also have “shown” possible incriminating evidence, the Freeman Ruby, to Eric Nave? Who could have had access to Navy personnel files?
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Calypso #
Something big breaking at CM on Dorothy’s schooldays. I’ll Get back soonest re thoughts on Brown’s incriminating evidence &c.
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Just go told in a nice way by GC to bug off! Yeah I read the thread very informative!
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Back again some kid name of Doroffea at CBC class of ’33. It was Brown what wrote the phone numbers on the cover page; that’s the inciminating evidence and why the Ruby had to go.
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No JS. With Spot the dog you did so well! Recall my early profiling that SM may have been with RAN? Now can you spot the potentially incriminating evidence? After you’re done looking at schoolgirl’s pictures, make sure to check the discussion section on CW’s Familysearch page as well.
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They all knew more
than they were going to let on
When you compare
the photo of Somerton man’s face
with the photo of Boxall’s face
you get 9 distinct marks
which are exactly the same
in both photos
Two furrows on the bridge of the nose – same
Raised right nostril – same
Two moles on right upper lip – same
Dark mark on upper lip in the middle – same
Two downturn creases at the ends of the mouth – same
Indent on bottom lip – same
All of these 9 markers are identical
The faces being that of two different people
is beyond the realms of all probability
It just could not happen
Boxall’s face photo was used as an overlay
to hide the true face of Somerton man
and that was admitted
by them calling it a photo reconstruction
So what you are left with
is nothing
You can’t use the photo to find out who this guy is
You don’t even know what this guy’s face really looks like
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Wow! I see what you mean, but why would they use Alf’s face? And do you think that the other face that they use could belong to a person who was alive during that time, like a Cop, Spy?
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So, did Brown know something about Prosper that Jessie wasn’t aware of? And, Canney spoke to Jessie when it was really Prosper in the line of sight?
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I think Prosper was on the team
He kept a low profile but Jess and him were two peas in the pod
They got money for their services if you ask me
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That’s certainly possible Clive but, we’re not to know because Canney never let on far as we know. That being same day that Boxall was found a & w in Sydney and after Jo’s viewing of the bust, put enquiries on hold accordingly. In that Prosper, was listed as occupier of 90a Moseley, Canney may have been after him but instead got to have a cuppa and chat with home alone Jo instead.
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Agree it is possible, even likely that Prosper was a registered police informant and how come dets. Errol Canney and Ron Thomas knew him well. Canney from his time in motor squad from the early forties, and Thomas later when he was a general crime suit. The Thomson’s were reckoned by Gerry Feltus as to having known them socially.
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After Canney’s visit, I wonder what the fly on the wall learnt or re-learnt?
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Calypso #
I do recall “Spot the dog” and Leslie Scott’s brother Wally the red headed RAN man but, he was not so tall, just five seven that’s all. I will have to get FB Pat Valle to help with CW’s Familysearch, me not being a member on ‘Moroni baloney’ semi religious grounds.
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Learnt after a nice hot cuppa, fresh scones with quince jam and stiff cream in company of a nice lady can leaves one rather lost for words.
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The ROK was lent by Eric Nave to Richard Neville who was planning to write a book on cryptanalysis, however, Neville became very distracted following his visit to the Nimbin Acquarius Festival c1973. The cryptanalysis book was finally abandoned after Sonny Mehta commissioned Neville to write a well paid biography of Charles Sobraj. Neville had heard from a man who was later to become a prolific blogger and expert on tiny writing that secret codes could be exposed by using acidic chemicals on the paper. Neville had access to a range of chemicals commonly used to make acid. The ROK was dipped in this acidic concoction and a range of words and phrases were randomly torn out and sold on Cullen Street, Nimbin as “super tabs.” Nave was reportedly furious and told Neville that if this ever got out to the ABC, via the likes of Stuart Littlemore, there would be serious consequences! Apparently Michael Bolderstone of the Nimbin Museum still has the phrase “And this reviving herb whose tender green”. As to the rest of the book, well…
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About time somebody figured out this mess, and while you’re here Gnowesy, can we we meet somewhere and share substances, no questions asked, ok?
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Once spent a few days in Charles Sobraj’s old room at the Malaya hotel in Bangkok while waiting for a visa into Burma.
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