You would have thought that when the police examined the clothes in the suitcase, some one would have seen the spool of thread and checked the clothes for any repair?
Clive, I’ve always wondered why GF’s book was an almost haphazard record of events, his timeline was all over the place but then again maybe his editor, if he had one was not too experienced. Then I examined the number of times he nominated DS Leane as being the man responsible for almost all of the investigation’s advances, I mean the bloke was Mr Everywhere, but given that, the thought always intruded that Feltus knew more than he was willing to reveal, other than obliquely …
Valid point Peter, same as why the shirt arch tear with the one-sided blood coloured stain at it was never mentioned in the official reports; even though it was reported that there was no obvious method of poison administration as no needle pricks were evident.
Perhaps GF’s intention was to be haphazard when he wrote his book? He may have known certain bits of information about the SM case, but was wary of the possible boundaries, so to speak, as to how far he could reveal? I’ve often wondered how/why GF managed to visit Jessie, when she was supposedly secretive about her involvement in the case, on two separate occasions.
You’ll find amongst TBT’s Barry Braish newspaper collection one particular item dated 17th January 1949 in the Adelaide Advertiser detailing how police detected similarities in the mending yarn and the thread card found in the left suitcase. That was well before Cleland mention of same.
John S .. got that. But it rates poorly compared to a fingerprint match which would not have been difficult given the number of suitable articles found in the suitcase .. rather they waited for Cleland’s forensic examination of the threads
I just think they finger printed some random Person and said,”Yup that’ll do it!,then send it to the Authorities and call it a day! Without thinking that one day people were going to question their work.
That’s true. Which is why there is no name of the person certifying same. So that nobody could be questioned about it later or worse still in court. But you need to make sure that person has no criminal record and his fingerprints are not on file. I’ve wondered if Boxall’s fingerprints match.
Line ball on the prints which didn’t lift too well understandably; besides they were taken seven weeks before the suitcase was found. That’s not to say readings of prints on contents were not viable, that is if they hadn’t been touched by railway staff in the interim.
There would have been prints on the dish, knife, scissors, pencils, brush handle, razor strop, razor, toothbrush, front stud, back stud, brown button, can of boot polish, coat hangers, envelopes, screwdriver, broken scissors, cigarette lighter, lighter flints … JohnS, are you suggesting railway stuff rooted through all these items, destroying or smudging any usable prints?
I’m battling to find any evidence bar supposition that the unlocked suitcase or contents was not dusted, iodine fumed or chemically treated to expose latent prints. Was that something picked up from Feltus.
If those procedures had been done prints would have been found and the case files would have had it noted for Feltus to find. There were too many prime objects in that suitcase not to yield positive prints, either Webb’s or someone else’s.
Not only that, the police found that despite the reported highly polished shoes found on the body there was no polishing cloth found in the suitcase that might have been responsible for applying such a shine, let alone identifying a brush for applying the polish, remembering the black powdered substance shaken from the bristles.was unable to be identified by James Cowan, senior government analyst.
So, the police were notified about the unclaimed suitcase at the railway station, items were removed and the suitcase returned to the railway station. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the police had, at that moment, a golden opportunity to dust for fingerprints surely? So, why just do nothing and hand it back?
That widely published photograph of the tools, tie and spool of thread – all nicely mounted – were probably what Leane took from the suitcase and carried back to the station. It beggars belief that he wouldn’t think to have them fingerprinted just as it seems impossible to believe that a detective sergeant would handle such items before letting the fingerprinter do his job.
There will always be doubt about the thread match as Barbour Thread was a popular item and no doubt was packed into more than one suitcase in the post-war 40’s, fingerprints on the other hand leave no doubt whatsoever, none.
Bit of a catch 22 scenario in that at that point Leane would not be sure beyond doubt that the left suitcase connected with the beach body. Evidence of same being Leane’s wise decision not to take full possession lest they be proved wrong. I’m thinking it most likely that the photo of displayed sundry items was taken in the cloak room and not elswhere as suggested. Just my own humble point of view based on some experience on procedural laws with regard to property and possession.
A dozen pins and a cloakroom ledger book or folder for the black background effect, nothing too hard for Sapol’s studio trained camera man Dudly Aebi who would likely have been brought along for such an opportunity. Leane was no dummy!
That’s a mighty fine mounting job then for something done on the fly .. and if Leane was on his Bugs Malone at the station doing that who took the pic?
Way back when GF and I were exchanging emails I asked him about that folder, in particular the partly obscured Freemason sign engraved on it, he said the folder belonged to one of the detectives. No big deal there he went on, the Freemason society was a big organisation.
So no, I don’t think the mounting and photographing job was done in the station’s cloakroom.
Sorry Peteb. Your Free Mason triangle has no shape integrity as is abundantly clear to anyone familiar with their logo forms. To one who doesn’t know diddly-squat about FM the main standout design feature for moi be a big A for Adelaide on the front.
The Somerton Man .. 
You would have thought that when the police examined the clothes in the suitcase, some one would have seen the spool of thread and checked the clothes for any repair?
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Clive, I’ve always wondered why GF’s book was an almost haphazard record of events, his timeline was all over the place but then again maybe his editor, if he had one was not too experienced. Then I examined the number of times he nominated DS Leane as being the man responsible for almost all of the investigation’s advances, I mean the bloke was Mr Everywhere, but given that, the thought always intruded that Feltus knew more than he was willing to reveal, other than obliquely …
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Valid point Peter, same as why the shirt arch tear with the one-sided blood coloured stain at it was never mentioned in the official reports; even though it was reported that there was no obvious method of poison administration as no needle pricks were evident.
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Perhaps GF’s intention was to be haphazard when he wrote his book? He may have known certain bits of information about the SM case, but was wary of the possible boundaries, so to speak, as to how far he could reveal? I’ve often wondered how/why GF managed to visit Jessie, when she was supposedly secretive about her involvement in the case, on two separate occasions.
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Clive #
You’ll find amongst TBT’s Barry Braish newspaper collection one particular item dated 17th January 1949 in the Adelaide Advertiser detailing how police detected similarities in the mending yarn and the thread card found in the left suitcase. That was well before Cleland mention of same.
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John S .. got that. But it rates poorly compared to a fingerprint match which would not have been difficult given the number of suitable articles found in the suitcase .. rather they waited for Cleland’s forensic examination of the threads
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I just think they finger printed some random Person and said,”Yup that’ll do it!,then send it to the Authorities and call it a day! Without thinking that one day people were going to question their work.
LikeLike
That’s true. Which is why there is no name of the person certifying same. So that nobody could be questioned about it later or worse still in court. But you need to make sure that person has no criminal record and his fingerprints are not on file. I’ve wondered if Boxall’s fingerprints match.
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Line ball on the prints which didn’t lift too well understandably; besides they were taken seven weeks before the suitcase was found. That’s not to say readings of prints on contents were not viable, that is if they hadn’t been touched by railway staff in the interim.
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There would have been prints on the dish, knife, scissors, pencils, brush handle, razor strop, razor, toothbrush, front stud, back stud, brown button, can of boot polish, coat hangers, envelopes, screwdriver, broken scissors, cigarette lighter, lighter flints … JohnS, are you suggesting railway stuff rooted through all these items, destroying or smudging any usable prints?
LikeLike
I’m battling to find any evidence bar supposition that the unlocked suitcase or contents was not dusted, iodine fumed or chemically treated to expose latent prints. Was that something picked up from Feltus.
LikeLike
If those procedures had been done prints would have been found and the case files would have had it noted for Feltus to find. There were too many prime objects in that suitcase not to yield positive prints, either Webb’s or someone else’s.
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From the list of items of the suitcase’s content, it’s curious that shaving soap appears to be missing.
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Not only that, the police found that despite the reported highly polished shoes found on the body there was no polishing cloth found in the suitcase that might have been responsible for applying such a shine, let alone identifying a brush for applying the polish, remembering the black powdered substance shaken from the bristles.was unable to be identified by James Cowan, senior government analyst.
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You’d expect Durham to know what a brush and black powder was used for …
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Correction: “were used for”, ofcourse
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So, the police were notified about the unclaimed suitcase at the railway station, items were removed and the suitcase returned to the railway station. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the police had, at that moment, a golden opportunity to dust for fingerprints surely? So, why just do nothing and hand it back?
LikeLike
That widely published photograph of the tools, tie and spool of thread – all nicely mounted – were probably what Leane took from the suitcase and carried back to the station. It beggars belief that he wouldn’t think to have them fingerprinted just as it seems impossible to believe that a detective sergeant would handle such items before letting the fingerprinter do his job.
There will always be doubt about the thread match as Barbour Thread was a popular item and no doubt was packed into more than one suitcase in the post-war 40’s, fingerprints on the other hand leave no doubt whatsoever, none.
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Bit of a catch 22 scenario in that at that point Leane would not be sure beyond doubt that the left suitcase connected with the beach body. Evidence of same being Leane’s wise decision not to take full possession lest they be proved wrong. I’m thinking it most likely that the photo of displayed sundry items was taken in the cloak room and not elswhere as suggested. Just my own humble point of view based on some experience on procedural laws with regard to property and possession.
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A dozen pins and a cloakroom ledger book or folder for the black background effect, nothing too hard for Sapol’s studio trained camera man Dudly Aebi who would likely have been brought along for such an opportunity. Leane was no dummy!
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That’s a mighty fine mounting job then for something done on the fly .. and if Leane was on his Bugs Malone at the station doing that who took the pic?
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Way back when GF and I were exchanging emails I asked him about that folder, in particular the partly obscured Freemason sign engraved on it, he said the folder belonged to one of the detectives. No big deal there he went on, the Freemason society was a big organisation.
So no, I don’t think the mounting and photographing job was done in the station’s cloakroom.
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Sorry Peteb. Your Free Mason triangle has no shape integrity as is abundantly clear to anyone familiar with their logo forms. To one who doesn’t know diddly-squat about FM the main standout design feature for moi be a big A for Adelaide on the front.
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I got it from the horse’s mouth mate, and you ain’t him.
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Feels like a comment wind up notification coming down!
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Nope, next up we can discuss why Leane didn’t act on the train ticket found in the dead man’s ticket pocket.
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That’s if you don’t go sulking over at uncle Nick’s CM .. which looks like you may be.
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