Just a few small things to consider before the SA coroner clears everything up ..
Beginning with ..
Why did SM hide the slip in his fob pocket?
Who slipped the ROK into Freeman’s car?
And why?
Is it ok to think that the book and the slip were both some part of a secret arrangement of mutual recognition gone awry?
If so, what might that indicate?
And that being so, who might have arranged the scheme?
What’s with the code?
What are the chances that the code indicated something hidden in the ROK itself?
No photographs exist of the book, the torn page or the back cover .. are we ok with that?
Carl Webb was an ether addict who enjoyed the effect of heavy barbiturate use .. yet here he was built like a brick shithouse when found, dead.
And who leaves an unlocked suitcase in the care of a railway luggage office?
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The Somerton Man .. 
I recall it was someone across the lake thought it was Indeed, indeed a forgone conclusion that the book and the slip were both some part of a secret arrangement of mutual recognition gone awry?
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A lifetime of le Carre has it’s benefits..
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The slip in the fob pocket makes little sense and (at least to me) takes suicide out of the equation (rather than puts it in). Why do you try to hide something that is either intended to comfort yourself at the end, or is intended to be found by someone else to explain your death?
The Freeman stuff is fraught – there’s some issues with provenance of the booklet, and the link between the booklet and the slip is a little tenuous. The fact the tears in the booklet didn’t match the neatly trimmed slip makes it unlikely that is was used as some sort of identifier (or mutual recognition) – or means that one party didn’t understand how such an ID works. Even how it got in his car is problematic – he may have found it while (or after) being parked in Jetty Rd, but how long had it been there? Everything sort of got connected to Jetty Rd because the story was connecting to Glenelg (or Somerton) – but like with so much even in this paragraph, there’s potentially massive historical confirmation bias that dictates how we view these pieces of evidence. I think it’s not too hard to come up with any number of scenarios about how the Freeman ROK came to be that it’s near impossible to pick which one is even most likely (and that’s before buying into whether that’s even the ROK related to the TS).
If the code is deliberate, you’d sort of assume it somehow relates to the ROK. But I think there’s issues with the code too – it’s the “best guess” of what indentations on a page were meant to look like. I wouldn’t be quite so naive to dismiss it as pure Pareidolia, but the analysts are looking for symbols on the page with the presumption that they’re looking at the English alphabet. The differences in shape of some letters (lots of different A’s, different looping styles on rounded letters like D, B, R etc) could indicate multiple hands in the original, or could be a result of an analyst interpreting letters to fit a preconceived idea (e.g. imagine if one of the B is an ‘esszett’ ß – that a native English speaker doesn’t expect and may not have seen before – rinse and repeat for any language that overlaps some latin letters). Even if the analysts are right in assuming the English alphabet, there’s some ambiguity with some letters – look how similar the Ps and D are – even if we’re working of pencil rather than etchings consider how easily these could be mistaken by the possible appearance (or absence) of one tiny line. It’s also worth considering how clear these letters were – if we’re working of scratchings there’s probably some level of scratching that you ignore in an effort to get the clearest letters.
Leaving unlocked suitcases I don’t know. I was a surprising way into my adult years before I started putting locks on suitcases that I checked on airlines. We’re not really into that sort of storage the way people used to be, but I really don’t know whether leaving an unlocked suitcase would have been that unusual. There’s a more cynical side of me that might suggest suitcases police find are always “unlocked” (possibly by a pen-knife en-route to the cop-shop) because I’m guessing there’s intricacies around search law that makes searching a locked suitcase different to an unlocked one (our favourite plod will no doubt weigh in to dismiss that assertion). But again, how much do we trust the provenance of the suitcase?
We’re quick to dismiss the missing wallet and ticket stub for the suitcase. There’s a school of thought that the wallet and ticket stub had potential value (while the tickets left behind didn’t), but I find it a bit hard to buy. Firstly to identify the value (or lack of) someone needs to actually look through the pockets (rather than just grab a wallet). Secondly, you would think there’s potential value in an unused ticket. But you also need to think about whether the tickets suggest there never was a wallet? I can maybe buy the idea that someone thrusts a bus-ticket into their pocket rather than a bin when they alight the bus, but thrusting an unused train ticket into your pocket is something else. The train ticket either holds value (in which case you put it in your wallet) or doesn’t (in which case you bin it in disgust when you realise you’ve wasted money on it). Of course lots of possibilities here too – from planted evidence or deliberately polluted pockets to more mundane absent-mindedness or similar – but it begs some thorough scrutiny.
No photographs of critical stuff is annoying, and mildly suspicious, but also explicable with fairly boring explanations and poor record keeping.
Sorry, I hadn’t intended this to be so ranty – but one last point. The biggest problem amateur sleuths (even those among us who have investigative or research backgrounds) face in a case like this is deciding on source of truth. Much of the background to the case is built on media sources and speculation/assumption made in the early years. Even an actual detective (like Feltus) is hamstrung by what records were kept and available (and even the accuracy of some of them could be questionable) – and he likely had access to information that isn’t necessarily in the public domain. It’s also easy to assume that inconsistencies or strangeness indicate a more sinister plot dictating where things go – but the same logic could also be applied the other way – that the inconsistencies indicate a lack of the sort of planning that a foreign actor should have. In any case, when we largely base our research on newspaper articles on trove (only the ones we find) and we assume a journalist is relaying information perfectly factually then we set ourselves up to be following the wrong threads from the get go. There is *very* much I’ve read that speculates about SM’s arrival into Adelaide. (almost) Invariably it’s via the train station and the morning of his demise (and some relate this in incredible, impossible-to-know detail) – but when you really break it down, do we even know if SM had been to the railways station that day? It’s not hard to come up with a scenarios where neither the tickets nor the suitcase are his….at which point, what ties him to the Railways Station that morning? But even if we accept he was at the Railway Station that morning, why does that imply he arrived from interstate at the same time (he’s kept a couple of local tickets rather than throwing them away, but he doesn’t have an interstate (or even intrastate) train ticket)….
It’s all just a little bit odd.
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Not to mention they based Carl Webb on being Somerton man through a necktie, the name on which nobody knows for sure and which could be Kean Jr, Keane, Reane, Rean Jr, 7, T, J, and can’t be used to establish a positive link to anyone except Mr Kafoops
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I forget #
Noted!
No. 1 #
Fair enough I get your drift; no LEANE period
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The slip in the pocket, as I forget states, makes little sense. Why trim the piece of paper when it was supposed to match the torn page in the ROK? Was there a second ROK involved? which, if disclosed by the police would have shown a neatly cut section of page, the slip fitted into perfectly? The finding of the slip and the ROK, from which it was supposedly torn from, was just ‘lucky’ or, already contrived by others to ensure the investigation proceeded in a certain direction?
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Clive #
I take it you be referring to the Les Wytkin Rubaiyat which has forever been niggling away at my sub concience; or could it be GC’s newly aquired and now accredited Collins double bunger Fitzgerald to which I take some of the blame being first finder.
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It’s lunch time by the time SM gets to Jetty Rd Glenelg. He heads into the St Vincent Hotel for a counter lunch and an ale. He’s reached his destination and Jess is just around the corner in Moseley St. While sipping on his ale which clears his thoughts he sees that he doesn’t need the Rubaiyat anymore which is a recognition signal, and if he is sprung, he doesn’t want it on him. So he tears out the Tamam Shud roughly and then trims it to a better shape and size to fit and then stuffs it in his fob pocket. When he leaves the pub, there are no rubbish bins on the street, but the chemist’s car is out front because the chemists’ shop is in the same building as the pub. The car window is down and he tosses it in the car. The owner of the car will find it and toss it in his own bin when he gets home. So he thinks. He is arrested in Moseley St and taken to Angas St
https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+71569
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John: Yes, the Wytkin’s ROK is at the back of my mind also. Since Wytkin’s statement made it to the newspapers, why did it go quiet, nothing about a followup from the newspapers or police. I thought the authorities would have chased up every lead regarding a ROK, especially when public transport was so to the fore in this instance.
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Clive: then there’s the other side of the coin, in that after Les got the flick from Leane with his unwelcome Ruby, he up and offed with his new squeeze May to Swan Reach cross the big muddy, never to be heard from again, his old cheese Edith divorced him in ’51 and teamed up with a Glenelg CIB suit whose name be on Steve H’s go find list.
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Sands and McDougall Directory 1949 p.222
Jetty Rd – South Side
24 St Vincent Hotel Bottle Dept
24a Freeman Chemist
26 Jasmine Beauty Salon – Miss K Wilson
28 St Vincent Hotel
All of those businesses were in the hotel building
https://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/almanacsanddirectories/1949sandsandmc/222/#zoom=z
Freeman’s car would have been out the front of the hotel because that’s where his business was, in the hotel building. Adelaide was a safe place to live in those days. You left your car windows down and your car unlocked. SM didn’t just happen by. He was in the pub, came out, no rubbish bin on the footpath, and he tossed the ROK through Freeman’s open car window having torn out Tamam Shud while seated at the bar having his lunch. Bartenders read newspapers between serving drinks. The bartender served SM sitting at the bar having his counter lunch and ale. He pulled a beer for him. The bartender saw SM and got a good look at him but the bartender never recognised SM from the photo that was later published in the newspapers, because the photo in the newspapers wasn’t a photo of SM.
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No. 1 #
Sands & McDougall 1949 eh? I could’ve Sworn that the shit went down in ’48 mate, or are we going by GC’s better knowledge of S & M forward dating. Better to check 1948 listings just to be sure that Freeman’s chemist hadn’t moved.
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Sands and McDougall SA directory 1949 was published in January 1949. It’s an annual directory not a monthly directory. The 1949 publication is for what was collated in the previous year 1948
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No.1… Something along the lines of what Gordon was himself suggesting for all his followers just t’other day; guess if Cramer said it, we’d be silly not to pay heed. You beaut GC we’re with you..or at least some of us.
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Not only was Freeman’s chemist shop at the hotel building at 24A Jetty Road Glenelg in December 1948, that was also his residence attached to the shop. His car was often parked out the front of St Vincent Hotel. It’s called the Glenelg Jetty Hotel now.
https://ciphermysteries.com/2018/10/08/at-last-take-2-ronald-francis-was-chemist-john-freeman-of-24a-jetty-road-glenelg#comment-527427
When SM got off the bus he would have walked down Colley Terrace to get to Jetty Road, to later walk down Moseley St. It’s a maze to find your way through the back streets of Glenelg otherwise. There were public telephones in the Glenelg Post Office which I remember being on the corner of Colley Terrace and Moseley Square. The building is still there but has been repurposed as a cafe. SM may have made a telephone call to Jess from there, but more likely from the St Vincent Hotel which would have had a payphone. He jotted down her phone number on the Rubaiyat at some point. Possibly jotted it down from a phone book at the Post Office before heading over to the pub for lunch. Have lunch first then call to see if she is home. If she isn’t home stick around in the pub until she gets back. If she doesn’t answer don’t head down because you could be walking into a trap. Which he walked into anyway.
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Fair enough mugger, I’m happy to come along for the ride while there’s still gas in the tank. So, which horse you be backing for live in chemist at 24a J R on 30 November 1948 (trick question) Jack or Collin Freeman.
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From NP at CM:
https://ciphermysteries.com/2018/10/08/at-last-take-2-ronald-francis-was-chemist-john-freeman-of-24a-jetty-road-glenelg#comment-527427
today’s announcement courtesy of Gerry Feltus: from which we can say (hopefully definitively) that “Ronald Francis” – in whose car the Rubaiyat was found – was in fact chemist John Freeman of 24A Jetty Road, Glenelg.
CC Freeman chemist:
https://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/almanacsanddirectories/1949sandsandmc/969/#zoom=z
If you don’t know Adelaide all that well Bank Street is between North Terrace and Hindley St. Lots of foot traffic in those days to and from Adelaide Railway Station. Perfect for chemist Colin Freeman
John Freeman had his car out the front of his chemist shop at 24A Jetty Road Glenelg into which the Rubaiyat was tossed by SM when SM left the St Vincent Hotel to head down Moseley St to see Jess
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No.1# … Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Going by the very same ’49 edition of S & M, we have young J C Freeman domiciled at two addresses both far and away from Glenelg, with his empoyment at Freemans Chemist 14 James Place city. As for the 24a Jetty Rd. chemist, our very same 1949 listing has A. Freeman (Alan?) ensconced there. Lesson of the day being don’t believe all you pick up from Feltus or Pelling at CM unless ratified by moi mugger!
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I wondered what would have happened if, the ROK, found in the car, had Freeman looked at it and thrown it away somewhere? Perhaps in a dustbin and never to have been recovered? How ‘lucky’ was it, that this ROK was handed over to the police? Especially, when, apparently, it had been lying in a glove box for 6-7 months? And, this particular ROK was matched with a tiny piece of paper? It just seems that the police didn’t have to do very much finding the ‘correct’ ROK does it?
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PS: sorry mugger, no Colin per se at the most convenient Bank St. address, just a listing Freeman. You be looking for Colin try 62 Jetty Rd. FSMA with a manager installed, or if not there, his home be around the corner at 22 Queen Street. PS. after many years on this SM investigation, guess I know every nook and cranny between Adelaide station and Glenelg backwards ptp. with me glasses on, eh?
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One day, someone might believe Sanders other than those monkeys who genuflect at the alter of the great fake Cramer.
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Adelaide, Bank St – West side
5 Freeman Chemists
5 Freeman, C C mngr
https://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/almanacsanddirectories/1949sandsandmc/95/#zoom=z
That’s the older brother Colin Charles Freeman at Bank St Adelaide. It would have been a goldmine in that era.
John Freeman was at 24A Jetty Rd which is correct
per NP at CM
Freeman’s Chemists. Chain of chemists shops. Details would be in the Business Names registrations as to whom the owners were, and seems to be a partnership between Colin and John.
Sands McDougall transposed a letter A in the street address to enter it as 24 Jetty Rd, in the Professions and Trades. When corrected it becomes Freeman at 24A Jetty Road Glenelg. You can check that with a search of the Business Registrations for Freeman Chemists in the government archives. I’m satisfied that NP at CM has given correct details.
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JS: Seems to be able to, no, not able but, does turn over every stone along the way. If blood could be squeezed out, JS would find that stone no matter how long it took.
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You’re not listening mugger. Your 1949 Sands & McD. has J C, as in John Christian residing at 5 Cross St. Kingswood, then at 2a Palmer Ave. Myrtle Bank (moved) and same J C working at Freeman Chemist at 14 James Place Adelaide. Time to get real I feel. Did you know that Collin eventually moved to Bickford Tce. Cnr. of Esplinade, just a few metres from X marks the spot and died there. Younger brother lived in Tarlton St. a similar distabne from 90a Moseley St. You’ll find it and more on my posts at CM Freeman thread. You should take some time to check it out, I’m sure Feltus did but, like many, doubt that he took it all in, or any of it for that matter. Them’s the breaks.
lived in Somerton
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Incorporated. Freeman Chemists Ltd. All companies were once listed as Ltd. Those that didn’t offer shares to the public were later designated as Pty Ltd and were usually family members companies. Those that offered shares to the public were Ltd companies. That change was made in 1962. Section 26 Companies Act 1962, South Australia. Prior to 1991 the states registered companies. There would be a paper trail for Freeman Chemists Ltd, including their Articles and Memorandum. Directors names, shares. In those days you need a minimum of two directors and two shareholders to register a company, which would have been Colin and John Freeman. The documents will be in the SA state government archives if anyone is that interested.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130272101?searchTerm=Freeman%20Chemists%20Glenelg
John Freeman was the chemist at 24A Jetty Road Glenelg in 1948, which was in the St Vincent Hotel building and it was his car parked out the front as correctly said by NP at CM
SM tossed the Rubaiyat through the open window of John Freeman’s car parked out the front of the St Vincent Hotel as SM left the hotel
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!950 still has A. Freeman at 24 Jetty Rd. you’d think S & M might take a little more care, but lets put our prejudices aside shall we. Some time ago, with help from a capable Tbt friendly researcher Misca, I was able to track numerous post war Aust. government chartered NAA flights out of San F to Sydney, with all 1948 pax manifests courtesy Ancestry, from Honolulu onwards. My then SM suspect was an accountant and long experienced G Man out of Canberra via Glenelg and he’d been seconded to IBM computer programs stateside by Dept. of Finance My posts on the subject ref Vaiben Louis (Solomon) were all in 2017 from memory, so feel free to poke around Cipher Mysteries for copy, sure Nick Pelling won’t mind mugger.
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Steve H. seems to have worn out the welcome mat at Nick’s (ptp). Last seen boarding the X39 at Temple Mead Bristol for Bath, along wiih his friends Barbie & Ken for company; purpose being to read up on Vergil (polms) and to ‘take the waters’ at Rome-on-Avon.
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Being a Pom he probably needs one .. a bath.
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Clive #
Before you pick up on Collin’s 1949 address “just around the corner in Queen St. (Glenunga)”, I really should have checked. It was his dad Charlie H. at 31 High St. Glenelg just around the corner from FSMA, which, in turn be next door to ‘Silver Wings’ nosh house (sheherds pie) on one side and Bilbey apartments t’other where Col was living in 1947 from memory. A Freeman still at 24 JR last time I looked 1952. When should I give up?
.
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Not until the fat lady sings or, until a certain Donald (in the news) is certified.
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Or shits are trumps!
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I must query our ever modest Dud’s “zinc strip” having enough conductivity to do the job whatever it was. Easy hot wiring an intended lift car’s ignition by a pro-am could have been done with a handy pair of pliers and an electrical screwdriver tops, could do it in our teens in a NY minute. Uh oh, where can they be? sure I put em in da Pan Am carry bag at SFO.
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thedude747:
Interesting theory, perhaps the SA police only interviewed Jessie because hers was the only name in the telephone book, not Prosper’s? It truly would be ironic that Prosper, despite advertising frequently in the local newspapers, was not questioned by the police, and he was the one person with a criminal past! The type of individual who would sell you a left handed screwdriver. And, Jessie viewing the bust, was correct in replying, no-she didn’t know who he was? She didn’t ask Prosper too many questions about his business dealings, remembering she had a young child to feed etc.
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On hindsight, when Boxall was interviewed, by the NSW police, wouldn’t it have been useful for Canney to have attended and asked Boxall some questions? Check Boxall’s answers with Jessie’s answers? Who knows what Boxall may have let slip.
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Not absolutely sure, but from memory Canney was interviewing Jessica at 90a Moseley St. Glenelg while Alf Boxall was being quzzed at Randwick bus depot by Sydney CIB police on Monday July 28 1949. Can’t be in two places at once mate!
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Ok dude, but what’s with the TS slip?
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Don’t push your luck trying to start a Hillman Minx with a TS slip, could spell the end.
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You have to maintain the ignition circuit
after you crank it with the starter motor
or the engine stops
There’s lots of pub BS out there for the gullible
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Thanks Dude, but that’s a bit glib for a response.. A receipt for what? A unique identifier provided by the organiser for what .. ?
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Century Motors 12 Hanson St, Adelaide
Thomson Motors 22-24 Hanson St, Adelaide (now Pulteney St)
Century Trading 176 Grenfell St, Adelaide
Century Trading 215-217 Hanson St, Adelaide (now Pulteney St)
Century Motors 252 Pulteney St, Adelaide
Century Motors 32 Main North Rd, Prospect (still there)
Thomson Motors 71 Franklin St, Adelaide
Prosper and Jess must have been an honest hard working business couple. Often a woman can be what drives a man. The go-getter might need to prove by his success he is worthy of her. Good luck to them. They worked hard.
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It was a suicide note. Carl Webb, a guy of german roots and with knowledge in electronics (certainly knew how to operate a radio transmitter), had lost his additional income as an information gatherer for the Nazis, and maybe his ideological support, too, when the Third Reich surrendered. Thus his first suicide attempt in 1946. His last hope had been that Jestyn, an agent with whom he had had a romantic affair, would start a new life with him. When she told him, in a way that showed all sympathy had gone, that she had closed that chapter, once and for all, he took the poison that had been provided to him by the Abwehr. The end!
OK, that’s only my personal theory, but imho not worse than some other tales that have been told.
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Ok, maybe not the super duper poison of the Nazis, hidden in a hollow tooth, but just an overdose of something (barbiturates?) he had stolen in a pharmacy. His estranged wife had worked there, didn’t she?
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SM’s love was, as they say, “just around the corner” from 24 Jetty Rd., but a good mile on to 90a Moseley St. heading to Somerton Park. That was in ’48 and Thomson motors was then right next door to Sven (Ray?) Kallin motor cycles at 20 Hanson St. Adelaide. Worth noting that J.Thompson (p) was living at 90a from 1955 to 1960 when Prosper took the family on a long trip to GB. Worth a thought eh?
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Sounds reasonable, but what about the code in the book? In that business, some code words on the phone would be good enough to hide the true intents. And why would the car thief get killed or commit suicide? Sure, Thompson looks shady, but homicide is a very different issue than selling stolen goods. I don’t say it ain’t possible, but there’s some loose ends you still have to explain.
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Then the guy dumps the book in the back of the nearest car? No Dude, I don’t got it.
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Dude, is this how it goes? Fat Tony nips over the the second-hand book shop and buys a ROK – move one, then he cuts out the slip – move 2, then he meets Carl (where? NSW, Vic or SA) and hands him the slip – move 3, telling him that the ROK it has been torn from is now in the hands of the ‘guy’ waiting for him in Adelaide, which is – move 4.
Then, in a master stroke, when the exchange or whatever has happened (or possibly hasn’t), the ‘guy’ dumps the book where anyone can find it, being – move 5.
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Can’t see why the fuss and bother with the dude’s Ruby show and tell shit. What about simple hand signals or ‘got a match – got a fag’ one liners used in spy films, better still match up the numbers on two halves of a ten bob note. Other problem with dud’s deal, as I see it, be the hard to get at deep fob pocket and no tweezers to fish out the TS slip.
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The plan’s a dud, Dude.
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Haven’t been to the old Hot Lips since it closed in ’72, though hear tell it re opened in Denpasar years later. That be your turf dud. from memory.
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If it was Carl Webb, this would have been done and dusted over 12 months ago
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If it was Carl Webb, you, me and ‘good on you’ GC, would all be in hiding by now..
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Dude, this is me banning you. Goodbye.
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Clive: Abbott’s timeline says the interrogitories took place on 26 & 27 july respectively, being Saturday and Sunday. Can’t be imo, Alf was at work and Jessica out hot wiring autos with George.
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Sorry Tuesday and Wednesday, No 1 dickhead was looking up year 2949.
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