Prosper’s World
Interstate car thieves ‘often sell In S.A.’ Trove, 14 Jan 1950.
C I.B. WARNS ON BACKYARD DEALS
Many cars stolen in other States were disposed of in South Australia through unlicensed ‘backyard’ dealers, Chief of the CIS (Superintendent Sheridan)* said today.
Mr. Sheridan warned buyers of secondhand cars to beware of unlicensed dealers, and to trade only with reputable licensed firms whose businesses were under police supervision.
‘Interstate car thieves seek out back-yard dealers, because they know their businesses are not regularly inspected by police,’ he said.
‘Some Adelaide people, who have unwittingly bought stolen vehicles from illegal dealers, have later had the cars con-fiscated and thus lost their money. No car gangs here *’The number of stolen inter-state cars recovered in SA out-numbers cars taken from SA and disposed of in other States,’ said Mr. Sheridan. ‘There are no organised gangs of car thieves here*, but there are isolated cases of SA cars being stolen and driven to other States.’ Mr. Sheridan warned pros-pective buyers of secondhand cars to be suspicious of cars that had come from another State, unless they were completely satisfied about the car dealer’s bona fides.
Car thieves often went to great lengths to convince a prospective buyer a car was ‘genuine.’ ‘Easily registered’ ‘The fact that a seller can produce car registration papers doesn’t always mean the vehicle he is selling hasn’t been stolen,’ he said. ‘Thieves often register cars, after erasing the correct engine and chassis numbers, and substituting fake numbers.’ Mr. Sheridan said one inter-state car thief, who reputedly made enough money through his illegal transactions to finance three trips to England, travelled all over Australia stealing cars and selling them.
‘He would steal a vehicle in one part of Western Australia, sell It in another, then fly to Queensland. There he would steal a car, drive it down to Sydney, sell it, and immediately fly to some other State and repeat the procedure,’ Mr. Sheridan said.
Many motorists made the car thief’s job easy by leaving their vehicles parked unattended in. streets with the doors unlocked, and the ignition key in the dashboard, Mr. Sheridan said. To foil prospective car thieves motorists should always lock the vehicle and remove the ignition key when parking it in a street. Because stolen cars are often used in crimes, some US States have strict laws against leaving cars unlocked and unattended ?
Have some private, secret mark on their vehicle, which would aid in identification if the car were stolen. ? Note any stains, dents, or parts damaged in accidents. Such features were invaluable aids to identification.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/58180578
*what do we know about this bloke?
He seems pretty sure of himself with regard to ‘no car gangs here’ (meaning South Aus)
The Somerton Man .. 
Wow great find.
Prosper was quite literally a “backyard dealer” ergo fits the profile as described.
SM traveled light and alone, incognito with nothing but a tool kit and some fancy duds. Sounds a bit like the guy described who would travel the country nicking cars and driving them across the border.
What happened to his cash ? He well fed and well groomed hence I doubt he was broke yet had nothing but a few penny’s to speak of.
Timeline of the article matches.
LikeLike
Well, maybe no “car gangs here” in SA. Probably what he meant to say was “Just a couple of dubious characters working hand in hand through various states”.
As for the SM’s cash, or, lack of it, what if only one person controlled/had access to the bank account?
LikeLike
I have absolutely no doubt that SM had cash and a wallet and someone has ended up with it.
LikeLike
On June 18 1949, three days before the inquest was adjourned, PT advertised for a model 3 Winchester rifle.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36372777
Was he intending to go hunting, or was he afraid of being hunted?
LikeLike
Security. There were night safes eg one in James Place on the corner of Grenfell St Adelaide (it’s still there but not used and you can see it still there in the wall using Google Earth). You had money from the business takings in special bags like a purse and dropped them in the chute. But if you couldn’t get to one for whatever reason including being late at night and risky you took the days takings home until you could get to the bank. You kept a rifle on top of the wardrobe or alongside the bed. How do I know that…
LikeLike
Fair enough, but if that was the case, why did he leave it so late?
LikeLike
Perhaps Prosper’s business ventures had touched a nerve in certain quarters. He prepared for possible reprisals by his advert for a rifle. More to scare off others, or a serious need by Prosper?
LikeLike
Its amazing how his small adds paint a picture of the man during that exact time. Small adds were the gum-tree of the day and anyone knows that when you place adds it connects you with all manner or randoms. Some decent folk and some dodgy.
LikeLike
Say some of the ads were for Thomson and the others on behalf of SM .. it would be like pulling two threads out of one.
LikeLike
Strange that Prosper never seems to have been interviewed by the police in this saga, only Jessie? Especially, when Prosper had a police record, perhaps he had friends in high places?
LikeLike
Well small adds could have easily been how Prosper and SM connected.
The whole time I followed this case from back in the 80s the phone number was only EVER referred to as “the nurses” number.
That seemed to be the total focus of the police investigation, inquest etc.
NEVER in any documents Ive seen from the investigations back in the day (Ill stand corrected if someone has one) is the number referred to as belonging to a “local car dealer” or similar.
Did they just fucking miss PT altogether? did his name ever come up ???
Just imagine if the story was “dead man was found 300 meters from local black market car dealers house who’s phone number was written in a book he was carrying”
None of the spy shit or the Alf Boxall shit to muddy things up.
LikeLike
Every city in this country has had its share of bent police, police of every rank, why not Adelaide?
LikeLike
Jessie didn’t want any information about herself being reported by the police. And, they agreed, despite her false claim of marriage to Prosper. Yet, it appears that the police took her at her word, was she really a “Sister”? or, not? Another check the police could have done on her background. Prosper’s name never comes up in any newspaper report, but I’m sure the locals put 2 and 2 together. I wonder if the police talked to any of the neighbours about the occupants of 90a Moseley St, it would appear not.
LikeLike
Talking about neighbours (not the TV show). Dead opposite the Thomsons lived the fiancee of John Barkly Bennett, Nan (Nadine) Sparrow, at no 105. She was a nurse. I have been banging on about this for three years or so but only old Sanders (Jo Jo?) took any notice, although he falsely claimed the finding for himself. The Sparrows were well connected with the cream of Adelaide society including the Dunstans. Nan was a friend of future Premier Don D.
Bennett was of course second cousin to Doff Robertson/Webb. I think Angela found this out but again Sanders claimed it. Not sure if that has any relevance, but surely Jo Thomson and Nan knew each other. Both nurses AND very close neighbours!
A photo of the couple:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50200605
“Dr. John Bennett, of
Fullarton, and his fiancee.
Miss Nadine Sparrow, of
Glenelg, will be guests at a
pre-wedding party tonight
given by Mrs. Howard Dunstan
at her Glenelg home,
They will be married in St.
Peter’s College Chapel on Sat
urday week
Most of the guests will be
university and medical friends
of the bridegroom and old
Woodlands and nursing friends
of the bride-to-be. Miss Spar
row trained at Royal Adelaide
Hospital.”
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130798836?searchTerm=%22nadine%20sparrow%22
“Hostesses entertaining at pre
wedding parties for Miss Nadine
Sparrow and Dr. John Bennett,
who will wed on February 18.
include Mrs. Hugh Reid and
Mrs. T. Martin. Guests were
invited to Mrs. Martin’s home
at Glenelg yesterday, to a
bathroom gift party. Miss
Patricia Gross, who will be
bridesmaid, has arranged a kit
chen evening at her flat in
Toorak Gardens/and Miss Pau
lette Maxwell a linen tea party
it her home in St. Peters.
Mrs. Howard Dunstah’s late
afternoon party for the young
people is at her home in Glenelg
on February 9. For the
following evening Nadine has
invited her friends to a trous
seau party at her parents’
home in Moseley street, Glenelg.”
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/50212972?searchTerm=%22nadine%20sparrow%22
“Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air.
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself—
Yea, all which it inherit—shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.”
Prospero, The Tempest, Act IV Scene i.
LikeLike
Well spotted as usual Ma’am…You’re also on the mark comes to your nemesis bosambo Sanders the know all, know fuck all fool. He couldn’t find his way out of a Hanoi whore bousem no joke!
LikeLike