I think I would still want to know how he met his end.
This is Australia's big unknown/unsolved murder from what I know. In England, I suppose it would be the Brighton Trunk Mystery. And regarding America, even though most of the Cleveland Torso victims were unidentified, I guess it would either be the Sumter Mystery Couple or the Boy in the Box.
At any rate, 65 years ago this coming weekend. I was two when it happened and can remember back that far but I doubt if it made the news here in the States.
Yes Standried, how SM met his end is something that we all want to know. Jessica may have had access to drugs that could have been administered to SM. It's also interesting to note that her uncle, (her father's older brother) was a chemist. He spent his early life in Queensland where he advertised himself as "PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMIST - English, Continental, and Colonial Experience". He later moved to NSW, still working as a chemist and died there in 1967. It's not known if he and Jessica were close but it is interesting that she was a nurse and he a chemist. The coroner believed that SM was poisoned. Could there be a link?
A very happy birthday for this coming weekend Standried. Have a great day. :Happybirthday:
If the Somerton Man had a train ticket to Port Augusta, it is very possible he was heading up to Woomera. The train from Adelaide goes to Port Augusta, then you can hop on another train that takes you to Pimba, which is pretty much a petrol station/cafe, train stop, and a few houses, then on further north to the Northern Territory. Pimba is only 5 miles/8.5 kilometres from Woomera, and is the closest civilisation (if you can call it that) to Woomera. We would drive past it on our way to Port Augusta/Adelaide on the only public road out of town.
I talked to the person I know who lives in Somerton Park today. He is very well read and is right up on the Somerton Man. He is intrigued by the coded 'message' that no-one has been able to crack. His theory is that our Govt knows exactly who the Somerton Man is, and will never tell, or even act in any way as if they know. He, too, thinks he was a spy.
As far as Jessica goes ... I don't think the hospital was built till the 60's, so I guess it is possible that they had nurses visit Woomera on a regular basis? Or maybe she was some kind of other go-between. Mind you, Somerton Park is a fair hike to Port Adelaide if it was anything to do with shipping and smuggling secrets that way. Unless she would morse code messages to ships offshore? They have to pass Somerton Park (a fair way offshore) to leave Port Adelaide and get to the open ocean.
Oh, and Somerton Park doesn't have any large stormwater drainage via the beach, at least not now. And I don't think there were factories in that area (for poisons to run off). It is a very residential area, and the real estate is on the pricey side these days. There are some beautiful old homes there, as well as lots of knock-down-old-and-build-new homes.
Thanks SA. It's great to have you on the ground with your wonderful sleuthing mind. We'll have this mystery solved in no time. :floorlaugh: Seriously though, the finer details that you mention about trains, Woomera etc. are very important IMO. And a big thank you to your friend. I tend to agree that the Government knows who SM was. That would also explain why his suitcase and belongings were disposed off. The copy of the Rubaiyat also seems to have disappeared. Very odd!
William West worked for the South Australian Railways and he supplied the arrival times for trains into Adelaide station during the morning of 30 November 1948.
Bowmans - 8:20am
Robertstown - 8:47am.
Willunga - 8:49am.
Angaston - 9:05am.
Melbourne Express - 9:15am.
Broken Hill Express - 9:17am.
Mt. Pleasant. - 10:00am
Angaston - 10:00am.
South East - 10:54am.
The scheduled train departures from Aledaide Station to Henley Beach that morning were;
5:13am
5:23am
6:03am
6:38am
6:59am
7:11am
7:27am
8:02am
8:15am
8:53am
9:30am
10:50am
11:51am. This train was running late and departed at 11:52am.
The suitcase allegedly belonging to SM was checked into the Adelaide Railway Station cloak room sometime between 11:00am and 12:00pm on 30 November 1948. The top section of the luggage ticket was attached to the suitcase. The corresponding section was not found in SM's pockets. He had an unused, one-way train ticket to Henley Beach and a used bus ticket to St. Leonards (now Glenelg North). The train ticket was sold in time to catch the 10:50am train. Why a one-way train ticket to Henley Beach? Did SM intend to stay overnight (without his suitcase)? Seems unlikely. What happened to the cloak room claim ticket?
The 11:15am time stamp on the bus ticket indicates that it was issued on a bus that departed South Terraces while en route to St. Leonards. So why did SM buy a train ticket to Henley Beach but then decided to catch a bus to St. Leonards? Perhaps he realised too late that Henley Beach wasn't the direction he wanted to go, or was someone following him and he was trying to shake them off?
There is a wealth of information to be found about this case in a series of documents if you are prepared to wade through the almost 400 pages.
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/search/index.aspx
These files are from the documentary televised about the Somerton Man in 1978.
The Somerton Beach Story [Box 39]
1977 - 1978
Series number C673
Control symbol INSIDE STORY PART 1
Item barcode 7937871
The Somerton Beach Story [Box 39]
Contents date range 1977 - 1977
Series number C673
Control symbol INSIDE STORY PART 2
Item barcode 7937872
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