Unsolved Taman Shud Case

[peteb]

Record at NAA of a Thomas Ambrose Keane of 19 Abington St, South Brisbane opened in 1945 is not available due to National Security concerns

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recordsearch.naa.gov.au

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PeteD, I remember somebody mentioning that restricted file some years ago, probably Byron Deveson, but didn't have any copies of the file.. this is worth a hot dig, davo, we need to know when he was born ... I'll see if I can beat you to it starting from scratch.

 

[petedavo]

I hate to tell you, BlueE, but I burnt everything except GF's book ... including a copy of the paper that had the Harvey interview, although I do know you can get a copy from the archives in SA but it can only be done in person.
The one thing I noted was that Harvey described a small leather case that looked like a doctor's bag -- you know, the one with a needle -- well, a flute case is about the same size, and flutes have cleaning needles.
Then the conspirator then in me wondered why a man would book into a hotel for a few days with only that as his luggage .. and spend a couple of hours each day sitting in the lobby .. while staying elsewhere. Harvey said he didn't even take a drink, but they spoke from time to time, she was the receptionist.
The small leather case may have been his indicator, the Kensitas smokes in the Army club pack an indicator for the other man - two men, unknown to each other, in town to meet and exchange something.
Believe me, I figured it all out and wrote a book that has everything in it but the truth.

Might have to read The Bookmaker from Rabaul, for entertainment purposes.
BTW, next time you're up in Bryon Bay, say hi to my uncle Alf Burley for me. He's always on his surfboard or in Cambodia so he's uncontactable through the usual means.

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[petedavo]

PeteD, I remember somebody mentioning that restricted file some years ago, probably Byron Deveson, but didn't have any copies of the file.. this is worth a hot dig, davo, we need to know when he was born ... I'll see if I can beat you to it starting from scratch.

Someone at this bloke's address was selling musical instruments in the newspaper classifieds during the 40's.

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[peteb]

Another? Thomas Ambrose Keane, born 1910, residing with an Aunt at 2 Speight St Newport, and working at Newport Workshops Victoria joined the Army Cadets in 1923.
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=30986094
Check the handwriting at the top of the form against the clothing label to confirm any difference. However it might not be Thomas that filled in the form.

No 2 Speight St Newport, as it looks today. (Not much difference to the 1920's, except for the car port)

Born in 1910 makes him younger than about 48

 

[petedavo]

Born in 1910 makes him younger than about 48

39.
If he was SM, which seems unlikely.
But I think it's unlikely, that he's the same dude from Queensland with an ASIO file, as there's a Tom Keane still at Newport Victoria, when this ASIO file was opened in Queensland in 1942.

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[petedavo]

Another? Thomas Ambrose Keane, born 1910, residing with an Aunt at 2 Speight St Newport, and working at Newport Workshops Victoria joined the Army Cadets in 1923.
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=30986094
Check the handwriting at the top of the form against the clothing label to confirm any difference. However it might not be Thomas that filled in the form.

No 2 Speight St Newport, as it looks today. (Not much difference to the 1920's, except for the car port)

In 1918 a "T Keane" was at 2 Speight St Newport

By October 1943, a family named "Tyrer" were living at 2 Speight St Newport.

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[petedavo]

Another Thomas Keane, and a mysterious disappearance. He'd probably be too old to be Somerton Man though.

18 Jul 1908 - STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE. - The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21815014 via @TroveAustralia

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[sprockets]

Same man

 

[sprockets]

 

[petedavo]

I found a website that names Senator Richard Valentine Keane's son. It's Rex.
Just leaving these pictures of Senator Keane here to determine at some point if there's any possible hereditary similarities to Somerton Man. I haven't found any pictures of his son, Rex, as yet, or any of his brothers or nephews and I have no information as yet on whether any have the first initial T. It would seem unlikely, that there would be an reason to withhold the identity of Somerton Man if the only reason is that he was related to a cabinet minister who died 2 years before. I'm happy to rule this out without any further delving, but I'll park this here in case someone else wants to delve into some genealogical research.

KEANE, Richard Valentine (1881–1946) Senator for Victoria, 1938-46 (Australian Labor Party) | The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate

biography.senate.gov.au

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[petedavo]

Talking of Rabaul and Spies.
A tale of espionage in the 1940's (the bloke is too young to be Somerton Man, and anyhow appears to have died before 1948).

My Grandfather's cousin, Cyril Burley, had an interesting experience with an Australian Intelligence Officer whilst a war correspondent in New Guinea.

This one involved an intelligence officer named Captain John Joseph Murphy, who was eventually honorably acquitted of a treachery charge.
News clippings»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

Court Marshall records»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

This one has "Dead" written across it

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

Murphy's Service Record (which strongly suggests that he was actually passing information to the Japanese)»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

Most interesting, is the accusations by Cyril about censorship of his stories and the exposure of his sources. See page 19»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

It reads as though, Cyril might of believed that someone was trying to disrupt the court Marshall process and cover things up.


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[BlueE]

I hate to tell you, BlueE, but I burnt everything except GF's book ... including a copy of the paper that had the Harvey interview, although I do know you can get a copy from the archives in SA but it can only be done in person.
The one thing I noted was that Harvey described a small leather case that looked like a doctor's bag -- you know, the one with a needle -- well, a flute case is about the same size, and flutes have cleaning needles.
Then the conspirator then in me wondered why a man would book into a hotel for a few days with only that as his luggage .. and spend a couple of hours each day sitting in the lobby .. while staying elsewhere. Harvey said he didn't even take a drink, but they spoke from time to time, she was the receptionist.
The small leather case may have been his indicator, the Kensitas smokes in the Army club pack an indicator for the other man - two men, unknown to each other, in town to meet and exchange something.
Believe me, I figured it all out and wrote a book that has everything in it but the truth.

GF book reprinted the whole interview pp 197 -200 apparently. If you could take some photos and post those pages, it would be good to look at the whole interview.

Needle or hypodermic needle? Doctors case or flute case? I think this was SM. Her brother embalmed the body and she sound like the nosy type who may have asked her brother for a look at the body. It would make her certain in her own mind if no one listened to her at the time or she was warned off ID'ing.

It would narrow the search if it was determined he spoke English with an accent, which is how I take her statement that he didn't exactly mangle the English language. My guess at the moment is German (with American connections) and the communists involved with his murder.

Is it possible he stayed with Jo Harkness for those nights which is where his suitcase was and where he shaved. Went back to the hotel for whatever he had to do during the day, hanging around in the lobby?

 

[BlueE]

Same man


View attachment 738391

No nothing like it. Different nose, mouth, hairline, jaw, different coloured hair in real life compared to photo and no mole for a start.

Of course this is just my opinion, but I have experience in anlaysing images. I think someone with the excellent police identikit equipment should so another based on the bust, written descriptions and hair samples.

Also to have 3 eye witness regonising the photo and the woman bursting into tears when she viewed the body make me think she did recognise the body as Robert Walsh to have that visceral emotion connection. However it would be impossible for Robert Walsh to be SM but not impossible for there to be another body.

Lawson the man who made the bust mentioned the second body in his notes.

 

[BlueE]

Talking of Rabaul and Spies.
A tale of espionage in the 1940's (the bloke is too young to be Somerton Man, and anyhow appears to have died before 1948).

My Grandfather's cousin, Cyril Burley, had an interesting experience with an Australian Intelligence Officer whilst a war correspondent in New Guinea.

This one involved an intelligence officer named Captain John Joseph Murphy, who was eventually honorably acquitted of a treachery charge.
News clippings»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

Court Marshall records»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

This one has "Dead" written across it

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

Murphy's Service Record (which strongly suggests that he was actually passing information to the Japanese)»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

Most interesting, is the accusations by Cyril about censorship of his stories and the exposure of his sources. See page 19»

Part of RecordSearch unavailable

It reads as though, Cyril might of believed that someone was trying to disrupt the court Marshall process and cover things up.


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Mjr William Jestyn Moulds and Alf Boxall served in the same small unit at the end of WW2.

Still wonder if there is a connection between Ernest Moulds and Jessica Harkness that Grey Crow found were married in England? It's very strange when she became pregnant around October of 1945 that she chose to have the baby as a single woman, unable to finish her nursing, with the social stigma and no obvious financial support, leaving her parent in Mentone, Sydney and going to Adelaide.

This may be incorrect but I read she went to Adelaide in March 1946 and gave birth to Robin in July 1946. Prosper Thompson was still married and living with his wife where they lived together in Mentone for at least 10 years, but he or both also went to Adelaide sometime in late 1946.

https://tamamshud.blogspot.com/

 

[BlueE]

View attachment 738392

One looks like an older version of the other, with the older one's hair been most like the actual SM hair.

 

[petedavo]

Mjr William Jestyn Moulds and Alf Boxall served in the same small unit at the end of WW2.

Still wonder if there is a connection between Ernest Moulds and Jessica Harkness that Grey Crow found were married in England? It's very strange when she became pregnant around October of 1945 that she chose to have the baby as a single woman, unable to finish her nursing, with the social stigma and no obvious financial support, leaving her parent in Mentone, Sydney and going to Adelaide.

This may be incorrect but I read she went to Adelaide in March 1946 and gave birth to Robin in July 1946. Prosper Thompson was still married and living with his wife where they lived together in Mentone for at least 10 years, but he or both also went to Adelaide sometime in late 1946.

https://tamamshud.blogspot.com/
View attachment 738999

Someone advertised a couple of prams for sale using the address of 19 Abingdon St Wooloongabba during 1946. The same address used in adverts to sell a piano and other musical equipment then all the rest of their worldly goods up-to 1948, including a caravan. The same address listed on the ASIO file for a Thomas Ambrose Keane, that shows that there was an inquiry into his whereabouts made in 1950. The file that was closed in 1952.
Presumably he disappeared and couldn't be found, or was declared deceased, otherwise the file would've kept going as surveillance into the EYL went on until it wound up well over a decade later.
And maybe it was a false name because the only other Thomas Ambrose Keane that could be found recorded was alive and still living in Victoria and had become a Catholic Priest. I think Thomas Ambrose Keane of 19 Abingdon St South Brisbane / West Gabba / Wooloongabba is the Somerton Man and is possibly one of his Aliases. He may of passed himself off as different characters in different states, like Walsh, the woodcutter, Reynolds the former seaman, etc. Maybe one of these is his real name. The real mystery is how and why he died, and why the obfuscation & subterfuge over his identity?

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[petedavo]

On the other hand...
Maybe Somerton Man was redressed and placed upon the beach.
Maybe the suitcase was also left to be found as a decoy. Maybe the clothes and the suitcase actually belonged to someone else. The Thomas Ambrose Keane of Queensland?
Did Prosper Thompson kill Keane and dispose of him too?
Maybe Somerton Man will remain forever some poor unknown cove dressed in another victim's clothes?
Maybe there are other victims. Was Thompson a serial killer?
Poison however is the method usually of the female serial killer.
BTW, no one has asked the obvious yet.
If Somerton Man ate a pastie 2 hours before he died. And he supposedly died at 2am. Where did he buy a pastie at midnight?
There's only 1 possible answer...
He was invited in and served a pastie in someone's home.
Yes, he was murdered.
And the bloke on the beach, the night before? Was probably Prosper, setting up the scene so people would think that the Somerton Man was there all night and died there, when in fact Somerton Man was waiting inside Jessica's house whilst Prosper "went to buy some fags" to replace the one's that he bummed off Somerton Man.


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[sprockets]

No nothing like it. Different nose, mouth, hairline, jaw, different coloured hair in real life compared to photo and no mole for a start.

Of course this is just my opinion, but I have experience in anlaysing images. I think someone with the excellent police identikit equipment should so another based on the bust, written descriptions and hair samples.

Also to have 3 eye witness regonising the photo and the woman bursting into tears when she viewed the body make me think she did recognise the body as Robert Walsh to have that visceral emotion connection. However it would be impossible for Robert Walsh to be SM but not impossible for there to be another body.

Lawson the man who made the bust mentioned the second body in his notes.

IMO it's clearly the same man, given the similarities I pointed out with the arrows (ie, the whole of his face), but let's agree to disagree, as usual. So your theory is they released, even though they didn't have to, a picture of a man that obviously no-one knew but who wasn't Somerton Man, even though witnesses saw Somerton Man and would likely dispute the picture that was him? Why would they? What end would it serve? Why not just release a picture of the 'real' Somerton Man?

 

[peteb]

GF book reprinted the whole interview pp 197 -200 apparently. If you could take some photos and post those pages, it would be good to look at the whole interview.

Needle or hypodermic needle? Doctors case or flute case? I think this was SM. Her brother embalmed the body and she sound like the nosy type who may have asked her brother for a look at the body. It would make her certain in her own mind if no one listened to her at the time or she was warned off ID'ing.

It would narrow the search if it was determined he spoke English with an accent, which is how I take her statement that he didn't exactly mangle the English language. My guess at the moment is German (with American connections) and the communists involved with his murder.

Is it possible he stayed with Jo Harkness for those nights which is where his suitcase was and where he shaved. Went back to the hotel for whatever he had to do during the day, hanging around in the lobby?

Harvey also remembered him giving her a small blue (powder?) container before saying goodbye ... now that proves he wasn’t Australian, we only do that sort of thing for the little woman on her birthday or for mum on Mother’s Day.

 

[BlueE]

Harvey also remembered him giving her a small blue (powder?) container before saying goodbye ... now that proves he wasn’t Australian, we only do that sort of thing for the little woman on her birthday or for mum on Mother’s Day.

Careful Pete

Does suggest she had time over a few days to see him, talk to him and observe what he was doing!

 

[BlueE]

IMO it's clearly the same man, given the similarities I pointed out with the arrows (ie, the whole of his face), but let's agree to disagree, as usual. So your theory is they released, even though they didn't have to, a picture of a man that obviously no-one knew but who wasn't Somerton Man, even though witnesses saw Somerton Man and would likely dispute the picture that was him? Why would they? What end would it serve? Why not just release a picture of the 'real' Somerton Man?

I do think the actual hair samples are a deal breaker for the brown haired man in the photo.

What I believe is his identity was known to those higher up that the Adelaide police. That either his identity or what he was doing around Adelaide at the time was such a huge secret that is still being kept today.

I don't think it's a co-incidence that ASIO was formed a few months later in March 1949 and this wasn't isolated spying but an important culmination or escalation so the head of British Intelligence and CIA were summoned to Australia.

Initially ASIO was to protect from foreign spying, sabotage and espionage and the big ass secret is either his identity or whatever spying or sabotage he may have been involved in. This also suggests he was foreign and either Nazi German or Russian would have been still enemies of Australia at the time.

ASIO: The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security agency responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and terrorism.

 

[BlueE]

On the other hand...
Maybe Somerton Man was redressed and placed upon the beach.
Maybe the suitcase was also left to be found as a decoy. Maybe the clothes and the suitcase actually belonged to someone else. The Thomas Ambrose Keane of Queensland?
Did Prosper Thompson kill Keane and dispose of him too?
Maybe Somerton Man will remain forever some poor unknown cove dressed in another victim's clothes?
Maybe there are other victims. Was Thompson a serial killer?
Poison however is the method usually of the female serial killer.
BTW, no one has asked the obvious yet.
If Somerton Man ate a pastie 2 hours before he died. And he supposedly died at 2am. Where did he buy a pastie at midnight?
There's only 1 possible answer...
He was invited in and served a pastie in someone's home.
Yes, he was murdered.
And the bloke on the beach, the night before? Was probably Prosper, setting up the scene so people would think that the Somerton Man was there all night and died there, when in fact Somerton Man was waiting inside Jessica's house whilst Prosper "went to buy some fags" to replace the one's that he bummed off Somerton Man.

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No indication that Jessica and Prosper were living together at the time as Prosper was advertising giving another address. However Prosper seemed to come into money the following year I think.

1,200 pounds which was enough to buy a basic house at the time. He placed an advertisement in the classified to buy a house, saying he had 1,200 pounds and was asking if anyone had a house to sell.

Enough to keep him quiet although keeping Robyn safe would be a deterrent for not talking.

Not even close to the 50,000 pounds that Elliott Johnson was said to have been given in 1949!

 

[Mycroft]

In the meantime I can't quite wade through all of Petedavo's "Davidsonian Institute" details you've posted so he might be apply the information if applicable to to this post.

I think most agree that the identity of SM, how he died and what he was doing in Adelaide he was doing was known to a higher level than police. However I suspect that one police officer (Det Sgt Leane) and possibly the coroner Cleland knew at least part of the story and their actions may have contributed to the confusion about how no conclusion was made about SM's identity and who was responsible for his death.

I've said many times that the police picture they distributed and said was SM did not match his written physical description of his body or hair of the plaster cast made of him. I believe the following two identikits based on the plaster reconstruction of his face give a better indication of what SM looked like. The gingery blonde hair caught in the plaster also suggest a far lighter hair colour than the second identikit.

View attachment 738198View attachment 738199
View attachment 738203

https://tamamshud.blogspot.com/2014/06/somerton-man-photo-realistic-image.html

He's 5'11" and his shoulder are very broad, grey eyes, receding hairline with no part and has an athletic physique and prominent defined calf muscles.

I can't see much resemblance to the police photo and am curious if the photo was of a different man.

Three people (Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, widow of Morgan, and Stanley Peter Salotti, driver, of Nile street. Port Adelaide and James Mack -see Tamam Shud wiki) recognised the photograph and then identified the body as missing woodcuttter Robert Walsh. However Walsh would have been 63 years old and police were not satisfied with the identification as SM was thought to be around 40 years of age.

"When Mrs. Thompson identified the body she broke down and wept." She had a strong story to proved she knew Mr Walsh well and was very upset when she identified him.

I'm curious if the there was a second body who was Mr Robert Walsh and his photo was distributed and said to be the Somerton man?

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43798696

SOMERTON BODY SAID TO BE THAT OF WOODCUTTER.

Although police are not yet satisfied with the identification, two persons last night claimed that the body of a man found at Somerton on December 1 was that of Robert Walsh, woodcutter, formerly of Morgan.

The identification was made by Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, widow of Morgan, and Stanley Peter Salotti, driver, of Nile street. Port Adelaide. Detectives are not satisfied with the identification because of a discrepancy in the age of Walsh and that of the body.

Thompson gave Walsh's age as 63. while the police believe the dead man to have been about 40. Mrs. Thompson told police: last night that she did not believe the Somerton body to be that of Walsh until she saw a photograph in a newspaper last Saturday.

According to Mrs. Thompson, Walsh boarded with her periodically at Morgan up till a fortnight before Christmas, 1947.when he left for Brisbane. She had arranged to meet him in Brisbane that Christmas but did not keep the appointment.

Mrs. Thompson said that she heard no more of Walsh until she received a remembrance card and some money for 'Mother's Day. 1948. The card was sent from Crow's Nest NSW.

Mrs. Thompson first met Walsh eight or nine years ago when he began boarding with her. He was then employed as a woodcutter in the Morgan district, and continued in that work until he left for Brisbane.

As far as Mrs. Thompson knew, Walsh had no relatives in Australia. He was a Welshman and had a sister in Wales. Al-though he never divulged his age. Mrs. Thompson believed Walsh to be about 63.

To substantiate her claim, Mrs. Thompson took to police headquarters a photograph of herself and Walsh, taken several years ago.

When Mrs. Thompson saw the photograph of the dead man in the newspaper, she contacted Salotti. Who also knew Walsh. They both separately identified the body as that of Walsh.

Silotti said he first met Walsh three years ago when the man boarded with him for a week at his Port Adelaide home. He saw him last at the Victoria Park racecourse 18 months ago.

When Mrs. Thompson identified the body she broke down and wept. The body is consistent with that of a man who was once a woodcutter. The hands, however, do not suggest that he had done any woodcutting during the past 18 months.

The identification of the body has provided detectives with one of the most unusual cases of its type in the history of the SA police force.

BluE...Author Gerry Feltus discusses at some length Robert Walsh as a possible identity for SM in his book The Unknown Man (2010 Edition on pages 49, 50, 51 & 201). There were a few people that thought SM may be Walsh. He was also known as 'Nugget Walsh' and Bob Morgan and even Bob Welsh (said to be a Welshman). At most he'd have measured 5' 7 & 1/2" tall, others say shorter, which explains the nickname 'Nugget', thus Walsh was a different height and build to SM, though a better age fit for SM (between 42 & 48). There was also mention of a small faint tattoo mark on the right forearm, just below the elbow joint, a small map of Australia. Mrs. Thompson thought Walsh was older / 63, so a big age variation that don't fit with SM identity. Gerry Feltus concludes on pg. 201 that he's satisfied it's not Walsh, because he doesn't match the description and allegedly had a tattoo. It's thought he'd travelled interstate, but it is odd that he never came forward to say 'SM's not me...cos I'm alive'. He did seem to change jobs often, as well as his name, and he moved around. Also said to like to bet heavily on race horses, so perhaps he needed to change his name and keep moving. He might have even welcomed being mistaken for a dead man, if it cleared his debts. You could try finding when and where Bob Walsh died in obituary records, though you'd need to look for his other names as well (including 'Nugget' McCarthy). You could almost write another mystery about Robert Walsh aka Bob Morgan...Nugget Morgan or McCarthy, as he seems to be more fitting to the mysterious and the 'spy persona' than SM. It would help to get yourself a copy of 'The Unknown Man' to fill the gaps.

 

[peteb]

Careful Pete

Does suggest she had time over a few days to see him, talk to him and observe what he was doing!

That she did, she also said he looked very tired on the last day she saw or spoke to him, 'distraught' was the word she used.

 

[peteb]

That she did, she also said he looked very tired on the last day she saw or spoke to him, 'distraught' was the word she used.

The conspirator in me says his state of mind may have been caused by reading a newspaper account of the death of the Somerton Man and a description of what was found in his pockets.