Abberline in Monte Carlo

[DVV]

Hi all,
Not much is said in Abberline's biography in the late 90's. From some things I've read, I guess Abberline had been in Monaco in 1898, 1899, 1900, and was working there no mere than some monthes in a year.
Is it correct?
I'd like to ask experts on boards if Monte Carlo has been fully researched regarding Abberline.
Is there any possibility to find something, article from a local newspaper, or even a photo?
The casino may keep old photographies also.
If anyone can help me for this (chronology, good field to explore or not), many thanks.
I don't know the Prince but I live around.

David (broken-English poster)

[Mayerling]

Wish I could help, but the only interesting case in this period from 1898 to 1906 or so in Monte Carlo was the trunk murder involving "Lady and Sir" Vere Goold. They had borrowed money from a Swedish lady and killed her to avoid paying her back (not to mention to steal anything of value). The case garnered some headlines in its day, but it hardly seems the sort of case to involve Abberline. Could he have been working as a private detective at the time?

Jeff

[Simon Wood]

Hi DVV,

Here's the little that I know about Monte Carlo.

It was established as a Casino State on All Fools' Day 1863. By 1907 there had been over 2000 suicides and murders, and pressure was being put on President Roosevelt to help close it down. But Monte Carlo had rich and powerful friends. Pope Leo XIII [the "Pope of the Working Man"] was one of its first outside shareholders, and in 1889 the Prince of Monaco appealed to him in the matter of his unhappy marriage to Lady Mary Hamilton. Divorce was out of the question so, as a good shareholder, Pope Leo XIII issued a special pronouncement declaring the Prince's eleven year marriage invalid for the reason that "the Lady Mary's mother overpersuaded her to marry." The Prince was then 'free' to marry Alice Heine of New Orleans.

It's not what you know, but who you know.

Abberline may well have been around at this time. The Casino authorities had an army of plain-clothes men engaged to help prevent suicides or to spirit away the bodies of dead losers. Corpses were taken to a secret morgue, and every once in a while a steamer would slip into the harbour. The corpses were put aboard, weighted and dumped at sea. It was estimated that more than 50% of the deaths in Monte Carlo were never heard about except by the Casino staff.

J.G. Littlechild represented Pinkertons Detective Agency in London, and Abberline worked in Monte Carlo on behalf of Pinkertons/Littlechild.

The two ex-Scotland Yard detectives did well for themselves and probably enjoyed very comfortable retirements.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Simon

[DVV]

Many thanks, Simon.
I'm afraid that will not spruce up Monaco's image...
Amitiés,
David

[Supe]

David,

In Ripperologist 72 (October 2006) frequent contributor Andy Aliffe had an article about Abberline's career that dealt in part with his years in Monte Carlo. In the article, Andy reported that in 2001 he had asked Ripperologist editor Eduardo Zinna to check on the possibility of the casino having a picture of Abberline. Eduardo approached the casino authorites and was told "Non!" However, they added that there were a number of uncaptioned photographs from the period of Abberline's employ, so there may yet be a chance for a casino "jackpot" in the form of an Abberline picture.

Don.

[DVV]

Merci beaucoup Supe,
at least, there is a little hope.

Amitiés,
David

[Simon Wood]

Hi Don,

If memory serves me correctly there was a Ripperologist article [issue 30-something?] which carried Abberline's Monte Carlo reminiscences.

Is there any chance of this article being reprinted?

Regards,

Simon