The Mosquito incident

[HelenaWojtczak]

Hi all

Can anyone tell me the source of the story that Klosowski nearly drowned when his yacht capsized?

Thanks.

Helena

[HelenaWojtczak]

I'm still on this problem!

I've read every copy of the Hastings & St Leonards Observer from January to April and found nothing.

There was a sketch in (something like) the Police ILlustrated News which showed him and Mary in the yacht.

Anyone help pls?

Helena

[Natalie Severn]

I think Sugden gives a source in the Complete History but I no longer have his book as it fell to pieces along with Evans"s and Skinner's Ultimate Source ----through over use!
Sorry not to be able to help here Helena.
Good Luck,
Norma

[HelenaWojtczak]

Thanks Norma.

Sugden mentions the incident but .... no reference!

Grr!

[HelenaWojtczak]

I have added to my eye strain by reading every copy of the Hastings and St Leonards Times Jan-Apr 1897, on bloody microfilm (HATE IT!) and still nothing.

So, where did this 'capsized Mosquito' story come from?

[Natalie Severn]

Helena,
You can request that your local library obtains from another library a copy of HL Adam's book.They have a duty to get it for you.For example,I obtained a loan of it for many months from another library in a different district of West London.
I have photocopied sections of it.I think it was witnesses in the trial who had known Mrs Spink who alleged this, but I can't be sure---will see if I can check it out when I get back,
Norma

[HelenaWojtczak]

Helena,
You can request that your local library obtains from another library a copy of HL Adam's book.They have a duty to get it for you.For example,I obtained a loan of it for many months from another library in a different district of West London.
I have photocopied sections of it.I think it was witnesses in the trial who had known Mrs Spink who alleged this, but I can't be sure---will see if I can check it out when I get back,
Norma

Hi Norma

I requested it weeks ago, still not arrived. Besides which, Adam is a secondary, not a primary source, so would have preferred the local paper's report.

Also, through discussions on here and my own private research, it seems that Adam wasn't above a few inventions of his own, so I am not sure how much of his book I can trust now, anyway. The trouble with Adam is, he gives no source.

In the OB trial transcript no witness mentions the Mosquito incident.

Remember on another thread you said you found part of Adam's book online? Where did you find it, I would like to take a look.

Best,

Helena

[Natalie Severn]

Hi Helena,
Several years ago, before my old computer crashed, an American friend sent me part of the book as a pdf. I still have some of the pages from it that I kept in a separate file which contained the dob of his son and the baby's date of death, the date of his arrival in America etc. I have actually posted sections from this file, that I still have, on here, a few days ago. I can post more of this file if you want but now Stephen has so kindly offered to lend you his book I am not sure you will want them?

[HelenaWojtczak]

Norma

Yes indeed all this is out of date since Stephen will kindly be lending me his copy.

Thanks anyway!

My worry now is that Adam won't have a source for his Mosquito story.

H

[Natalie Severn]

hi Helena,
You are right,I am pretty sure he didn't but as I remember it the information came directly from a witness [if not several] at the trial and which Adam simply transcribed.His source therefore was the trial itself. I have compared certain bits of what Adam transcribed from the trial-eg the bits of information given out by Levisohn under oath, and Adam appears to have transcribed these verbatim and they compare exactly -if I remember correctly.
I don't think either that this would have been drawn to the attention of the local press at the time it happened.I mean nobody was hurt,they had a narrow escape,but it was a minor incident and at the time nothing was known about this man or his wife.
Best
Norma

[HelenaWojtczak]

as I remember it the information came directly from a witness [if not several] at the trial and which Adam simply transcribed.

But we have the transcript online at the Old Bailey site, don't we? Or does that leave bits out? I am pretty desperate to know this.

I don't think either that this would have been drawn to the attention of the local press at the time it happened.I mean nobody was hurt,they had a narrow escape,but it was a minor incident

Having sat and read 24 editions of two different newspapers I can assure you that even a capsizement and rescue would have been covered. They even reported it when someone was ALMOST hit by a bicycle while crossing the road! We were pretty despearte for "news" stories in our sleepy town. (Still are.)

[Natalie Severn]

I am too busy right now to locate the one on line Helena but I think the on line transcript could have left bits out---- Sorry I can't help further.
I take your point about the accident in the boat and local papers.All I can say is that I am pretty sure its in the Adam's book's transcription of the trial re Mary Spink.

[HelenaWojtczak]

No need to do anything Norma. I have read through the transcript time and again (it's open on my desktop 24/7 at present) and the incident is not mentioned.

As we said on the other thread, a very kind gent has offered to lend me his copy of Adam's book.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Helena

I checked Sugden and he does state that Klosowski had a yacht named Mosquito while he was in Hastings but he does not mention the capsizing incident.

Chris

[HelenaWojtczak]

Hi Helena

I checked Sugden and he does state that Klosowski had a yacht named Mosquito while he was in Hastings but he does not mention the capsizing incident.

Chris

Thank you for looking.

I'm rather bothered, as you can see, by all these stories that are not mentioned by anyone at his trial. I read in a book yesterday that Klosowski was a feldscher in the Russian army!

Can you think of ANY other sources that we have for Klosowski's life OTHER THAN the documents he brought from Poland and the trial transcript?

It seems to me that anything NOT in those two sources may well be guesswork, conjecture, or downright lies. What do you think about this?