Evidence has been withheld

[caz]

Hi Addy,

Indeed - which may have only made things worse in the long run. Florie's neck had already been saved, much to Victoria's chagrin no doubt. I can't imagine her being amused when Florie's overbearing mother tried to lay down the law and hinted that she would reveal something unpalatable if the Queen didn't give in to her request for a retrial.

Her Maj obviously dug her heels in and refused to budge, and yet mummy never did specify what this 'evidence' was. If it concerned the unjust way the whole case had been handled, by senile judge and establishment alike, the details came out anyway, leaving her with no purchasing power. If it concerned something else, mummy evidently chose to stay buttoned up all the while Florie stayed in prison. So whatever it was, Victoria called her bluff and won.

Love,

Caz
X

[Kaz]

Hi Addy,

Indeed - which may have only made things worse in the long run. Florie's neck had already been saved, much to Victoria's chagrin no doubt. I can't imagine her being amused when Florie's overbearing mother tried to lay down the law and hinted that she would reveal something unpalatable if the Queen didn't give in to her request for a retrial.

Her Maj obviously dug her heels in and refused to budge, and yet mummy never did specify what this 'evidence' was. If it concerned the unjust way the whole case had been handled, by senile judge and establishment alike, the details came out anyway, leaving her with no purchasing power. If it concerned something else, mummy evidently chose to stay buttoned up all the while Florie stayed in prison. So whatever it was, Victoria called her bluff and won.

Love,

Caz
X

What do you think the "evidence in my possession" was then?

Maybe queenie relayed the message onto Michael Maybrick? Threats could have been made to 'hush' her up?


I'm half way through 'The American connection' now so still not fully up to date.

[Addy]

Hi Caz and Kaz,

I've read "the last victim" by Carol Emmas and Anne Barret, in there it says that Queen Victoria already regretted commuting the sentence so far and that she stated Flo was never to be released. She was only released after Victoria's death. It also says the hard work of the Baroness "probably put more years ont Florences' sentence than anything else". I can imagine, as she seems to have been a pest on the establishment.

Greetings,

Addy

[Steven Russell]

I seem to be missing something here. If Flo or her mother had an ace up their sleeve, why was it not revealed?

Best wishes,

Steve.

[Kaz]

I seem to be missing something here. If Flo or her mother had an ace up their sleeve, why was it not revealed?

Best wishes,

Steve.

If it was the Diary then the shame it would put onto the kids lives?

It was as though the 'something' was an 'embarasment' to everyone.

[Steven Russell]

If it was the Diary then the shame it would put onto the kids lives?

It was as though the 'something' was an 'embarasment' to everyone.

Would you rather be embarrassed or hanged? Sorry but I can't buy it.

Best wishes,

Steve.

[Kaz]

Would you rather be embarrassed or hanged? Sorry but I can't buy it.

Best wishes,

Steve.

I think by the time the letter was sent florie had escaped the noose.

[Addy]

Kaz is right, by the time this letter was sent Flo's sentence was already changed.

Greetings,

Addy

[Steven Russell]

Alright, penal servitude for life. It's still rubbish!

[Kaz]

Alright, penal servitude for life. It's still rubbish!

Whats rubbish? its a fact the baroness threatened Queen Vic with 'something'. Whatever it was didn't phase her in the least. If anything it prolonged flories prison sentance. Maybe she realised if the evidence was submitted it would harm her case rather than help?

So you killed Jack the Ripper!? Well done!!!

Na.

[caz]

What do you think the "evidence in my possession" was then?

Hi Kaz,

I already gave my impressions on the subject. All we know is that whatever Florie's mother thought she had up her sleeve, it didn't materialise as a 'get out of jail free' card. Florie had to wait until Victoria popped her clogs for that, and she was never to be reconciled with Gladys and Bobo.

Any attempt by the luckless Florie or her supporters to accuse her late husband of murder, without some pretty powerful physical evidence, would most surely have backfired. A claim by the black widow herself that hubby had been Jack the Ripper would have got her a room for life in a loony bin for the criminally insane.

Love,

Caz
X

[Addy]

Hi all!

I think Caz is right. And like I said before, it would have provided a motive, which was lacking at the time of the trial. It might even have put the rope around Flo's neck again. She was already suspected of murder. Now her husband turns out to be JtR ( if they believed her and the diary was the evidence withheld) and she knew about it ("my dear Bunny knows all")? No way anyone would have thought her innocent after that!

Greetings,

Addy

[Kaz]

Hi Kaz,

I already gave my impressions on the subject. All we know is that whatever Florie's mother thought she had up her sleeve, it didn't materialise as a 'get out of jail free' card. Florie had to wait until Victoria popped her clogs for that, and she was never to be reconciled with Gladys and Bobo.

Any attempt by the luckless Florie or her supporters to accuse her late husband of murder, without some pretty powerful physical evidence, would most surely have backfired. A claim by the black widow herself that hubby had been Jack the Ripper would have got her a room for life in a loony bin for the criminally insane.

Love,

Caz
X

Yep.

Do you think she had in her possesion the 'Diary'? Or some other evidence?

Just read the 'American Connection' but theres still no definate answer as to how annes father got possession of it?

[Addy]

Hi Kaz,

According to Paul Feldman/Anne Barrett, her father found the diary in 1941 in a trunk his granny left to him. As his real paternal grandmother seems to have been Florence, they suppose she left it to him. The book also suggests this is the same trunk Alice Yapp found the packet of arsenic in.

greetings,

Addy

[caz]

Hi all!

I think Caz is right. And like I said before, it would have provided a motive, which was lacking at the time of the trial. It might even have put the rope around Flo's neck again. She was already suspected of murder. Now her husband turns out to be JtR ( if they believed her and the diary was the evidence withheld) and she knew about it ("my dear Bunny knows all")? No way anyone would have thought her innocent after that!

Greetings,

Addy

Hi Addy,

Well I think my point would be that they wouldn't have believed Flo if she had come out with a desperate tale like that! And the evidence we have simply doesn't lend itself to a theory that Flo's mother could have had the diary tucked up her sleeve.

Firstly, as you say, it could not have had the desired effect, whether it was believed genuine or an elaborate scam (and a ridiculous one since the handwriting bore no resemblance to Jim's) to blacken Jim's name and whiten Flo's. Secondly, there isn't a shred of evidence that Anne Graham is descended from Flo. Thirdly, the evidence indicates that the diary came out of Battlecrease House and that neither Flo nor her mother could ever have known of its existence or where and when it would be found.

Hi Kaz,

I'm sorry, but I've already said what I think about this 'evidence' that was meant to make Victoria change her mind. The lady was not for turning.

Love,

Caz
X