a6 murder

[Limehouse]

P.l.a

This is the only thread that PLA has posted on. Reading back over his posts, I find them a bit chilling.

This would be the perfect medium for the real PLA to re-surface without actually showing himself or giving away his location.

PLA himself or just a weird 'fan'?

[Steve]

Hi Limehouse

I seem to remember that Bob from the old boards only ever posted on the A6 murder thread.

Perhaps it's just a coincidence?

KR
Steve

[jimarilyn]

Hi Steve,

You have the same suspicions as myself regarding Bob/P.L.A. There's something there that I can't put my finger on. What odds are there that it's the real PLA I wonder ? Very unlikely, given his age (77), although as Limehouse points out this forum would be the perfect platform for him to remain anonymous and express his views.

[Steve]

Our Mystery Poster

What shall we call him?

'Call me Bob, or Peter,' he tells us.

Not his proper name, I shouldn't think!

[jimarilyn]

Perhaps Bob's his uncle (oops sorry about that). Whoever he is, he does post sparingly. Personally speaking, I would like to hear much more of what he has to offer. I have noticed that he has chosen a couple of Mondays on which to post.

[Steve]

Perhaps Bob's his uncle (oops sorry about that). .

Or maybe his posts will eventually peter out ...

[jimarilyn]

I wonder what Alphon's father Felix thought of his son. From all that I've read it seems that Peter and Felix were quite distant with each other. Felix Alphon was employed in a civilian capacity at Scotland Yard. I wonder if this had any bearing on why the police seemed to treat him with kid gloves regardless of what he did subsequent to the murder. Some of the things Alphon did in the months following the A6 murder certainly warranted a spell in prison/custody. The police seemed to overlook anything he got up to, almost as if he was above the law. Very strange indeed.

[Steve]

I hadn't previously considered that angle, but you must be right - the father would have known officers involved in the investigation - I guess there could well have been a degree of 'The Old Pals Act' coming into play.

[jimarilyn]

It definitely gives food for thought. For all anyone knows maybe a touch of Freemasonry going on somewhere within the Yard.

[Limehouse]

Maybe Alphon was a police informer? Perhaps that might account for some of the money he had - and maybe account for his 'untouchable' status? Perhaps having a father working at Scotland Yard, and being the happy itinerant he seemed to be made him a good type to select as an informer? After all, he was not the type to get too close to people.

[Graham]

As far as I can recall, Felix Alphon was just a humble filing-clerk or similar at Scotland Yard, and I'd honestly doubt whether he even got anywhere near detectives such as Acott and Oxford, let alone influenced them to be lenient with his son. He was cleared of attacking Mrs Dalal, for example, not through 'influence' but although Mrs Dalal identified him, the charge didn't stick. I think he was fined for being drunk-and-disorderly, but although he most definitely assaulted Mrs Hanratty in front of witnesses, he was cleared.

I think there was definitely something that put Alphon almost above prosecution - all the vicious phone-calls he made to various people, his assaults and his threats. Had he somehow discovered that Acott & Co weren't quite playing the game where Hanratty was concerned? Or was it perhaps that Justice and/or Jeremy Fox, were able to pull strings in high places? Justice was something of a persona non gratia with the police, but Fox was a very respectable Establishment barrister, so maybe if strings needed pulling Fox was the man.

Cheers,

Graham

[jimarilyn]

Although Alphon and Hanratty were completely different in character it is amazing how much they had in common. They both were fond of booking into seedy hotel rooms under aliases, they both liked greyhound racing, they both liked to go to the cinema in the afternoon, both were non-smokers (at a time when most adults smoked) and they both stayed at the Vienna Hotel for one day only, Alphon booking in just a couple of hours after Hanratty checked out. It's amazing they never bumped into each other ( or did they ?).

[Steve]

Hi Limehouse

I cannot see Alphon as a police informer. To be a police informer you have to associate with criminals in order to gain information. As far as we can see Alphon was a loner wandering around London living off gambling winnings, the sporadic proceeds from selling almanacs and frequent hand-outs from his mother. (Plus any other benefactor relatives not made public.) Later, his connection with the A6 murder provided him with incoming funds, which he seems to have spent at least as quickly as they arrived!

Kind regards,
Steve

[Steve]

Hi Graham

Alphon does seem to have lead rather a charmed life at that time, and it is difficult to understand why and how. However, I do think that perhaps this aspect of the case was embellished to some degree by the Foot/Woffinden camp. What do you think?

KR
Steve

[Graham]

Although Alphon and Hanratty were completely different in character it is amazing how much they had in common. They both were fond of booking into seedy hotel rooms under aliases, they both liked greyhound racing, they both liked to go to the cinema in the afternoon, both were non-smokers (at a time when most adults smoked) and they both stayed at the Vienna Hotel for one day only, Alphon booking in just a couple of hours after Hanratty checked out. It's amazing they never bumped into each other ( or did they ?).

Hi Jimarilyn,

I'd have to say that JH and PLA had more in common than might first meet the eye. They were both chancers, preferring to earn £1 illegally than £5 by legal methods; neither of them had held down a decent job for more than five minutes; they both came from stable family backgrounds (JH's much more stable than PLA's, actually). But where JH was a self-absorbed dandy who cultivated the friendship of known and unknown underworld characters, and who liked the company of women, PLA seemed to be a complete loner. PLA was not adverse (by his own admission) to 'kipping' under the pier at Southend, whereas JH travelled around by taxi when he could afford it, apparently thought nothing of flying to Ireland, and liked powerful cars (even though he was a rubbish driver). PLA spent his days in libraries studying Fascism amongst other subjects - but having said that he was obviously something of a whizz at the growlers, much more than JH it would appear.

As to whether they never bumped into each other...I can't remember where I saw it, but I definitely did see a suggestion that PLA visited the Rehearsal Club on at least one occasion (when I get back to my books I'll have a look). However, I don't think PLA was a regular frequenter of any kind of club, preferring his own company to that of other's.

Maybe if Steve sees this he can add something - I think he has a photo of the old Rehearsal Club, too. Must have been a right den of iniquity...

Cheers,

Graham