The attack on Swedish housewife Mrs Meike Dalal on Thursday, September 7th 1961

[caz]

It's only one persons opinion of what may have been,try and keep some sense of proportion...

That's actually very funny, moste.

...nothing I have posted with regards to what really happened that night is impossible, only improbable, I happen to believe ,less improbable, than the status quo.Sorry if it offends,Ps where is your sparring partner you loved to taunt so much, I liked her.

Nothing you post could offend me personally. I was referring to the friends and families of the victims, who would be wise to stay well away from this poisonous place.

If my 'sparring partner' (I assume you mean Nats?) felt I taunted her and loved it, she should have been more careful to stick with the evidence and not conjure up highly improbable conspiracy theories to blame everyone but Hanratty for the unholy mess he got himself in by using a false alibi, admitting it was false and changing it for one that was no more credible.

I haven't seen Nats for ages, by the way, and wish her well.

Love,

Caz
X

[uncle_adolph]

Incidentally, with no DNA testing back then, the only person who could realistically have identified the hankie as one belonging to Hanratty was Hanratty. How would anyone framing him have imagined it would be linked to him?

The point being that if we pre-suppose it was Dixie who planted it then it made perfect sense to use one of Hanratty's hankies. Why would he use anything else? Who knows; he might well have thought that being a "used" one it could be traced back to Hanratty.

[cobalt]

A couple of thoughts on the embargo placed on the William Ewer file. The year 2040 would effectively have made Valerie Storey 100 years old, and redoubtable woman though she proved herself to be, that may have been a factor in setting the date. Any information which undermined her testimony, if indeed that is contained somewhere in the file, would have to have regard to her personal situation.

The 2063 date is intriguing. If it were in relation to William Ewer’s 1973 interview, then the rarely invoked 100 year embargo would take us to 2073. 2063 suggests that the 100 year rule is in relation to the actual date, more or less, of the Hanratty trial. So it appears to me that the sensitive matters are related to the trial, not the Ewer interview per se.

[Semper_Eadem]

I am still wondering if Alphon was the one who attacked Mrs Dalal! Judging by her reaction to him at that identity parade held on Sept. 23, I bet it is likely he was the one who did it. What I want to know is why was he never prosecuted? Inept Police work or was it because of the nationality of Mrs. Dalal and her husband's nationality. Sounds like there was a lot of slipperiness going on with the London Police.

In answer to Sherlock Houses' original post I think Alphon did attack Mrs Dalal because she made an easy target given who she was and who her husband was. Yes Alphon, who comes across as nutty as a fruit hen from what I have read on him, when I am not reading of him attacking another woman, who made an easy target with her family member on trial for murder. That woman he attacked in public and he got away with that one too. I do not think Alphon was the A6 killer but I do wonder why he got away with threatening women with violence or attacking them.

Interesting thread. Too bad it went off the rails.

[Graham]

It's always seemed likely (to me, at any rate) that Alphon was Mrs Dalal's attacker, although precisely what his motive might have been, if he actually needed one, for such an attack, is anyone's guess. He got off because the two blokes who ran the Old Moore's Almanack distribution, for which Alphon worked on and off, said that he was at their premises at the time of the attack. As a result, Alphon received damages from the police, and apparently sold his 'Meike Dalal' story to a newspaper.

The woman he attacked in the street was Mary Hanratty, the mother of James, and he got away with this piece of gratuitous violence, as well. No wonder Woffinden suggests that Alphon was something of an 'untouchable' as far as the police were concerned; I actually think he was simply very lucky.

Nutter though Alphon doubtless was, there is about him a certain something that is (almost) admirable. He was manipulative, clever in a slippery kind of way, and knew how to turn a profit from difficult situations. He may have made a damn good politician in those days when a bit of sleaze wasn't always frowned upon in high circles.

Graham

[Semper_Eadem]

Hi Graham,

Well I do not think there was anything admirable about Alphon, also I wonder what effect example of his getting away with the attack on Mrs. Hanratty might of had on others.

Although I do notice that Alphon likes to go after Women who have poor reputations. Mrs Dalal was a German Woman married to an Indian if I am not mistaken making her an easy target as too many people probably wouldn't have gotten upset back then when she got attacked given her nationality and her husband's nationality.

Poor Ma Hanratty also made a good victim as her son was a murderer or suspected murderer and there were probably a few folks watching who thought seeing her get attacked by Alphon, Serves you right for raising a Murder.

I know that Myra Hindley's sister and brother-in-law had to endure abuse for being Hindley's relatives and thought to have been mixed up in the crime even though the Brother In Law went to the police with what he knew after he saw Brady murder his last victim.

I wonder who else Alphon went after who might of not pressed charges because they might of thought that it wouldn't have done them any good given who they were. I guess there is a lot of the petty bully in Alphon.

I just wanted to give my two cents worth as I recently watched a documentary on the A6 Murders and remembered this thread. What I did not do was take any notes and I am remembering all of this off the top of my head so apologies if I get anybody's name wrong.

Thanks for your reply Graham and sorry for my late reply.

[Graham]

Hi Graham,

Well I do not think there was anything admirable about Alphon, also I wonder what effect example of his getting away with the attack on Mrs. Hanratty might of had on others.

Although I do notice that Alphon likes to go after Women who have poor reputations. Mrs Dalal was a German Woman married to an Indian if I am not mistaken making her an easy target as too many people probably wouldn't have gotten upset back then when she got attacked given her nationality and her husband's nationality.

Poor Ma Hanratty also made a good victim as her son was a murderer or suspected murderer and there were probably a few folks watching who thought seeing her get attacked by Alphon, Serves you right for raising a Murder.

I know that Myra Hindley's sister and brother-in-law had to endure abuse for being Hindley's relatives and thought to have been mixed up in the crime even though the Brother In Law went to the police with what he knew after he saw Brady murder his last victim.

I wonder who else Alphon went after who might of not pressed charges because they might of thought that it wouldn't have done them any good given who they were. I guess there is a lot of the petty bully in Alphon.

I just wanted to give my two cents worth as I recently watched a documentary on the A6 Murders and remembered this thread. What I did not do was take any notes and I am remembering all of this off the top of my head so apologies if I get anybody's name wrong.

Thanks for your reply Graham and sorry for my late reply.

I don't mean to suggest that you'd want Alphon to marry your daughter - I meant that he strikes me as being sneakily admirable, the sort of smooth-talker who could bullshit his way out of any hole.

There is really no evidence that Alphon 'went after women', or was even all that interested in women. Mrs Dalal said that she received a phone-call on 6th September from someone interested in the rooms she had to rent, and that 'someone' called and attacked her. Whoever this person was, Mrs Dalal said that he was 'verbally abusive' when she told him the rent she wanted. The next day, 7th September, she received another call, but could not be sure if it was from the same man who had phoned her the day before. She gave him her address, and he duly arrived. As she was showing him the accommodation he hit her on the head, then tied her hands behind her back with some electric flex (which apparently he had brought with him). She pretended to be unconscious, and claimed that he man shouted, "I am the A6 killer and I want some money!" or words to that effect. The man hit her again, then gagged her and tied her ankles. She said he did not interfere with her in a sexual manner. She managed to free her hands, got to the open window, and screamed at the top of her voice. By now the man had charged downstairs and out into the street, as Mrs Dalal yelled out that the man had claimed to be 'the Essex killer'. Some passers-by gave chase, but the man escaped. If this man was Alphon, I honestly cannot say, but he could have been. In my earlier post I said he was 'likely' to have been Mrs Dala's attacker, but I now down-grade this to 'could have been'.

Mrs Dalal was not a woman with a 'poor reputation', as you suggest (and by the way she's still alive). She and her husband owned a large terraced property in Upper Richmond Road, even then a rather desirable part of London. It is rather unworthy of you to suggest that because of her nationality and that of her husband, no-one would have been particularly upset. London then, as it is now, was a highly cosmopolitan city.

Alphon surrendered himself at Scotland Yard on 22nd September. On the 23rd he was placed on an ID parade and 'identified' by Mrs Dalal. On the 24th he was on another ID parade in which Valerie Storie did not identify him as her rapist and attacker. He was ruled out as an A6 suspect but remanded as the attacker of Mrs Dalal, but subsequently cleared when the two Almanac distributors stated that he was at their premises at the time of the attack on Mrs Dalal.

Apologies for the length of this post, but I wanted to set matters straight. And by the way, it's "might have", not "might of".

Graham

[NickB]

I think Alphon should have been put on Storie’s id parade first. Had she picked him out, only then should he have been put on Dalal’s id parade. In the absence of any evidence that Alphon was her attacker Dalal was effectively asked to choose from 100% ‘volunteers’.

Moreover in his first police interview on 27-Aug-61 Alphon gave the name and address of the firm where he collected his almanacs. When he indicated to Acott that he was likely selling almanacs at the time of the Dalal attack, the almanac collection address was an obvious first enquiry point for the police and I believe they were negligent in not doing this before going to court.

I see no reason to follow Woffinden’s mistrust of the almanac people’s alibi. The level of Woffinden’s research into this incident is demonstrated by his claim (page 78) that Alphon was granted bail. Even a cursory reading of newspaper reports of the first or second court appearance shows that he was not.

Regarding the ‘fracas’ at Green Park tube station, both Alphon and Mrs Hanratty claimed the other party started it. I don’t think Mrs Hanratty could have been surprised that the summons was dismissed, as it was impossible to prove either way.

The fracas court case was indicative of a symbiotic relationship between Alphon and the Hanrattys. Alphon craved the publicity, as a nice little earner and perhaps to give his life some meaning. The Hanratty family also wanted publicity for their case, and found it easier to claim Jim was innocent if there was someone else who could be fingered as guilty.

The contention that ‘Alphon did it’ was an integral part of the post-trial campaign for Hanratty’s innocence.

[Semper_Eadem]

What I meant was that Alphon bullied women. Which he obviously did on one occasion, witness Mrs Hanratty. If the shoe fits.

As for Mrs. Dalal facing racism, well the News Paper said she was Swedish so I was perhaps wrong to assume that she might of told them she was Swedish. It might of been the Newspaper who got her nationality wrong. I figured from when I wrote my earlier post that, well, it was only 16 years since WWII ended so perhaps since Mrs. Dalal was originally of German Nationality perhaps she might of gotten a raw deal. I didn't know Alphon had an alibi.

Yes London is a cosmopolitan city but I am sure there was racism there. New York is a cosmopolitan city yet I am sure there is racism there as well.

I saw Dancing On The Edge and while that takes place in the 1930s, about 30 years before the attack on Mrs Dalal still the same people would of been alive and probably had the same mindset. But I feel that I am nitpicking.

I do want to state that I did not know about Alphon's alibi which I feel in gut is bogus but that is my personal opinion. It isn't hard to pay someone to lie for you or for an alibi to be mistaken on the time.

Case in point. There was a case in the eighties where a guy was sent to prison for arson mainly because a witness overheard him saying something about burning down the house before the fire. He was talking about the song from The Talking Heads to another friend but the witness didn't make the connection. So he got sent to prison. The Case I am referring was on American Justice with Bill Curtis. My point is that I could see an alibi being mistaken on the time or length of time they were with a suspect.

You right it is might have instead of might of. Seems English as a language is in flux and is ever changing. Now I feel like I am nitpicking yet again.=-)

[Graham]

I just don't understand your apparent obsession with 'racism' vis-a-vis the attack on Mrs Dalal. Her newspaper ad for the rooms she had to rent contained just a brief description of the accommodation plus a phone-number and no name or address. A charming (not) gent I once had the dubious pleasure of knowing for a short time ages ago told me that asking to see accommodation to rent was an easy way of gaining access to premises for the purpose of swiping a few odds and ends. Whoever phoned Mrs Dalal wouldn't have known she was 'foreign' until she spoke - and so what?

Regarding Alphon's alibi, the police were plainly satisfied with it, doubtless after giving the two Almanac salesmen a 'strong' interview. As Alphon, until the Valerie Storie i.d. parade, was Acott's No 1 suspect for the A6, I rather think they didn't particularly care about the Dalal incident while they felt they had the A6 killer within their grasp. I agree with NickB that he should have been paraded in front of Valerie Storie before Mrs Dalal.

Sometimes forgotten is the case of Mrs Audrey Willis of Knebworth, who on 24 August was attacked in her home by a gun-wielding gent who demanded food and money. This was bad enough, but on April 1962 (2 days prior to Hanratty's execution) the same man again forced entry into her house and got away with some money. The man actually referred to Hanratty's pending execution. I don't think Alphon was ever interviewed regarding these attacks. Woffinden interviewed Mrs Willis who told him that Alphon (whose face was by now well-known) was not her attacker on either occasion; she also told him that in 1967 she saw her attacker in the street but was too frightened at the time to go to the police. However, Woffinden seemed convinced that her attacker on both occasions was Alphon.

The attacks on Mrs Dalal and Mrs Willis add to the overall drip of coincidence, as Sherrard had it, which surrounds the A6.

Graham

[Semper_Eadem]

Well You made your point with Mrs. Willis. I wish I had known about her and her attack when I first posted. I could see where Mrs. Willis attack is connected to Mrs. Dalal.

[Sherlock Houses]

Mrs Meike Dalal's statement 01-01-1962

I am still wondering if Alphon was the one who attacked Mrs Dalal! Judging by her reaction to him at that identity parade held on Sept. 23, I bet it is likely he was the one who did it. What I want to know is why was he never prosecuted? Inept Police work or was it because of the nationality of Mrs. Dalal and her husband's nationality. Sounds like there was a lot of slipperiness going on with the London Police.

In answer to Sherlock Houses' original post I think Alphon did attack Mrs Dalal because she made an easy target given who she was and who her husband was. Yes Alphon, who comes across as nutty as a fruit hen from what I have read on him, when I am not reading of him attacking another woman, who made an easy target with her family member on trial for murder. That woman he attacked in public and he got away with that one too. I do not think Alphon was the A6 killer but I do wonder why he got away with threatening women with violence or attacking them.

Interesting thread. Too bad it went off the rails.

You're absolutely correct Semper, it's such a pity that this fascinating thread went off the rails and became side-tracked by non-relevant posts which belong to the miscellaneous main thread.

In an effort to get the thread back on track I have attached the following which is a word for word copy of her statement of January 1st 1962.

Statement of Mrs Meike Dalal, 64 Upper Richmond Road Sheen, SW 14, who saith :

On Thursday, 7th September, 1961 at about 1.30 pm I answered the door to a man.
He was about 5ft 9ins tall, slim build, oval face, straight nose, dark eyes.
He was dressed in an off white three quarter length rain-coat, beltless with the buttons inset.
I can't remember any other details of his dress apart from the fact that he had an open-necked white shirt.
He wore no hat and his hair was long, dark and plastered back.
He had called in answer to an advertisement for a room.
I invited him in and showed him the room that was to let.
In the course of conversation he told me he was married and either owned a car himself or had a job connected with cars.
He had a quiet voice and I noticed nothing unusual about it.
He inspected the room and then asked to see it again.
I had by this time noticed that he continally kept both his hands in his mackintosh pockets.
I showed him the room again and we discussed the terms.
Suddenly he closed the door and assaulted me by striking me on the head.
He then dragged me on to the bed and started to tie up my hands at the same time saying : "I am the A6 murderer and I want money".
He then continued to tie my arms and legs and also gagged me.
During this time he struck me twice more on the head.
He then turned me over face upward, attempted to lift my skirt.
I became very frightened at this and managed to get my hands loose and also my gag..
I then screamed and my assailant ran downstairs and out of the front door.
At that time I felt sure that if I saw the man who assaulted, again, I would recognise him.
I subsequently attended an identification parade organised by the police and I there saw a man whom I identified as the man who came to my house on the 7th September 1961 and assaulted me.
I have today been shown two photographs of different men.
One I can't remember ever seeing before.
The other is the man I picked out at the identification parade as the man who assaulted me, and at the time said he was the "A6 murderer".
But it appears that I was wrong. *
At a later date I was invited out to lunch by a "Daily Newspaper" **
I was taken to a restraurant in South Kensington.
While I was waiting there with the two reporters a man came in who I immediately recognised as the man I had seen in the identification parade and picked out.
I left the restaurant immediately.
The above statement has been read over to me and I sign and certify it as being the truth.

SIGNED : M.Dalal
DATE : 1.1.62.

Above statement taken down by me this 1st day of January, 1962.
M.D. Oliver

* This was not volunteered by Mrs Dalal but her husband insisted that she say so.
** Mrs Dalal said "Daily Express" but her husband told her not to name it.

[NickB]

So was she still married to Zarir in 1962?

Recently she wrote a book about her life which is available on Amazon with a free ‘look inside’ of some pages. But as far as I can tell it does not mention the attack.

[Spitfire]

So was she still married to Zarir in 1962?

Recently she wrote a book about her life which is available on Amazon with a free ‘look inside’ of some pages. But as far as I can tell it does not mention the attack.

In the Kindle sample she says that she divorced Zarir in the late 1960s when she was in her early thirties.

[OneRound]

Hi Sherlock,

I've been interested to read this and thank you accordingly.

However, with apologies if I'm being particularly thick, I'm unsure where you are trying to go with it. Grateful if you could spell out any key points and concerns.

Thanks again,

OneRound