"Daily Mail" True Crime: Classic, Rare and Unseen(2009)
By Tim Hill
By Tim Hill
Sometimes, we wonder why is it that, human beings have a fascination towards murder and other heinous crimes. Just have a look at almost all prime time TV shows. They all feature killings and evil as their central pillar. Anyway, with the blurring of what used to be prime time and since now TV is on 24/7 and is cheap and is available all rooms of the house (include the toilet), the concept of prime time where the whole family would sit together after their dinner is not existent.
That propagated mini-series and soap operas that also include the above sins as well as other vices like infidelity, cheating and lying for good measure!
In the old days when one has to wait a full week for his dose of crime, with the advent of cable TV, he is on a perpetual chronic overdose!
In spite of the society's abhorrence to violence, the world we live in, animal or human kingdoms, is full of violence. In the animal kingdom, animals kill for food, mate and dominance. Humans, besides including all of the above, also consists of a group of individual who would do it for the sheer pleasure and hide under the cloak of insanity and mental derangement. Our breaking news on TV and stop press newspaper invariably involve destruction rather than some record-breaking feat. Who says crime does not pay?
The last book that I read recently is a hardcover coffee table type of compilations of stories that appeared on the British 'Daily Mail' daily. (Hardly appetising to digest during a tête-à-tête tea session.)
It covered a lot of murders and crimes involving the myriad of characters spanning all the way from the USA to England (mainly) and an Australian trial of the century case involving Mrs Chamberlain's missing baby allegedly carried away by dingos.
The book comprises newspaper cuttings of cases and analyses the background of the criminal as well as the progression of the situation in court.
The American crimes involve modern day 'Robin Hood' @ Scarface Al Capone, the romanticized Valentine Day Murder, his incarceration for tax evasion and later death by tertiary syphilis; the sad tale of falsely accused of murder of Hollywood's high grossing star of Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and his sad end; the trigger happy deadly duo of Bonnie and Clyde; the kidnapping of Charles Lindberg Jr., O. J. Simpson and his hyped trial of his estranged wife; Charles Manson and his cult and killing involving famous stars; the charismatically manipulative Ted Bundy's devious ways as well the flamboyant 'Teflon Don' John Gotti's crimes.
Over the other side of Atlantic, the daily covered extensively crimes like the Great Train Robbery where the loot was magnanimous at that era; Yorkshire Ripper and his 13 victims; the Profumo Affair where a minister had to resign over an affair with a stripper who also dated a Russian official for fear of espionage and leakage of sensitive information; the A6 senseless murder; the Krays twins and organized crimes; Teddington towpath murders of young girls; The West couple and their House of Horror where incestuous crimes, killings and burying of remains remain buried; Dr Harold Shipman- the serial killer doctor who killed 200 over patients; and many more sickening examples.
Our past violent history of killing, conquering and drawing first blood bears testimony to the fact that our civilisation is so entwined with violence and hatred that crime is here to stay for good (sic).
That propagated mini-series and soap operas that also include the above sins as well as other vices like infidelity, cheating and lying for good measure!
In the old days when one has to wait a full week for his dose of crime, with the advent of cable TV, he is on a perpetual chronic overdose!
In spite of the society's abhorrence to violence, the world we live in, animal or human kingdoms, is full of violence. In the animal kingdom, animals kill for food, mate and dominance. Humans, besides including all of the above, also consists of a group of individual who would do it for the sheer pleasure and hide under the cloak of insanity and mental derangement. Our breaking news on TV and stop press newspaper invariably involve destruction rather than some record-breaking feat. Who says crime does not pay?
| Hitchcock and his fixation in bringing murder to everyone's living room! |
The last book that I read recently is a hardcover coffee table type of compilations of stories that appeared on the British 'Daily Mail' daily. (Hardly appetising to digest during a tête-à-tête tea session.)
It covered a lot of murders and crimes involving the myriad of characters spanning all the way from the USA to England (mainly) and an Australian trial of the century case involving Mrs Chamberlain's missing baby allegedly carried away by dingos.
The book comprises newspaper cuttings of cases and analyses the background of the criminal as well as the progression of the situation in court.
The American crimes involve modern day 'Robin Hood' @ Scarface Al Capone, the romanticized Valentine Day Murder, his incarceration for tax evasion and later death by tertiary syphilis; the sad tale of falsely accused of murder of Hollywood's high grossing star of Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle and his sad end; the trigger happy deadly duo of Bonnie and Clyde; the kidnapping of Charles Lindberg Jr., O. J. Simpson and his hyped trial of his estranged wife; Charles Manson and his cult and killing involving famous stars; the charismatically manipulative Ted Bundy's devious ways as well the flamboyant 'Teflon Don' John Gotti's crimes.
Over the other side of Atlantic, the daily covered extensively crimes like the Great Train Robbery where the loot was magnanimous at that era; Yorkshire Ripper and his 13 victims; the Profumo Affair where a minister had to resign over an affair with a stripper who also dated a Russian official for fear of espionage and leakage of sensitive information; the A6 senseless murder; the Krays twins and organized crimes; Teddington towpath murders of young girls; The West couple and their House of Horror where incestuous crimes, killings and burying of remains remain buried; Dr Harold Shipman- the serial killer doctor who killed 200 over patients; and many more sickening examples.
Our past violent history of killing, conquering and drawing first blood bears testimony to the fact that our civilisation is so entwined with violence and hatred that crime is here to stay for good (sic).
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