A couple of British ones, both with interesting stories.
Jim Phelan, though probably born Whelan, was sentenced to death in the
1920s for a murder he did not commit. Apparently was found guilty
because he had earlier threatened the victim and was found carrying a
gun in a neighbouring street. The fact he was not present at the crime
did not matter. Wrote crime fiction as well a memoir of his prison life
and life on the road as a gentleman of the road.
Zeno was the name which appeared on a number of the novels in the 1960s
and 1970s. Born Gerald Lamargue he was quite a character, starting at
school when he ran off with money stolen from the school. Joined the
army in WW2, using the name of a Friend, Ken Allerton. Anyway, got
married and had a family, then ran off with another woman. She then
ran off with someone else. Lamarque followed them and shot the
boyfriend dead in a Welsh hotel. Fortunately his crime was considered
a crime of passion and he avoided the death penalty. While in prison
started writing. Released ran off with a female warden, once again as
Ken Allerton.
Quite a piece of work apparently, probably not a man to cross. Even
boasted he helped the spy George Blake to escape.
regards
John
--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "davezeltserman" <davezelt@...>
wrote:
>
> And then you've got Richard Marinick (Boyos) who was both a
> Massachusetts state trooper and did a 10 year stretch for armed
robbery.
>
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