Who Killed Sir Harry Oakes?

Rating:
Summary: The murder of the century everyone forgot
Review: Sir Harry Oakes, his place in the minds of pre-WWII well-to-do, his connections with the rich, powerful and regal, and finally, his spectacular homicide and bumbled investigation all make it a worthwhile area of interesting esoterica. I don't believe this is the best work ever written about Oakes or his murder(ers), but it's one of the few books about it still available. It's middling good place to try to read about a fascinating man and an incident that briefly took the attention of the world away from profound events elsewhere. If you enjoy this and it makes you hungry for more you might try hunting down, The Life and Death of Sir Harry Oakes by Geoffrey Bocca as a captivating follow-up.

Rating:
Summary: A Most Scandalous History
Review: The 'Foreword" provides a summary. Sir Harry Oakes became one of the richest men in the world by discovering gold in Ontario. He did not inherit his fortune, or make it by exploiting any person, company, or country. His gruff crude manner masked his erudition. This book lacks an index and a table of contents. Chapter 1 tells the history of Sir Harry Oakes and Alfred de Marigny to 1943. After Sir Harry Oakes' strange death, de Marigny was arrested for the murder. The prison doctor who examined de Marigny saw "no marks of any burns" (p.25), and was immediately dismissed! Barker and Melchen poisoned Lady Oakes' mind against de Marigny (p.26). Nancy remained loyal to her husband. The most damning evidence against de Marigny was his fingerprint at the murder scene (p.29). When the Commissioner of Police could testify to de Marigny's presence earlier that day, the Commissioner was transferred far away to prevent this testimony (p.29)! De Marigny's driver was beaten to try to make him testify against de Marigny! The two watchmen on duty the night of the murder disappeared (p.31). Nancy hired Raymond Schindler, the famous private detective (p.30). A very powerful person was trying to murder an innocent victim (p.32).

Many of the witnesses that testified were not present at the time of the murder. What some witnesses claimed to know did not match what they really knew (p.35). Harold Christie was very ill at ease in the witness box, and sweated profusely as if terrified (p.39). Captain Melchen did not know of the fingerprint until the funeral (p.51). This fingerprint was not photographed in situ, but lifted. It did not show the background, unlike the example given in court (p.66). Chapter 5 tells about the Normandie fire, and suggests this sabotage was part of a scheme. The Federal Government would ally with Organized Crime. Page 90 offers and explanation of this arson; page 91 explains the death of a witness. The story of the racket in 'Engine Parts' is on page 102. Chapter 6 gives the biography of Harold Christie, a visionary businessman who was self-made. Did de Marigny remind the Duke of a former boyfriend of the Duchess (p.116)? The House of Assembly first considered how any development helped them (p.118). Captain H. Montgomery Hyde found lax security in the Bahamas (pp.130-134). The very rich could buy anything in the world, except happiness for their children (p.136). One threat of Axel Wenner-Gren was as a competitor to US investors in Mexico (p.142). Sir Harry Oakes preferred gold over paper money (p.144). Could he have been the inspiration for "Goldfinger"?

James Leasor used his writing skills to fill in the unknown parts of this story. It relates Sir Harry Oakes' murder to a bigger picture. De Marigny's 'not guilty' verdict was met with popular approval (p.219). The 'Epilogue' tells of subsequent events. The DEA estimates that 80% of the drugs smuggled into the US come through the Bahamas. Their profits are laundered through the many banks there. The Playboy Casino was constructed on the site of Sir Harry Oakes' house (p.246). Independence for the Bahamas was followed by a loss of safety and personal security. But don't other gambling locales also attract criminals?