Monday, March 23, 2015

A Classic For Monday Mystery...!

Sometimes you just can't beat the classics. whether it's plays, movies,or books...the classics are hard to beat!

I'd say that this play by Agatha Christie falls into the classic catagory, but it's sa that the inspiration came from a real crime. Here's the story found on Listverse.

The Mouse Trap

The world’s longest-running theatrical play is a murder mystery by Agatha Christie. The Mouse Trap has been running for over 60 years, and its plot is loosely based on a murder that shocked wartime Britain. In 1945, a doctor was called to a remote farm in Shropshire, England to examine a sick child. The doctor declared that the boy had been dead for hours, and a murder investigation began.

Reginald and Esther Gough were foster parents to both the dead 13-year-old Dennis O’Neill and his 11-year-old brother, Terence. Both brothers suffered from malnourishment that bordered on starvation, and both had ulcerated sores and scars that likely came from constant blows. When the coroner determined that Dennis had died from a beating, the Goughs were arrested.

At first, the Goughs’ story was that the boys’ injuries had come from fighting one another and that they were being treated for their ulcerated sores. But at the trial, Esther Gough admitted that Dennis was dead when she called the doctor and that she’d neglected the boys on her husband’s orders. He controlled the household, beating his wife and cruelly starving and beating the O’Neill boys nearly every night.

The jury was only able to give Esther six months for neglect because there was less proof against her. When Reginald was convicted of manslaughter, the public raised an outcry and an appeals court changed the verdict to murder. The public also called for reforms, since Reginald had a violent criminal record before the two boys were even put into his care. The failure to protect Dennis and Terence became a key to the mystery in Agatha Christie’s famous play. More importantly, it resulted in the Children Act of 1948, which established trained officers throughout Britain to ensure the healthy development of foster children and protect them from mistreatment.

It would seem to me that the biggest mystery here is one we still face every day. How can anyone mistreat children in this manner? It seems to me that it often takes the authorities way too long to find out about abuse, mainly because so many folks just don't want to become involved. Shame on those folks that won't speak out!

Coffee out on the patio this morning, alright?

6 comments:

linda m said...

Child abuse to mean will forever remain a mystery. What kind of thrill does someone get out of hurting a defenseless human being. And people that abuse babies are the lowest of the low. Good topic for discussion around the table with a good cup of coffee.

Hermit's Baby Sis said...

Bubba -
I've seen this stage play in several venues, and even acted in it myself, but this is the first time I've ever heard it linked to a child abuse case. The play did not have either children or abuse of any kind. Go figure!
The longest continuously running play in the world (as I've probably mentioned here before) is The Drunkard, playing in Tulsa OK since 1952. The London theatre where The Mousetrap is performed had to close for 6 months for renovations, keeping their longest running play status, but losing the continuously running record. Another useless factoid ~

Chickenmom said...

Child abuse is a special kind of evil. Didn't know the real story behind the play. Coffee outside sounds good - I'll bring lemon cake bars.

HermitJim said...

Hey Linda...
Just goes to show how many sick folks have been and are still in the public. These kinds will always be a problem if not carefully monitored.

Thanks for coming by today!



Hey Sis...
I haven't figured out the reason for the inspiration either, but it seems to be something about the laws of the time. I don't know!

Thanks for coming by today!



Hey Phyllis...
Lemon cake bars sound good!

Any type of abuse against the young is beyond my comprehension. I hope they have a special place to get a taste for themselves of what it's like!

Thanks for dropping by today!

JO said...

Child abuse is the most horrible thing. In this state to many have gone unchecked and children have been killed or terrible injured. There was a big sweep not to long ago but way to late for the already dead or horrible disfigured children.

Dizzy-Dick said...

I think unspeakable things should be done to anyone who would abuse a child. So there!!!