Detective Piggot's cas

by Kevin Morgan

Welcome to hell, a world at war. The streets of old Melbourne are no longer a tidy grid but fractured with laneways like cracks in old varnish, a hotchpotch of chaos, of shanties and factories, woodpiles and chimneys, the city smouldering under its bludgeoned sky. Here, crime flourishes, the damaged fester and the wicked plot. Detective Piggott’s Casebook presents for the first time the inside facts on ten of the most significant Victoria Police investigations of the early 20th century, drawing on the long-hidden personal papers of forensic pioneer and Melbourne’s own Sherlock Holmes, Frederick Piggott (1874–1962), who joined the Melbourne CIB in 1912 and whose investigations covered many of the state’s most gruesome and mysterious crimes, including the infamous murder of Alma Tirtschke and the subsequent wrongful hanging of Colin Ross. These uncensored accounts expose the graphic and often perplexing nature of the period’s criminal investigation work and point to the dawn of a new era in Australian crime detection.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Mystery

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Kevin Morgan is an Australian author and researcher renowned for his investigative work into historical legal injustices. His notable book, "Gun Alley: Murder, Lies and Failure of Justice," delves into the 1921 wrongful conviction and execution of Colin Campbell Ross for the murder of 12-year-old Alma Tirtschke in Melbourne. Morgan's meticulous research played a pivotal role in posthumously pardoning Ross in 2008, marking Australia's first pardon of a judicially executed individual.
Beyond "Gun Alley," Morgan has authored several other works, including a biography of Ramsay MacDonald, reflecting his diverse interests and commitment to uncovering historical truths.

Reviews

[Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been reading this book for well over a year, frankly it seems like a lot longer. I almost gave it up a couple of times but my curiosity regarding several points kept me reading. I first heard about this book in a favorable review that peaked my interest in the early use, and evolution, of forensics science. I then waited for the book quite a while after reading the review as it had yet to be published in the States. Alas I wish I could say the wait was worth it but I found the book to be pretty dry and it left me conflicted about those points I was curious about.

Piggott never came alive for me. I got the impression he didn't come alive for the author either, the cases maybe, the man no. Some of these cases were open and shut requiring little if any detection and I puzzled why they were included. Several cases had very little of Piggott in them at all. As a matter of fact the case titled "Father" had so little, concentrating on the perpetrator and his mental state at the time of the crime, it almost felt like it belonged in another book.

The conflict this book left me with came from the legend of Piggott's arrest and conviction rates versus the truth behind them. Though there is no question he was a revolutionary thinker utilizing techniques that were in their infancy, and because of his reputation for this was entrusted by the governing authority of Melbourne with a mission to travel to other countries and study their methods of detection, the ways he sometimes twisted what he found with these techniques is questionable, and in some cases have subsequently been proven to be completely wrong. In spite of this questionable misreputation of evidence, and facts, the author never ceases to try and cast Piggott in a positive light even when relating the grievous errors of his way. Sadly if you end up manipulating the evidence you find to support your own preconceived notions it doesn't make you very good at your job, even if the methods you use are groundbreaking.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fredrick Piggott joined the Victorian Mounted Police in 1898 and throughout his career he took part in a number of investigations of crimes that made headlines in Victoria's early 20th century. He is best know for his participation the case of the murdered school girl Alma Tirtschke of the infamous Gun Alley murder. Kevin Morgan has not only researched the events of the time but also Piggott's long-hidden personal papers. What this book offers is not just a history of some of Victoria's more gruesome and mysterious crimes, it is also an insight into the early development of forensic investigation and police work in the state.

[tellemonstar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a true-crime novel, based on the case books of a high-profile Victorian policeman named Fredrick Piggott who served in country Victoria and Melbourne during the early part of the 20th century.

I enjoyed Detective Piggott’s Casebook. I was one of those kids who quite willing read the ‘Casebook of Forensic Medicine’ in high school. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I enjoy the psychology of police work and crime detection, and also like to learn about the history of forensic science. This book highlighted some of the first uses of blood-spatter analysis and crime scene photographs in crime solving in Australia.

I particularly liked the fact that this book didn’t just shine the light on the good side of things, nor did it just cover the good things Piggott did. It gave you a fairly decent analysis of what was not so great about some of the detective work back then, and how it certainly has changed a lot now. It was also interesting to see the historical side of things, going from travelling by train and horse, to eventually all stations having a police car.

If you enjoy true-crime novels, and also enjoy the history of forensics then I would recommend giving this book a go.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting idea to write a book based on a detectives notes. This book sheds some light on what seems to be a rougher and nearly lawless Melbourne at the start of the century as well as Piggott's pioneering forensic methods that were a first in Australia.
This book never developed Piggott's character and I was confused how I should feel about him after finishing the book. He 'solved' the Gun Alley murder by presenting hair samples to the jury. However, later we find out an innocent man was convicted and executed for this crime. Piggott also appeared to put his intuition ahead of due process in the Caulfield murder and handled that investigation in a very sloppy manner. He introduced Australia to a few new ideas and concepts but I didn't find any of his his investigative techniques to be all that impressive. Is this the takeaway the author was intending?
Kevin Morgan for the majority of the book did a great job selecting cases to include. The 'father' chapter did nothing to develop Piggott's character and was an open and shut case with absolutely no mystery whatsoever. I'm not sure why he included that case.
All in all, it was an enjoyable book about the city's darker days. I plan on visiting the state library in Melbourne and looking through the case files on cite.

[Jas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting read, goes into the life of Detective Piggott as well as a select few cases with an amazing amount of detail.

It's a pretty good read to understand how police work was done before technology and overpopulation took over. Hearing a persons testimony was taken as truth without question. Evidence was linked to what people could remember about victims and the nature of people was questioned in depth as suspects.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. The stories were very well researched and well written, but we are left with an awkward portrait of Piggott himself. His mistakes, which are many, are noted but the tone remains unfalteringly glowing. I'm left feeling a bit confused about the detective. The cases, however, are thrilling and paint an excellent portrait of Victoria and Melbourne at the time.

[Alison Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at early detective work in Victoria.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated M for “Meh”.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fascinating insight into crime in 1920's Victoria, however borderline sensationalist hyperbole.