Dr. A.W. Frankland (FN 26-30) tells of some murderers he has known:

“Looking back over fifty years of consulting practice, I thought it worth while to consider who might be my most grateful patient. There is one who I will not ever forget, but two other stories merit brief mention with a common theme of murder involving all three accounts.

About ten years ago, a solicitor rang me asking would I go to a prison to see his client who was accused of murder. The solicitor was sure I would get the prisoner off the charge. I wondered whether I wanted to attend to help a man who was awaiting trial for murder. As I had never been inside a prison or indeed an important expert witness in a trial, I decided that I would become involved. I twice visited the prison and actually decided during the first visit, and in the first five minutes that he was not a murderer. The trial had lasted three weeks before I was called to give evidence. The Jury the next day after a very short discussion, advised the Judge that they considered the man not guilty. The next day I had a long thank you letter from the solicitor, saying that after my examination and cross- examination by the Crown and Defendant solicitors, there was no other possible verdict.

My next murder story is so complicated it could be made into a book. I can only summarize it in outline. This episode happened about fifty years ago. I was asked by the Foreign Office to go to a foreign country to see whether I could prevent a war starting between two countries. They would give me no further details, I would learn these from the British Embassy staff after I arrived. The dispute could be summarized as involving - Politics, Prime Ministers (two), Oil and Murder. I was made the Judge of the case in which it was stated the head doctor of the main hospital, a Professor, was a murderer and a liar. At the end of a long hot tiring day, I was told the evidence showed conclusively that the Professor was guilty as a murderer. Now my only function was to decide how he should die. Would I choose for him to be shot or hanged.

I persuaded the Court in any legal system both sides must give evidence. I had heard only one side. I knew he was a liar, but he was not a murderer. It took me nearly all the next afternoon before I found out why he lied. Eventually all was well. All agreed he was not guilty of murder. The doctor left immediately for his own country. I returned to the UK via Cairo. This was my first of 23 visits to this city. The Foreign Office sent me a very marvellous letter of thanks. I also had an embarrassing number of letters of thanks from the Professor's wife.

It is easy for me to pick my most grateful patient. Over thirty years ago, one Thursday afternoon, seeing patients in the Out Patient Department, the phone rang Normally my rule was not to answer the phone during work in OPD but it was from a Foreign Embassy. Would I go to advise treatment for a VIP? I could not go that weekend as requested but went the next weekend. My English speaking doctor, who I later learnt was Medical Director of their Armed Forces and a General, took me to the Palace the next morning Security was so strict that we took nearly fifteen minutes before finally meeting the all-powerful man. The doctors, and this included an American, had misdiagnosed and therefore mistreated my patient. I flew back to London the next morning About four months later the Embassy rang me up. They would be pleased if my wife, myself and up to five children would come to have lunch in the Palace. I was told the patient was cured of his complaint. I was not seeing him as a doctor but he wanted to show his appreciation and thanks. My wife, myself and one daughter (a pretty blonde aged 19) set off for our lunch three weeks later. It was VIP treatment all the way and next morning, the Presidential Car took us to the Palace. The Drawing Room was unbelievably beautiful including, I noted, a grand piano. Did he play - no he was learning but had no time even to learn. Questioning revealed that neither I nor my wife played but my daughter did. She was shy and said she could not play without music. Music was brought. She could choose. She chose Mozart. He was overjoyed. We were late going into lunch and he insisted that my daughter sat next to him. At the end of lunch he said that all women liked shopping. We could now go anywhere in the town with the interpreter, and my wife could buy whatever she wanted and he would pay. Then I made a request. Could we the next day go and see the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? His first answer was no, but eventually he changed his mind. The next day, the Presidential Car, with the very pleasant interpreter (a relative I believe), took us on a site seeing tour of Iraq. The Hanging Gardens were just ruins, not worth a visit. We were back home the following day.

I summised that my patient - Saddam Hussein - and the doctors who treated him had not read the book by Abd aILatif who was born (1162) and died (1231) in Baghdad, written in 1220 "the book of the Two Pieces of Advice". It is an extensive diatribe against "false knowledge" which is even worse than ignorance. Doctors meet many interesting subjects and I thought it worthwhile briefly to mention three such occasions in which murder was involved but I still think my last patient remains my most grateful patient. I never saw him again although I returned yearly for the next three years. After this I refused to go to Baghdad as I had learned he was now a murderer.”

The St. Beghian Society,
St. Bees School, St. Bees, Cumbria, CA27 0DS
Tel: 01946 828093
osb@st-bees-school.co.uk