Subject
Rouse (fwd)
Date
Body
Dear Phil & Peter,
I wrote the posting below a few days ago but I'm not certain I
sent it out. Forgive me if I have. Since last writing I have read J.C.
Cannel's _New Light on the Rouse Case_ (1930). Cannel was the man who
covered the case for the Daily Sketch and knew most of those involved
(except Rouse). ALthough Normanton's foreword to her volume covers some
of the material that was not allowed under the rules of evidence, Cannel
gives a good bit more and quotes the work of other journalists. Twenty
papers were represented at the trial and somebody was feeding them
material from Rouse & others-- for money. It seems Rouse had a
considerable history of car insurance fraud and Cannel seems to imply that
Mrs. Rouse might have been involved. (She had taken out additional
insurance [but not much] shortly before the accident.)
Like Normanton, Cannel mentions the German case of Karl Erich
Telzner (executed Regensburg 2 May 1931) in which Telzner had burned
victim in the car. Cannel remarks that Rouse probably knew of the case. I
have not been able to trace that case. Phil, does the Lexis data base have
anything on foreign legal cases that old? Other ideas? Peter--were you
able to (or interested in) looking at the Rul' issues for the 6 Nov
1930-15 March 1931 period? I think it much more likely that VN would have
gotten the information from the Russian emigre paper Rul' (founded by his
father and which he probably got free as a frequent contributor) than the
_Daily Sketch- or other British papers which would have been scarce and
realtively expensive in Berlin.
Best, Don
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 12:25:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Donald Barton Johnson <chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu>
To: Phil Howerton <howerton@vnet.net>
Cc: "Peter A. Kartsev" <petr@glas.apc.org>
Subject: Rouse
Gentlemen:
I have now gone over the Helena Normanton _Trial of A.A. Rouse_,
(which has, BTW, photos of Rouse and several of the burned out car) &
Rouse's posthumous confession), the 1965 American DESPAIR (plus
spot-checking the Russian) and all of Boyd's info on DESPAIR. I also
checked VN's published correspondence.
There is absolutely no doubt that VN knew of the Rouse case since
he refers to it (albeit not by name) in Chapter X of both the Russian &
English versions (p. 203 in my hardback Putnam 1965 edition & 185 in my
1978 Ardis reprint of the original 1936 Russian edition.
The case received very heavy coverage in the British press in
several British papers. Rouse somehow got information to journalists
while in jail (or "gaol"). J.C. Cannel of "The Daily Sketch" staff also
wrote a book about the case which I have ordered. The Normanton book is
part of the "Notable British Trials" series and was republished in 1952.
In it Normanton, herself a lawyer, provides a detailed Introduction in
which she surveys and case. The remainder of the volume follows the
testimony day by day--mostly as relayed by Normanton rather than as direct
transcript which she apparently relied on in putting together her volume.
The confession (which was written after the 26-30 Jan. 1931 trial in
which Rouse pleaded innocent) is reprinted in the Appendices. The trial
record does not shed much new light on the matter as far as VN is
concerned--with one exception: the bit about sawing off the victim's leg
to fit the narrow car seat. (VN, of course, does not have Hermann set his
car on fire with Felix inside.) Rouse did not saw off the leg but a
charred leg piece was sticking out of the car which was far too narrow (3'
4") for the body. THis is what Vn alludes to in the Chapter X passage. In
that passage, BTW, VN's (or Hermann's) vehement denial of any similarity
of his crime to the {Rouse} case is false. It is part of a "deniability
device" that VN often used to alert the careful reader. ALso note that the
[Rouse] case is not the only one VN denies similarity to. Normanton
mentions other similar cases from about the same time. I quote:
"Another curious feature of this case was that its suggestion may
have been due, more or less, to a war spy story published in the _Evening
Standard_ in January 1929, or else that work of fiction---_The W Plan," by
Mr. Graham Seton---intelligently anticipated in certain ways what Mr.
Rouse did with his car and his passenger. The crime of Rouse was also
paralleled by those of two German murderers, both of whom killed motor car
passengers to obtain insurance money. The first Karl Erich Telzner,
confessed to his crime and was executed at Regensburg,..., on 2nd May,
1931 (xlii)."
VN often merged multiple sources, so these should be checked out.
I've ordered the Seton book and shall look into the Telzner case which is
of special interest since it was German.
A couple of things emerged from my rereading of DESPAIR. In the
English but not the Russian VN named Herman's car "Icarus." ALthough
Herman doesn't burn his car, the name is intriguing since it might reflect
the Rouse's "Blazing Car" -- which was a tag for the case in the British
papers and in Cannel's book title. Icarus of course met his death went he
flew too close to the sun and the wax in his wings melted. Cf. Rouse &
Hermann. Also of interest is Ardalion's outraged letter to Herman (214-15,
chapter XI & 190 in Russian). Ardalion throughout refers to Herman as "a
wild boar" (kaban). In the Russian: "Vy ochen' poxozhii na bol'shogo
strashnogo kabana s gnilymi klykami, naprasno ne naryadili takogo v svoi
kostyum" (197). The 1966 English version significantly substitutes the
words "a roasted one" for "takogo" [such a one]: "---a pity you did not
put a roasted one into that suit of yours" (216). Finally, both in the
trial record and VN's novel, both protagonists are inspired liars or
fantasizers. (On the lighter side, the two accounts share an "excretia"
motif. Details on request.) It would be interesting to check the very rare
1936 British translation of DESPAIR. The Rouse case would have still been
in publish memory at the time.
My guess is still that VN got the news about the case from Russian
emigre publications, most likely Rul' (The Rudder) with which he had close
connections. This could be checked out. I doubt that checking into the
"Daily Sketch" pieces would add much.
I have cursorily skimmed the criticism on DESPAIR. I am quite
certain that the Rouse connection and details are new. Theere is quite a
lot on the "double theme" and the Dostoevsky connection.
I'm not sure how you wish to proceed. There is certainly material
for a short piece in THE NABOKOVIAN (max circa 6-8 pages?) and the
Annotation Editor, Gene Barabtarlo has expressed interest. Or a more
substantial essay could be submitted to NABOKOV STUDIES or other academic
journal. I think it very likely that NA would take it. Perhaps a
collaboration of some sort?
Best, Don
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618
I wrote the posting below a few days ago but I'm not certain I
sent it out. Forgive me if I have. Since last writing I have read J.C.
Cannel's _New Light on the Rouse Case_ (1930). Cannel was the man who
covered the case for the Daily Sketch and knew most of those involved
(except Rouse). ALthough Normanton's foreword to her volume covers some
of the material that was not allowed under the rules of evidence, Cannel
gives a good bit more and quotes the work of other journalists. Twenty
papers were represented at the trial and somebody was feeding them
material from Rouse & others-- for money. It seems Rouse had a
considerable history of car insurance fraud and Cannel seems to imply that
Mrs. Rouse might have been involved. (She had taken out additional
insurance [but not much] shortly before the accident.)
Like Normanton, Cannel mentions the German case of Karl Erich
Telzner (executed Regensburg 2 May 1931) in which Telzner had burned
victim in the car. Cannel remarks that Rouse probably knew of the case. I
have not been able to trace that case. Phil, does the Lexis data base have
anything on foreign legal cases that old? Other ideas? Peter--were you
able to (or interested in) looking at the Rul' issues for the 6 Nov
1930-15 March 1931 period? I think it much more likely that VN would have
gotten the information from the Russian emigre paper Rul' (founded by his
father and which he probably got free as a frequent contributor) than the
_Daily Sketch- or other British papers which would have been scarce and
realtively expensive in Berlin.
Best, Don
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 12:25:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Donald Barton Johnson <chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu>
To: Phil Howerton <howerton@vnet.net>
Cc: "Peter A. Kartsev" <petr@glas.apc.org>
Subject: Rouse
Gentlemen:
I have now gone over the Helena Normanton _Trial of A.A. Rouse_,
(which has, BTW, photos of Rouse and several of the burned out car) &
Rouse's posthumous confession), the 1965 American DESPAIR (plus
spot-checking the Russian) and all of Boyd's info on DESPAIR. I also
checked VN's published correspondence.
There is absolutely no doubt that VN knew of the Rouse case since
he refers to it (albeit not by name) in Chapter X of both the Russian &
English versions (p. 203 in my hardback Putnam 1965 edition & 185 in my
1978 Ardis reprint of the original 1936 Russian edition.
The case received very heavy coverage in the British press in
several British papers. Rouse somehow got information to journalists
while in jail (or "gaol"). J.C. Cannel of "The Daily Sketch" staff also
wrote a book about the case which I have ordered. The Normanton book is
part of the "Notable British Trials" series and was republished in 1952.
In it Normanton, herself a lawyer, provides a detailed Introduction in
which she surveys and case. The remainder of the volume follows the
testimony day by day--mostly as relayed by Normanton rather than as direct
transcript which she apparently relied on in putting together her volume.
The confession (which was written after the 26-30 Jan. 1931 trial in
which Rouse pleaded innocent) is reprinted in the Appendices. The trial
record does not shed much new light on the matter as far as VN is
concerned--with one exception: the bit about sawing off the victim's leg
to fit the narrow car seat. (VN, of course, does not have Hermann set his
car on fire with Felix inside.) Rouse did not saw off the leg but a
charred leg piece was sticking out of the car which was far too narrow (3'
4") for the body. THis is what Vn alludes to in the Chapter X passage. In
that passage, BTW, VN's (or Hermann's) vehement denial of any similarity
of his crime to the {Rouse} case is false. It is part of a "deniability
device" that VN often used to alert the careful reader. ALso note that the
[Rouse] case is not the only one VN denies similarity to. Normanton
mentions other similar cases from about the same time. I quote:
"Another curious feature of this case was that its suggestion may
have been due, more or less, to a war spy story published in the _Evening
Standard_ in January 1929, or else that work of fiction---_The W Plan," by
Mr. Graham Seton---intelligently anticipated in certain ways what Mr.
Rouse did with his car and his passenger. The crime of Rouse was also
paralleled by those of two German murderers, both of whom killed motor car
passengers to obtain insurance money. The first Karl Erich Telzner,
confessed to his crime and was executed at Regensburg,..., on 2nd May,
1931 (xlii)."
VN often merged multiple sources, so these should be checked out.
I've ordered the Seton book and shall look into the Telzner case which is
of special interest since it was German.
A couple of things emerged from my rereading of DESPAIR. In the
English but not the Russian VN named Herman's car "Icarus." ALthough
Herman doesn't burn his car, the name is intriguing since it might reflect
the Rouse's "Blazing Car" -- which was a tag for the case in the British
papers and in Cannel's book title. Icarus of course met his death went he
flew too close to the sun and the wax in his wings melted. Cf. Rouse &
Hermann. Also of interest is Ardalion's outraged letter to Herman (214-15,
chapter XI & 190 in Russian). Ardalion throughout refers to Herman as "a
wild boar" (kaban). In the Russian: "Vy ochen' poxozhii na bol'shogo
strashnogo kabana s gnilymi klykami, naprasno ne naryadili takogo v svoi
kostyum" (197). The 1966 English version significantly substitutes the
words "a roasted one" for "takogo" [such a one]: "---a pity you did not
put a roasted one into that suit of yours" (216). Finally, both in the
trial record and VN's novel, both protagonists are inspired liars or
fantasizers. (On the lighter side, the two accounts share an "excretia"
motif. Details on request.) It would be interesting to check the very rare
1936 British translation of DESPAIR. The Rouse case would have still been
in publish memory at the time.
My guess is still that VN got the news about the case from Russian
emigre publications, most likely Rul' (The Rudder) with which he had close
connections. This could be checked out. I doubt that checking into the
"Daily Sketch" pieces would add much.
I have cursorily skimmed the criticism on DESPAIR. I am quite
certain that the Rouse connection and details are new. Theere is quite a
lot on the "double theme" and the Dostoevsky connection.
I'm not sure how you wish to proceed. There is certainly material
for a short piece in THE NABOKOVIAN (max circa 6-8 pages?) and the
Annotation Editor, Gene Barabtarlo has expressed interest. Or a more
substantial essay could be submitted to NABOKOV STUDIES or other academic
journal. I think it very likely that NA would take it. Perhaps a
collaboration of some sort?
Best, Don
D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618