A couple of days ago I suggested that the case of Madeleine McCann told us something imporant about the way we live now.But the instinct that there is nothing new under the sun is usually the right one. In today's Guardian Ian Jack draws parallels between the McCann case and the kidnap of Charles Lindbergh's baby son in 1932:
Whatever the McCanns achieved in publicity - the visit to the Pope, the wristbands, the words of David Beckham and Gordon Brown - was both prefigured and far exceeded by the Lindbergh baby.
By midnight there were road blocks all across the state; the next day 100,000 police and volunteers were sweeping the countryside and 400 journalists had gathered in the Lindberghs' garden. Aircraft circled to take pictures. Presidents, prime ministers and the Prince of Wales extended their hope and sympathy. Al Capone offered his help from jail.
Such was public vigilance that a car with New Jersey number plates was stopped 109 times on its way home from California.
Isn't it more like Lord Lucan?
ReplyDeleteGiven the supposed political connections.
I suspect the main difference is that the Police in the Lindbergh case had good reasons to believe a third party was involved.
ReplyDelete