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#Post#: 2077--------------------------------------------------
What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: August 27, 2023, 9:44 am
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It pays to pay attention.
Considering how many times I've looked at this article, I should
already know that it mentions what Ali was going to do after he
arrived in France.
Not only do I have the article, but on Newspapers. Com, the
person listed as having clipped this article over a year ago was
Nina!
I had originally read the article to locate what Inspector
Byrnes said in defense of Det. Frink and didn't think of reading
the whole goddamned thing. I casually asked Nina what she
thought Ali did when he got to France, this morning, as I am
currently digging into Ovide Robillard's career, and I noticed
that Robillard immediately took off for Montreal after guiding
the soon-to-be farmhand to the La Touraine to guarantee he got
on the ship. She looked at me and said she'd already sent that
information some time ago.
According to this article, he was headed to get his hands dirty
at farm work....a farmhand.
Finally! A real farmhand in the story after all !!!!!
New York Sun
April 24, 1902
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/TlJz5EQ.jpg
#Post#: 2079--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: Kattrup
Date: August 30, 2023, 4:49 am
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Hi Howard
I read it some time ago, I remember reading that the wife had
died.
That means that someone in Algeria knew about Ali and had sent
information to the US, either to the papers or to Robillard?
Was his family’s fate mentioned during the trial?
At any rate, the passage about him going to a farm reads to me
like a temporary posting - the French government perhaps
securing him a place as a farmhand.
#Post#: 2080--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: August 30, 2023, 7:26 am
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I read it some time ago, I remember reading that the wife had
died.
That means that someone in Algeria knew about Ali and had sent
information to the US, either to the papers or to Robillard?
Was his family’s fate mentioned during the trial?
At any rate, the passage about him going to a farm reads to me
like a temporary posting - the French government perhaps
securing him a place as a farmhand.
-Pete-
That's what made me shake my head, Pete. I've read the article
on at least two, maybe three, occasions, but for some reason, I
simply overlooked that part about our boy going off to work on a
farm.
It had to be the French Government who looked for his family.
They'd have the financial resources to search for them. They
touched base with someone who knew him and that person evidently
informed them that Ali's wife had died.
On July 3rd, the New York Sun quotes Ali during his disastrous
appearance on the witness stand as mentioning his wife and
child, but not children. I've posted the excerpt.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/L4GmA3H.jpg
That he had a family was definitely brought up in the
newspapers, prior to the trial. There was never a mention of his
wife having died or where the kids were other than they were
presumed to be back in Algeria.
The French Government was undoubtedly behind him in acquiring a
job back home.
#Post#: 3385--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: October 7, 2024, 8:32 pm
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Pete, Mike....
I re-read some editions of the New York Sun and came across this
bit. Ali's hometown is mentioned.
It was Biskra. I've also sent this on to Abdelouahab over in
Algeria.
I kick myself in the ass for not bringing this up a long time
ago since I had this...a long time ago. >:(
HTML https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biskra
New York Sun
June 26, 1891
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/BjXny6a.png
#Post#: 3386--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: Kattrup
Date: October 8, 2024, 2:17 am
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Good spot, Howard, I missed that one too.
In terms of it helping to findAli, I don’t hold out much hope,
since he was only born there. Maybe grew up there until he
joined the army.
When he left for greener pastures, he and his family were
living in Beni Aichi.
If you’re offering clues to Abdelouaheb Aissaoui, I personally
think Ali’s army papers and possible hospitalization would be
the most likely to still have an archival presence.
French army archives would reside in France, I think, it’s more
likely that the hospital has some records in Algeria.
#Post#: 3387--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: October 8, 2024, 6:33 am
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If you’re offering clues to Abdelouaheb Aissaoui, I personally
think Ali’s army papers and possible hospitalization would be
the most likely to still have an archival presence.
You're probably right, Pete. I will pass this on to Abdel.
Thanks.
#Post#: 5377--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: Jose Oranto
Date: August 30, 2025, 12:23 pm
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The closest thing I can find to Beni Aishi is Beni Aïssi, I
guess it's the same thing... this appears in the New York
Medical Journal of July 11, 1891 (AZ). In East Side Story, it
appears that Sperco said that he and Ali were both born in the
village of Biskra. These two places were 350 km apart. Are there
any other sources that determine Ali's hometown? Which of the
two places would be more likely in your opinion?
#Post#: 5378--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: Kattrup
Date: August 30, 2025, 1:19 pm
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--- Quote from: Jose Oranto link ---
>
> The closest thing I can find to Beni Aishi is Beni Aïssi, I
guess it's the same thing... this appears in the New York
Medical Journal of July 11, 1891 (AZ). In East Side Story, it
appears that Sperco said that he and Ali were both born in the
village of Biskra. These two places were 350 km apart. Are there
any other sources that determine Ali's hometown? Which of the
two places would be more likely in your opinion?
>
--- End Quote ---
Jose, Sperco wasn’t born in Biskra, so the information ‘s
flawed.
In my opinion, it’s a misunderstanding that arose at some point
and was repeated in some articles.
Perhaps Sperco mentioned that he’d been to Biskra, and Ali had
also been there - sort of looking for common ground, places
they’d both been. Not uncommon when meeting foreigners- “oh
you’re Spanish? I went there once, Barcelona, are you from
around there?” - “No but I was posted there while in the army,
so I know it well. When were you there?” etc.
I’ve no doubt Ali was from Beni Aishi
#Post#: 5379--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: August 30, 2025, 1:22 pm
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Jose:
This article was posted on this thread a while ago:
New York Sun
June 26, 1891
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HTML https://i.imgur.com/BjXny6a.png
Site member, our man in Algeria, writer Abdelouahab Aissaoui
sent this to me in July of this year:
I’ve been asking the inhabitants of the town of beni Aïcha
about Amer Ben Ali, and I’ve been searching through French
documents and websites and even contacting them, but
unfortunately, they haven’t replied.
However, I came to the conclusion that the Beni Aïcha he came
from is located in the south, in Biskra. This tribe or family
later migrated to the northeast of Algeria to resist the French
occupation. Based on this, the village was named after the tribe
(Beni Aïcha). It seems that Amer Ben Ali never entered Algeria,
as I haven’t found his name in the Algerian civil status
records, which are now digitized and searchable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
However.......go to the A to Z and look up Sperco's entry again.
He wasn't from Algeria. He was born in Turkey. His father was
born in Corsica, and his mother in the Netherlands.
He was married in a Catholic church.
Could he have been in Beni Aicha or Biskra at one time?
Possibly.
Yet, he wasn't born there. Nina found all his details ( dob,
location, etc.)
I'm with Pete 100 percent on this. In fact, the French Consul
received information from Algeria on Ali's background
which confirmed his military record and that he had a wife and
two kids back home....in Beni Aicha.
#Post#: 5381--------------------------------------------------
Re: What Ever Happened To Frenchy ?
DIR By: Jose Oranto
Date: August 30, 2025, 1:47 pm
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Thanks to both of you!
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