Kiss the McBride Thief (POP Part 18)

 Note from my last 2  posts: 

• Phil Ransom Hancock(October 30, 1953 – December 12, 2024) 71, American golfer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 1731 – 18 April 1802) 

So, we have a “December 12(x2)” pattern cluster.  In this case, to seek out the third, I perused the Wikipedia’s Deaths in 2024 list for any on this day who fits.  The name’s offer clues ie Phil Ransom Hancock contains a cryptic “fill ransom hand cock”. And the other contains a cryptic “erase must rob dark win”.  As I said, it is cryptic, but elements are clear ie: “ransom” and “rob/dark win” seem somewhat similar… negatively,… except the “erase must” seems to imply setting the record straight.  

In this investigation, we need to look for the name of a notable person who passed away this past December 12, who fits.  I arrive at: 

• Tommy Robb, 90, Northern Irish Grand Prix motorcycle racer.
• Ernie Beck, 93, American basketball player (Philadelphia Warriors)

I chose the two, the first because his name contains a cryptic “twin rob”.  And then Ernie Beck because it contains a cryptic “earn kiss” (bec is kiss in French Acadian).  Putting the cryptic phrases together you get “kiss the thief”.   Note from their wiki pages: 

• Tommy Robb (14 October 1934 – 12 December 2024)
•  Ernest Joseph Beck (December 11, 1931 – December 12, 2024)

Beck’s birthday prompts us to the list of notables who died on December 11, 2024, and from there I find the following that fit:  

• James Albert Smith Leach (October 15, 1942 – December 11, 2024) 
• Patrick McBride (November 13, 1943 – December 11, 2024)

Who else are you going to kiss but the McBride!!  And note the “jams leach/each”. 

So we have an “October 14, 15, __,…, 30/Date Sequence” pattern cluster .  To bridge the gap using the formula we arrive at: 

• 1888 – John Wentworth, American journalist and politician, 19th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1815)

• John Wentworth (March 5, 1815 – October 16, 1888)

Note the cryptic “went worth” in his surname.  His birthday bridges the gap in my earlier post today (POP Part 16), expanding it: 

 “March 5, April 5, May 5, __/5th Day, Month Sequence” pattern cluster

If you take into consideration the “Off By One” pattern cluster, we arrive at: 

Haritina Evstafievna Korotkevich (17 October [O.S. 5 October] 1882 – 16 October [O.S. 3 October] 1904)

And so the cluster expands again:  “October 14, 15, 16, 17, __,…, 30/Date Sequence” pattern cluster .