Stanley Clifford Weyman

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Stanley Clifford Weyman (November 25, 1890 – August 27, 1960), was an American multiple

and various military officers.

Weyman was born as Stephen Jacob Weinberg

. His parents could not afford college tuition. He worked mainly in nondescript jobs but on occasion pretended to become somebody higher on the social ladder.

In 1910, Weyman's first imposture was as U.S. consul representative to Morocco. He dined in the finest restaurants in New York City, but was eventually arrested for fraud.

Next Weyman took on roles as a

, with each identity using the other as a reference. He was soon caught.

Weyman was released the second time in 1915. He then became Lieutenant Commander Ethan Allen Weinberg, Consul General for

and federal agents arrested him at the party. He was heard to complain that they should have waited until dessert. He got a year in jail.

In 1917, he took on the mantle of Royal St. Cyr, a lieutenant in the British

Armory

after a suspicious military tailor alerted the police.

Weyman was paroled in 1920. Shortly afterwards he forged credentials to become a company doctor in

. There he threw lavish parties until his credit ran out and he was arrested.

In 1921 he noticed Princess Fatima of

Willard Hotel

for the princess and her entourage. Weyman proceeded to visit the State Department, dropped names of prominent senators and succeeded in getting appointments for the princess, first with Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes, and, on July 26, 1921, with President Warren G. Harding. Weyman's minor mistakes in protocol aroused some suspicion, but after the press published pictures showing him alongside dignitaries he was indicted for impersonating a naval officer and sentenced to two years in jail.

On another occasion the Evening Graphic hired Weyman to get an interview with the visiting

. He gained admittance as the Secretary of State and the paper got its interview.

In 1926 Weyman appeared at Rudolph Valentino's funeral and attached himself to Valentino's grieving lover Pola Negri as a personal physician.^[2] He issued regular press releases on her condition and established a faith-healing clinic in Valentino's house. Pola Negri did not condemn him after he was exposed.

During

on how to feign various medical conditions.

In 1948 Weyman made up credentials to become a journalist at the

. Weyman contacted the State Department and asked whether it would affect his U.S. citizenship, thus drawing attention to himself.

In 1954 Weyman tried to get a home improvement loan of 5,000 dollars for a house that did not exist. He failed to convince the judge that he was insane.

In August 1960, Weyman was fatally shot when he tried to stop a robbery at a hotel in New York City where he was working as a night porter. The investigating detective said: "I've known about the man's past record for years. He did a lot of things in the course of his life, but what he did this time was brave."

References

• St. Clair McKelway – The Big Little Man from Brooklyn (Houghton Mifflin 1969)
• Sarah Burton – Impostors (Penguin Books 2000, pages 36–43)

External links

• Memory Palace podcast episode about Weyman