The Unusual Case of H. Ely Goldsmith – Part 5: Virtually Invisible Female Relations

N.B. This is Part 5 of a 5-part series on Ely Goldsmith. Links to earlier articles are at the bottom of this post. Introduction We’ve learned a lot about Ely Goldsmith over the last four blog posts. He left a very large footprint in the court records and press. But what of his family? His

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Cuban street scene

The Unusual Case of H. Ely Goldsmith – Part 4 – The Cuban Connection

NB. This is Part 4 of a 5-part series on H. Ely Goldsmith. Links to other articles are at the bottom of this post. Introduction As the 1930s dawned, we find Ely in and out of prison. Released from the federal penitentiary in Atlanta, he was immediately taken into custody for financial fraud. He did

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The Unusual Case of H. Ely Goldsmith – Part 3: Unrepentant Convicted Felon

N.B. This is Part 3 of a 5-part series on H. Ely Goldsmith. Previous blog post links are at the bottom of this post. Introduction In the previous installment of this series, we witnessed Ely slide from a legitimate, presumably successful accountant to a sketchy, unqualified immigration consultant. Ely also put the American justice system

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The Unusual Case of H. Ely Goldsmith – Part 2 – From Respected Accountant to Shady Immigration Consultant

N.B. This is Part 2 of a 5-part series on H. Ely Goldsmith. Part 1 can be viewed here. Links to the other parts are at the bottom of this post. Introduction Ely Goldsmith seemingly had it made, carving out a new life for himself in the USA. He was a naturalized citizen. He was

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an accounting ledger with handwritten numbers

The Unusual Case of H. Ely Goldsmith – Part 1: From Berlin to New York

How does a Certified Public Accountant end up in jail, not once, but twice, for smuggling aliens into the USA? How does a tax accountant end up dabbling in passports and visas? When I first came across H. Ely Goldsmith’s name in the Swiss Archives files, I had no idea he would lead me down

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Draper, Nurse, Midwife, Spy: The Fantastical Life of Margaret Spencer

While searching for nuns and spies the other week, Google presented a few results that piqued my curiosity. All of the hits revolved around a lady named Margaret Spencer from Eastbourne. She had passed away in June 2014 and, after her death, her family revealed that Margaret had been a wartime spy. Now, this is

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The Nun Who Wasn’t: Unveiling a Spy Story Too Strange to Believe

During the Second World War, rumours of parachute spies dressed as nuns proliferated through the English countryside. Woe betide any nun who went out without her identity papers! She was likely to be arrested and frog-marched to the nearest police station. Of course, we now know those rumours were unfounded. But then… I overheard heard

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From the Mailbox: Echoes of Spies, Refugees, and Court Martials – September 2024

I have received some fascinating mail over the last few months. I am always a bit shocked when people write to me, seemingly out of the blue, and claim their connection to one of the historical figures that I have written about. In so many ways, we are all connected, and these stories, the stories

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