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 manage to attend his daughter’s wedding in 1933, but by the time his granddaughter was born nine months later, Ely was in the Lewisburg federal penitentiary for selling fraudulent beer licenses and impersonating a federal agent. Would he ever learn his lesson? One would hope so and yet, sad to say, one would be disappointed. Ely seemed unable to keep his schemes on the legal side of the law. No matter what he did, he always strayed over the line. Perhaps the grass was greener on the illegal side of the fence? Certainly he could make way more money via illegal means!
Dabbling in Immigration Matters (Again)
We can presume that Ely was released from the Lewisburg federal penitentiary in mid- to late-1934. He then appears to have kept his head down, and resurfaces on 31 October, 1935, when he attempted to enter Canada at the LaColle border crossing from Vermont, near Lake Champlain. Ely gave his occupation as “briefwriter”, someone who drafts concise, persuasive documents for legal cases. This is an interesting development and suggests that perhaps he landed on his feet. Perhaps he had found a legit job? Well, this is Ely we are talking about. As we shall see, Ely had simply connected with some accomplices to assist him in his latest variation of immigration fraud. As he tried to drive into Canada, he gave his destination as the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal. His nearest relative in the US was his wife, Ida Goldsmith, residing at 140-West 69th Street, New York. Ely was entering Canada with $8, which is a rather paltry sum (about $200 today) and ultimately, his entry was rejected.
A German-Jewish couple was also rejected on the same day, at the same border crossing. Arthur and Margarete Traube were from Long Island, New York. Arthur was 57 and his wife was 33. According to the border crossing information, Arthur, born in Berlin, was a US citizen and Margarete, born in Hungary, was not. Arthur was a chemist and the couple’s destination in Canada was the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, the same destination that Ely had given. Arthur had $200 (about $4500 today) and Margarete had $0 in her possession.
(from Wikipedia)
This raising the interesting question… was Ely traveling with these two individuals? If so, what were his intentions? Was he picking up his old trade of helping people immigrate? Why would this be necessary if Arthur was a US citizen? All three were rejected under the same section of whatever Canadian immigration law the border officer used to exclude them. I dove into the records to see what I could find on Arthur and Margarete. It was an enlightening detour.
According to a German site’s online bio, Traube received his doctorate in 1901 in Berlin and worked on creating chemical processes to create colour slides and photographs: the diacrome and uvachrome processes. In 1921, the Powers Photo Engraving Company in the US acquired the American rights to the uvachrome process. Traube had formed his own company in Germany, but in the early 1930s, the economic depression and the rise of the National Socialist Party convinced him that his future lay in America, not in Germany. He sold his share of the company and, in June 1933, he and his third wife (Margarete) arrived in New York City aboard the SS Europa, having embarked in Cherbourg, France. Traube gave “Powers Bros.” as his contact in the United States and ended up working in the photochemical section of the Powers Photo Engraving Company. His long-time business partner in Munich, Ludwig Preiss, continued to run the business under the name Kunstverlag Farbenphotographie Preiss & Co, taking photographs for the National Socialists.
(From Timeline of Historical Film Colors site)
A couple of months after their failed attempt to cross the Canadian border, on 9 January, 1936, we find Arthur and Margarete Traube arriving in Miami aboard the SS Florida. Arthur and Margarete both gave their nationality as German (neither was a US citizen). Arthur had been born in Berlin and Margarete in Hungary. They gave no contacts in the USA or Germany and acknowledged that they had been staying at 4 Elizabeth St. in Glen Cove, Long Island. They wished to return to Glen Cove and reside permanently in the USA. According to the info above, the Traubes had been in the US since 1933. Perhaps Arthur’s job with the Powers company had given him a business visa which they had overstayed? Perhaps they didn’t know how to legalize their presence in the USA? Whatever the case, Arthur and Margarete were issued quota visas on 6 January, 1936, in Havana. Arthur’s visa was a Non Preferential, Quota Immigrant Visa (#48) and Margarete’s was the same (#277). They gave their last permanent residence as Munich, Germany. This suggests that Arthur and Margarete were indeed illegal aliens in the US.
If Arthur and Margarete were illegal aliens, however, why would they run the risk of leaving the USA in the faint hope of being allowed to re-enter again? What we need to know is that in the early 1930s, the USA entered into an agreement with Canada for a Pre-Examination Procedure which could be extended to illegal immigrants to facilitate their legalization. An immigrant in the United States who did not have a visa (i.e. illegal alien) could be “pre-examined” for legal admission by the US authorities. This would presumably be a process whereby the US authorities would assess the individual, their finances and their history in the US. One of the key criteria was assessing if the person had good financial supports in place. The US did not want people who were at risk of becoming a “public charge” (i.e. a welfare case). If the candidates passed muster, then they would be given pre-examination clearance. They could then leave the country as a “voluntary departure” and proceed to the nearest American consul in Canada. Once there, their pre-examination status would allow them to easily obtain a visa for permanent residence in America, and they could then reenter the United States formally as a legal admission.
Obviously, the Traubes had tried to do this via the Canadian border and failed. Perhaps Ely was persona non grata with the Canadian immigration authorities. Or perhaps the Canadian authorities discovered that Arthur was NOT a US citizen as he claimed and rejected him on those grounds. With the Canadian door slammed in their faces, Ely pivoted and decided that the American Consulate in Havana, Cuba, was their next best option. And it worked!! Arthur and Margarete had legalized their status in the USA!
And suddenly we have the first glimmers of Ely’s new scheme: “helping” illegal aliens and/or German-Jewish refugees immigrate to and/or legalize their status in the United States via another country. He had obviously first tried Canada and, failing that, was now trying the Cuban route. Ely would seize this new venture with both hands!
Cuba: America’s Back Door
While Ely did not accompany the Traube couple in 1936 from Havana to Florida, he did sail from Bermuda to New York a few months later, on 21 August, 1936, aboard the SS Britannica. He was apparently traveling alone and resided at 27 West 72nd Street in New York. Over the next two years, we find Ely making many trips to and from Cuba, to the point that one could wonder if he had opened a satellite office in Havana. But he had been disbarred from representing clients at immigration hearings, right? How could he possibly assist people if he couldn’t attend the hearings? By this point, we should know that our friend Ely always finds a way.
In 1937, Ely appears as an amicus curiae at the US District Court hearing of Harry Hudak. Harry had entered the US illegally from Canada in 1933 and had been deported back to his home country of Poland rather than his desired country of Canada. Ely’s role at the hearing was as amicus curiae, essentially an individual or organization that is not a party to a legal case, but that is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. He was essentially appearing as an expert witness. It didn’t make any difference. Harry Hudak’s appeal was rejected.
In late 1937, we also find Ely’s name in the immigration and naturalization department’s case file notes. According to these notes, Ely’s name was appearing with regular (and distressing) frequency in the departmental circulars. As we know, he was disbarred from representing clients at immigration hearings, but the circulars contain a long, and every growing, list of names of individuals associated with him.
- On 22 July, several names were added (names not listed)
- On 2 August, the name of Howard Campaigne, attorney, was added
- On 25 August, Irwin A. Klar and five others were added
- On 15 September, more names were added (names not listed)
Ely was a popular fellow with the immigration authorities, for all the wrong reasons. One wonders if the immigration authorities noticed Ely’s shift from Canadian arrivals to Havana-Miami arrivals. He had become a frequent traveler on the Cuba-Florida route, arriving in Miami on 23 February, 4 July, and 11 September. Was he accompanying aliens who wanted to legalize their entry into the United States? Perhaps even Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany? The year 1938 is, after all, the time frame during which Jürgen Ziebell was running his black market passport scheme in Berlin. And Ely was his Cuban connection. One gets the sense that Ely had found another goose that laid golden eggs.
In one of my many searches for information on Ely and his Cuban connection, I found a photograph of an envelope on a philatelic site (see above). The envelope has Ely’s New York address printed on the front (not typewritten) and was mailed from Havana. It would seem to indicate several things:
- Ely had envelopes printed with this business address on them. Maybe not quite a postage-paid envelope but something similar. This would seem to indicate that he had a need for a large supply of such envelopes. One doesn’t get letterhead or self-addressed envelopes printed unless one has a need for a large number of such documents.
- Ely had clients, or business associates in Cuba who would use such envelopes.
- Ely had a flourishing business going through Havana!
In this case, the return sender on the envelope was likely a Steinhar or Steinham. It’s hard to see as the last letter has been damaged by tearing. The envelope was sent via Registered Mail and Special Delivery, perhaps accounting for the extra postage added to the envelope.
Late in 1938, we find Ely trying a new method of travel. His earlier trips in 1938 had all taken place via ships. He would depart Havana on one day, and arrive in Miami on the following day. All of this took time. On 11 November, 1938, Ely we find Ely arriving in Miami from Cuba via an American seaplane with several other individuals aboard. Seventeen passengers were American citizens, four were Cuban nationals and one was a German, Martha Agnes Stoss, 32 years old. Of the twenty-two passengers, only Martha was held for a BS.I. (Board of Special Inquiry – essentially Secondary Inspection). Ultimately, all passengers, including Martha, were admitted to the USA. Was Martha one of Ely’s clients? Her Alien Arrivals card notes that she was accompanied by her brother-in-law, one of the American citizens on the same flight. Her race was “German” which makes me think she was likely not a Jewish refugee (usually noted as Hebrew), although her arrival through Havana is suspicious. She was admitted for one year. We know that Martha died in Richmond, VA, in 1950 as a naturalized US citizen. She could still be one of Ely’s clients, perhaps an illegal alien who wanted to legalize her status.
As we know from the case file notes of the immigration and naturalization department, the authorities were keeping a close eye on Ely, likely taking note of his frequent trips to Havana. They may have wondered… “What is he up to?” In the end, Ely made it far too easy for them to nab him.
Pride goeth before a Fall: Ely’s Stupid Mistake
On April 12 and 13, 1939, a hearing was held before Subcommittee No. 3 of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives. The committee’s topic was rather broad ranging (making it a crime to promote the overthrow of government) but also included making it a requirement to register and fingerprint aliens. The Subcommittee heard from a LOT of individuals who came to offer their point of view. The person we are most interested in was James H. Patten from Washington DC and Belton SC.
James represented the State Council of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics (NY and Virginia), the Patriotic American Civic Alliance, the American Citizenship Foundation, and several other organizations. James expounded at length on a variety of topics including providing a list of 34 “moral turpitude alien criminals” who had been admitted to the US under the Department of Labor’s 1934 pre-examination agreement with Canada. He devoted quite a lot of airtime to our friend Ely Goldsmith:
Mr. Patten: I have photostatic copies of some of these cases [entry via Canada] that are very enlightening. They have not been published. For instance, here are copies of letters written to certain aliens, other than non-quota and preference-quota aliens, alien relatives of citizens, for whom visas were granted under pre-examination privilege. The Department of State has testified before the House subcommittee on appropriations, hearings, [dates and page numbers] that it had nothing “in the slightest” to do with any such arrangement as that made in 1934 by the Department of Labor with Canadian immigration officials, whereby aliens unlawfully and illegally here can have their illegal presence in the United States legalized by sending them to Canada. I think, as illustrative of what necessarily flows from any such administrative indulgence of law-breaking or what may be called nonlaw enforcement, there inevitably develops such a racket as the one conducted in New York City by H. Ely Goldsmith. I have the original letters written by the present Commissioner of Immigration to Senator Reynolds, admitting these very abuses which I will be delighted to put in the record if necessary. Here is a racket, it seems to me, that is based entirely upon the Department of Labor’s special Canadian pre-examination arrangement. H. Ely Goldsmith openly advertises in the New York papers, “Immigration visas for sale.” Here is such an advertisement in the Daily Mirror of April 4, 1938, by the Elyton Syndicate, travel agency, Lincoln Building, run by H. Ely Goldsmith. [More on the Elyton Syndicate below.] The man that runs this racket even has access to deportation files in the Department of Labor as a result of legislation and mandamus proceedings brought here in the District of Columbia, and yet he has done time in the Atlanta and in Lewisburg Federal Penitentiaries. At Lewisburg he was USP-1242. The date of the photo I exhibit is October 13, 1934 [probably a picture of Ely at the Lewisburg Penitentiary]. In his circulars, which can be obtained at 60 East Forty-second Street, Lincoln Building–he has several telephones–he says:
“The services which this office can render fall, of necessity, into two great divisions:
1. The legal entry of people illegally in the United States by procuring for them immigration visas from Canada, Mexico, Cuba and other surrounding islands.
2. The bringing of persons to the United States as legal immigrants from European countries.
In both kinds of cases it is necessary to secure from the American consul immigration visas according to the quota of the country in which the applicant was born. The only thing different is the method of procedure.
The cost of this service, considering its importance and the fact that the person will not have to leave the United States for more than a few days is very moderate. A retainer fee is required in each case in the amount of $75, and the balance agreed upon to be paid when the alien receives his visa and is duly admitted for residence in the United States. The service rendered eliminates any necessity for an alien to go abroad, with the loss of often 6 months’ to a year’s time, and the resultant uncertainty. If the services of Mr. Goldsmith—[Patten interrupted himself to add “the jailbird who is not even a lawyer]–are availed of, the alien knows when he is leaving that he will be back within a few days as a legal resident of the United States.”
[Patten interrupts his reading of Ely’s circular to say that Goldsmith tells people how to bring aliens into the US as legal immigrants from European countries]
“It is impossible to state here all the elements which may enter into a consideration of this question [presumably bringing immigrants from Europe]. Mr. Goldsmith’s business is to coordinate the evidence in such a way as to aid the consul to make up his mind that the person on whose behalf the requisition is made will not become a public charge. For cases of that nature a retainer fee of $50 is required; an additional fee at the time the alien is granted his visa and has been legally admitted.”
[Patten continues his diatribe…] With such circulars, Goldsmith even hands out a list of satisfied patrons, a list of immigration visas “procured” during the last few months, a whole page of names, with their complete addresses. At the bottom of this page of names is the explanatory note that: “The foregoing are names of persons for whom immigration visas were procured since about January 1, 1937,” or within the previous 10 months. “You are welcome to inquire of any of them as to the success of my services,” the advertisement concludes.
Several days later, from April 20-24, 1939, a series of Joint Hearings were held before the Subcommittee of the Committee of Immigration and Naturalization from both the US Senate and the House of Representatives. They were discussing a resolution to authorize the admittance into the US of a limited number of German refugee children, presumably German-Jewish children. The Joint Hearings heard from a number of individuals, including our new friend, James H. Patten. James presented much the same evidence as at the earlier hearing. He admitted that the “real trouble maybe is that this is too much of a hobby with me”. Certainly Patten had a lot of free time on his hands and was a bit of an amateur sleuth and crusader! His comment about Ely being at the heart of the Elyton Syndicate is interesting and with a bit of sleuthing, I managed to track down a couple of references to it.
Elyton Syndicate
Patten called the Elyton Syndicate a travel agency which isn’t quite accurate. I found it on a list of newspaper syndicates where it offered “legal and semi-legal features”. Ely apparently took his business so seriously that he had his own publishing syndicate. A Hebrew language New York newspaper, The Forward (Forverts), actually contains a 1936 advertisement for Ely’s business in the classified section.
It is written in Hebrew which is difficult to translate online. With the help of Google Translate and the Do It In Hebrew site, we can figure out the overall gist of the ad:
Right Now! Naturalization Opportunities for rich European relatives to become proud immigrants.
Running ads in Hebrew-language papers may have let Ely operate under the radar of the immigration and naturalization authorities, but clearly Patten had heard about the Elyton Syndicate from somewhere. He had done his research and may even have visited Ely’s offices to pick up one of the circulars that he quoted during the hearing. Whatever, the case, it would appear that either Patten’s words had been passed along to the relevant authorities, or others already had Ely in their sights. On 6 May, 1939, the Berwick Enterprise newspaper ran this article:
IMMIGRATION SPECIALIST ACCUSED OF EXTORTION
New York, May 6 (LP)–H. Ely Goldsmith of New York, described as an “immigration specialist” was accused of extorting money from aliens on the promise he could maintain residence for them in the United States, according to an indictment opened today in federal court.
The indictment, opened in the court of Federal Judge John C. Knox, contained 22 counts and specifically charging that he obtained nine separate false affidavits showing that a number of aliens were financially able to maintain residence here. Most of his clients were from Cuba and Venezuela, according to the indictment. (Berwick Enterprise, May 6, 1939 – page 3)
The New York Times reported the indictment as well, and noted that Ely had spent two years in jail for fraud. According to the United States Attorney John T. Cahill, Goldsmith “was very diligent” in his search for illegal aliens residing in the US and had even sent a business card to Francis G. Caffey, the federal judge who had sentenced him in 1929 to two years in prison.
Oops.
That was a BIG mistake on Ely’s part… or on the part of his secretary… or his business associate. As we learned in the last post, Caffey had accurately assessed Ely as a “public menace” in 1929. Ely had NOT made a favourable impression on Caffey and when Ely’s business card landed on Caffey’s desk, we can only imagine the venerable justice’s shock. A quick phone call to his contacts and… the net around Ely tightened.
According to the NYT, Ely’s operations were based on the fact that “under the law an alien who is in the United States illegally may go to another country, apply to the American consul for a visa, and be permitted to re-enter if his application is approved and deportation proceedings have not been begun”. Ely had advertised in foreign language newspapers and on the radio inviting fearful aliens to come to his offices at 60 East 42 Street. The executive assistant to the US Attorney (Fulton) noted that Ely’s offices were “sumptuously furnished”. This is almost identical to what Josef Jakobs said about Ziebell’s offices on the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, which Josef described as being “luxuriously furnished”.
The NYT reported that “If the alien had come from a country that had quota rights and could pay a fee that ranged from $200 to $600 [$4500-$13,000 USD today], Goldsmith would undertake to help him… Goldsmith was alleged to have advised a man earning $15 a week to obtain a letter saying his salary was $25 a week.” Another newspaper noted that he was accused of falsifying affidavits and letters for American consuls in Havana and Toronto. So, essentially, this is the same business he did with Wolfgang Galiks in 1929. Ely had obviously learned nothing during his time in prison.
Ely was arrested Friday, 5 May, 1939 and held on $10,000 bail (about $225,000 USD today). Not only was he arrested, but the authorities began to round up some of his accomplices. On 11 May, 1939, less than a week after Ely was arrested, the Daily News (NY) ran this article:
VAN RIPER AGAIN IN TOILS OF U.S.
Harold Van Riper, a disbarred attorney who was sent to Atlanta Penitentiary for three years in 1932 as a naturalization racketeer, was arrested yesterday on similar charges. United States Attorney John T. Cahill said Van Riper, who lives at 140 E. 46th St., was a business associate of H. Ely Goldsmith, indicted last week after an investigation of his radio-advertised naturalization services. Cahill indicated he would attempt to force Van Riper to serve a 40-year sentence which was suspended at the time of his previous conviction.
Convicted in Alien Fraud
The trial for Ely, who was 58 years old, was set to begin on the morning 31 May, 1939, before Federal Judge John C. Knox. It was, however, postponed to 5 June. While we don’t know what happened during his trial, his subsequent conviction on the evening of 13 June, 1939, was splattered across numerous US and Canadian newspapers. I include the full text of the New York Times article as it is the most thorough:
‘AGENT’ CONVICTED IN AN ALIEN FRAUD
He is Guilty for Second Time of Helping Deportables to Get Citizenship
SERVED ONE PRISON TERMS
He Returned to Old Swindle After He Got Out–Will be Sentenced Tuesday
H. Ely Goldsmith, who had operated as an “immigration consultant” at 60 East Forty-second Street until his recent indictment, was found guilty last night by a jury in Federal court of using his talents to convert deportable aliens into naturalized citizens. He will be sentenced on Tuesday.
An expert in immigration law, Goldsmith was specifically charged with helping nine aliens to legalize their status by means of false documents which he drew up. The jury found him guilty on fifteen of twenty-two counts of the indictment.
Goldsmith was alleged to have a mailing list of persons who somehow or another smuggled themselves into the United States or entered on false papers. From time to time he added to the list. In June, 1929, Federal Judge Francis G. Caffey sentenced him to Atlanta penitentiary for two years for a similar offense.
Somehow Judge Caffey’s name got on the mailing list after Goldsmith got out of prison and got into business again. The judge received through the mails a copy of Goldsmith’s business card in which he advertised that he handled “all matters relating to naturalization of aliens and legalization of previous illegal entries.”
Government investigators had other intimations that Goldsmith had gone into his old business again and the indictment resulted after a long inquiry. Hugh A. Fulton, executive assistant to United States Attorney John T. Cahill, who prosecuted the case, declared that Goldsmith received from $200 to $600 from each alien whose status was “adjusted”.
Goldsmith was alleged to have helped aliens obtain false documents which attested that they earned substantial salaries and could be relied on to fulfill moral obligations to their families. These papers were sent to consuls abroad. Then the aliens were told to leave the country and re-enter with visas issued in Havana or Toronto. Their entry was thus legalized, the aliens could then go ahead and obtain naturalization.
Other newspapers added some extra highlights. Several noted that the maximum penalty would be 150 years behind bars and a $150,000 fine (about $3,400,000 USD today). Others revealed that his racket was so lucrative he kept spacious offices at 42nd Street and lived in a fashionable hotel off Central Park, the Pare [sic] Vendome (340 West 57 St).
One paper described Ely as a “plump little racketeer”. Another noted that Ely had been a “sore spot to the Department of Labor for twenty years”. One revealed that while Ely had been “twice sent to federal prisons, he once was sentenced to an additional fifty-two days at Lewisburg, Pa., for acting as “legal adviser” to fellow inmates.” That’s a new one! We know that he was sent to Lewisburg for the beer license scam, but we didn’t know that he managed to get time added to his sentence. Impressive.
Another newspaper added that he had been a certified public accountant until his certificate was revoked in 1932. I had wondered what had become of his accounting designation. I can’t imagine that the New York society governing accountants would have allowed a convicted felon to remain within their ranks.
A later appeal document noted that Ely’s methods “include the procuring of false certificates from supposed employers of the aliens showing that the latter had been steadily and gainfully employed, and of statements from banks showing balances on deposit, built up by the simple process of borrowing the money for the purpose of deposit, and the use of such certificates and statements, as well as statements of the aliens themselves, in making applications for immigration visas.
So, essentially, Ely built up a respectable dossier for each client with false, fraudulent or forged documents. This must have been an extremely lucrative business for him, one that he felt was worth the risk. His motivations are, however, a complete mystery. While he was making money hand-over-fist, his sister was facing impending doom in Nazi Germany. Did he make any attempts to save her? Did he use his wealth, influence and connections for an altruistic purpose? We will have to wait until the next blog post to learn what became of his sister.
But what became of Ely? Was he sentenced to 150 years in prison? His sentencing hearing was held on Tuesday, 20 June, 1939, and the newspapers reported on it the following day. Ely was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for using false documents to certify the entry of six aliens. The executive assistant to the US Attorney (Fulton) told Federal Judge Goddard that Ely “has a most brazen contempt for the functions of government. During the course of his sordid career he cost the government in excess of $100,000 in prosecutions and investigations.” I can well believe it. Ely was constantly in and out of the US court system, bringing case after case, many of which seemed comical and petty. I’m surprised he didn’t get pegged as a frivolous or vexatious litigant. Ely’s defense team, for their part, suggested that Ely should simply be put on probation. Goddard did not agree. Ely’s crimes had come home to roost and he would not be able to squirm out of this one.
(From Digital Commons – New York Law School)
Ely was once again sent down to Georgia to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. His name appears on the list of inmates in the 1940 US Census (taken 9 May). Naturally, Ely spent his time in prison busily crafting legal appeals to contest his conviction and sentence. His associate, Harold Van Riper did the same. Their appeals were not successful.
On 12 November, 1940, Van Riper’s appeal to the Supreme Court was denied. On 5 May, 1941, Ely’s appeal to the Supreme Court for a rehearing was denied. On 8 February, 1943, the Circuit Court of Appeals (Fifth Circuit) denied Ely’s appeal regarding the Parole Board’s decision to deny him parole. On 3 January, 1944, Ely’s appeal to the Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus was denied. On 31 January, 1944, Ely’s appeal to the Supreme Court for a rehearing was denied. This denial noted that “applications to individual Justices have been considered by them individually and they are denied”. This would suggest that Ely was now writing and sending his appeals to the individual judges, which is rather odd. Ely was noting if not tenacious, even if he was ultimately unsuccessful. He would kick his heels in prison for the full duration of his sentence.
Conclusion
I honestly don’t know what to make of Ely. Was he simply a stupid man who thought he was far smarter than the authorities? Did he honestly believe that he was being persecuted by the authorities? Did he see himself as a crusader for truth and justice for the “little guy”? Was he just out to make his fortune? Or was he a victim of “small man syndrome”? Did his short stature influence his psychology and behaviours? Did he overcompensate for his diminutive height be seeking to dominate in other ways?
And yet, no matter what happened to him, Ely always seemed to land on his feet. No matter what happened to him, he always came up with a new scam or scheme to fleece unsuspecting victims. He was a survivor and always managed to turn lemons into lemonade. He never gave up. He always found a way to make money. Perhaps he had some shred of decency in him, but I am having a hard time finding it.
In our next (and final) post on Ely, we’ll see if he learned a lesson from his latest stint in the federal pen. We will also take a look at the women in his life (and Van Riper’s). What became of them, as their men circulated in and out of prison?
H.Ely Goldsmith Blog Series
Part 1 can be accessed here – 3 October, 2024
Part 2 can be accessed here – 10 October, 2024
Part 3 can be accessed here – 17 October, 2024
Part 4 can be accessed here – 24 October, 2024
Part 5 can be accessed here – 31 October, 2024 (link not live until then)
References
There are many legal sites (e.g. CaseText, Case Law, that record Goldsmith’s legal cases). A few are listed below.
Ancestry – genealogical documents
New York Times – various articles
NewspaperArchives site – various articles
VLEX Case Law – 1943 02 08 – Goldsmith v. Sanford, 10467
CaseText – Appeal – 1940 Jan 8 – United States v. Goldsmith, 108 F.2d 917
Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association – The Jewish Herald – 1939 Jul 7 – page 5, bottom of page under title “Foundation to Aid Nazi Emigrants” – scan has been cut off – 1939-7-7.pdf
Cuban Philatelic Site – Envelope dated 1938 from Havana with Ely’s New York address
Deutsche Biographie – bio of Arthur Traube
George Eastman Museum – bio of Arthur Traube
World Radio History – list of Newspaper Feature, Picture and News Syndicates – includes info for Elyton – page 33 of 211 page pdf – N-W-Ayer-1939-Lists.pdf
The Forward (Forverts) – New York – Hebrew language newspaper – 1936 Oct 11 – page 19 – column 5 – about halfway down – second classified below the section title Business Directory – https://www.nli.org.il/ar/newspapers/frw/1936/10/11/01/page/19?&
Header Image by Falkenpost from Pixabay