Evening star., 1943-08-04
Weinberq
Continued From First Page. J

successfully arranged for some of
his clients to evade military service
but at the time of his apprehension
was attempting to bring about the
discharge of men already in service.
The presentation of Princess
Fatima to President Harding took
place in 1921. Weinberg met her In
New York as an official escort"
from the State Department. He
made arrangements for her party to
visit Washington. presenting her to
Mr.. Harding and afterward posing
with them for group of photogra-
pliers on the White House grounds.
While in Washington with the
Princess, Weinberg, dressed in the
uniform of naval officer, also pre-
sented her to Charles Evans Hughes.
then Secretary of State, and con-
Quoted her on general diplomatic
tour of the city.
AS a result of this masquerade.
Weinberg's activities came to the
attention of the FBI. 1t was learned
that he had previously purchased
coat from Brooklyn clothing dealer
who had trusted him for the price
of the garment because Weinberg
was dressed in Navy uniform and
represented himself as lieutenant
commander.
Weinberg was. indicted in New
York on impersonation charges in
| connection with the clothing trans
| action, and also was indicted in the
| District, charged with having falsely
represented himself as naval
/ officer. However, he was tried only
in New York, and in 1922 was SEN
fenced to two years in the Federal
Penitentiary at Atlanta.
Born in Brooklyn, Weinberg was
first arrested in 1910 on grand lar
ceny charges. He was arrested sew
eral times between 1910 and 1918,
and in the latter year carried out
his first major deception by repre-
senting himself as an attache of
the Serbian Legation, and at about
the same time as lieutenant IN
the United States Navy.
Banquet Headed OFF.
Paroled in 1915 from the State re-
formatory at Elmira, N. Y. where
he had been sent for his earlier i'm
/ persona tions. Weinberg two months
! later outfltted himself in uniform
heavily trimmed with gold braid and
| adorned with epaulets. Appearing
at a fashionable New York hotel, he
| introduced himself as the consul
general from Rumania and arranged
| a large banquet, but a hotel employe
suspected Weinberg because of his
youthfulness and because his shoes
were down at the heels" The
banquet never took place
At about the same time. he repre-
/ sented himself as the United States
consul to Morocco. and shortly
! thereafter donned the uniform of
lieutenant commander of the Navy.
boarding the battleship Wyoming,
where he introduced himself as 1t.
Comdr Ethan Allen Weinberg.
The FBI said that from 1918 to
1920, he impersonated Navy cap
tain and district political leader
in Brooklyn. During the latter part
of 1920, Weinberg represented him
! self to be doctor and appeared in
response to newspaper advertise
ment for a medical man to direct
| sanitation work for a large New
! York development company in Peru.
! Wearing naval uunform and bear
| ing overseas stripes, he landed the
! Job.
! Landed Job in Peru.
Although final choice was left to
/ a member of the staff of the medical
! clinic at a large Eastern university.
Weinbergs smooth tongue convinced
| the bona fide doctor that the two
/ had met before while Weinberg was
/ student at the university. He
| actually went to Peru, where he lived
life of luxury, but was ordered back
when his employers learned his true
/ identity.
! Weinberg, the FBI said, was at
| tracted by the publicity and atten-
| ton given people of prominence and
on numerous occasions attempted to
! associate himself with them.
| 1t was reported, the FBI said, that
| at the time of the death of Rudolph
! Valentino in 1926, Weinberg took
complete charge of the funeral and
! conducted it with his usual ostenta-
ton. When a famous Austrian sur
geon came to this country in the
early 1920s, Weinberg acted as his
secretary until his identity was re-
vealed.
Weinberg was arrested in New
York in 1927 for practicing law with
out license and was given an in
definite sentence. In the years
which followed, he occasionally came
to the attention of investigating Off
GERS, but he avoided any serious diff
culties until his recent alleged ac-