Laid to rest in the "Field of Honor" under an alias
...We don't even know his real name. The central figure in this stranger-than-fiction story is as much a mystery as the events surrounding him. A man who wove his way all across North America over many decades, leaving a long trail of stories, identities and broken hearts in his wake. A charismatic and magnetic man who could command every room, who could inspire the imagination and capture the love of so many. Until the illusion was shattered. |
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Dr. Robert Vernon Spears was only one of his aliases. But it was his longest and arguably the most successful. For 10 years he masqueraded as a physician—advertizing in his local yellow pages as an MD, a medical doctor. During this era of his life, he became one of the best-known minds in mid-century American alternative medicine, rising to become the president of the Texas Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a Trustee of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
Yet before that he had a far more extensive resume of names and identities, including a journalist in Minneapolis, a WWI Aviator and war hero, a real estate mogul in Los Angeles, an engineer, a salesman, a leading hypnotist, and a master forger. Decades ahead of his time, he even posed as a new age guru. In the 1920's he took on the "real-life Gatsby" persona of Oscar L.A. Delano, one of America's richest playboys.
The "roaring twenties" was an era when crime was rampant and even glamorised by a growing anti-establishment gangster culture. But Spears was not a gangster. Or violent. Instead he joined the ranks of the more sophisticated, suave "professional" criminals — the confidence men.
He had a cat and mouse relationship with the law. And his criminal resume was far from ordinary. He was proud of his craft — the genteel, nonviolent and sophisticated nature of the confidence game. Posing as a Canadian using forged paperwork he had himself deported to Canada on multiple occasions in an attempt to evade authorities. |
"The world is what
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He was indeed a World War I aviator, assigned to the 314th Aero Squadron at Stonehenge, England. Although he was a sergeant rather than a lieutenant as he claimed. He lies buried in the "Field of Honor" at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas under the alias of Robert Vernon Spears. But — as the lasting legacy of a confidence man — this is not even his real name.
Professional genealogists, including those who worked on Self-Styled, have been stumped by his lineage. Based on available evidence he was born in Cassville, Missouri, the son of a mysterious woman named Matilda--who also used many names, even on official documents. These documents indicate that "Robert Vernon Spears" was born either Clyde Stringer or Clyde Porter. But we cannot be sure.
Professional genealogists, including those who worked on Self-Styled, have been stumped by his lineage. Based on available evidence he was born in Cassville, Missouri, the son of a mysterious woman named Matilda--who also used many names, even on official documents. These documents indicate that "Robert Vernon Spears" was born either Clyde Stringer or Clyde Porter. But we cannot be sure.
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There are multiple errors on the Robert Vernon Spears Wikipedia page.
Here are a few examples:
"But in 1957 he was expelled from the organization in a bribery scandal"
This is false. The scandal involved corrupt politicians bribing naturopaths under threat of introducing legislation that would outlaw the practice. One politician was convicted in the scandal. Spears removal from his post as President of the Texas Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the revocation of his Texas license was for entirely different reasons.
"Investigators learned that William Taylor, a fellow felon and longtime criminal accomplice of Spears, had boarded Flight 967 using a ticket made out to "Dr. Spears""
No, investigators did not "learn" that William Taylor boarded Flight 967. They suspected he might have, but they didn't have concrete evidence then, and still do not.
"His wife (who had just given birth to twins) would then cash in an insurance policy for $100,000 on Spears' life"
Spears' wife Frances had never given birth to twins. They had two small children, separated in age by about a year and a half.
"Taylor himself purchased $37,500.00 worth of life insurance at the airport; when his ex-wife attempted to collect on that policy, authorities were notified. It was determined that Taylor had boarded the flight using a ticket issued for Spears"
This is false. Taylor's ex-wife Alice Steele did not attempt to collect on the insurance purchased at Tampa International Airport. Again, it was not then, and still not today, determined with certainty that Taylor boarded Flight 967 using a ticket issued for Spears. Years later, Taylor's son would attempt to collect on the $37,500.00 insurance policy purchased by his father.
"[Spears was] arrested 17 times under 14 different aliases"
This is incorrect. Spears' FBI file number and other State and Federal records demonstrates that this number is far removed from the verifiable facts.
"[Spears was] turned in by a fellow naturopath in Arizona"
This is false. Several years after the Flight 967 headlines faded, the identity of the person who put the finger on Spears would be revealed. It was not his fellow Trustee of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and long-time confidant, William Albert Turska.
Here are a few examples:
"But in 1957 he was expelled from the organization in a bribery scandal"
This is false. The scandal involved corrupt politicians bribing naturopaths under threat of introducing legislation that would outlaw the practice. One politician was convicted in the scandal. Spears removal from his post as President of the Texas Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the revocation of his Texas license was for entirely different reasons.
"Investigators learned that William Taylor, a fellow felon and longtime criminal accomplice of Spears, had boarded Flight 967 using a ticket made out to "Dr. Spears""
No, investigators did not "learn" that William Taylor boarded Flight 967. They suspected he might have, but they didn't have concrete evidence then, and still do not.
"His wife (who had just given birth to twins) would then cash in an insurance policy for $100,000 on Spears' life"
Spears' wife Frances had never given birth to twins. They had two small children, separated in age by about a year and a half.
"Taylor himself purchased $37,500.00 worth of life insurance at the airport; when his ex-wife attempted to collect on that policy, authorities were notified. It was determined that Taylor had boarded the flight using a ticket issued for Spears"
This is false. Taylor's ex-wife Alice Steele did not attempt to collect on the insurance purchased at Tampa International Airport. Again, it was not then, and still not today, determined with certainty that Taylor boarded Flight 967 using a ticket issued for Spears. Years later, Taylor's son would attempt to collect on the $37,500.00 insurance policy purchased by his father.
"[Spears was] arrested 17 times under 14 different aliases"
This is incorrect. Spears' FBI file number and other State and Federal records demonstrates that this number is far removed from the verifiable facts.
"[Spears was] turned in by a fellow naturopath in Arizona"
This is false. Several years after the Flight 967 headlines faded, the identity of the person who put the finger on Spears would be revealed. It was not his fellow Trustee of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and long-time confidant, William Albert Turska.
