Sidney Stanley
Encyclopedia
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
émigré to the UK who became a businessman of precarious ethics before claiming to be a contact man, able to influence politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s and civil servants in return for cash bribes, claims that led to a great scandal and investigation by the Lynskey tribunal
Lynskey tribunal
The Lynskey tribunal was a tribunal of inquiry into allegations of corruption among British government ministers and civil servants. The allegations raised public alarm and disgust in the economic climate of austerity that prevailed in contemporary Britain...
of 1948.
Early life
Stanley was the eldest son of twelve children born in Poland. He had emigrated to Britain with his father in 1913, the rest of the family following when the two had settled in AldgateAldgate
Aldgate was the eastern most gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the east end of London. Aldgate gives its name to a ward of the City...
. Though he later claimed to have been born in Oświęcim
Oswiecim
Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated west of Kraków, near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła.- History :...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, he was granted a Polish passport
Polish passport
Visa requirements for Polish citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Poland.-Europe: Freedom of movement Other European Countries:-Africa:-Americas:-Asia:...
in 1927. He gave a fairly ambiguous account of his early career but seems to have been employed from age 14 in garment sales and trading, especially in government contracts. He took his mother's name Koszyski.
He married his first wife Kate Zeitlin after World War I and the couple lived in Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Boundaries:In modern terms, Stoke Newington can be roughly defined by the N16 postcode area . Its southern boundary with Dalston is quite ill-defined too...
with Zeitlin's mother.
Stanley was made bankrupt in 1927, under the name Wulkan, and again in 1936, under the name Blotz. A deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
order was made against him in 1933 for conspiracy to defraud
Conspiracy to defraud
Conspiracy to defraud is an offence under the common law of England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-England and Wales:The standard definition of a conspiracy to defraud was provided by Lord Dilhorne in Scott v Metropolitan Police Commissioner, when he said that Conspiracy to defraud therefore...
though he proved untraceable. However, by 1946, he had established himself in a luxurious seven-room apartment in Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
.
Meeting with Gibson
According to Stanley, in 1946, he was returning by train from a business trip to ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
when the guard enquired whether he would make up a foursome for a game of solo whist
Solo whist
Solo Whist, sometimes known as simply Solo, is a trick-taking card game whose direct ancestor is the 17th century Spanish game Hombre, based on the English Whist. Its major distinctive feature is that one player often plays against the other three. However, players form temporary alliances with...
with some other men. He consequently met George Gibson
George Gibson (trade unionist)
George Gibson CH was a British mental hospital attendant, trade unionist and public servant, who was general secretary of the National Asylum Workers' Union, Mental Hospital and Institutional Workers' Union and Confederation of Health Service Employees from 1913 to 1948...
, a director of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
. Gibson's account is that his party had asked Stanley for small change for their game and that Stanley had recognised Gibson through a common acquaintance, Cyril Ross.
Gibson met Stanley several more times on the Manchester train before, in April 1947, running into him in the company of Marcus Wulkan, an American who had been involved in economic assistance to Britain during World War II and who was slightly known to Gibson. Stanley represented Wulkan as being his brother. Gibson invited the two to dinner, where they now met junior government minister John Belcher
John Belcher (politician)
John William Belcher was a British Labour Party politician, the first to resign in disgrace over a political scandal.-Political career:...
, and after that Gibson visited Stanley's Park Lane home frequently. At a subsequent dinner party attended by Morgan Phillips
Morgan Phillips
Morgan Walter Phillips was a colliery worker and trade union activist who became the General Secretary of the British Labour Party, involved in two of the party's election victories....
and four other Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MPs, Stanley became involved in raising finance for the anti-communist "Freedom and Democracy" organisation. though he appears to have done little more than donate a cheque for GBP50 which was dishonoured.
In October 1946, Stanley approached fur-dealer Cyril Ross, the common acquaintance from the Manchester train, with a business proposition. Ross said that he would be interested in a multiple store such as J. Jones of Manchester. Stanley agreed to pursue the matter and also to get permission for floatation as a public company
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
from the Capital Issues Committee. Stanley, somewhat prematurely, offered a directorship in J. Jones to Gibson who, owing to his position, turned it down. Ross had originally intended that Stanley would be remunerated by equity in the new company but he ultimately lost trust, largely because of the extortionate expenses that Stanley regularly claimed, and agreed only to a fee for the work.
In February 1948, Gibson introduced Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
Glenvil Hall
Glenvil Hall
William George Glenvil Hall PC , known as Glenvil Hall, was a British barrister and Labour politician....
to Stanley, believing that Marcus Wulkan might be in a position to arrange an American loan of GBP250 million to the UK government. At a dinner for Gibson on 23 March, Stanley ensured that he sat next to Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin was a British trade union leader and Labour politician. He served as general secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1945, as Minister of Labour in the war-time coalition government, and as Foreign Secretary in the post-war Labour Government.-Early...
.
Entertaining Mr Belcher
Belcher was keen to network with industrialists and was flattered by Stanley's apparent solicitude. The two rapidly became friends and Stanley offered Belcher use of a house that he had rented at MargateMargate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
for the duration of the 1947 Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
conference. Belcher took the opportunity to invite his wife, children and mother for a two-week vacation, and it soon became apparent to Stanley that the party was too large for his rented house. Stanley booked the party into an hotel in Cliftonville
Cliftonville
Cliftonville is a coastal area of the town of Margate, situated to the east of the main town, in the Thanet district of Kent, South East England, United Kingdom. It also contains the area known as Palm Bay....
and, though Belcher at this point became nervous, Stanley insisted and prevailed. In the end, Belcher indulged himself thoroughly and the friendship between the pair became increasingly intimate.
Stanley pressed more and more gifts of food and wine, a gold cigarette-case and ultimately a suit of a quality beyond the means, and clothing coupons, of a junior minister in post-war Britain. Stanley was full of rather vague industrial and commercial propositions that never came to any resolution. Stanley also paid for suits for Gibson and Minister of Works Charles Key
Charles Key
Charles William Key, PC was a British schoolmaster and politician. Coming from a very working-class background, the generosity of a family friend made it possible for him to get a start in life and train as a teacher; he entered politics through Poplar Borough Council, and was elected to...
.
Several people warned of Stanley's unreliability including: Hugh Dalton
Hugh Dalton
Edward Hugh John Neale Dalton, Baron Dalton PC was a British Labour Party politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1945 to 1947, when he was implicated in a political scandal involving budget leaks....
, Leonard Joseph Matchan
Leonard Joseph Matchan
Leonard Joseph Matchan - was the Tenant of Brecqhou in the English Channel from 1966 until his death. Mr Matchan was associated with the cosmetics firm Max Factor....
and Morgan Phillips.
Football pools
Harry Sherman was a director of Shermans Pools Ltd of CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, a football pools
Football pools
A football pool, often collectively referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, with the potential to win huge money. Entries were traditionally...
promoter. The post-war paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
-shortage had led the government to make an allocation of paper to the Football Pool Promoters' Association and to leave the association to share it among its members. Sherman believed his share to be unjust and took every opportunity to canvass anyone who could influence his case or find him an alternative source. However, Sherman's record of complaints of his misconduct in a closely regulated industry led the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
to start a prosecution against the company in January 1948. The magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
who heard the case died before giving judgment and Sherman and his legal team galvanised into action to prevent a new hearing. Belcher was the minister responsible and was inundated with protests. Stanley contacted Sherman sometime in May, claiming to have already discussed the paper problems with Sherman's brother.
In May, Stanley introduced Sherman to Gibson and to Glenvil Hall. Sherman sought a public floatation of Shermans Ltd but needed the permission of the Capital Issues Committee though neither politician was optimistic. Stanley also canvassed Key over some premises that he was attempting to sell to Sherman.
On 20 April, Stanley invited Belcher to stop by his Park Lane apartment. When he arrived he found Sherman. Belcher left angrily and later rebuked Stanley. Belcher decided to drop the prosecution against Sherman but the allocation of paper was now under his direct control and Sherman became still more insistent in seeking to increase his ration. Stanley continued to intercede on Sherman's behalf and Belcher agreed to meet with Sherman and the civil servant in charge of paper rationing on 24 June. At this meeting, Sherman revealed that he had been routinely exceeding his allocation. The government team were appalled and stopped the meeting indicating that they considered the matter a serious one and that an investigation would be inevitable.
Before the investigation could get under way, Sherman alleged that he had paid Stanley so that Stanley in turn could pay GBP2,500 each to Belcher and Sir Frank Soskice
Frank Soskice
Frank Soskice, Baron Stow Hill PC was a British lawyer and Labour Party politician.-Background and education:...
, the Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
. Sherman also claimed that he had loaned GBP12,000 to Stanley, secured by a GBP27,000 cheque
Cheque
A cheque is a document/instrument See the negotiable cow—itself a fictional story—for discussions of cheques written on unusual surfaces. that orders a payment of money from a bank account...
made out to Lass& Co. The cheque turned out to be a forgery, made out on a stolen blank cheque. Appalled, and becoming increasingly aware that rumours were beginning to circulate, Belcher tried to warn Gibson but could not contact him. Senior civil servants had now become aware of the allegations and the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
were involved. Belcher agreed that the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
William Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt
William Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt
William Allen Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt PC, KC , was a British Labour politician and lawyer, who served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain under Clement Attlee from 1945 to 1951.-Background and education:...
should be alerted and asked to investigate. On 24 September, Belcher received a request from Jowitt that he provide a statement about his dealings with Stanley. On 4 October, the first rumours, though no names, appeared in the press.
Stanley's arrest
Jacob Harris was a supplier of amusement machines whose solicitorSolicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
also acted for Stanley. The solicitor had originally met Stanley through serving a bankruptcy notice on him and had ended up as his attorney. The original debtor never got paid. Stanley boasted of his surplus import licenses and the solicitor advised Harris whom he knew wanted to import pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
machines. In July 1948, Harris approached fellow supplier Francis Price with a proposal that they meet with Stanley. Stanley claimed that he could bribe Belcher and Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
Glenvil Hall to obtain licenses. After canvassing some commercial and political confidantes. Price contacted the police. Press speculation intensified.
On 27 August, Stanley asked Gibson to write letters of introduction for his wife, who was about to leave for the U.S., to some of Gibson's trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
colleagues there. Gibson complied and Stanley used the letters to attempt to obtain from HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
foreign currency above the usual allowance. Stanley's approach alerted officials to the possibility that he was about to flee the country. 27 August was also the day when Gibson sent a cheque for GBP500 to Stanley as deposit on a share offer in Gray's Carpets Ltd. Gibson heard nothing more from Stanley.
Stanley was arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed on 18 October and held in Brixton Prison. Spartan though his surroundings were, he was able to order meals from a restaurant and pay another detainee for domestic duties. He was bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
ed on 21 October and returned to his Park Lane flat where his movements were restricted under the Aliens Order 1946
The tribunal
A tribunal was convened. Stanley, dapper in appearance, proved a self-important, self-aggrandising witness who amused the tribunal with his idiosyncratic, colourful, yet ambiguous and contradictory, responses to the questioning. The tribunal found that Belcher and Gibson had acted improperly and they were fortunate to escape prosecution, gladly accepting the proffered alternative of resignation. Attorney-GeneralAttorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
Sir Hartley Shawcross expressed the opinion that Stanley could not be prosecuted as the notoriety he gained from the tribunal would inhibit a fair trial
Fair Trial
Fair Trial was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire. He was bred and raced by John Arthur Dewar who also bred and raced Tudor Minstrel....
.
After the tribunal
On 23 December, Stanley applied for cancellation of his deportation order but was refused. However, while Gibson and Belcher were resigning in disgrace, Stanley and his wife were enjoying their notoriety and celebrity, attending the Chelsea Arts Ball at New YearNew Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
.
Stanley claimed Israeli citizenship
Israeli nationality law
Israel's nationality law defines the terms through which one can be granted citizenship of the state of Israel. It also includes the Right of return for Jewish diaspora...
, in February 1949, the UK having recognised the state on 29 January. On 13 February, Stanley's application was refused on the grounds that he was an undesirable. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
attacked Stanley as a Jew who "suddenly discovered his love for Zion
Zion
Zion is a place name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem. The word is first found in Samuel II, 5:7 dating to c.630-540 BCE...
" when in difficulties and there was speculation that Stanley had done his case no good when he criticised the conduct of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
during his tribunal testimony. Stanley continued to entertain and enjoy his celebrity, despite continued calls for his deportation, while he was again pursued by the bankruptcy courts.
Stanley was still required daily to report to police but reported for the last time on 1 April and an arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
was issued. Stanley, it appears, drove to Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
where a personal friend took him by sea to a port near Bologne France, possibly Dunkirk. He was taken from there by car to Abbeville
Abbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
. On 13 April, Israel announced that Stanley would be allowed to enter on the eve of Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
as "an act of grace and mercy". After about a month in France, Stanley travelled to Marseilles. He arrived by ship in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
on 9 May and held a press conference announcing that his name was now Schlomo ben Chaim. Stanley claimed to have been kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and held in France for month before escaping. Sometime later in 1949, Stanley returned to France with some thoughts of re-establishing himself in business though he was back in Israel in 1950 where he spent the remainder of his life in obscurity save for the wild allegations and fanciful stories that he continued to press on the newspapers. He died in hospital in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
in 1969 after giving an interview to the Sunday Express.