Part Two: The Naturopathic Doctor Who Bombed a Plane

The Con Man's Origins: From Convention Grift to National Infamy

Robert Spears begins his criminal career in the 1920s, impersonating a wealthy playboy named Oscar L. Delano at fraternal conventions. He gains trust, collects personal details, and then calls victims' families to demand ransom, often pretending their husbands are in jail. He later expands his scheme by recruiting sex workers to gather intel, creating a high-volume con operation. His audacity and charm allow him to evade capture for years, until he's busted in St. Louis not for fraud, but for allegedly running a brothel.

The Desperate Job Scam: Preying on the Working Poor

Spears shifts tactics, placing fake job ads in the Yellow Pages for a non-existent factory in St. Louis. He hires desperate workers who must pay a $2,500 'surety fee' upfront, which is never refunded. He uses a neighboring hotel room as a fake company line, and his partner answers calls to confirm legitimacy. The scam works because people trust phone numbers and are too trusting of authority. His fame grows, but so does the risk—until a woman’s telegram reveals his hair contradicts her husband’s baldness, leading to his arrest.

The Cult of the Con Man: Spears and His Loyal Henchman

After prison, Spears forms a lifelong partnership with William Allen Taylor (aka Al Taylor), a devoted follower who worships him. For nearly a decade, they travel the country, running variations of their old cons. Taylor eventually settles down in Florida, but remains emotionally tied to Spears. The bond is so intense that when Spears needs a patsy for his final crime, he turns to Taylor—his only true confidant and loyal disciple.

The Fake Doctor: Rebranding as a Naturopath in Dallas

In the 1940s, Spears reinvents himself as a naturopathic doctor in Dallas, a city known for its lax standards on medical licensing. He acquires a fake diploma and a forged license from a corrupt psychiatrist, then uses his charisma to become a respected figure in the Texas Naturopathic Association. He sells weight-loss pills, radionics machines, and electro-cyclometers to wealthy suburban women, building a lucrative 'milk route' business that earns him $50,000/month in modern terms.

The Deadly Abortion Business: Poison, Power, and Profit

Spears enters the illegal abortion market, partnering with Donald Loomis, the 'abortionist to the stars' for Hollywood. He begins selling a deadly violet-colored paste—MetroVact—developed by another fake doctor, Feynman. The paste is fatal if absorbed into the bloodstream. Spears creates a lookalike version using a pharmacist named Napoleon Bonaparte Barbie, but it’s even more dangerous. He performs abortions with no regard for safety, prioritizing profit over lives.