New-York tribune., 1920-07-26

Branic thinks, he never intended to
cali for the trunk and has long ago
taken ship for South America.
In more detailed description of his
customer Branic said: "These two men,
and particularly Fernandez, were re-
fined and gentee fellows. They spoke
most excellent English with an accent
that was unmistakable. When speak
ing to each other they would always
talk in Spanish. They were atfable and
courteous, and in this respect tally ex-
actly with the description given OF Lc-
roy by Mrs. Brooks.
III don't know how long they were in
the United States. l first met them in
October, 1918, when they told me they
came from San Antonio, Tex, where
they said they were expert government
inspectors at the aviation field. They
came with trunk and boxes OF tools
which were the finest set of mechanics
tools have ever seen. They got rooms
in Thirty-siXth Street.
Loved Good Times
"They loved good times and women,
and would come to me from time to
time and tell me of the wonderful
women they had met and what fun
they had. l knew less about Yanez
than about Fernandez, and I know that
Fernandez was not the kind of fellow
who would marry at his age. | judged
he was about twenty-five or twenty
eight years old. He was tall, with the
bronzed South American look and
straight black hair"
Branic declared that the Y. M. G. A
in Detroit ought to be able to give q
good description of Fernandez and tell
Something Of his movements there.
At the South Americans request
Branic says he sent him a trunk and
check made out to E. Leroy and ad-
dressed to the Y. M. C. A. in Detroit
The letter containing the check was
sent January 7, says Branc, and a few
days later was returned unopened
Shortly afterward Fernandez wrote
Branic asking him why the trunk
hadn't been sent him. Branic then sent
the check out again and informed Fer
nandez that the trunk was still in De-
troit and should be, called for. He de-
duced that Fernandez had temporarily
quit the Y. M. c. A., and so missed the
trunk and check.
Branic here explained that Fcrnan-
dez had asked him to remove the name
of 0. J. Woods, which had been writ
ten on the trunk. before shipping !,
out. Fernandez, he said, had used this
name when arrested in connection with
an automobile accident in Brooklyn
some time in July. 1919, in which 6
man was killed.
Cashed Check at Y. M. C. A.
The check which he sent Fernandez
added Branic, was returned indorsed by
+. Leroy and cancelled and showed
that it had been cashed February 16
Al.
be assumed from this, say the police
have known him very we'll to cash his
checks, and that the officers Of this in
stitution should be in a position to fur
nish valuable information regarding
him.
1t developed also that the blue serge
suit found packed in the murder trunk
with the body had the label of the
Browning Fearnside Company, of Pa
latka, Fla. At Police Headquarters it
was said that many South Americans
come direct to Palatka from the south
ern continent because of large Span
ish colony there and to get acquainted
with the details of travel. work and
living further north.
A trademark found in mans coat
which was in the trunk, showing that
the garment had been bought in Pa
latka, Fla, led to an inquiry in that
place. 1t disclosed that no customer
by the name of Leroy had bought gar
ments from the tailor whose mark was
in the coat, but that coats similar to
that found in the trunk had been sold
to two men named Fernandez
One customer was said to be Henry
Fernandez, Cuban, about twenty
years old, who was telegraph oper-
ator and went from Palatka to Atlanta