Evening star., 1946-09-28

had arranged for him to obtain
Canadian citizenship.
Later the Washingtonian, accom-
panied by an Eastern industrialist,
again met Fernandez in Montreal.
There was a conference in a hotel
room. Fernandez telephoned his,
friend" the church official and
ostensibly discussed his charitable
contributions to the church and his
plans for Canadian citizenship. The
friendship with the church official
was entirely fcticious, the FBI said.
Pledged Stock as Collateral.
Fernandez represented to his
Washington victim he needed $75 900
to fulfill his promise of a contribu-
ton to the church, and an addi-
tional $75 900 to pay the person who
held in his possession the code book
containing the names of the banks
where the safe deposit boxes were,
and the names in which they were
held.
The Washingtonian agreed to lend
Fernandez $125,000, and raised the
money by borrowing it from a Co.
lumbia, S. c., bank, pledging as
collateral 10000 shares of stock car
ried in the name of his friend, the
industrialist. The loan fell due yes
terday, ironically the same day
Fernandez was apprehended in
Miami.
The Washingtonian went back to
Canada third time and gave Fer
nandez a promisory note to sign.
A few days later Fernandez ap-
peared in Washington, gave his
benefactor 90-day note and also
produced the code book" The
book was a Bible. Fernandez ap-
piled a hot iron to certain pages.
The heat made visible writing in
secret ink and there appeared the
names of banks and names of per-
sons who presumably were those to
whom the safe deposit boxes had
been rented.
Money Was Handed Over.
Apparently the demonstration was
convincing. The Washingtonian
turned over the S125, ,0o0-in cash.
Last July Is Fernandez went to
a bank at Toronto and deposited
$4,000 in United States currency
and received a letter of credit in
the United States. Subsequently
he presented the letter to a large
New York bank, opened an account
and later withdrew $4,000.
However, in Canada where Fer
nandez's record was known, an in
veStigation had started which led
to his arrest. officials of the bank
where Fernandez had deposited the
$120 900 checked and found the cur
rency to be genuine. However, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
who apparently were called in for
the currency check, became sus-
picious because of what they knew
of Fernandez and notified the FBI
Traced to Caribbean Area.
He was traced to the Dominican
Republic and from there to Vene-
zuela, where he was arrested on
September 18 as an undesirable
alien. He was expelled from the
country. He went to Curacao, in
the Dutch West Indies, where he
again was arrested and expelled by
being put aboard nonstop plane
for, Miami.
When he arrived in Miami the
FBI collared him.
| A complaint was filed in New
York Wednesday charging Fernan-
dez with violation of the National
Stolen Property Act and a warrant
was issued, Mr.. Hoover said. The
New York bank was notified trans
fer Of the funds still on deposit
would be a violation of the law.
Fernandez was interned in Cuba
during the World War as a sus-
pected German agent, according to
the FBI. He served three years in
United States Federal prison for
violation of the immigration laws
and later was sentenced to a Ito
l0-year term in California, the FBI
announced. He was deported to
Germany in 1929, came back in
1888, but voluntarily went to South
America, the FBI said He was ar
rested in British Columbia in 1910
and was interned during the war,
according to Mr.. Hoover.
|