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Henry J. Fernekes aka 'the midget'

Henry J. Fernekes aka 'the midget'

David Logsdon (View posts)
Posted: 26 Apr 2000 12:00PM GMT
Classification: Biography
Surnames: logsdon, smothers, gutierrez, mead, stillman
My sheep is 'The Midget'. He was born in July 1986, in Chicago or Milwaukee. He stood 5' 4" and was found mentally subnormal by psychologists, even though he led more than a hundred successful crimes and the Chicago police had a special Fernekee task force to hunt him down. He studied etching at the Art Institue and bomb making at the Crerar Library in Chicago, and ran a successful child care nursery. But his true genius was in relieving banks of their depositor's money. Credited by police of nicking close to 1 million dollars during his twenty year career, he was also a tad trigger happy - three to five bank presidents or clerks.

In 1935, while serving a life sentence, he escaped from Joliet prison, vowing never to return. He was a man of his word, for when he was captured two months later, he drank a vial of cyanide, dying moments later.

Fernekes

Mark Fernkas (View posts)
Posted: 16 Dec 2000 12:00PM GMT
Classification: Biography
Surnames: Fernkas, Fernekes, Fernekaes
That is interesting. My family name is Fernkas, or Fernekaes/Fernekes in German...Wonder if there is some connetion.

Mark

Re: Henry J. Fernekes aka 'the midget'

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 9:33PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Darche, Fernekees, Fernekes
David, if you receive this message, could you be in touch with me at [tim.lemire@cox.net]? I'm interested in learning any more you know about the ancestry of Henry Fernekes.

I'm a descendant of a "Fernekees" here in New England, and family lore has it a relation was once questioned by the FBI concerning Henry. Would like to know if your family line and mine are connected.

Re: Henry J. Fernekes aka 'the midget'

Posted: 7 Apr 2011 2:21AM GMT
Classification: Query
just thought id let you know that iam a relative of the midget....my greatgrandmother was his cousin who came to the jail to visit him...i was lucky to have her in my life until 1974 and got to hear all her stories...

Re: Henry J. Fernekes aka 'the midget'

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 7:57PM GMT
Classification: Query
Please get a hold of me as soon as one of you get on. [jmdarche@gmail.com] I am Henry's great-great grandson. He used the name Henry J. Darche and had a son, Robert J. Darche. I would really like to know more thank you so much.

Re: Henry J. Fernekes aka 'the midget'

Posted: 30 Mar 2012 10:16PM GMT
Classification: Query
I'm a 2nd cousin twice removed from Henry from the Darche side (his mother). I'd love to learn more about him. I'm particularly interested in the shop he had near Pearl River New York. The articles I've found said it was some type of electrical shop. If anyone has more info I'd love to get it AND hear the stories you've gathered.

Carol

Re: Henry J. Fernekes aka 'the midget'

Posted: 13 Aug 2012 3:26PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Fernekes
I have an FBI wanted poster dated August 29, 1935 for Henry J. or 'Midget' Fernekes. It has his thumbprints, mugshots, criminal record, relatives, physical description, alias', signature, etc. It will be coming to auction in October, 2012. If anyone is interested email me at sq@waddingtons.ca Sean
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