The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-12-28


ruler of the land. He confded his be-
lief to some of his friends here who
for weeks attempted to dissuade him
from his purpose
One day in March, 1913, he quit his
workbench at the Jeffery plant.
I'm going to Croatia to shoot the
governor" he conided in all serious
ness to some of his fellow workmen in
Kenosha, who were likewise fired with
a desire to secure freedom for their
native land. "You will perhaps never
see me again but you will know | died
trying to free Croatia"
Read of the Attack.
Six months later, some of these
friends read dispatches from Zagreb,
one of the leading cities of that coun-
try, telling how this same Stephan
Dojcich had kept his threat. Follow
ing the governor, Baron DR.. Skerlac,
into the cathedral where the high of
fetal had gone to pray for the welfare
of Emperor Franz Josef, Dojcich de-
flying death had pulled his gun there
despite the guards and shot the gov
ernor. The bullet instead of going
true had buried itself in the arm in
steadref TIE heart Of the goagnor and
ne CfiCis. sfas 2 sligiitiy 7s3uadea
Dojcich vas overpowered and arrest
ed.
The dispatches of the attempted as
sassination were read in newspapers
which reached Kenosha. That was the
last ever heard of Dojcich until he
reached Kenosha today to finish the
tale in person.
Was Thrown Into Prison.
After the attempted assassination
Dojcich willingly turned himself over
to the authorities and expressed his
willingness to die if by his act he
could help to pave the way to free his
country. Fortunately for hir
ernor Skerlac recovered from The
let wound and as a result Dojcich was
not put to death but instead was SEN
fenced to serve sixteen years in prison
for his act. The revolution which he
had hoped to fire did not materialize
and he went to prison believing that
he had championed lost cause
Unflinching, according to his story,
he went to prison and started to serve
the long term imposed upon him. He
had served five years of this when the
armistice ended the war in Europe In
the general rejoicing which followed
all political prisoners were pardoned
in Croatia and Dojcich walked out of
the prison a free man again. He
brought with him to Kenosha today
documents to prove the truth of his
assertions regarding both his impris-
onment and his release.
Was Elected to Congress.
In the reorganization which followed
the war that part of Croatia in which
he lived was allotted to Serbia. Dol
cich again became a farmer in his ma
tive county and was honored by the
citizens there in the first election I'M
der the new order of things to be
named as a member of the congress of
the land. He refused to accept the
appointment because it carried with It
the necessity to swear allegiance to
the king of Serbia.
Instead he continued to devote him
self to various projects which he be-
lieved might help to secure the coveted
freedom for all of the peoples in the
lands known as Jugo-Slavia, Croatia
and Czecho-Slovakia He maintains
that he is in no way a Bolshevik or a
radical other than that he stands for
the overthrow of monarchies and for
the establishment of republics there,
Finally Reaches America.
He became associated with the NAG
tional Liberty Library and finally game
ed passport to America. He declares
that he is here to expose governmental
matters just as they exist there and to
arouse America to continue to stand
for freedom in these countries which
he claims as his native land He adj
mits that even now his own land is
attempting to secure his deportation
from America to take him back to
Croatia to face new charges.
While in Kenosha Dojcich has been
a guest at the home of relative, Mrs.
John Zupancic, 672 Hastings avenue,
who was one of those very much sur