Amerikai Magyar hirlap = American Magyar journal. [volume] (Youngstown, Ohio) 1911-1942, 1934-07-26
TOWN TOPICS


ed nobly the accusation made
against it by a Mr.. Burnside.
At the meeting last Friday it
approved TIE following letter
which was sent to the editors OF
the Telegram and the Vindicator.
Both papers published the let
ter in full. The editor OF the
Vindicator remarked:
"The other side of the story
and very convincing one-is
told in the letter."
So that we also have a record
of the letter available to those
of our readers who have missed
it in the daily papers we are
printing the full letter here.
Credit again must be given to
the Grand Committee for MAX
ing prompt and good answer
to an unjust accusation and
thereby defending the good name
OF the Hungarian-born in Mahon-
ing County.
Here is the letter:
Editor The vindicator, Sir:
) In one Of your recent issues
there appeared a letter signed by
one IF. Burnside" criticisina our
organization, Governor White, Judge
Jenkins, Prosecutor Leighninqer
and Sheriff EngeIhardt in the Hody
matter.
We feel that the letter you pub
lished was designed to mislead the
public and to create the impression
that, politics had something to do
with the Hody matter.
Permit US to bring the facts in
the Hody matter before the public
through your paper and we are
ment whether we have not rendered
service to the state, the tax
payers, to humanity and finally to
eHody. 49, ar T.,
Andy Hody, SO years old, lived 27
years in Youngstown and Mahoning
County. During this time and until
last Christmas he never had any
trouble with the law. He was never
arrested. He was a peaceful hard
working man.
Last Christmas Andy was sick.
He was under doctors care. One
evening strangers gave him the
remnants Of quart Of liquor
strong and potent. Andy drank
some Of It. From that time until he
woke up in county Jail his mind
was blank.
Andy worked for many years for
Ross O'Rourke, a weIl-known con-
tractor at Austintown. He lived on
O'Rourke's property. On the night
in question Andy broke into the
O'Rourke home and as has been
testified, threatened Mr.. O'Rourke.
He was hit over the head and
lodged in county Jail, charged with
entering an Inhabited dwelling In
the niaht season. Andy did not
harm anybody. He did not steal
anything. He was tried before .
jury, found guilty and sentenced by
Judge Jenkins from five to 80 years
In the penitentiary, because the
jury recommended mercy.
Before the trial Judge Jenkins
and Prosecutor Leiohninger were
willing to take Hodys plea Of gull
ty to a lesser charge. 0'Dourke
was also willing, but Hody, certain
he had committed no crime, insisted
that he was innocent and his la~y-
ers tried the case.
Hody happens to be Hungarian
by birth. He can't read and write,
and for this resan could not become
an American citizen. His Hungarian
citizenship lapsed.
Here. then, was Hody SO years
old, a man without a country, no
family, few friends, facing a long
penitentiary term.
II was at this time that the al
tention Of the Grand Comn'ttee'
which is and has been for 10 years
the representative body OF manon-
Ina County citizens Of Hungarian
descent, was called to the case:
We Investigated. We found the
facts as presented above. We inter
viewed Mr.. O'Rourke, Judge Jen-
kins and Prosecutor Leghnlnger.
The result Of these interviews was
that we proposed to secure for
Hody a Hungarian passport, to de-
fray the expenses Of sending him to
his native country and to ask the
authorities to grant Hody a con-
ditionaI pardon provided he never
returns to this country.
The judge and prosecutor were
satisfied. They saw what we saw:
Hody kept about seven yeras In the