Amerikai Magyar hirlap = American Magyar journal. [volume] (Youngstown, Ohio) 1911-1942, 1940-10-17
THE HANGING Of WILLIAM N, CROvkK
(EdtoriaD
(TO THE ATTENTION OF EVERY u S. SENATOR
AND CONGRESSMAN

GU The AIIENIlON OF EVERY U. >. SENATOR
AND CONGRESSMAN
William M. Crovak 63yearold Polish immigrant of Bu-
nola Pa has hanged himself
And every u s. senator and congressman should
few minutes acquaint himself with the behind
hanging lest other unfortunate people follow his tragic
example.
Arriving in the United States thryeight years ago. Gro
yak started to work coal mine those happy days. labor
not drug the market Husky Hunkes Bohunks and
Dagoes eagerly sought after and snapped at Ellis
Island No citizenship birth certificates required On
the contrary native Americans reluctant the
dr work. and coal and steel companies forced loans
immigrant workers have them import relatives and friends
For years people heaviest
industrial development
Crovak went to work-and kept working thirty
eight years with little interruption Although worked dill
gently and faithfully he neglectul in certain respects
With the hard grind of labor in the mines and mills
getting married and rearing nine children for these United
States he did not have much free time to learn English Ad
mtted he spoke poorly and he knew about read
ing and writing English.
But conditions have changed during the past thirty
eight years Hard work. honest living the rearing of nine
good American children isn't sufficient to make accept
able proper person and proper worker So William M
Crovak had to apply belatedly for citizenship
Obtaining citizenship not an easy task under existing
circumstances Crovak had to to endless trouble to find
the date of his arrival the strange of the port of
barkaon stranger the steamer and finally
proof of his length of residence in this country.
Do you, Mr. Senator Congressman have any idea of
how to go about these things?
business tOrceQ CrOVak
several times since 1924 you
would be required Of him?
1. Two witnesses American citizens, from each place
town in which he has resided for the last six
teen years,
q Certificates lin duplicate copes) from the sheriff
chief-of- police from each town proving that he
! had never been convicted of felony
g. Certificates Gin duplcate) from each employer
giving the length of time he was employed by each
of them ct makes difference if some of
the firms had been driven out of business by the
depression; he still had to the certificates
j in order to obtain hearing)
T. Tax receipts electric gas bills and any other
documents dictated either by red tape or by the
whm of the examiner
After obtaining all these papers, after filing final Pc
titon to qualify after paying unnecessarily Stiff naura
lization fee he is admitted to examination.
William M Crovak fulfilled most of these requirements
BY writing hher and yon by begging for an answer from
perhaps firms he finally had everything in ship
shape order -.-..-~~-
There final handicap, the examination and for
that he diligently His children tutored him. And in
applied for naturalization He failed, for he knew
little English.
And the less he knew terrifying it looked to
him. so at the second attempt, he failed again
He failed time; and when they turned him down
the fourth time William M Crovak hanged himself
His children native Americans Some of his sons
may may called to offer the supreme
sacrifice for their country But in the meantime they Will
forget father hanged himself because he was
not admitted to citizenship.
Thrty-eight years of honest toll the rearing of nine,
decent American failed to qualify him for American
citizenship Although to endless trouble to comply
with the technical requirements and although he continued
to beseec the naturalization years.
he turned down.
This is the sad story behind the suicide.
the of the patroeers and the holler-
thathou him learn English it is little
enough for the privilege of citizenship"
This admit
Yet the writer of these lines acquainted with large
number pioneers who toed and fought to
aer great western wilderness for this country And
many pioneers failed to learn English They came
Germany Poland Russia Hungary Italy and the
Indian made distinction good many of them
were "naurazed' by falling the battlefield that this