Verhovayak Lapja, 1940. július-december (23. évfolyam, 27-52. szám)
1940-11-14 / 46. szám
November 14, 1940 ♦ ♦♦ TROUBLE ♦ ♦♦ Branch 430 By STEPHEN J. ROTZ Homestead, Pa.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Verhovayak Lapjc THE FEDERATION OF SOCIAL AGENCIES OF PITTSBURGH AND ALLEGHENY COUNTY “Sheriff! Hey, sheriff. Come quick!” The voice, childishly shrill, came from right outside Terry’s tiny office. Jerked open, the door framed a slight figure. As it slammed shut, the sound was like a shot. Terry jumped up, and his chair crashed to the floor. “What’s up, Johnnie?” “It—it's Tex Miller, sheriff. He’s argufying with my Dad. Tex is fightin’ mad. In the Green Lantern. Hurry!” the boy cried. Without a word Terry leaped through the door. Again the door slammed. Rickety boards clattered beneath the sheriff’s booted feet as he rushed along the street. His gun bounced on his hip. With his right hand he held the gun; his left held his hat. “Damn that Tex Miller,” puffed Terry. “He’s always causin’ a fuss.” He paused before the swinging doors of the Green Lantern Saloon; twirled the parrel of his long sixgun. Yellow cartridges gleamed dully as they spun. Then, with a loud grunt, he shoved through into the saloon. His eyes, accustomed to the darkness, blinked rapidly in the brilliant glare of the hanging lamps. Not a head turned at his entrance. The crowd, laughing and yelling and drinking, went on with its pleasure. A hidden piano tinkled discordantly in the smoke-filled rcom; and a harsh voice tried to sing an ancient melody. But nowhere in the crowd could Terry find either Tex Miller or Big John Stallin. Terry elbowed his way to the bar. He signaled to the bartender. “Seen Big John or Tex Miller around, Tim?” “They went to one of the back rooms, sheriff.” With that, he shrugged, turned back to the clamoring men. Terry walked across the wide room. No one paid attention as he stopped before one of the doors at the rear. There were men inside. Shouting, swearing men, ar.gry rage in their voices. Terry recognized them. “You can’t call me a liar, Stallin! I warned you about—” “I didn’t call you a liar, Tex. I just said you were wrong about me putting up that fence. I—” “I saw you do that myself!” cried Tex Miller in his heavy, angiy voice. “Take that!” The door flew open at Terry’s violent kick. He saw Tex draw back his arm. He held a bottle of whiskey, and he threw it at Big John. It snapped at his head, but he saw it and ducked, falling to the floor. The floor trembled. Glass shattered against the wall, tinkled to the floor. Whiskey fumes filled the room. When he saw that he had failed to strike Big John, Tex screamed his disappointment. “Reach for yore gun!” h_ bellowed. “I’ll drill yuh!” His right hand snaked to his right shoulder; dragged out a. wicked revolver. Neither of the men seemed to see Terry who stared at them. Big John was on his knees, and as he saw. his danger, he paled. His hand streaked to his hip in a flashing draw. He tugged up the gun, trying to aim at Tex. But before either of the enraged men could fire their weapons, Terry yelled: “Stop! Stop, you two crazy galoots!” He waved his gun at them. Startled, the two men looked at the sheriff. But there was a light, strange and maniacal, in Tex’s eyes. “Get outa my way, sheriff,” he warned. “This is the last time that skunk is gonna bother me.” The gun in his hand pointed directly, unwaveringly at Big John. At the look in Tex’s eyes, Stallin pressed his lips together and jerked up his weapon. Terry yelled. “Both of you put up—” Br-r-ang! Bo-o-om! Two shots sounded like thunder in the small room. Terry’s ears failed him. Smoke drifte- " rough the air. Slowly, slowly, like a falling tree, a figure toppled to the floor. Terry stared. “Drop yore gun, sheriff!” Tex Miller’s voice crackled in the chamber. Terry was suddenly aware that the music had stopped in the saloon; that men were approaching. His fingers released the sixgun. It thudded hollowly to the wooden floor. “Well, I killed him, sheriff. Just like I’ll kill you if you try to follow me.” He started backing toward the door leading outside. He laughed evilly as he stepped around Big John’s fallen body. “He won’t bother anyone again.” Terry stepped forward, ignoring the tunnel-like gun pointed at him. “I’ll get you fox this, Tex. I’ll follow you till I do. Big John was a friend of mine .. As he spoke, Terry watched the distance close between them. Ten feet—eight — six — four — now! he thought. With a wild yell, he dived—straight at Tex’s legs. Startled, Tex hesitated. Too late, he acted. He swung his gun at Terry’s head as they tumbled. With a twist, the sheriff evaded the blow, catching it on his shoulder. “Told you—I’d get—you —Tex,” gasped Terry as he rolled on top. Now the door flew open, and men streamed into the room, babbling in a jumble of voices. They shouted questions; some of them knelt beside Big John. Tex succeeded in pointing the gun at Terry. But just as his finger squeezed the trigger, Terry shoved hard against his hand. The shot roared. Plaster showered from the ceiling. The men grunted and groaned on the floor. First one man was on top, then the other. Again Tex tried to shoot Terry. Again the gun was thrust away. Tex screamed as Terry ground his bootheel on the wrist of the gun-hand. With his foot Terry kicked the gun to one side. Sweating, the men rose to their knees. Their shirts were in tatters. Blood ran down Terry’s right cheek. But he smiled grimly. “I’ll kill—you for—this,” gasped Tex. His right eye was horribly livid. Small eyes flamed with fury. Oaths poured from between puffed lips. He rushed at Terry who still smiled. A right, a Left, a kick in the stomach, oaths, hard knuckles against bone—it was a bloody fight! Men screeched with delight, dancing about the fighters. Again Tex leaped. The sheriff sent in a smashing blow to the stomach; a left, a right to the face. Then, suddenly, with a groan, Tex crumpled to the floor. Terry swayed over him, staring, breathing heavily. “I—I told—the kid—I’d come,” he gasped. His lips pained him as he tried to smile at the men. ‘--------------------O-------------------A Florida man has designed an automobile eqipped with a wind mill which turned by breezes while the car is parked, charges storage batteries to supply power to operate the vehicle. “All naturalized citizens, for the protection of themselves and the members of their family, should review their citizenship papers to determine that they are in legal order,” declared Mr. Rudolph Danstedt of the Federation of Social Agencies, in a statement issued today as a part of the Federation’s program to interpret further the Alien Registration. “Some persons claiming to be citizens through the naturalization of their father have found that their parent’s papers were incomplete,” explained Mr. Danstedt, “and as a result they are still aliens. If they had not discovered this by reviewing the papers, they might later have been fined $1000 or sent to jail for six months. To prevent such mistakes we advise review of citizenship papers before the final date of registration, December 27th.” Not only should the papers be reviewed to see that they are in order, but the date they were completed should be noted. Other members of the family claiming citizenship through the papers should then confirm that on that date they were included in the granting of citizenship. This is emphasized because there have been changes in the naturalization laws and the date the papers were granted is the deciding point. One such crucial date is September 22, 1922. Before that date a foreign born woman became a citizen when her husband completed his papers. After that date she had to take out papers for herself. The citizenship of foreign children born abroad is affected by the date May 24, 1934. Under the change in the naturalization law of that date, some children do not automatically acquire citizenship when their parents become citizens, but must go through the process themselves. The decision on this is based on the age at which the child came to this country. “The naturalization laws are complex,” concluded Mr. Danstedt, “and no one of foreign birth can take for granted that he is a citizen unless he has verified it. If he has doubts in his mind, he should seek advice while the registration is still open to him. "If the legality of his citizenship cannot -be decided at once, he can register, explaining that he is doing so because he is uncertain, and this will be noted on his registration. When his citizenship is declared legal, he can then cancel his registration by notifying the proper authorities.” Any person in Allegheny County with questions or problems concerning citizenship status can consult the American Service Institute (formerly the International Institutes of McKeesport and Pittsburgh and the American Citizenship League), 711 Columbia Bank Building, Pittsburgh, Grant 1663, for advice or direction to the proper governmental agency. There is no charge for this service.-------------------O-------------------BEYOND STATISTICS Few people have read the vast mass of evidence presented by the life insurance industry during the course of the investigation carried on by the TNEC. That evidence was a tremendously impressive testimonial to the integrity of an industry which has made it possible for 60,000,000 of our citizens to gain, through their own efforts and thrift and foresight, some measure of social security. Life insurance has gone through wars, depressions, panics. And always it has fulfilled its obligations to the letter. The man with a policy, large or small, knows that it will be paid, and in full, on the day it is due. The effect of this on our social system can’t be expressed in mere statistics, however vast. Its real expression is found in the lives that life insurance makes happier and more secure against the unpredictable changes the future may bring.
