Afton Sterankovich was born in Wysowa, Poland. He immigrated to the US in 1905 to work as a coal miner in Glen Carbon Ill. He soon married Eva Sawka and they had five children. Afton was disabled in a mine accident in 1923 and soon became consumed by the moonshine "white mule" and became abusive toward his wife. Shortly thereafter he was involved in a fatal shooting in his home and was convicted of murder and sent to prison. The conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court on the basis of probable self-defense. But, after more than a year in prison he was found to have gone insane and was sent to the State Mental Hospital in Alton where he spent all his remaining days.
Afton Sterankovich was born in Wysowa, Poland. He immigrated to the US in 1905 to work as a coal miner in Glen Carbon Ill. He soon married Eva Sawka and they had five children. Afton was disabled in a mine accident in 1923 and soon became consumed by the moonshine "white mule" and became abusive toward his wife. Shortly thereafter he was involved in a fatal shooting in his home and was convicted of murder and sent to prison. The conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court on the basis of probable self-defense. But, after more than a year in prison he was found to have gone insane and was sent to the State Mental Hospital in Alton where he spent all his remaining days.
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