The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-24
JOSEPH ]. ETTOR AND
GIOVANNITTI PLEAD
FOR THEIR CAUSE IN
UNUSUAL SPEECHES


discuss the evidence, but what he called
the preposterousness of the idea" that
such as he and his comrades could have
been guilty of a murderous thought
Whirling around with a violent gesture.
he said: IF there is a man in the court
room who has murder in his heart he is
not in this cage"
Then he went on to tell of his life
story, his ambition, his seizure upon tsE
cause OF socialism as the sa'gtoa q
human ills and ended r tifl,i plea.
Life was swee' IL 3 4tc cval fiia,
q mot ieet3 hisa sla Pa ns7 ideals
Ht teFsa. fie feit Jog ~ 81 ilNr
a ala Mi uans q d,a rtrt ~
{ tor the heftefHer 81 pnq =. ne
coHi a De would as ne had beon
doiN II lie LAD TO die, he took solace
In te thought that he would go to a
higher judgment seat. There was a hush
over the court room as Giovanitti sat
down. Then Judge Quinn, apologizing TO
the Jurors, announced that he would be
compelled TO hold them further, as he
would not deliver his charge in the case
until Monday morning.
Tried Upon His Views
When District Attorney Atwill com.
pleted his closing argument, rising in the
cage. Ettor declared:
Il have been tried here not upon my
acts, but upon my views. l make no
threats but history does. History records
things with little variation here and
there. Nothing can efface the fact that
because of my political and socialistic
views I am brought to the bar | want
to reply to the district attorney. and to
say that IL his conception of wealth as
explained by him is correct, then all the
political economists, ALI the thinkers, all
the great men and women of this country
have had no effect"
Ettor then elaborated on his ideas of
wealth and property that labor should
own all the instruments of labor.
"Mr. Atwill intimated that | did not
know the traditions of Massachusetts,,
and that | was REASONABLE because [
spoke to foreigners.
Under the right of free speech guar
anteed by the constitution / had a right
to speak to those people. Have not the
right to cry out in the night as | did In
Lawrence? Had | not the right to point
out human beings had been outraged? |
did not understand when l went to school
and when l read the constitution that such
was reasonable conduct. Yet in doing
that j suddenly find myself accused of
numbering my sister because / spoke to
strikers who were not born in this coun-
try l am accused OF murder because OF
my speeches by inslnuation and by in
nuendo. 1t Is argued that when smiled
1t was a signal for some one TO go and
get a shotgun. This is not question of
the commonwealth. Shame does not fall
on the commonwealth but upon capitalists
OF Massachusetts who have taken human
beings and reduced them to mere ap-
pendages of machinery. 1t Is true have
no relatives or property In Afassachu-
sets, but I have what is dearer than
these things. l have brothers and sisters
who called me to aid them
The prisoner, speaking with great fervoY
as he proceeded. told OF the strike. the
street car riots and the killing Of Anna
Lopizzo
Vt said on the stand that I believed the
street cars were smashed by agents OF
the mill owners. just as tho dynamite
was planted. and / say that my sister
Anna Lopizzo, and Givannittis sister and
Caruso's sister was murdered by agents
OF the mill owners"
The prisoner declared he was willing te
stand responsible for his utterarces II
they were given in fun, but that he did
not stand for them as introduced In parts
In the trial.
Analyses Testimony at Length
He analysed the testimony at length and
then gave in detail his social IDEAS con
tinuing:
MY social views cannot be tried in this
court room, with all respect to you. That
trial was held thousands OF years ago
when men were told the only way TO emo
revolutionary ideas was through the cross
then the guillotine. the gallows and the
rope. ] want TO know IL the district at
torney believes that the cross, the guillo-
tine or the hangman's moose ever settled