Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-11-24
Ettor and GiovannittL Salem
Strike Leaders Accused of
Murder, Ask Either Death
Penalty or AcQuittaI,
SCENE PRESENTED
REMARKABLE ONE
Judge Quinn, Following Ad-
dresses Made by Prisoners,
Announces He viii Not
Charge Jury Until Monday,

| HllllOullCCS ilc WIN lVUl
Charge Jury Until Monday,
lBy Morning journal special Leased wjre.l
Salem, Mass, Nov. 23--"If you
think us guilty of numbering our sis
ter give us death. History Will re-
cord our end. We will go to a higher
judgment seat and millions of work
ers will take up our flag of labor
where we drop it in the ditch"
That, in substance, was the closing
theme Of two of the most remarkable
! pleas ever heard in court ROOM
when Joseph j. Ettor and Arturo
| Giovannitti leaders in the textile
! strike AT Lawrence last winter, rose
| in the prisoners cage today in the
F., Essex county court to speak for
! themselves and their conirade, Joseph
Caruso, accused of the murder of
Anna Lopzzo, who fell a victim of Il
bullet in strike riot last January.
District Attorney Atwill had just
denounced both men, He had spoken
the last word for the commonwealth,
charging that the utterances Of Ettor
and Giovannitti to the Lawrence
strikers We're reasonable, that such
as they were not needed in the com
monwealth OF Massac chusetts to aid
in the solution of its problems; that
instead of being philanthropists and
apostles of peace and workers for the
betterment of humanity they were a
menace to free government, agents of
mob rule destroyers of the sovereign
ty of the state.
The defendants lawyers went for
ward to the bar and held a short
conference with Judge Quinn, inform
ing him OF the desire of the prisoners
to speak.
Ettor declared with emphasis that
his sister. Giovannitti's sister. Caru
SOS sister" Anna Lopizzo, had been
killed, as he believed as a result of
plot of the mill owners to break the
strike,
Ettor protested innocence of muir
der or melting to riot, not only for
himself but for his comrades. He
urged that if the jury thought them
guilty they should be given the death !
penalty. not shut up in prison where I
they could not continue their work |
for the betterment of the working /
class ana ultimate attainment of their t
ideal--a condition where laborers I
would earn all the profit of their
labor. He pictured the cross, the
guillotine, the gallows and the electric |
chair as unable through all history to
choke a righteous cause. and ended |
in plea for simple justice
AS Ettor sat down scores of women
were weeping. Even men were in
tears, among them leaders associated
with the defendants in the Lawrence
strike.
Then Giovannitti rose from his place
beside his comrades. His face seemed !,
swollen with emotion, his eyes welling
with tears. He said he was about to
make the first public speech he had
ever uttered in your beautiful Ian
guage'
Leaning toward Mr. Atwill Giovan-
nitti said in trembling voice: $50
solemn is this moment. so fun with
clashing emotions am 7 now. that do
not know whether ever will con-
clude what | have to say"
Then he Strengthened up in the
cage and for twenty minutes spoke
as one in the crisis of passion. He
did not discuss the evidence, but
what he called the preposterousness
of the idea" that such as he and his
could have bean guilty of a
murderons thought. Whirling around
with a violent gesture he said: 'If
there is a man in the &c room
who has murder in his heart, he is
not in this cage
There was hush ever the Govt
room as Giovannitt sat down Not .
man nor woman moved for several
tense moments. Then Judge Quinn.
apologizine to the jurors announced
that he would he compelled to hold
them further. as he would not de-
liver his charge in the case until
Monday morning The prisoner We're
driven back to Jail through streets ,
lined with their friends and follow
prs. who cheered them loudly as they
passed
Etior's statement to the jury. fol-
oWs in part:
Il said on the stand that ! believed
he street cars were smashed by
agents of the mill owners. Just as the
dynamite was planted. and | say that
my sister. Anna Lopizzo and Giova-
1itti's sister and Carusos sister. were
by agents of the mill own !
,rs
but if YOU believe we should die. q
Ne will carry the flag of labor to the 5
,rave
q shall offer no excuse. and ac-
'ept your verdict. but do not come
back here and say that we must be
hut up. If ] am guilty | want to pa, {
he full penalty. My comrade has just I
whispered to say it for him too.
Il believe in the death chair. If ! S
I'M found guilty / prefer to go there
70 will Giovannitti. We will go with =
leads erect, singing the song OF la