Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-22
Today, After Defence Of
The Labor Leaders.
"A Conspiracy Against Strike
Leaders," Says Elior Counsel.
characterizes Case as Most "fIimsy
And Gauzy" Ever in Court.

Salem. Mass. Nov. 21.-Distriet At
torney Henry c. Attwill, of Essex
county, will, tomorrow, make for the
commonwealth, the argument TO the
jury in the trial of Ettor Giovannitti
AMI Caruso for the Lopizzo murder in
the Lawrence textile strike. He will
follow W. Scott Peters, who expects
TO close on behalf of Giovannitti, I'M
less Ettor, who would like To say a
few words to the jury is permitted to
do so by his counsel. Such an unusual
procedure was deemed unlikely, to-
night.
The probability of the case going TO
the jury, tomorrow night. is now re-
mote as the remaining arguments are
expected to take most of the day, and
the charge TO the jury by Judge Quinn.
which is to follow WILL owing to the
unusual nature of the case, be
lengthy one, and may not be delivered,
until Saturday. Attorney Peters in his
argument, today, for the defence.
characterized the charges against the
accused strike leaders, Ettor and
Giovannitti as the Most flimsy and
gaaeey ever taken into court" The
charge that Giovannitti was an Access
sorry before the fast to the killing OF
the woman, he said, was an outrage
and he assaulted the character or the
commemorative witnesses bitterly.
Moore, the special policeman, La
Ia Court and Btncordo brothers. pri-
yate detectives. who gave the most
damaging testimony, he described as
Scum of the earth, fearful to tell
about their own pasts.
Tho case, Mr.. Peters said. came to
the district attorney as a burden, the
creature Of a conspiracy on the part
of the mill owners to rob the strikers
of their leaders.
ct don't say II came crookediy 70
the district attorney said Mr.. Peters.
but through a desire of representa-
tives of the mill owners to get rid OF
the strike leaders. hoping when they
were in prison the $4,000 poor working
men, women and children would re-
turn to the mills again. their slaves.
That's the way this flimsy creature,
the constructive case was born.
"All the testimony in this case they
have given to you by insinuation and
inference. Nothing else. For Gods sake
are we going in Massachusetts, to cleo
trocute men by inference and insinua-
ton"
the only testimony, he said affecting
Giovannitti directly in the whole case
was that of the Detectives Bencordo.
who said that the defendant in Il
speech ON the Common told the stril<-
ers 10 get out at night and ''prowl
around like wild animals seeking the
blood of the scahs.'
Against this testimony. he weighed
Il Il l.. ~, ..f4, 49,.
of the witnesses and the direct denial
of their testimony by Giovannitti him
self and a dozen witnesses, who tes-
titled that Giovannitti said nothing
of the kind, but did tell the strikers
to keep away from the soldiers who
are seeking their blood.
THE whole world is watching you,
he said, watching for your decision
in the most serious case that has been
tried within my recollection. Are you
going to strike q blow at the better
ment of the human race by taking
away a leader of the people?
This case strikes at the foundation
roots of government in the matter of
assembly and free speech. In Massa
chusetts, which has lighted the fires
of free speech and reform. which has
been the advance guard of progress,
if free speech is to be trampled on,
what can we expect from the rest of
the world"
w. Scott Peters. counsel for Arturo
Giovannitti, the New York Socialist.
began the closing argument for the
defence.
absurd and preposterous," was his
characterization of the charge against
his client. He declared that some vio-
lence during the textile strike could
not have been prevented even if two
members of the jury had been in the
places OF Ettor and Giovannitti be-
cause $4,000 persons were on strike and
in that army were people speaking IS
different languages.
Govannitti, in this case, he likened
to Daniel thrown into the den of lions,
ito be devoured because he dared to
pray" That Giovannitti, who went to
Lawrence to organize relief for the
starving strikers and their families,
should be put in prison and charged
with murder, the counsel argued, did
not seem real in this age of ciyiliza-
finp