The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-07-28
EX-CONVICT TOOL
AGAINST SACCO
State Made Star Witness Out of Elk.
pert Crook, Perjurer and Re-
fugee from Justice
BY Eugene Lyons.

Boston. July 15.-The State of
Massachusetts used a notorious eX-
convict, horse-thief, perjurer and re-
fugee from justice in obtaining the
death verdict against Nicola Sacco
and Bartolomeo Vanzetti last year.
Conclusive evidence of this has been
filed in the superior court of Norfolk
county in further support of the mo-
ton for new trial, now pending.
The witness in question testified
under the false name of Carlos E.
Goodridge. Like Louis Pelser, who
has since confessed that his testi-
mony was lie, he claimed to eden
tify'' Sacco as on the scene of the
murders in South Braintree on April
10. 1920.
1t now turns out that he isEras-
tus c. Whitney, wanted for the au-
thorities of New York state for
grand larceny; formerly an inmate
of Elmira Reformatory and Auburn
State Prison in the same state; re-
puted in his home town, Cochocton,
N. T., as a "habitual criminal and
a dad character; accused by those
who know him closest, including sew
eral of his many wives, of forgery,
thieving, adultery. and a congenial
passion for classifying; and reckless
periurer according to documentary
evidence now in the hands of the
court.
In Massachusetts he lived under
the assumed name in order to escape
the New York indictment. But even
as "Goodridge" he was arrested on
larceny charge. 1t was while in
court on this occasion that he saw
Sacco. He pleaded guilty, but in
stead of being sentenced he was put
on probation the very next day. Sew
eral months later he was sprung as
"eurprise witness" in the famous
Sacco-Vanzetti trial.
His being put on probation is es-
pecially significant because if he had
been imprisoned for mis- self-con-
fessed crime his value to the prose-
cution as a witness against Sacco
and would have been almost nil Aft
er doing his bit in swearing away
the lives of Sacco and Vanzetti,
Whitney-alias Goodridge, ETC.
broke probation. Not, however, I'M
til he had pulled off several sensa-
tional swindles in Massachusetts.
The expose came as a climax to
lengthy Investigations. 1t is in the
form of voluminous affidavits, Off
cial records and photographs reveal
ing his criminal life since boyhood
his reputation as a liar and thief
among his townsmen and relatives
and the utter worthlessness of his
word under oath.
One section of Whitney's third
wife's affidavit is especially import
ant because it reveals his hatred for
all Italians. She says under oath
that her former husband had been at
tackled by several Italians whom he
had cheated out of their belongings,
and that since then he harbored an
active rancor against the whole race.
AS indicating his offhand method
in lying under oath, a collection of
his marriage certificates filed in
court is enlightening. In one he
gives his name as Erastus c. Whit
ney, and his birthplace as jefferson,
N. Y. In another he gives his name
as Carlos E. Whitney and his birth
place as Catskill, N. Y. In a third
he gives his name as Carlos E. Good
ridge and his birthplace as Clare
mont, Va.
Such is the man whose testimony
is in large part responsible for the
death verdict against the two labor
men. His resemblance to certain OF
the witnesses" in the Mooney-Bill-
ings case is extraordinary. A hear
ing on this and other new evidence
will be held at date to bet by the
cOurt