Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-04-21
SACC0 TO STATE
INSANE HOSPITAL
FOR OBSERVATION
Judges Order At Dedham Fol
lowing Three-Day Hearing
To Determine Sanity
Bridgcwatcr, Where Criminal In
sane Are Guarded. the Proper
Place, Judges View-WiD Not
Only Receive Best Of Medical
Treatment But Will Have No
Opportunity to Escape-Touches
on Suicidal Inclination Of Con-
victcd Man

Dedham, Mass. April 2o-Com-
mitment of Nicola Sacco to the
Bridgewater State hospital for the
scriminal insane for observation an.
I'll further order of the court was
ordered by Judge Webster Tha yer
at the ED today of a three day
hearing. Sacco. convicted with Bar
tolomeO Nanzetti Cor double murder
in Braintree in 1920, has been N the
Boston Psychopathic hospital for
treatment since his month Long hun
ger strike in the county Jail. here.
NanZetti is serving term in the
state prison for another offense and
petitions for a new trial for both
mel are pending.
In making his order Judge Thayer
sal that az result of the evidence
hard this week he found Sacco 'in
such mental condition that he should
be committed tC an institution for
the insane for proper care and obscr-
walton pending determination of his
sanity and under such limitations as
this court may order at the present
time or from time to time hereafter.
This institution" he continued,
was selected for the reason that at
least three of the WITNESSES who are
superintendent of state insane hos
pitfalls in this state recommended the
court to commit saiC Sacco to said
Bridgewater because it was for his
best interests rs well as those of the
commonl. ealth. | fully coincide with
these views for the reason given by
them that he will receive the best of
medical fhnrn and If iS tho
only hospital of the kind in this
state that has been constructed with
the object of preventing escapes.
The question of escape must be taken
into consideration because there was
evidence before to the effect that
He would Go his best to escape from
any hospital to which he might be
committed
Il have also taken into considera :
ton the question of threatened sui
eide. So far as this matter is con-
cernCd the evidence clearly eStab-
lished that if the defendant was de-
termined to commit suicide he would
commit it. no matter to what hospital
lp was committed, a.. he already had
attempted at the Boston Psychopa thic
hospital to which institution he had
been previously committed for OBJ
scrvation."
Judge Thayer said that the record
and the evidence introduced cstab-
liShcd that Sacco had been indicted
and convicted Of murder in the first
degree but that no sentence had
been pronounced: that the defend
ant had admitted on the witness
stand that at the time Of his arrest
he had Il loaded automatic pistol
concealed in his clothing and that lie
had no permit to carry the weapon,
and that the officer vino made til"
arrest had testified that Saccc had
reached his hand under his over
coat in the direction Of the place
where the pistol was later found, aft
volvcr. Upon this record. the court
said, he found authority in the gen
cral laws to Greer SaCCo committed
to BrdceWatCr.
Counsel for Siacco had opposed
such commitment on the ground
that not having been sentenced he
could not be regarded as a criminal
and should not he sent to an asylum
for the criminal insane. In court
today Judge Thaycr remarked that
many persons had been sent TO the
BridGcwater hospital who had not
even been convicted. but merely in
dictcd. Several of the alienists who
had testified that Sacco was suffer-
ing from mental disorder had recon-
mended his commitment to Bridge
water and District Attorney Wilz
liams had endorsed the rccommena
datiOn