The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-29


erfu movie interests whose car Will Hays has ordered
all news films burned.
Here is beautiful powerful, eloquent book. Crowded
into 208 pages is the complete story of the two mmi
grants whose bodies shattered by electricity and
laid green marble slabs in the death chamber of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, few minutes past
midnight August %. Lyons, labor journalist
ISOLATED with the defense work from the beginning in
1921, knew Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in
tmaely He visited the homes of their parents in Italy
and familiar with the background in which they
were born and reared Possessing a knowledge of the
Italian language Lyons has translated a number of
hitherto unpublished letters of Sacco and Vanzet which
reveal in dramatic way their literary and intellectual
interests.
In clear, convincing style the author describes the
lives of the two In episodes vivid and colorful
he traces the facts which eliminated in their execution
For the first time in book the class nature of the
case is described and Observation-Disclosures and I'M
equivocably Not only the facts about their lives but
the complicated of legal formulate and procedure
which dragged Sacco and Vanze thru long years
of torture by hope are brilliantly summarized
The role of Fred Moore courageous labor attorney
from California is related. Moore took the de-
Tense work at its beginning in 1920 He remained until
1924 when the anarchist elements in the Boston defense
committee decided the higher strategy of ingratia
ton with the capitalist courts-a strategy which
ceeded for time in paralyzng the protest Of inter-
national labor by the standing threat of the conservative
and high-priced lawyers who warned that they would
resign if the eternal and mmutabe processes of law
were not rigidly followed
a.. 1t is considered and ordered by the court that
you Nicola Sacco suffer the punishment of death
by the passage of of electricity thru your
body within the week off,. And you BartolOmeo
Vanzetti... e"
Never did a modern Pontius PLATE listen to such
soaring contemptuous and oftily ronic speech the
chileyed Thayer heard from the lips of the nletered"
IVanzet on the spring morning IN the Dedham court
when the sentence of death was pronounced.
The attitude of the liberals and ntelectuals during
the height of the agitation for the release of Sacco and
Vanzet is described by Lyons with insight and fine
irony. "a meeting of 10000 workers pledging their
hearts blood to Sacco and Vanzetti comrades and
brother given paragraph in the days And
timid expression of hope that Massachusetts would
yet its fair name, if signed by single clergyman
fourth assistant district attorney given the
space" The pious and belated efforts" Of the New
York World are described: 1.-THE World sent it's labor
reporter into New England and he emerged with
series of articles based almost entirely the Madeiros
and Department of Justice afdavits and overlooked
the mass of evidence" Later Lyons comments
the Haywood Broun episode and the disgusngy vacil
atng editorial policy OF the paper during the last days
The absurdity of describing the verdict as "mis-
carriage of justice" becomes glaring after reading
Lyons graphic and penetrating story Their execution
not miscarriage of justice. 1t deliberate,
indeed formal carrying out of justice such it is in
the society of today"
The tremendous and angry international protest of
labor during the years that the two framedup
workers being tortured, and particularly during
the last few months prior to their official murder, is
described. In one chapter "Seven Days That Shook
the World" Lyons tells of the eeventhhour attempts
to Sacco and Vanzet from the electric chair i'm
edately following the report" of Fuers reactionary
committee
The primary impetus in the international mass ex-
preston came from the "Red Aid International" de-
clares Lyons. "But the active pushing, indignant
ergy from the International Labor Defense in the
United States the 'Rhote Hife' in Germany, and the
international Class War Prisoners Aid in England"
The vicousy prejudiced Thayer the 75yearold Judge
Gran tha doll md
anonymous President Sraton the third member of the
committee are also characterized and revealed with
swift biting irony. And of their report he says: Haste
was apparent in it's structure offhand -chosen words
weak unsupported assertions; impatient Judgments
Fuller the automobile magnate, surely would not have
allowed advertisement of Packard to out to
the world in weak and unconvincing form this
statement by Fuller the governor, condemnng Sacco
and Vanzetti to death"
Sacco and Vanzetti's early background, their political
and literary interests, all these sketched by Lyons
with warm sympathy and keen discernment.
Vanzetti decided to come to America. There, he
hoped life would be fuller deeper and freer He would
find the knowledge for which he hirsted and the leisure
to think things out"
The pitifu chronicle of the early days of Sacco and
Vanzetti in America described with great power
and deep insight In the drama of their hearbreakng
experiences laborers in the drab manufac
turing towns of New England Lyons tells the story Of
the American immigrant
The book is illustrated with photographs Of Sacco
and Vanzett and the cover jacket is reproduc-
ton of Fred Ellis famous cartoon showing worker
broken the wheel of American capitalism, which
originally appeared in The DAILY WORKER. The prn- !
cpa members of the Massachusetts murder crew are
represented There are photographs of William G.
Thompson and Fred H. Moore lawyers for the defense
From technical point of view the book is excellent
It printed in clear bold type and is sturd bound