The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-09
Decision Illogica", Says Reporter at Famous Trial

affidavit in his report. Yet in that
affidavit Proctor has sworn that Dis
trict Attorney Kaufman tried to get
him to testify that the bullet which
killed one of the payroll guards came
from Sacco's pistol. Proctor refused to
Sacco's pistol. Proctor refused to
testify thus, and so by arrangement,
when Katzmann asked Proctor in
court what was his opinion on the
question whether the mortal bullet
could have been fired from the Sacco
pistol, Proctor answered: MY opin-
ion is that it is consistent with hav-
ing been fired by that pistol Thus
the gun evidence was turned against
Sacco, without, Proctor actually hav-
ling expressed the belief that the
mortal bullet was fired from his gun.
Lawyer BungIed Bridgewater
Defense.
The governor touches briefly up
on the conviction of Vanzetti for the
Bridgewater holdup attempt, point
ing out that Vanzetti did not take the
stand; that he waived the privileges
of telling his own story to the jury,
and did not subject himself to cross
examination. There was good reason
for that, as Mr.. Fuller has been told.
"Vanzetti did not take the stand
because his attorneys, Valley and
Graham, would not let him. They
obviously bungled the case in many
ways. At that time, too, Vanzetti
spoke English badly. . But he took
the stand at the murder trial in Ded-
ham.
Governor Believed" Testimony.
Gov Fuller says of the first trial
of Vanzetti; 4 have talked with the
government witnesses who saw the
Bridgewater holdup and who identi-
fled Vanzetti, and believe their tes-
timony to be substantially correct. l
believe with the jury that Vanzetti
was guilty and his trial was fair.
In the Bridgewater case practically
everyone who witnessed the attempted
hold-up and who could have identified
the bandits identified Vanzetti'
"If we are to believe that Gov. Full
Ter was sincere in his investigation,
L his comment on the Bridgewater case
proves that that inquiry was superb
cial and inadequate.
"Did he read the trial record in the
Bridgewater case?
'If he did read it, does he actually
believe the testimony of Maynard
Freeman Shaw, 14-year-ol high
school prodigy? This boy identified
Vanzetti as the shotgun man to
whom he was no closer than 140 feet.
Here is a bit of his testimony
Could Tell Nationality by Way
He Ran!
81 could tell he was a foreigner by
the way he ran"
what sort of a foreigner
either italian or Russian. :"
Does an Italian or a Russian run
differently from a Swede or a Nor
wegian ?"
Yes"
what is the difference ?"
Unsteady"
Saw Gun Smoke Thru Building.
eff Gov. Fuller read the record,
does he believe the testimony of Mrs.
Georgina Brooks? She identified
Vanzetti as not of the men she saw
in an automobile while on her way to
the New Haven depot with a child.
She testified that she saw fire and
smoke from gun while she stood in
a window of the depot, rs feet back
from Broad street and 300 feet from
Hale street where the hold-up took
place.
"But she could not possibly have
; seen fire and smoke from a gun be-
cause a two-story house completely
shuts off an observer in the window
mentioned from any view of the crime
area!
Moustache Testimony Changed.
eff Gov. Fuller read the record,
does he believe the testimony of Ben
jamin F. Bowles, pay-truck guard?
He identified Vanzetti at the trial
as the shotgun man. Bowles swore
at the preliminary hearing that the
shotgun mans moustache was short
and croppy.' But presently it became
noised about that three Plymouth po-
licemen would testify for the defense
! that Vanzetti's moustache had been
full and flowing for years. So at the
; trial Bowles changed his testimony
and swore that the shotgun mans
/, moustache was 'bushy.'
Height Changed to Suit Prosecutor.
, Does Gov. Fuller believe the tes-
timony of Paymaster Alfred E. Cox?
He also reversed his testimony At
: the preliminary hearing he declared
that the shotgun man, in contrast to
the other bandit, was short and of
slight build page IL, preliminary
record), the short fellow of the at
lacking party. But at the trial, where
it was revealed that Vanzetti was not
; a short man, Cox testified that the
shotgun man was about five feet
eight inches tall