The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-08-23
Seventeen Fight to
Save Men Ends I'm
successfully; They
Protest Innocence
(Cont;nued FROM n.ve ona,

CONTINUED from page one)
through direct evidence Of witnesses.
some of whom identified Sacco and
Vanzetti, and partly through cir
cumstantial evidence, in which cap
found at the murder scene was iden-
titled as Sacco's and the fact that
both were armed when arrested.
Became Widely Known
The shoe worker, Sacco, and the
fish peddler, Vanzttti. soon became
known in many lands as the defense
committee organized and collected
hundreds of thousands Of dollars
which we're spent not only for legal
talent to fight the case but also for
extensive propaganda.
From many countries and from in
dividuals of high and low estate
came protests that injustice was be-
ing done or asking mercy. But there
were also messages which demanded
that the men pay the penalty for
their crime.
Miss Luigia vansetti, sister of
Bartolomeo, who came from his ma
tive village in Italy to be near him
during the last few days, and Mrs.
Rose Sacco, who has been constant
in her attentions to her husband,
spent the night at an apartment on
Beacon Hill within two blocks Of the
state house. Three minutes after the
last execution they were notified by
kilograms. Their cries aroused many
of the neighborhood from sleep and
it was late this morning before the
district quoted down.
Burial Plans UnannOunced
The bodies of Sacco and Vanzetti
were removed Shortly after the ex-
ecution to mortuary where, autop-
sizes were performed by DR.. George r.
Magrath, medical examiner. The au-
thorities decided to turn the bodies
over to the Sacco-Vanzetti defense
committee. No announcement has
vet been made Of burial plans. The
body of Madciros will be taken to
New Bedford for burial.
Before his arrest charged with
murder on May 5, 1920, Nicola Sacco,
an Italian immigrant, worked by day
in shoe factory in Stoughton, Mass
His evenings for a long period were
spent in attending radical meetings
and distributing radical literature.
He was of medium height, smooth
shaver and wore his hair closely
cropped. A fiery manner frequently
characterized his attitude. He de-
scribed himself as an atheist. He
said he did not believe in war and in
1917 he fled to Mexico to evadc the
draft.
Talks Broken English
His speeches were usually made in
Italian, his English being very broken.
In his testimony at the payroll MUIR
der trial he attacked American insti-
tutions. 1t was the fear that he
would be deported for his radical
activities, he testified, that led him
to lie to the police regarding his
m movements at the time of his arrest.
When he came before Judge Web
ster Thayer for sentence on April .,
1927, Sacco had his say about his be-
licfs.
Il know there are two classcs--thc
oppressed and the rich," he cx-
claimed. ave fratcrnize the people
with books and literature. You
prosecute the people. tcrrorizc and
kill. We try to educate them.
That's why I am here today-for
having been in the oppressed class.
while you are the Oppressor and YOU
know it. I've never been guilty,
never"
Two Hunger Strikes
Twice Sacco conducted hunger
strikes. The first time was while
he was in the Dedham Jail in Feb
ruarx and March, 1923, while motions
for new trial we're pending. That
one lasted a month. Then he was
taken. to the Psychopathic hospital
in Boston and forcibly fed once.
whereupon he abandoned the strike.
The second hunger strike came in the
state prison and began while he was
awaiting Governor Fuller's decision
as to whether he should interfere
with the courts sentence.
DartOlOmco Vanzctti was an ltal-
ian immigrant and an admitted radi-
cal leader. He went to Mexico to
cvade the draft in 1917. Vanzetti
was a fish peddler in the historic
town of Plymouth, Mass. With a
fairly good command of English, he
was writer as we'll as an orator, and
his style was dramatic. After his
arrest charged with murder he wrote
voluminous documents setting forth
his views and pleading that he wa7
being prosecuted for them.
An Active k9OlC81
He was thick set and swarthy. A
huge black moustache dropping at
the ends covered his mouth. So ac-
tive was he in radical councils that
when fellow radical named Salsedo
disappeared, Vanzetti was chosen to
20 to New York to search for him.
This was late in April, 1920. On
May 3 the body of Salsed0 was found
on a New York sidewalk where hi
had jumped or fallen from window
in the federal department Of justice
rooms on the 14th floor. The next
day Vanzetti returned to Massachu-
sets, and on May he was arrested
on the payroll murder charge.
It was Vanzetti's claim that on the
night of his arrest he and Sacco wers
starting on a tour on which they in
literature which they had distributed.
They wished to dispose of it. he as
serted. because they feared capture
by federal officers and deportation
for their radical activities.
Before he was brought to trial for
murder Vanzetti was convicted OF
an attempted holdup in Bridgewater
and sentenced to IL to Is years in
the state prison. Judge Thayer pre-.
sided at that trial as we'll as the pay
roll case.
Makes Lengthy Plea
Vansetti made lengthy plea when
brought before Judge Thayer for
sentence for murder.
s'In all my lffe," he declared, Il
have never stolen and never killed.
have struggled all my life to elimi-
nate crime from the earth. have
refused to be a commodity. to. sacri-
flee myself for q good position.
have struggled to eliminate the ex-
ploitation and oppression of men.
You knew we were radicals, under
dogs. have suffered because I am