Post by Fred on Nov 27, 2004 18:13:43 GMT
Nicola Sacco and Bartolemeo Vanzetti were Italians who emigrated to the United States to seek a better life in the "Land of opportunity". To avoid the call up during the First World War they moved to Mexico. They were Anarchists. Sacco became homesick being a family man and returned to Massachusetts in September under an assumed name, his mother's maiden name.
Vanzetti returned at the same time, but by a leisurely route, through Missouri and Pennsylvania.He didn't arrive in Massachusetts till late 1918 when the Armistice allowed both men to take up their real identity.Immigrants who had evaded the draft lived in fear of persecution by the American Authorities who feared the growth of dissent.
After a payroll robbery both men were accused of murder. This shooting took place in Braintree, Massachusetts, during the first sweeping, 'red scare'.against anarchists, radicals, and bolsheviks!. In the town where the murder was committed workers had been visited by activists and were reputed to be organising for a strike for better conditions. Attorney General A.Mitchell condemned what he called a "Red Movement". Saying it was a world wide conspiracy to ,"steal other people's property by violence and sabotage." There were a succession of bombings including an unsuccessful one on Palmer's home. This built up the fear of anarchists and subversives.On January 2nd, 1920 Palmer's Justice Dept., raided immigrants in more than 30 cities.arresting several thousand people. It was a terror campaign against working class people.In Boston, Massachusetts police marched over 500 detainees through the streets handcuffed.In some cases a bond was set at a ridiculous level of $10,000.Over 4000 immigrants were arrested all over the country.Many were kept in squalid camps whilst their families were kept in poverty without a bread winner.A new Labour Secretary halted the persecution when members of the legal profession complained regarding abuse of the detainees constitutional rights.About 3000 warrants, were rescinded, claims being made that they were made out after the arrest.Even so 1000 immigrants were deported. It was against this background that the murder of the payroll guards took place.
Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty amidst world wide protests . All over the USA and Europe working class people, liberal,socialist or anarchist demonstrated against the guilty verdict. It took the Us establishment sevn years to get the unfortunate pair to the death chamber .
Nicolo Sacco, who was a devoted father with one son said on being found guilty,"I never know, never heard,even read in history anyting so cruel as this court." In a letter to a daughter, Inez, born after his arrest Sacco said, he longed to see her and thanked her for her,"most golden," final letter. "When I die, he wrote the child, "it will be buried with your father." In a letter to his ten year old son Dante, Sacco wrote, " If they should kill us you must not forget to look at your friends and comrades with gratitude."He was visited regularly by his loving wife Rosina. She also in camradeship visited Vanzetti regularly in his last days, he had no wife in the US. Sacco, whilst in gaol regularly sent his children, "best warm greetings from Bartolo."This was a short name for Vanzetti.
Bartolomeo Vanzetti made a moving statement to a young reporter. It should never be forgotten or ignored.
"If it had not been for this thing , I might have lived my life out talking at street corners to scorning men. I might have died unmarked,unknown, a failure. Now we are not a failure . This is our career and our triumph. Never in our full life can we hope to do such work for tolerance , for justice, for man's understanding of man, as we do now by an accident. Our words , our lives,our pain- nothing! The taking of our lives - the lives of a good shoemaker (Sacco) and a poor fishpedlar,(himself,)-all. THAT LAST MOMENT BELONGS TO US - THAT AGONY IS OUR TRIUMPH.".
Vanzetti returned at the same time, but by a leisurely route, through Missouri and Pennsylvania.He didn't arrive in Massachusetts till late 1918 when the Armistice allowed both men to take up their real identity.Immigrants who had evaded the draft lived in fear of persecution by the American Authorities who feared the growth of dissent.
After a payroll robbery both men were accused of murder. This shooting took place in Braintree, Massachusetts, during the first sweeping, 'red scare'.against anarchists, radicals, and bolsheviks!. In the town where the murder was committed workers had been visited by activists and were reputed to be organising for a strike for better conditions. Attorney General A.Mitchell condemned what he called a "Red Movement". Saying it was a world wide conspiracy to ,"steal other people's property by violence and sabotage." There were a succession of bombings including an unsuccessful one on Palmer's home. This built up the fear of anarchists and subversives.On January 2nd, 1920 Palmer's Justice Dept., raided immigrants in more than 30 cities.arresting several thousand people. It was a terror campaign against working class people.In Boston, Massachusetts police marched over 500 detainees through the streets handcuffed.In some cases a bond was set at a ridiculous level of $10,000.Over 4000 immigrants were arrested all over the country.Many were kept in squalid camps whilst their families were kept in poverty without a bread winner.A new Labour Secretary halted the persecution when members of the legal profession complained regarding abuse of the detainees constitutional rights.About 3000 warrants, were rescinded, claims being made that they were made out after the arrest.Even so 1000 immigrants were deported. It was against this background that the murder of the payroll guards took place.
Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty amidst world wide protests . All over the USA and Europe working class people, liberal,socialist or anarchist demonstrated against the guilty verdict. It took the Us establishment sevn years to get the unfortunate pair to the death chamber .
Nicolo Sacco, who was a devoted father with one son said on being found guilty,"I never know, never heard,even read in history anyting so cruel as this court." In a letter to a daughter, Inez, born after his arrest Sacco said, he longed to see her and thanked her for her,"most golden," final letter. "When I die, he wrote the child, "it will be buried with your father." In a letter to his ten year old son Dante, Sacco wrote, " If they should kill us you must not forget to look at your friends and comrades with gratitude."He was visited regularly by his loving wife Rosina. She also in camradeship visited Vanzetti regularly in his last days, he had no wife in the US. Sacco, whilst in gaol regularly sent his children, "best warm greetings from Bartolo."This was a short name for Vanzetti.
Bartolomeo Vanzetti made a moving statement to a young reporter. It should never be forgotten or ignored.
"If it had not been for this thing , I might have lived my life out talking at street corners to scorning men. I might have died unmarked,unknown, a failure. Now we are not a failure . This is our career and our triumph. Never in our full life can we hope to do such work for tolerance , for justice, for man's understanding of man, as we do now by an accident. Our words , our lives,our pain- nothing! The taking of our lives - the lives of a good shoemaker (Sacco) and a poor fishpedlar,(himself,)-all. THAT LAST MOMENT BELONGS TO US - THAT AGONY IS OUR TRIUMPH.".
