SACCO AND VANZETTI

Hokitika Guardian, 10 August 1927, Page 2

SACCO AND VANZETTI

(Australian & X.Z. Cable Association.) PARIS, Aug. 9. “Le Petit l’arisien” states that during Sacco and Vaiizetti demonstrations at Le Havre, shots were fired at a non-striking taxi-driver. The assailant took refuge on a house top, committing suicide liefore he could be arrested. “Le Matin” states that demonstrators at Cassablauea burnt an American flag in front of the American Consulate. LONDON, Aug. 8. The Paris correspondent .says that the Sacco-Vanzetti demonstration passed off quietly. The police prevented open air meetings. A hundred loafers, Communists and sightseers attended at the Place Do La Concorde, but quickly dispersed when the police appeared.

The transport employees wore called on for a twenty-four hours’ strike, hut only agreed to .stop their vehicles for ten minutes. Twenty per cent, of workmen in all trades responded to the strike summons. Four demonstrators

were arrested for attempting to stop vehicles and trams. The police are on duty everywhere. The United States Embassy and Consulate are heavily guarded. The newspaper L’Huniaiiite proposes. if Sacco and Yanzetti are executed, a boycott on all America)) goods and entertainments of American origin ; and organised hostility to representatives of “Yankee hypocrisy.”

The Dunkirk dockers struck, and at Marseilles a small minority of worknun are .striking. FLUTHER BOAfBIXG REPORTED NEW YORK. Aug. 8. As was expected, the Massachusetts Court to-day again declined relief tn tin* condemned men. Governor Fuller is still deliberating upon the plea for a stay of the execution. Afenmvhile further bombing outrages are, reported in Utica, resulting in injury t i a dozen persons. Another machine, believed to be a bomb, was discovered in a bank at Lynm, Afassachusotts. The Los Angeles police have begun tn arrest all known radicals, on charges of violence and criminal syndicalism. where even already prevented. NEW YORK. Aug. 9. The Committee of Affiliated Trade Unions of Chicago declared that in the .statement, last night, referring to the recent explosions and various demonstrations. “the attempt to create the impression of a reign of terror, is simply an effort to create some kind of hysteria, as resulted in the original conviction of Ihe workers.” After seven years of peaceful, although energetic agitation on a large scale, throughout the world, it is a violent stretch of the imagination now to ask the people to believe that the supporters of Sacco and Yanzetti will resort to such stupid and useless means of protest.

EXCITEM EXT G R OAT IXG. INTENSIVE POLICE PRECAUTIONS EXECUTION OX THURSDAY. (Received this day at 9.J0 a.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 9. Another desperate effort to save Sacco and Yanzetti failed at Boston when Judge Thayer, who presided at the original trial, denied a motion for revocation and a stay of the sentence, after giving the matter consideration overnight.

The* defendants only recourse is to Governor Fuller and the Federal Court, neither of which is likely to stay the execution.

Meanwhile, in AA'asliingtim State Department the officials have taken extraordinary precautions against possible* bombings. The six entrances to the Department building are barred, leaving only two open, and these are under a hea,vy guard. A special guard is also stationed tit the Diplomats private entrance.

Thousands of New York police are concentrated on thirty protest meetings. which are scheduled to assemble for the purpose of joining in a monster gathering later in the day. NEAV YORK, Aug. 9.

Sacco and Yanzetti were denied tv stay of the execution in the Superior Court at Denham. Massachusetts. It is claimed that 145,000 workers are out on a sympathetic strike. A thousand police tire 1 posted in Union Sepia re. and smaller detachments are throughoont the city to preserve order. Four thousand clothing workers are out on strike in Rochester, New Aork. At Boston a riot squad of detectives raided the cape makers headquarters on the eve of the strike, and it is understood the police tire considering the* placing of machine guns on the walls of the prison ill Charlestown, a Boston suburb, where the execution takes place on Thursday. Many arrests arc being made throughout the country as a result ol the disturbances.

SF.YEX YKAKS Old) CHIME. It is now just over seven years since a crime was committed for which two Italians, Sacco and 1 anzetti. are sentenced to he executed, wrote Henry AY. Novison in the “ Manchester Guardian.” The crime itself was simple. At 3 p.m. on April 15, 1920, two men named Parmentar and Berardelli, employed by a shoe factory in South Braintree, Massachusetts, were driving down the main street from the firm’s office to the factory with two boxes containing wages, amounting to nearly £4OOO, when they were shot dead by two men, who tit once sprang Into a ear with several other men and were driven rapidly away. Two days afterwards that car was found abandoned in the woods, hut there were tracks of a smali'er car leading awnv from it.

I'hore had been a similar “hold-up” in the neighbouring town of Bridgewater, and the chief of police there suspected an Italian named Boda, who had put his car into a garage for repairs. Twenty days after the Braintree crime Boda called for his car with three other Italians. The car was reported as not being ready, and Boda disappeared upon it motor-cycle and was not heard of again. One of the other three Italians proved that he had been at work on the days of both crimes. The other two Italians were Sacco, who had been a steady worker in the shoe factory but had taken a day off on the day of the Braintree crime, and Vnnzctti, a fish pedlar in Plymouth. Massachusetts, and his own employer. They were arrested in a train as they went away, and their trial began in May. 1921. On July 14 they were condemned to death.

From the first it was held hv many in America that the accused had not been given fair trial. It was asserted that the Judge, Mr AVebster Thayer, had shown himself violently prejudiced against them, and that the District Attorney, who prosecuted, had wilfully twisted the evidence from its natural meaning, and even suborned at least one important witness by an arrangement before his evidence was given. Petitions were signed by men of high position in the law and public service. Appeal followed appeal. But the Supreme Court of Massachusetts refused to grant the final appeal for a new trial.