DEATH BUTTON NOT PRESSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 121, 12 August 1927, Page 1

DEATH BUTTON NOT PRESSED

ITALIANS TEMPORARILY REPRIEVED ANOTHER CHANCE FOR THE DEFENCE AMERICAN HYSTERIA QUIETENS DOWN SACCO and Vanzetti are still living-, though probably all the world expected to learn to-day that they had died on the electric chair. At the eleventh hour they were granted a respite until the week beginning on August 22, by the Governor of Massachusetts. Further, their counsel has been granted an appeal to the Full Bench of the State Supreme Court. By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright

NEW YORK, Thursday. An eleventh-hour respite was this evening granted to the two Italians, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who were condemned to death in connection with the murder o£ a pay-clerk and his guard at South Braintree, Massachusetts, in April, 1920. The date of the execution was set forward to the week August 22-27, inclusive. It was announced that the respite had been granted by the Governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Alvan Fuller, and the Executive Council. A statement issued by the Governor said: “The temporary reprieve has been granted in order to afford the Courts an opportunity to complete consideration of the proceedings now pending and to announce their decision upon them.” COUNSEL’S IMPASSIONED PLEA A few minutes before the time fixed for the execution Mr. Fuller came out from the meeting of the Executive Council, where counsel for the condemned men had just completed an impassioned appeal. The Governor then announced the respite of Sacco and Vanzetti. and also of a third condemned man named Madieros. Shortly afterwards Judge Holmes announced that he had refused a writ of habeas corpus, thus closing the avenue of appeal to the United States Supreme Court on the plea that the two men had not received the justice guaranteed under the Federal constitution. The respite will grve the condemned men at most an additional 17 days to live, as under the Massachusetts law the execution can take place on any day during the "week beginning August 22. —A. and N.Z.-Sun. APPEAL TO COURT JUDGE GRANTS LEAVE By Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright Reed. 9.10 a.m. BOSTON, Thursday. Counsel for Sacco and Vanzetti gained a further victory when Judge Sanderson allowed an appeal to the Full Bench of the State Supreme Court, on his denial of a writ of error. This will probably be heard on August 16, because members of the bench are away on vacations, though all are within easy reach. It is generally regarded as doubtful, however, whether this is likely to prove effective, as the same court has already decided against the condemned men on two previous occasions. The general impression seems to be that the Governor did not wish the

defence to be deprived of any possible opportunity to obtain the fullest justice, therefore he granted a temporary reprieve. In the meantime, the tension throughout 1 the United States has lessened considerably.—A. and N.Z. SCARE IN LONDON BOMB IN EATING-HOUSE By Cable.—-Press Association.—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.xn. LONDON, Thursday. There was a scare in the Bast End of London on the discovery of a live bomb in an eating-house. Early in the morning the proprietor’s daughter found the bomb projecting from the public telephone. She put it in a pail of water, and dashed to summon the police, who removed it. —A. and N.Z. DAMAGE IN PARIS SHOWER OF STONES By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. PARIS, Thursday. “Le Journal” reports that the Due de Montmorency was lunching, when a shower of stones fell from a neighbouring high building, continuing for 10 minutes, and damaging his valuable picture gallery. The duke believes that the occurrence was a demonstration by Sacco, and Vanzetti’s sympathisers.-—A. and N.Z.

WILD MOB IN LONDON HOST LED BY GIRL MARCH ON U.S. EMBASSY By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright LONDON, Thursday. Exciting scenes in the West End of London followed a demonstration last evening in Hyde Park in symapthy with the condemned Italians, Sacco and Vanzetti. The gathering in the park had been addressed by the secretary of the Miners’ Federation, Mr. A. J. Cook, and others. It was attended by several thousand people. About 10.30 p.m. one of the speakers shouted: —“The time has now come to march to the American Embassy.” The vast crowd was roughly formed into and, headed by a young girl with bobbed, flaming red hair, marched into Park Lane, accompanied by a large force of foot and mounted police. Those in the procession ultimately numbered more than 10.000. FASCISTS HOOTED A long line of motor-cars from the theatres, filled with people in evening dress, was brought to a standstill. At the sight of a party of British Fascists in a lorry flying the Union Jack the mob hooted and “booed” from one end of Park Lane to the other. The demonstrators sang the “Red Flag.” To this the Fascists and others replied by singing the National Anthem. The marchers shook their fists at the great houses in Park Lane and shouted: “Up with the Reds. Our day is coming.” Amid cheering and booing Mr. Cook made a vehement speech. He said: “If America murders Sacco and Vanzetti, we shall get even. We must boycott America.” Mr. Cook led the singing of the “International,” beating time with a Red flag. PEOPLE INJURED Strong cordons of police barred Grosvenor Gardens, where the American Embassy is situated. Then, after issuing a warning, the police drew their truncheons and scattered the crowd. The police made repeated charges and broke the crowd up into three sections, several persons being injured. The* pressure was so great that a balustrade collapsed outside one house and 30 people were precipitated into the basement area and were injured. Attempts to form the procession again failed. Four people were arrested. The mounted police continued to patrol the streets and foot police lined the route from Victoria Station to Park Lane all night.—A. and N.Z.-Sun. SYMPATHISERS BUSY APPEAL TO POPE THREATS OF BOMB REPRISALS NEW YORK, Wednesday. Among the interesting aspects of the Sacco-Vanzetti case to-day was the despatch of telegrams by the defence committee acting on behalf of the two Italians.. One was sent to the Pope, and another to the wife of the President, Mrs. Coolidge, appealing for their intervention. The condemned men themselves issued a letter condemning the Governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Fuller, as a murder. They then maintained a sporadic hunger strike. Finally the two men declined to sign a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, saying it was no use. They were ultimately induced to affix their

signatures to the petition, however. Threats of bomb reprisals continue to pour in to various public and private institutions throughout the country. The most unusual one was received by the New York University, and another was sent to a littleknown shoe factory in the city. The police authorities were busy all day rushing guards from place to place. THIRD MAN’S CONFESSION At 10.30 p.m. to-day the warden of the prison at Charlestown, the Boston suburb where the men were awaiting death, announced that a respite had been granted to Sacco, Vanzetti and the third condemned man, Madeiros. Medieros was convicted of a separate crime. He had sworn an affidavit more than a year ago to the effect that he was a member of the gang responsible for killing the paymaster and his clerk —the crime for which Sacco and Vanzetti were condemned. The latter’s counsel considered this affidavit to be very strong evidence for a new trial, but all the authorities discredited it.—A. and N.Z. LABOUR AGITATION PROBLEM OF THE ALIENS NEW YORK, Wednesday. From all parts of the country reports came to hand to-day of various meetings of protest and condemnation of the sentence on Sacco and Vanzetti, minor riots and mass meetings arising out of the situation. Mr. William Green, of the American Federation of Labour, appealed to Mr. Fuller for the reprieve of the men. The Secretary of Labour, Mr. J. J. Davis, countered this by intimating to agitators that law-abiding citizens were fully resolved to make every effort to secure the deportation of undesirable Radicals who entered the country through violating the immigration laws. Mr. Davis said that, before leading manufacturers employed aliens they would demand proof of their lawful entry into the country. Efforts would be made in Congress to secure legislation to furth \ tighten the immigration laws and secure the exclusion of undesirables.—A. and N.Z.