The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti: A New England Legend by Howard Fast Read Free Book Online

this point something must be said of the framework, the milieu in which these events occurred, and something of the world as it existed at that time in terms of an Italian radical. I say an Italian radical, because this is an accurate description, philosophically, of both Sacco and Vanzetti, whether we refer to them as anarchists, as communists, or as socialists. In any case, they are radicals. At that time, in the spring of 1920, the life of a radical was a most uneasy life. Attorney General Palmer had undertaken proceedings for wholesale deportation of reds. Actions against radicals of foreign extraction were particularly savage, and very often these actions were taken in such terms as one finds difficult to accept today. For example, and pertinent to this inquiry, is the case of one Salsedo, an Italian, a radical, and a printer, who, in the spring of 1920, was held incommunicado in a room that was one of the offices of the Department of Justice—on the fourteenth floor of a building on Park Row in New York. The Italian Boda, who owned the car, and his comrades, were friends of the printer Salsedo. When they learned, on the fourth of May, that the smashed body of Salsedo had been found dead on the sidewalk outside of the building on Park Row, after having fallen by force or accident, fourteen stories, they felt that a threat against themselves was imminent. They had radical literature which they felt the necessity to hide. There were friends of theirs who they felt were in danger and must be notified. In order to do these things, Boda’s car would be helpful, and Boda and three friends called to see if the car was ready. They were told that the car was not ready, and no sooner had they left than Mrs. Johnson, the wife of the man who owned the garage, notified the police.”
    â€œSacco and Vanzetti were two of the men who had come to call for the car with Boda. After leaving the garage, Sacco and Vanzetti got on a street car. A police officer boarded the car with them, and arrested them on the car. They appeared to have no notion as to why they were arrested; they made no resistance; they went with him quietly and peaceably.”
    â€œThere, in so many words, we have a picture of the situation which began a series of events which, lasting through seven years, have brought these two unfortunate men to where they are today.”
    â€œUntil now, I have spoken of the crime. Even the simplest crime becomes exceedingly complex when approached legalistically. However, the question which I desire to deal with today, has less to do with the nature of the crime than the nature of the evidence. I am sure you have noticed by now that the problem of evidence appears to be a fairly simple one. It consists in the identification of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti as two of the four-man gang in the car, or on the street, when the payroll was stolen and the murders were committed. But before we get to details of evidence, it must be noted that at the time of their arrest, Sacco and Vanzetti spoke English very poorly. Neither of them, at the time, could make himself clearly understood in the English language, nor was either of them capable of comprehending the meaning of English directed at him and spoken quickly. In the seven years since then, this situation has changed, and as prisoners, both of these men have applied themselves to the language and have, to a large extent, mastered it. However, at that time, they often misunderstood questions put to them, and answers which they gave were misinterpreted. The court interpreter who was used, indulged in practices which raise grave doubts as to his honesty. Sacco and Vanzetti were brought to trial more than a year after they were arrested. The trial continued for seven weeks. On June 14, 1921, these two men were found guilty of murder in the first degree.”
    â€œI said before that the main issue of evidence was the identification of Sacco and Vanzetti as two of the