Sacco and Vanzetti
... Vanzetti were in the courtroom facing charges of murder and robbery, that the Braintree Crimes would become a publicized affair. Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested on May 5, 1920 for the murders and robberies that took place three weeks earlier. They both were anarchistic, atheist, draft dodgers, immigrants, and neither could speak English well (Fabulous 26). This undoubtedly made them an easy target. When questioned they both lied creating a “consciousness of guilt” in the eyes of the prosecutors and judge (D’Attilio). Another aspect that did not help Sacco and Vanzetti were their alibis. Although both had an alibi, their witnesses often could not remember much about the day in question other than they defiantly saw the defendants. Sacco’s alibi rested on his repeated attempt to get passports to Italy to see his family. Vanzetti was allegedly selling fish and visiting some friends (Montgomery 142-155, 131-141). Percy Katzmann, the prosecutor, had given both a difficult time with the questioning. He used their lack of English skills against them and often twisted their words around. Although Moore, the defendant’s lawyer would object to this, Judge Thayer would allow it to continue and often encourage it. Judge Thayer was unprofessional by making rude comments during and out of court. He would refer to Sacco and Vanzetti as “Dagoes” never referring to them as Italians (Feuerlight 202). He would also talk about the case outside of court and brag to others saying “Did you see what I did with those anarchistic bastards the other day? I guess that will hold them for a while.” (Feuerlight 306). Not only was his behavior questionable, but the fact that he was the judge of the case was questionable, since he had just sentenced Vanzetti for another case a few weeks prior. Fortunately for Sacco and Vanzetti, their lawyer was dedicated and fought for their freedom. Moore raised awareness to the trial worldwide. Supporters protested for Sacco and Vanzetti’s freedom. After six weeks of trial Sacco and Vanzetti were found guilty of murder and robbery. Though they were found guilty, their lawyer still fought for appeals and continued to spend money on propaganda. Since the anarchist movement had been paying for the trial and all the spending that Moore was doing, they fired him. Moore was replaced in 1924 by William Thompson (D’Attillio). Thompson made appeal after appeal, and more and more evidence proving Sacco and Vanzetti’s innocence surfaced as he fought for an appeal. On November 16, 1925 a man in sitting in Dedham Jail was given the financial report of the Sacco and Vanzetti case to read, he read it and wrote a note addressed to the “News Editor Boston American Paper. Boston, Mass.” Two days later he wrote a similar note to Sacco, who was in the same jail, and had the Deputy Jail Master, Oliver Curtis, to deliver it to him. After a few minutes Curtis had passed Sacco’s jail cell and saw him crying in the corner with the note in his hands (Feuerlight 126-127). The note read : “I hear by confess to being in the South Braintree crime and Sacco and Vanzetti was not said in crime” - Celestino Madeiros (Russell 279). Thompson was eager to get the confession into a formal document, but Madeiros needed to wait to see the outcome of a trial. Once it was over he agreed to sign a confession although his story changed from the first one he told Thompson earlier (Russell 280). The evidence in Sacco and Vanzetti’s favor was counts of perjury by prosecution witnesses, illegal activities by police and federal authorities, confession to the Braintree Crimes, and evidence that a notorious gang called the Morelli Gang and Judge Thayer ruled and rejected on a motion accusing himself of judicial prejudice (D’Attillio). Upset and tired of the constant let downs the case produced, many supporters held protest. A supporter of Sacco and Vanzetti, Felix Frankfurter who was a Harvard Law Professor, wrote an article in protest describing how the trial was a mockery of the American court syste...