Do you agree with the death penalty?
EXPLAIN
Facts of the Sacco- Vanzetti Case:
At about 3pm on the afternoon of April 15, 1920, Frederick Parmenter, a paymaster, and his guard,
Alessandro Bardelli, were killed by two men, armed with pistols at the Slater and Morrill Shoe Factory
in South Braintree, Massachusetts. The murder occurred as the two men were carrying boxes
containing the company's payroll. After committing the murders, the two men grabbed the payroll
money and jumped into a getaway car with two other men. They drove away at a high rate of speed
and crossed some nearby railroad tracks.
At the time of the South Braintree murders, police had been investigating a similar crime which had
occurred in December, 1919 in the nearby town of Bridgewater. In both cases, there was a getaway
car and in both cases, eyewitnesses said the perpetrators were Italians.
Chief Michael Stewart of the Bridgewater Police, who was investigating the Bridgewater crime,
suspected that the getaway car used in the Bridgewater crime was being held in a local garage
waiting to be picked up. He instructed the garage's owner to notify him when the owner of the
vehicle came to claim the car. On May 5, 1920, four Italians who had happened to be anarchists came
to claim the suspected getaway car. The police were on to them from the very start. Michael Boda
escaped arrest. Orciani was cleared when it was revealed that he was working on the day of both the
Bridgewater and Braintree crimes. The last two men, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were
caught on a street car and arrested. At the time of their arrest, both Sacco and Vanzetti were carrying
loaded firearms. In addition, both men lied to police when questioned about their ties to radical
political organizations. With this evidence, the police believe that Sacco and Vanzetti had shown
"consciousness of guilt" and were charged with first degree murder in connection with the payroll
murders at the Slater and Morrill Shoe Factory in South Braintree. The trial began on May 21, 1921.
Prepare for a Mock Trial.
Trial Format
Judge - Read charges against the accused
Opening Statements - Prosecution/ Defense
Witnesses and Cross Examinations
Closing Arguments – Prosecution/Defense
Jury Decision
• Walk to Death Calmly
• Sacco Cries 'Long Live Anarchy'; Vanzetti
Insists on His Innocence
• Warden Can Only Whisper
• Much Affected as the Long-Delayed
Execution Is Carried Out
• Madeiros First to Die
• Machine Guns Bristle, Search Lights Glare
During Execution -- Crowds Kept Far From
Prison
Historical Importance of Case:
At first, the Sacco and Vanzetti trial drew only local coverage, but as time progressed it attracted
national attention. The fear of immigrants and radicals, who seemed to demonstrate "unAmerican "behavior, gripped the nation in the years immediately following WWI. During this
time period, intense efforts were underway to suppress radical behavior. In many cases, these
involved unlawful arrest, imprisonment, violence and deportation. While the "Red Scare" had
largely died down by the time of the trial, these issues were very fresh in the minds of the
American public.
The police trap that Sacco and Vanzetti fell into, when arrested was intended to trap a friend of
theirs who was suspected of being a radical. While Sacco and Vanzetti had no prior criminal
record, they were known as anarchists and militants with a history of involvement in labor
unrest, political agitation, and anti-war behavior which contributed to them being arrested.
Tension between police and Italian radicals was at its peak when Sacco and Vanzetti were
arrested.
While this was a murder case, the trial focused on the issue of a person's right to his or her own
beliefs, and the right to freely express those beliefs. Free speech was a critical issue. As you
prepare for this trial, attempt to put yourself into this time period and keep these important
issues in mind.