Sacco & Vanzetti - an Anarchist enigma, were they killed by the State for their political beliefs ?

Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti handcuffed together at the Dedham courthouse. It is 80 years ago that they were hung and resulted in huge scenes in Boston by a public coninced of their innocence. Read more about them and the plans for remembering the trial and hanging - In these times - The Lessons of Sacco and Vanzetti - By Annie Anderson

In October 1961, ballistics tests were run using Sacco's Colt automatic. The results left little room for doubt that the bullet (Bullet 3) that killed Berardelli in 1920 came from Sacco's gun.

There is also a remarkably good programme on NBR about a letter from Upton Sinclair dated 1929 discovered in 2005. Sinclair had just written a novel "Boston" based on the case which was seen as a defence of them ( a massive 700 page book which he called a "documentary novel" pre-dating Truman Capote). It appears from the letter recounting his meeting in a Denver hotel room with Sacco and Vanzetti's defense attorney, Fred Moore that he became increasingly sceptical that they were inocent after the book was published and how Fred Moore had told him of their guilt and explained how he had contrived alibis for them. - Sinclair said , "this was a most trying and difficult ethical problem he had faced in his life."

The letter was to his private attorney, John Beardsley whom he asked to keep the letter locked up, so that , "some time in the far distant future the world may know the real truth in the matter." Sinclair was worried the truth about the trial and the guilt of Sacco and Vanzetti might "make things harder for the victims" of some future "frame-up" by government officials.

In October 1961, ballistics tests were run using Sacco's Colt automatic. The results left little room for doubt that the bullet (Bullet 3) that killed Berardelli in 1920 came from Sacco's gun.

Z net have transcript of an interview with revisionist US historian Howard Zinn about the finding of the letter.This interview aired on Wednesday January 18th, 2006 on Uprising at KPFK, Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles, it is no longer available as an audiostream.

Whatever the truth , Saccos words from the dock appear remarkably apt today..

"There would not be no chance, there would not be no--they don't want the working class educationed; they want the working class low all the times, be underfoot and not up with the head. So sometimes, you see, the Rockefellers, Morgans, they give fifty--mean they give five hundred thousand dollars to Harvard College....They won't get, the poor class, they won't get no chance to go to Harvard College....I like men to get everything that nature will give best....So that is why I love people who labor and work and see better conditions every day develop, makes no more war. We no want fight by the gun, and we don't want to destroy young men....The war is not like Abraham Lincoln's and Abe Jefferson, to fight for a free country, for the better education, to give a chance to any other peoples....They are war for business, millions of dollars come on the side. "

Someone tell us please , who the artist is of this famous 60's post card based on the above photgraph. It would be a good idea to resurrect it this year.