The question will become:
Not how proud you are of your collection of martyrs
But how proud each one is
Of you.
August 18, 1924,
Dedham Jail
FRED H. MOORE:
1
SIR:--Saturday I received your letter with enclose the postcard that Mrs. M---- R---- sent to me -- and the little pamphlet that you use to send to me it just to insult my soul. Yes, it is true, because you would not forget when you came here two or three times between last month with a groups people -- that you know that I did not like to see them any more; but you brought them just seem to make my soul keep just sad as it could be. And I can see how clever and cynic you are, because after all my protest, after I have been chase you and all your philanthropists friends, you are still continue the infamous speculation on the shoulder of Sacco-Vanzetti case. So this morning before these things going any more long, I thought to send you these few lines to advise you and all your philanthropist friends of the "New Trail League Committee"2 to not print any more these letters with my picture and name on, and to be sure to take my name out if they should print any more of these little pamphlets, because you and your philanthropists has been use it from last three years like an instrument of infamous speculation. It is something to carry any man insane or tuberculosis when I think that after all my protest to have my case finish you and all your legione of friends still play the infame game. But, I would like to know who his this men that ar abuse to take all the authority to do everything that he does not feel like without my responsibility, and carry my case always more long, against my wish. I would like to know who his this--generous--ma!!! Mr.--Moore--! I am telling you that you goin to stop this dirty game! You hear me? I mean every them word I said here, because I do not want to have anything to do anymore with "New Trail League Committee" because it does repugnant my coscience.
Many times you have been deluder and abuse on weakness of my comrades good faith, but I want you to stop now and if you please get out of my case, because you know that you are the obstacle of the case; and say! I been told you that from last May 25th -- that was the last time you came to see me, and with you came the comrade Felcani and the Profess Guadagni3. Do you remember? Well, from that day I told you to get out of my case, and you promised me that you was goin to get out, but my--dear--Mr.--Moore! I see that you are still here in my case, and you are still continued to play your famous gam. Of course it is pretty hard to refuse a such sweet pay that has been come to you right long--in--this big--game. It is no true what I said? If it is not the truth, why did you not finish my case then? Another word, if this was not the truth you would quit this job for long time. It has been past one year last June when you and Mr. Grella from New York came to see me into Bridgewater Hospital4 and that day between you and I we had another fight -- and you will remember when I told this Mr. Moore! I want you to finish my case and I do not want to have anything to do with this politics in my case because it does repugnant my coscience -- and your answer to me was this: Nick, if you don't want, Vanzetti does want! Do you remember when you said that? Well, do you think I believe you when you said that to me? No, because I know that you are the one that brings always in these mud in Sacco-Vanzetti case. Otherwise, how I could believe you when you been deluder me many times with your false promise? Well--! anyhow, wherever you do if you do not intent to get out of my case, remember this, that per September I want my case finish. But remember that we are right near September now and I don't see anything and any move yet. So tell me please, why you waiting now for? Do you wait till I hang myself? That's what you wish? Let me tell you right now don't be illuse yourself because I would not be surprise if somebody will find you some morning hang on lamp-post.
Your implacable enemy, now and forever,
NICK SACCO
P.S. Enclose in this letter you find the letter and the pamphlet that you sent to me and I return to you, so if your philanthropist friends of the "New League Trail Committee" should print some more these or any kind these letters and pamphlets, you can show them just the way to print next time. So you be advised now, that if any other my post card or letter should come to you address, please sent to me just my own, and not. . .these.
(1) Counsel for Sacco and Vanzetti at the Dedham trial.
(2) A group formed after the original Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee had disagreed with Mr. Moore so that they could no longer work together. The new group disbanded a few months after forming, and several of its members joined the Defense Committee.
(3) Aldino Felicani, a printer and friend of both men, who founded the Defense Committee; Felice Guadagni, a radical professor, one of his early helpers.
(4) Sacco was committed for observation to the Boston Psychopathic Hospital on March 17, 1923, at the end of a 31-day hunger strike. On April 20, an order was issued for his commitment to the Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminal Insane. He remained in Bridgewater till early fall and was then returned to the Dedham jail.
Nicola Sacco was far less fluent in English than Bartolomeo Vanzetti, and his quick self-education in the ability to write and defend himself coherently in a foreign tongue is much to his credit. All misspellings and grammatical errors are original, as reproduced in Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti: The Letters of Sacco and Vanzetti, Ed. Gardner Jackson and Marion D. Frankfurter (Original Viking Books 1928), Penguin Books USA, New York, 1997.