5. Carlos E. Goodridge, (who, after the trial, was discovered to have been a fugitive from justice in another state, and to have given evidence under a false name), swore that at the time of the shooting he was in a pool room in South Braintree; heard shots; stepped to the door; saw the automobile coming toward him, and when he got to the sidewalk a man in the automobile “poked a gun” over towards him—whereupon he “went back into the pool room.”
About seven months later[1] he identified Sacco as that man for the first time,[1] and identified him again at the trial.
Four witnesses squarely contradicted Goodridge’s belated identification. (a) Andrew Manganaro, the employer of Goodridge, told Goodridge, after the arrest of Sacco and Vanzetti, that he (Goodridge) should go and see if he could recognize them and find out if they were the murderers.
Q. “What did they say?” A. “He said he could not do it because when he saw the gun he was so scared he run right in from where he was. He could not possibly remember the faces.” Manganaro also testified, without contradiction, that Goodridge’s reputation for veracity was bad.
(b) Magazu, who ran the pool room, testified: “I says, ‘Did you see the men?’ He says, ‘I seen the men, they pointed with the gun.’ I says, ‘How did the man look?’ He says, ‘Young man, with light hair, light complexioned,[1] and wore an army shirt.’” Q. “Which man?” A. “One of the men pointing with the gun. I don’t know which.” Q. “Did he say anything further about it to you?” A. “He says, ‘This job was not pulled by any foreign people.’”
(c) Arrogni, a barber in South Braintree, testified that Goodrich told him, “But if I have got to say who the man was I can’t say.”
(d) Damato, Arrogni’s boss, swore to the same effect.
In addition, Goodridge’s testimony was tainted with self-interest. At the time he was a witness for the Commonwealth he was facing jail under indictment for larceny, to which he had pleaded guilty. The case had been “filed;” that is, no sentence has been imposed, and Goodridge had been placed on probation. Unquestionably, Goodridge’s testimony was influenced by leniency previously shown to him by the District Attorney in connection with the first charge of larceny and by fear of losing his immunity.
As to Vanzetti: