#dedham

spotted in connecticut

Walking by the court house in Dedham, MA the other night, I started thinking about Sacco & Vanzetti again, and their infamous, shameful trial in the same building where—despite a mountain of evidence and worldwide protests in their favor—they were found guilty and subsequently executed in 1927.

Woody Guthrie wrote an entire album about it, and if you've never heard the folk legend sing the town name Dedham ("we're stuck here in this dark Dedham jail"), you can remedy that here.

At the time, a Supreme Court justice owned a second home in Dedham, just a few yards away from the jail in question. Louis Brandeis, appointed by Woodrow Wilson, was a Supreme Court Justice of the United States from 1916 to 1939. A good summary of Brandeis, and why he was controversial, came from a fellow justice and went like this: "Brandeis was a militant crusader for social justice whoever his opponent might be. He was dangerous not only because of his brilliance, his arithmetic, his courage. He was dangerous because he was incorruptible … [and] the fears of the Establishment were greater because Brandeis was the first Jew to be named to the Court."

Brandeis adored Dedham, telling his brother, "Dedham is a spring of eternal youth for me. I feel newly made and ready to deny the existence of these gray hairs." I didn't know it until recently, but I walk by this house once a week on my hometown walk-route with my friend Julia. 195 Village Ave.

Louis Brandeis's wife, Alice Goldmark Brandeis, was perhaps even more progressive than her husband, well known as a vocal proponent of women's rights and labor causes. During the trial of Sacco & Vanzetti, she permitted Sacco's family to stay in their Dedham home to make visits to the jail easier. And get a kleenex ready, because one detail related to that you simply must know is: "Sacco's seven-year-old son, Dante, would sometimes stand on the sidewalk outside the jail and play catch with his father by throwing a ball over the wall." Additionally, Alice made a significant donation to their defense fund.

The entire case is fascinating, multi-faceted, full of twists and turns and potential evidence tampering by law enforcement, and in that way (and only that way), it is similar to what's being tried there right now. Officer Albert Hamilton tried to walk out of the court room with Sacco's gun, only to be stopped at the last moment by the judge. Post-trial, police Captain Van Amburgh took Sacco and Vanzetti's guns and bullets home, where they stayed until 1960 (!) until the Boston Globe uncovered the scandal. If you're curious, I recommend reading Tragedy in Dedham by Francis Russell.

They were found guilty. Worldwide protests erupted. Bombs were mailed. 20,000 gathered at Boston Common. Pleas for clemency abounded.

"Sacco and Vanzetti’s lawyers, rebuffed by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, aimed at convincing a justice to issue a temporary stay of execution until the U.S. Supreme Court could fully review whether the two men had received a fair trial. ...Louis Brandeis, another progressive justice, recused himself from the case, because his wife, Alice, had made a significant donation to Sacco and Vanzetti’s defense fund." — SCOUTSblog

Retreat on a Pond’s Edge, Dedham, Maine, United States,

Architects: Elliott Architects,

Interior Design: Stephen Peck Design Consultation

The American remake of Goodnight Mommy will be released on Prime Video on September 16. I’m giving readers in the Boston area the opportunity to see it on the big screen early - and for free!

Broke Horror Fan is sponsoring an advance screening of Goodnight Mommy at Showcase Cinema Delux in Dedham, MA on Wednesday, September 14, at 7pm. Click here to RSVP for up to four seats.

One winner and a guest will be invited to attend the pre-party in the Lux level with food, complimentary beverage, giveaways, and a tarot reader. Seating is first-come, first-served and not guaranteed, so be sure to arrive early!

The 2022 horror film is directed by Matt Sobel (Take Me to the River) from a script by Kyle Warren (Lethal Weapon TV series), based the 2014 Austrian film. Naomi Watts, Cameron Crovetti, Nicholas Crovetti, and Peter Hermann star.