Frederick G. Katzmann

Frederick Gunn Katzmann (born September 12, 1875 in Boston , Massachusetts , † October 15, 1953 ) was an American lawyer and from 1916 to 1922 prosecutor in Massachusetts. He raised and directed the indictment in the controversial Sacco and Vanzetti case .

Life

Frederick Katzmann was born in Roxbury , Boston, in 1875 . He grew up under poor conditions as the son of a German and a Scottish woman in the Hyde Park district . His middle name Gunn, usually abbreviated as G., is the maiden name of his mother. He attended the Boston Latin School and later Harvard University , which was made possible by the financial support of an aunt. He also earned some money as a singer in churches and at funerals. As a stocky, unsportsmanlike student from a poor family, he was considered an outsider. His academic achievements were unremarkable.

After graduation, he returned to Hyde Park and worked for a number of years as an electricity meter for the local power company before deciding to become a lawyer. Since his financial situation did not allow him to study at Harvard, he studied law at Boston University , where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1902. He then completed his internship year at a recognized Boston company in Pemberton Square . Then Katzmann set up his law firm in Hyde Park.

In September 1904 he married Grace L. Brown. The couple had two daughters. His work was successful: from 1907 to 1908 he represented Hyde Park in the Massachusetts House of Representatives . In 1909, Katzmann, a member of the Republican Party , became assistant to the public prosecutor. In November 1916 he finally ran for this position himself. He was elected and successfully ran for re-election after three years.

In May 1920, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were arrested as suspects after a robbery and murder. Despite the lack of solid evidence, Katzmann was convinced of their guilt and filed a complaint. The case sparked protests around the world. Katzmann, who led the prosecution during the trial, aroused resentment against foreigners in the opinion of critics through his manner of cross-examination among the jury. The allegation of falsification of evidence was also brought against him. Two years after the trial in 1921, he returned to work in his private law firm. Fearing reprisals in the course of the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti in August 1927, Katzmann's house was guarded by the police around the clock until 1933. He refused to comment on the controversial case until the end of his life. Katzmann died on October 15, 1953, at the age of 78, of a heart attack in Roslindale, Boston .

Individual evidence

1. ^ A Souvenir of Massachusetts legislators

swell

• Francis Russell, Tragedy in Dedham , McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York 1962, pp. 25f, 66f.
• Time Magazine website .
• Legendary American justice cases website at www.bookrags.com.