- Gaetano Bresci
Gaetano Bresci (
November 11 1869 -May 22 1901 ), was anItalian American anarchist who assassinated Italian King Umberto I. He is still considered ahero by many anarchists and republicans. Bresci was the first person to kill a European monarch (without toppling the regime) and not be executed. [Allen, John L., Jr. 2001, September 14. " [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_39_37/ai_78728719 He executed justice - papal execution Giovanni Battista Bugatti's life and work] ". "National Catholic Reporter".]Militancy
Bresci was born at Coiano, near
Prato ,Tuscany , and emigrated from Italy to theUnited States , making his living as a weaver inPaterson, New Jersey , which had a large Italian-American community. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0CE7D6113BEE33A25752C3A9619C946197D6CF&scp=1&sq=%22Gaetano+Bresci%22+Paterson&st=p "ASSASSIN'S LOT FELL UPON ANARCHIST HERE; Gaetano Bresci, the King's Murderer, Lived in Paterson. WAS IN AMERICA SIX YEARS His Identity Established, and His Membership in an Italian Anarchistic Group in the New Jersey Town."] , "The New York Times ",July 31 ,1900 . AccessedMay 19 ,2008 .] He was one of the founders of "La Questione Sociale", theItalian language anarchist paper published in Paterson. According toEmma Goldman :In 1898, high bread prices led to demonstrations all over Italy. In
Milan , an unarmed crowd of protestors marched toward thepalace , which was surrounded by a strong military force under command of GeneralFiorenzo Bava-Beccaris . The people ignored the order to disperse, whereupon the General gave the signal of fire with muskets and cannons, resulting in a massacre of the demonstrators. Ninety people died, one of whom was Bresci's sister.Umberto I's killing
King Humbert later decorated Bava-Beccaris, complimenting him upon his "brave defense of the royal house" —as a result of which Bresci became determined to kill the king. Bresci had his loan to the paper returned (without telling his comrades why), and with the money he went to Italy. In
Monza , where the king was visiting onJuly 29 ,1900 , he shot him four times.Bresci was captured and put on trial, where he was defended by the anarchist
lawyer Francesco Saverio Merlino . He was sentenced in Milan onAugust 29 ,1900 , to penal servitude for life onSanto Stefano Island nearVentotene , where numerous other anarchists had also been sent over the years. Less than a year later he was found dead in prison. It is not clear whether he committed suicide, as officially announced, or whether he wasmurder ed by his guards.References
External links
* [http://recollectionbooks.com/bleed/Encyclopedia/BresciGaetano.htm "Gaetano Bresci Page" in the "Anarchist Encyclopedia"]
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