Killing the Poormaster

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Examines the controversial 1930s murder trial of Joe Scutellaro, an unemployed mason, who was accused of killing Harry Barck, the stingy poormaster of Hoboken, New Jersey, who had the power to determine who, if anyone, received scanty public aid. Barck was employed in mayor Bernard McFeely's nepotistic city government. Scutellaro was defended by top-ranked criminal lawyer Samuel Leibowitz, whose strategy to achieve sympathy for the poor man by attacking the system is described carefully.Around the same time, Herman Matson of the Workers' Defense League (WDL) was trying to organize public protests, but was instead arrested by the Hoboken police for "inciting to riot," and whose lawyer, Edward Stover, was retaliated against financially.