My best to everybody. Goodbye.
-Joe Hill
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 21, 1915
Salt Lake City, Utah-
Walking with FW Joe Hill on His Last Day and to the Execution
Today there will be held in Salt Lake City a grand I. W. W. funeral for Fellow Worker Joe Hill. After the funeral his body will be placed on a train and shipped to Chicago where another funeral will be held later this week. The Chicago send-off may prove to be the largest funeral ever held in that city.
Today, as promised, Hellraisers, to the best of our ability and from the sources available, reconstructs the last day and the final moments of Fellow Worker Joe Hill.
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Fellow Worker Joe Hill faced his last full day of life, November 18, 1915, with the same humor that sustained him through his long ordeal with the sort of Justice provided to a union man in the state of Utah. “This is my busy day,” he told his deathwatch on that Thursday morning.
At 11 a. m., Sheriff John S. Corless paid him a visit to go over “procedures” for the execution. Joe was offered the assistance of a sky-pilot, to which offer Joe replied:
I have worked out my own religion, and I have peace from it. That is all I need, and I couldn’t be helped any by seeing a minister.
At 1 p. m., Attorney Soren Christensen stopped by to let Joe know that chances were slim that the governor would honor the President’s new request for a stay.
At 2 p. m., reporters from the four Salt Lake City dailies* appeared at Joe’s cell. The Salt Lake Herald-Republican later reported the interview:
Altogether the impression Hillstrom gave was one of a mentally clear, self-assured personality raised above the pall of the doom he knew he was approaching. There was nothing to indicate vindictiveness, braggadocia or penitence in the man’s demeanor. He seemed obsessed with a spirit of confidence and optimism. Although given every opportunity by leading questions he made no appeal for pity, his mental attitude was absolutely beyond the possibility of being surprised and he specifically stated that he had no worries.
Regarding his fate at the hands of the state of Utah, Joe said:
I am not vindictive. I nurse no hard feelings, but I do sense a very real feeling of being the victim of an unfair trial and injustice. I have throughout my life done what was right to everybody. I can sincerely say that never in my life have I done anything for which I now should be sorry. Whatever comes will take care of itself, there is neither sense nor use in worrying…
What do I think I could accomplish if I had a new trial? This, which is everything, my innocence…
Why didn’t I go on the stand before? Because this case was so badly mishandled and mismanaged and confused that I was disgusted. I felt certain that sufficient error had crept in to assure a new trial when I could make my defense properly and advantageously.
Why should I at this time go into a statement concerning my whereabouts that night? Why should I now drag in a woman’s name? Even if I would, the statement would be worthless as it would be uncorroborated, but even if it would help I have not the slightest intention or desire of going into that matter…
Why should I call in involved parties? I have never in my life asked anybody to help me and I won’t now.
What do I expect to accomplish by my situation? Well, it won’t do the I. W. W. any harm and it won’t do the State of Utah any good.
At 5 p. m., Sheriff Corless was summoned to Joe’s cell. Joe requested of the Sheriff that he be allowed to face the firing squad without a blindfold, and stated:
I want to look in the eyes of the men who are to commit willful murder.
Joe then handed the Sheriff the following note:
To whom it may concern, I understand that the sheriff of Salt Lake county has been assigned to the duty of having charge of my execution. During my stay in the county jail I had the opportunity to come in personal contact with Mr. Corless and wish to state that he, in my opinion, is an officer worthy of the respect of any man or citizen. It gives me a feeling of immense satisfaction to know that my execution, at least, is being superintended by an upright officer and a real man.
At 5:30 p. m., Joe Hill was visited by Ed Rowan Fred Ritter, and George Child of Local Union #69. To Rowan he gave the white silk handkerchief that he had tied around his throat. He thanked them for standing by him, and he earnestly requested not to be buried in the state of Utah. Rowan assured him that his final wishes would be attended to. The fellow workers were separated from Joe by two rows of bars and could not shake hands in parting. Therefore, Joe clasped his two hands together, shook them, and said “Good-bye boys.”
That last evening Joe busied himself with telegraphing and writing his goodbyes. Hellraisers has previously published Joe’s telegrams to Big Bill Haywood and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. We now offer examples of other farewell messages from Fellow Worker Joe Hill.
To Minneapolis:
Salt Lake City Utah
Nov. 18th-1915James Rohn [Rowan], I. W. W. Hall, Cedar Avenue,
Minneapolis, Minn.Wire received. I will die like a rebel. Composed new song last week. Dedicated to the “dove of Peace.” It’s coming your way. My best to everybody. Good-bye. -Joe Hill
To San Francisco:
Salt Lake City Utah
Nov. 18th-1915Frisco Local, 3345 Seventeenth Street, San Francisco, Cal.
Good-by, fellow workers. Forget me and march right on to emancipation. -Joe Hill
To San Pedro:
John Makins, Sailors Rest
San Pedro, Cal.Your telegram received. Good-bye. Why should I be afraid to die? You will find me the same Joe as in days of yore, in disposition and in ideas. When you get to heaven you will find me on a front seat. -Joe Hill
At about 10 p. m., Joe went to sleep and slept peacefully throughout the night.
*The four dailies were: The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret Evening News, The Salt Lake Telegram, and the Salt Lake Herald-Republican.
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The Salt Lake City press reported that Fellow Worker Hill had a breakdown after he awoke at 5 a. m. on Friday morning, November 19th. There can be no independent verification of these claims as Fellow Worker Hill had no friends nor family with him as he was led to his death. He did promise to die like a rebel and so we can believe that he did fight off his jailers with a broom handle as they attempted to remove him from his cell in order to have him killed. That this somehow equates as a “breakdown” or a lack of courage, well, we would beg to differ.
In any case, it is reported that Sheriff Corless arrived on the scene of skirmish at 7:30 a. m. and said, “Joe, this is all nonsense…You promised to die like a man.”
Joe threw up his hands in mock surrender and stated, “Well, I’m through. But you can’t blame a man for fighting for his life.”
The Sheriff then decided not to allow Hill to change into his good suit as had been earlier promised. The promise to allow Joe to forego the blindfold was also broken, and the Sheriff ordered Joe to be blindfolded then and there.
Thus blindfolded, Joe was led on the death march to the prison yard at 7:37 a. m. He was seated in the death chair and strapped down. A medical doctor then took action to bring death to his patient rather than life by placing his stethoscope on Hill’s chest to locate his heart. The doctor then pinned a four-inch-wide square of white paper over the heart of his patient. A black bull’s-eye was drawn in the center of the paper target to better ensure the correct aim of those seeking to kill his patient.
“Ouch!” cried Joe as Doctor Lund accidentally stuck him.
“I am going now, boys,” shouted Joe. “Goodbye.”
There was no reply for Ed Rowan and the other boys of Local 69 had not been allowed to view the execution as promised by Sheriff Corless. They remained waiting outside the prison gate.
Joe shouted again, “Well, goodbye, boys. Let’er go. Fire away. I’m going now…I am going.”
Silence.
At 7:40 a. m. the order was given: “Ready…Aim…”
Joe shouted:
Yes, aim, let it go! Fire!
The Man Who Never Died:
The Life, Times, and Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon
-by William M. Adler
Bloomsbury Publishing USA, Aug 30, 2011
https://books.google.com/books?id=nCwHDiXYMRMC
Joe Hill
-by Gibbs M. Smith
Gibbs Smith, Sep 1, 2009
https://books.google.com/books?id=wFwsHQVuHVUC
The Letters of Joe Hill
-ed by Philip S Foner
Oak Publications, 1965
https://books.google.com/books?id=1tHfAAAAMAAJ
IMAGES
Joe Hill
http://www.freedomarchives.org/La_Lucha_Continua/Joe_Hill.html
Joe Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Joe_hill002.jpg
Joe Hill arrest record, Salt Lake County Jail, ab Jan 14, 1915
http://local.sltrib.com/charts/joehill/gallery/joehill.html
See also:
Hellraisers Journal, Friday November 19, 1915
Salt Lake City, Utah-
Fellow Worker Joe Hill Executed by Utah Firing Squad
Fellow Worker & Rebel Songwriter Joe Hill Executed by Utah Firing Squad; “Died Game.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ballad of Joe Hill
For thirty-six years he lived out his days,
And he more than played his part.
For his songs that he made, he was carefully paid
With a rifle bullet buried in his heart,
With a rifle bullet buried in his heart.
Yes, they lined Joe Hill up against the wall,
Blindfold over his eyes.
It’s the life of a rebel that he chose to live,
It’s the death of a rebel that he died,
It’s the death of a rebel that he died.
– Phil Ochs
Source for lyrics:
http://www.folkarchive.de/jhill.html
Performance by Billy Bragg: