Hellraisers Journal: Joe Hill’s Body Arrives in Chicago, Will Be Cremated According to His Wishes

Wednesday November 24, 1915
Chicago, Illinois-
Body of Fellow Worker Joe Hill Arrives on Train from Salt Lake City

The body of Joe Hill, accompanied by Fellow Worker Bert Lorton, arrived by train from Salt Lake City yesterday. On hand at the Northwestern Depot to take charge of the of the remains of the Rebel Songwriter was a committee from the national headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World, which included another rebel poet and songwriter, Ralph Chaplin. Chaplin states that arrangements are underway for the funeral of Joe Hill and that his body will cremated according to Hill’s wishes as expressed in his “Last and Final Will.”

The will was written by FW Hill in the form of a poem, now being published in newspapers across the nation. The following is from a Kansas newspaper, The Salina Evening Journal, edition of November 22nd:

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From the Chicago Day Book of November 23, 1915:

HILLSTROM CREMATION WISH TO BE CARRIED OUT

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The last request of Joe Hillstrom, executed I. W. W. leader , that his “body be cremated and the ashes scattered to the four winds, etc.,” will be carried out.

Hillstrom’s body arrives tonight at the Chicago & Northwestern station, where a committee of the local I. W. W. will meet it. Will be taken to the Florence Undertaking Co., 1203 W. Taylor st. Measurements and a mask will be taken by a sculptor.

Funeral services to be held Thursday at the West Side auditorium. Program: Music, Rudolph von Leibich; singing, John Chellman, Miss Jeanette Woszczinska and I. H. Roder. Judge O.N. Hilton of Denver, Colo., will deliver the funeral oration. James Larkin of Dublin, Ireland, and W. D. Haywood will speak.

The body will be cremated at Graceland cemetery. The possibility of sending some of the ashes to the countries where the I. W. W. organization has a footing is already being considered.

Every local of the I. W. W. in the United States will hold a meeting at the same hour of Hillstrom’s funeral.

[Photograph added.]

From The Decatur Herald of November 24, 1915:

BODY OF HILLSTROM WILL BE CREMATED
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Industrial Workers Will Scatter His Ashes to
the Winds According to His Wish.
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CHICAGO, Nov. 24.-The body of Joseph Hillstrom, who was shot by a firing squad at Salt Lake City, on Friday in accordance with the Utah law, arrived in Chicago Tuesday. The body was met on arrival here by a committee of Industrial Workers of the World and taken to the undertaking rooms in the west side auditorium.

Before his execution Hillstrom expressed a wish that his body be cremated and his ashes cast to the winds. This wish will be carried out by the Industrial Workers of the World, cremation to take place following ceremonies Wednesday morning.

I. W. W. View Body

Hillstrom’s remains laid in state in undertaking rooms from late Tuesday afternoon until late last night, and were viewed by hundreds of Industrial Workers. In the large hall of the auditorium building services will be held at 10 o’clock in the morning, among the speakers being W. D. Haywood, national secretary of the I. W. W.; O. N. Hilton, a lawyer of Denver, Colo,; and James Larkin, labor leader of Dublin, Ireland. following the services the remains of Hillstrom will be escorted in a parade to Graceland crematory.

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[Photograph added.]

From the Illinois Mattoon Commercial-Star of November 23, 1915:

~~~~~~~~~~SOURCES

Wobbly: The Rough and Tumble Story of an American Radical
-by Ralph Chaplin
Literary Licensing, LLC, 2013
https://books.google.com/books?id=o8gmnwEACAAJ

The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Nov 23, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/77863561/

The Decatur Herald
(Decatur, Illinois)
-Nov 24, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/87746498/

IMAGES
Ralph Chaplin
http://spartacus-educational.com/USAchaplin.htm
Joe Hill Last Will, The Salina (KS) Evening Jr, Nov 22, 1915
(Poem also found in other newspapers, search with: “let the merry breezes blow.”)
http://www.newspapers.com/image/92722452/
Joe Hill arrest record, Salt Lake County Jail, ab Jan 14, 1915 X2
http://local.sltrib.com/charts/joehill/gallery/joehill.html
Joe Hill and Governor Spry, Mattoon (IL) Commercial-Star, Nov 23, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/81283983/
Joe Hill Memorial Edition of Little Red Songbook
(Follow links to page 56.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hill

Information from Archie Green via Gibbs Smith:

The Ninth Edition of the Little Red Songbook was published in Cleveland in March of 1916 and was dedicated as the “Joe Hill Memorial Edition.” Four new songs. Also included were “Joe Hill’s Last Will,” and “Joe Hill’s Farewell Message” on page 56.

Performance by John McCutcheon: