And have you fix the where and when
That we must slave and die?
Here’s fifty thousand harvest men
Shall know the reason why!
-Shorty
Hellraisers Journal, Monday June 25, 1917
A Song for the Harvest Workers of the American Mid-West
From Solidarity of June 23, 1917:
Thursday November 18, 1915
Salt Lake City, Utah –
Joe Hill Remains Calm as President Requests Reconsideration of Case
Word from the Utah State Prison in Salt Lake City is that Fellow Worker Joe Hill continues calm and resolute on this, most likely, his last full day of life. Newspapers across the nation today carried the news of the request, made by President Wilson to Governor Spry, that the case be reconsidered. There is little hope that the Governor will honor this request.
Fellow Worker Hill awoke this morning and said to his deathwatch: “This is my busy day.” And indeed the day will be a busy one. He will receive a visit from Sheriff Corless who will explain the “procedures” planned for execution. Also visiting will be Hill’s lawyer, Soren X. Christensen. It is hoped that the prison authorities will allow a visit by local members of the Industrial Workers of the World, but this is, as yet, uncertain.
The four Salt Lake City daily newspapers plan to interview our Rebel Songwriter later this afternoon. The evening will be spent writing letters and telegrams of good-bye to friends and fellow workers across the nation.
Don’t Mourn; Organize!
-Joe Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday November 17, 1915
From El Paso Herald:
-A. F. of L. Convention Pleads for Life of Fellow Worker Joe Hill
Resolutions on behalf of Joe Hill were passes unanimously yesterday by the thirty-fifth annual convention of American Federation now in session in San Francisco. Last evening’s El Paso Herald reported the news:
Labor Pleads For Murder Convict’s Life
—–HILLSTROM IS TO DIE FRIDAY
—–
Federation Calls On Utah Governor To
Exercise Clemency for Swede.
—–
President Wilson and Swedish Legation
Are To Receive Appeal Also.
—–
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Nov. 16.-Resolutions asking clemency for Joseph Hillstrom, member of the Industrial Workers of the World, sentenced to be shot at Salt Lake City Utah, Friday, were passed unanimously by the American Federation of Labor, meeting here in its 35th annual convention.
The resolutions were presented by the ways and means committee, to which the case was referred yesterday by president Samuel Gompers, after appeals for action in the case were made before the convention by Thomas Mooney, not a member of the convention, and delegate Camomile, both of Salt Lake City.
President to Receive Copy.The resolutions authorized president Gompers to transmit immediately copies of the resolution to the governor of Utah, the board of pardons of Utah, the Swedish minister to the United States and president Wilson.
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday November 16, 1915
San Francisco, California-
A. F. of L. Convention Takes Up Case of Fellow Worker Joe Hill
The American Federation of Labor has waited until the eleventh hour to address itself to frame-up, by the state of Utah, of Fellow Worker Joe Hill. Nevertheless, that body appears willing to act at last. At the thirty-fifth annual convention, now meeting in San Francisco, delegates were allowed to hear an address presented yesterday by Tom Mooney.
From The Oregon Daily Journal of November 15, 1915:
Labor Would Stay Death for I. W. W.
—–Federation Will Ask President to Intervene to Prevent
Execution of Hillstrom Friday.
San Francisco, Nov. 15.-(U. P.)-The American Federation of Labor will appeal to President Wilson in an eleventh hour effort to save Joe Hillstrom, I. W. W., from the Utah firing squad.
Hillstrom is slated to die Friday for murders he committed at Salt Lake City a year since.
Thomas Mooney brought the issue before the convention today, declaring that the trial had been conducted to determine Hillstrom’s connection with the McNamara’s and other labor cases rather than to find if he were guilty of murder.
When the question was referred to the ways and means committee, it decided on an appeal to Wilson, asking that he intervene to get a writ of error from the Utah supreme court.
[Photograph of Tom Mooney added.]
Hellraisers Journal, Monday November 15, 1915
From The Salt Lake Tribune:
Sheriff Corless Prepares for Execution of FW Joe Hill
At this time, the only man that stands between Fellow Worker Joe Hill and a Utah firing squad is Governor William Spry. Preparations by Sheriff Corless continue apace for the execution of our Rebel Songwriter who now has less than four days left to live. The Salt Lake Tribune reports:
GOVERNOR GETS MORE HILLSTROM LETTERS
—–
Preparations for Execution of Condemned Man
Continued by Sheriff.
—–
Yesterday was devoid of occurrence of significance in the case of Joseph Hillstrom, condemned to be shot Friday morning for the murder of John G. Morrison, except in that its passing shortened the time allotted him for life from five to four days.
Several special delivery letters were received by Governor William Spry in relation to the execution, but the governor said last night that they were of the usual order. Other letters are probably among the accumulation that will be delivered at the governor’s office this morning. Governor Spry said that the situation was the same as it had been for some time past, no word having been received from any person of official standing with regard to the case. Oscar W. Carlson, Swedish vice consul in Salt Lake, said last night that he had received no further word from the Swedish minister or other officials with regard to Hillstrom. He said that so far as he knew at the time of speaking there remained nothing to do in behalf of the condemned man.
Now my friends know I am innocent
and I dont care what the rest think.
-Joe Hill
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 14, 1915
Sketch of Utah State Prison Yard Where Joe Hill Will Be Shot
The execution of Fellow Worker Joe Hill is set for November 19th, five days from today. Yesterday, Parsons Daily Sun of Kansas published the following drawing of Utah State Prison showing, in detail, the exact “procedure” planned for the shooting down of our Rebel Songwriter:
Saturday November 13, 1915
From The Salt Lake Tribune: I. W. W. Members “Declare Mormon’s Oppose Hillstrom”
The very same newspaper that was so scandalized by the lack of religious content for the funeral of Fellow Worker Horton, is now aghast that any member of Industrial Workers of the World would suggest that the Mormon church exerted religious prejudice against Fellow Worker Joe Hill during the trial which lead to his conviction. From the Tribune of November 12th:
DECLARE MORMONS OPPOSE HILLSTROM
—–Latest Charge Is Church Influence Was
Used Against the Murderer.
—–
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT
—–
Mrs. J. Sergeant Cram and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Ask Wilson to Intervene.
—–
Members of the I. W. W. are endeavoring to get members of congress to intercede for Joseph Hillstrom on the representation that he was condemned to die because the Mormon church exerted religious prejudice against him.
This was learned last night from dispatches from Washington. Mrs. J. Sergeant Cram and Mrs. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, one a Socialist and the other an I. W. W., called upon President Wilson yesterday to plead for Hillstrom’s life. Dispatches said that the president had promised to investigate the case further and see if he could do anything.
At the governor’s office yesterday it was stated that no word had been received from President Wilson.
“I do not believe,” said Governor William Spry, “that President Wilson will ask another postponement of Hillstrom’s execution. There certainly has been no change of plans here. Hillstrom will be executed November 19.”
Protests against the execution of Hillstrom were received yesterday at the governor’s office, as every day for weeks, but there was none from Washington. The governor is ignoring threats and appeals alike.
Hellraisers Journal, Friday November 12, 1915
From The Washington Times: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
-Pleads with President to Aid FW Joe Hill
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Mrs. J. Sargeant Cram were granted an interview with President Wilson yesterday in order to make a plea for his intervention to prevent the execution of Fellow Worker Joe Hill, scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City in seven days. The Times of November 11th gave the following report of the meeting:
TWO WOMEN PLEAD FOR JOE HILLSTROM
—–
Mrs. J. Sargent Cram and
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
see President.
—–Personal appeals were made today to President Wilson by Mrs. J. Sargeant Cram, of New York City, and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, I. W. W. organizer, to save the life of Joseph Hillstrom, sentenced to death in Salt Lake City for murder. The President listened to the women’s plea for ten minutes, after which, they said, he told them he would do everything he could to save the man.
Hillstrom is sentenced to die November 19. Every avenue of escape from death has been closed to him and the only one who can save him is the governor of Utah, who thus far has refused executive clemency except on the personal plea of President Wilson a month ago, when the execution was stayed to hear new evidence.
The women this morning told the President they were not asking a pardon, but only asking for a commutation of his sentence to life imprisonment in order that the case can be investigated.
—–[Photograph added.]
If Joe Hill dies, spare your tears. Erect no monument to his memory,
as the man by his example has builded himself a monument
that shall endure for all time.
-Big Jim Larkin
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday November 11, 1915
From The New York Times: Mass Meeting for Joe Hill
From the Times of November 10th:
More Pleas for Hillstrom.A mass meeting was held in Manhattan Lyceum, at 62 East Fourth Street, last night, to adopt measures that might induce the Governor of Utah to stay the execution of Joseph Hillstrom, who is to die in Salt Lake City on Nov. 19 for murder. Among those who addressed the meeting were Joseph Ettor, its Chairman; Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and Jack Reed, the war correspondent. At the end it was decided to send telegrams to President Wilson and Governor Spry of Utah asking for mercy for Hillstrom, and one to the condemned man himself telling him of their love and sympathy.
—–[Photograph added.]
Also speaking at the meeting was Big Jim Larkin, the Irish labor organizer known as the “Dublin Giant,” who insisted that Class Solidarity could yet save the life of Fellow Worker Joe Hill. Larkin exhorted the crowd:
If Joe Hill dies, spare your tears. Erect no monument to his memory, as the man by his example has builded himself a monument that shall endure for all time. At the moment of this man’s death you will have erected a monument, not to the man but in commemoration of the weakness of class union and the failure of solidarity. But let the monument of failure and of shame be not erected. Let the case of Joseph Hillstrom go to the greatest jury of all-the jury of the workers. Let the working class pass judgment and liberate Joe Hill. If we but say the word nothing can stop us. So let us speak and act that Joe Hill may again be with us and sing for us as we march on toward industrial emancipation.
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday November 9, 1915
Salt Lake City – Grand Send-Off to Local I. W. W. President
On Sunday, November 7th, Local 69 of the Industrial Workers of the World bid good-bye to their President, Roy Joseph Horton. Ed Rowan and Mrs. Virginia Snow Stephen were among those who gave eulogies for the slain union leader.
The murderer, “Major” H. P. Myton remains under charges of murder, but is being celebrated as a hero by the local Elks Lodge.
The local kept press was scandalized that there was no mention of religion nor of the heavenly rewards awaiting the martyred union leader. Instead, those present concentrated on continuing the organizing work of the I. W. W. in behalf of the working men and women of Salt Lake City. On that subject, Mrs. Stephen stated that only through “organization and making use of such tragedies as the Horton case” will the working class ever get justice.
Roy Horton’s funeral is the first of what will most likely be two grand I. W. W. send-offs in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the month of November 1915.
