Tag: Joseph Hillstrom

Hellraisers Journal: “The Firing Squad With The Screen Removed,” a Cartoon by Ralph Chaplin

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t Mourn; Organize!
-Joe Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 28, 1915
From Solidarity:
The Joe Hill Edition: “Don’t Waste Anytime Mourning!”

The latest edition of the I. W. W. newspaper, Solidarity, is dedicated to Joe Hill and features the following cartoon, penned by Ralph Chaplin:

Joe Hill, Cartoon/ Firing Squad with Screen Removed, Solidarity Newspaper of Nov 27, 1915
Drawing by Ralph Chaplin from Solidarity of November 27, 1915

According to the cartoon, the firing squad is made up of the five members of the Utah Board of pardons, which includes Governor Spry, Attorney General Barnes, and the three members of the Supreme Court: Chief Justice Straup, and Associate Justices Frick and McCarty. As the money power directs the state-sanctioned murder of Fellow Worker Hill, the rising sun of Organization appears over the prison wall.

Below Chaplin’s drawing is a banner with FW Hill’s farewell message:

Don’t Waste any Time in Mourning-Organize

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Hellraisers Journal: Thousands Gather in Chicago to Honor FW Joe Hill and Sing His Rebel Songs

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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I. W. W. movement has been sealed in
the sweet blood of this poet-radical.
-Jim Larkin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday November 27, 1915
Chicago, Illinois-
I. W. W. Gives FW Joe Hill a Grand Send-Off, Thousands March

Joe Hill's Funeral, Chicago, Nov 25, 1915-2, ISR of Jan 1916

A grand funeral hosted by the Industrial Workers of the World was provided for Fellow Worker Joe Hill, Working Class Martyr. Thousands gathered in the West Side Auditorium on Thanksgiving morning, November 25th. The windows of the auditorium were open and the singing within could be heard by the the thousands who filled the streets outside, extending for blocks in every direction.

After the morning’s orations were completed, a great throng of mourners followed the casket to the train which bore the remains of FW Joe Hill to Graceland Cemetery. Another funeral service took place there followed by singing which lasted late into the night.

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

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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My body? Oh, if I could choose,
I would to ashes it reduce..
-Joe Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Ralph Chaplin, Spartacus ed

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:

Joe Hill Last Will, The Salina (KS) Evening Jr, Nov 22, 1915

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Hellraisers Journal: “I Will Die Like a Rebel!” FW Joe Hill on His Last Day & at His Execution

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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I will die like a rebel…
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

Joe Hill, lgr

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.

JOE HILL’S LAST DAY
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Hellraisers Journal: Joe Hill’s Body Not Yet Cold As Governor Declares War On IWW In State of Utah

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Now my friends know I am innocent
and I dont care what the rest think.
-Joe Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday November 20, 1915
Salt Lake City, Utah-
Mourners View Body of Joe Hill as War Declared on I. W. W.

Joe Hill wiki

Joe Hill’s body, this morning, lies in state at the mortuary of E. G. O’Donnell at 225 South West Temple Street. Hundreds of mourners filed past last evening, so many that the the undertaker found it necessary to move the body from the “slumber room” to the funeral chapel. The doors to the chapel were locked after a few thousand had filed by, and the mourners were advised that the chapel would reopen the next afternoon (today.)

Members of the local I. W. W. are planning a grand I. W. W. send-off for Fellow Worker Joe Hill, to be held tomorrow afternoon, after which the body will be shipped to Chicago. Plans are being made there at the headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World for another mass funeral. Thousands are expected to attend that event, and it may prove to be the largest funeral ever held in the city of Chicago.

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UTAH GOVERNOR DECLARES WAR ON I. W. W.

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Hellraisers Journal: Fellow Worker & Rebel Songwriter Joe Hill Executed by Utah Firing Squad; “Died Game.”

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JOE HILL SHOT AT SUNRISE. DIED GAME.
-ED ROWAN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday November 19, 1915
Salt Lake City, Utah-
Fellow Worker Joe Hill Executed by Utah Firing Squad

Joe Hill, lgr

FELLOW WORKER JOE HILL

At 7:40 a. m. in the prison yard of the Utah Sate Prison, Fellow Worker Joe Hill was shot to death by firing squad. Ed Rowan and other friends and fellow workers whom Hill had invited to attend the execution were not allowed to enter the prison. According to Rowan, they stood at the gate and heard the shots ring out “like musketry in battle,” a sound, says Rowan, that is still ringing in his head.

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Hellraisers Journal: President Wilson Again Asks Utah Governor to Reconsider Case of Joe Hill

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t Mourn; Organize!
-Joe Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday November 18, 1915
Salt Lake City, Utah –
Joe Hill Remains Calm as President Requests Reconsideration of Case

Joe Hill arrest record, Salt Lake County Jail, ab Jan 14, 1915, smaller

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.

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Hellraisers Journal: A. F. of L. Convention Passes Unanimous Resolutions on Behalf of FW Joe Hill

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 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
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HILLSTROM IS TO DIE FRIDAY
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Federation Calls On Utah Governor To
Exercise Clemency for Swede.
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President Wilson and Swedish Legation
Are To Receive Appeal Also.
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Joe Hill wikiSAN 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.

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Hellraisers Journal: American Federation of Labor Convention Takes Up Case of Fellow Worker Joe Hill

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t Mourn; Organize!
-Joe Hill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
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Federation Will Ask President to Intervene to Prevent
Execution of Hillstrom Friday.

Tom Mooney, 1910

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.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Salt Lake County Sheriff Continues Preparations for Execution of FW Joe Hill

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t Mourn; Organize!
-Joe Hill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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
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Preparations for Execution of Condemned Man
Continued by Sheriff.
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Sunset Magazine, Nov 1915, UT Gov Spry, Joe Hill, Hillstrom

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.

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