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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday August 30, 1910
Pendleton, Oregon – FW Joe Hill, “on the road,” finds victim of gunthug.
From the Spokane Industrial Worker of August 27, 1910:
ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE
UNIFORMED THUGS.On the Road, August 11th, 1910
While strolling through the yards at Pendleton, Ore…I saw a fellow sitting on a tie pile. He had his left hand all bandaged up and hanging useless by his side, and the expression on his face was the most hopeless I ever saw. Seeing that he was one of my class I went up and asked him how it happened, and he told me a tale that made the blood boil in my veins. Like many others, he floated into Roseville Junction, Cal., a town noted for murders and bloodshed. He had a few cents and did not have to beg, but the bull of that worthy town did not like the way he parted his hair, I guess, so he told him to make himself scarce around there. After a bit a train pulled out and he tried to obey the orders, but that upholder of law and justice saw him and habitually took a shot at him. His intentions were, of course, the very best, but being a poor shot he only succeeded in crushing the man’s hand.
The poor fellow might starve to death though, so that blood-thirsty hyena may not get so badly disappointed after all. Not being satisfied with disabling the man for life, he struck him several blows on the head and face with a “sapper” (rubber host with chunks of lead in the end). Then he threw him in the “task” without any medical aid whatever, although the hand was bleeding badly. The next morning about 5 o’clock he got a couple of kicks for breakfast and told that if he dared to show his face around there again it would be the grave yard for his. He told me he could not sleep much because the hand was aching all the time and he wished he could get it cut off, because it was no good anyway. Now, fellow workers, how long are those hired murders, whose chief delight it is to see human blood flowing in streams, going to slaughter and maim our class. There is only one way to stop it-only one remedy-to unite on the industrial field, Yours,
JOE HILL,
Portland Local, No. 92.[Drawing and emphasis added]
