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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday June 13, 1914
Salt Lake City, Utah – Joe Hill on Trial for Murder on Circumstantial Evidence
State of Utah vs. Joseph Hillstrom
Joe Hill, famous I. W. W. songwriter, went on trial June 10th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Fellow Worker Joe Hill is on trial for his life, having been charged with the murder of J. G. Morrison who was shot and killed, along with his son, during the robbery of his grocery store on the night of January 10, 1914. Joe Hill was arrested three days later. He pleaded “Not Guilty” on January 22nd to the charge of murder in the case of J. G. Morrison. Hill has been in the Salt Lake County Jail since his arrest.
District Attorney E. O. Leatherwood admits that all of the evidence against Joe Hill is circumstantial, but states that he will prove Hill’s guilt through a chain of circumstantial facts: 1). that a tall man in the company of a short man were seen near the store just before the murder of Morrison, 2). that Hill was that tall man, 3). that Morrison’s son fired at the men and wounded Hill, who then shouted that he had been shot, 4). that Hill was treated shortly thereafter for a gunshot wound, 5). that Hill was carrying a gun of the same type used in the murder while at the doctor’s office.
Joe has strenuously denied any involvement in this brutal double murder. He states that he was shot by a friend during an argument over a woman known to both of them. He states that he is confident that he will be acquitted. Others are not so sure, pointing out that Fellow Worker Joe Hill has already been found guilty of being a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.
From The Voice of the People of May 21, 1914:
JOE HILL’S TROUBLE
The following letter is published at the request of Fellow-worker Ed. Rowan, Secretary L. U. 69:
SALT LAKE CITY. May 2. 1914.
Voice of the People, New Orleans, La.:
Gentlemen–On January 10th, 1914, J. G. Morrison, ex-policeman, was shot at 9:31 p. m. in his grocery store by two masked men, in Salt Lake City, Utah. His son was also shot, but is supposed to have wounded one of the men first. Another son claims to have heard the shots and reached the store just as the masked men were running away.
Four days later at the house of his friends, seven miles front Salt Lake City, Joe Hill was arrested on information of a Dr. Bird, who drove him to Eselius’ home about 11:30 p. m. the night of the murder. Hill stated to the doctor who attended him that he had been shot at the house of a friend because the friend thought he had insulted his wife and that he did not want anything said as he knew the friend did not mean it.
Another son of the dead man claims to have identified Hill. Yet as the men were masked I don’t think much of the identification. We are defending him, but he states that he does not wish to involve his girl friend and will not state who shot him nor her name.
The main thing the State has against Hill is that he is an I. W. W. and therefore sure to be guilty. Hill tried to keep the I. W. W. out of it and denied it, but the papers fastened it on him. For this reason he is entitled to be helped and not allowed to hang for being an I. W. W. Every man is presumed to be innocent till proved guilty. It should not he necessary for him to prove his innocence, and it would not be if he was not an I. W. W.
Scott and MacDougall, per Scott.
(Attorneys for Joe Hill)
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