Newspaper articles

SAMUEL GOMPERS, president of the American Federation of Labor, when in Salt Lake City the other day made the public statement that he hoped Governor Spry

Let Joe Hill By Given His Day in Court of Utah would further postpone the execution of Joe Hill so that a more thorough examination of the I.W.W. poet's case might be made. This, and more than this, is the demand of justice for Joe Hill. He should not be killed while there remains a possibility of his innocence.

The state of Utah has no moral right (although it no doubt has a legal right) to exact the penalty of a crime by shooting Joe Hill unless the state of Utah can prove beyond per-adventure that Joe Hill is the real criminal. This the state of Utah has thus far failed to prove. The alleged evidence of Hill's guilt consists of circumstantial, contradictory, and on many points plainly manufactured testimony upon which no honest and fair-minded man would base an important decision, especially one affecting the life of another human being. So far as we are concerned, Joe Hill is in effect innocent in proving him guilty.

Joe Hill should be granted another trial. There is no doubt that the previous trial contained errors that were fatal to Hill's defense. A new trial at this time, after the agitation of Hill's friends and fellow workers has drawn nation-wide attention to this case, is certain to be conducted much more carefully and with a great deal more regard for justice to Hill. Doubtless Hill himself made mistakes in his former trial. He discharged his lawyers and it is said that through his inexperienced meddling he tangled up the case and made things look needlessly bad for himself. It is reasonable to assume that in a second trial Hill would benefit from his experience in his first trial. He would engage competent and trustworthy lawyers and let them guard his interests.

The demand for a new trial for Joe Hill is a humanitarian demand and rises above the petty statutes of a state, which all of us know are filled with ridiculous and ofttimes grave errors. Joe Hill is human being and his life is of great human importance—and the state of Utah has no right to take his life from him unless it can establish proof of a good and sufficient reason for doing so.

We do not believe there is any good reason for taking the life of a human being under any circumstances, legal or otherwise. It so happens that Utah still retains the barbarous provision for capital punishment, that has been condemned and rejected by the civilized conscience of many states; so that if Joe Hill can be proved positively guilty, the law of Utah says that he shall be officially murdered. But let it prove him guilty first. And, what is more important, give Hill a chance—every possible chance—to prove his innocence.

Joe Hill was railroaded to prison by an unfair trial, convicted of the murder of a man whom he did not know and whom he could not have possessed the slightest motive for killing. Joe Hill protested his innocence, but he was not allowed to prove his innocence. He had no money to employ legal aid, so the court appointed two lawyers to defend him; these lawyers displayed no interest in the case and did not try to defend him, so Hill dismissed these shyster parasites and would have pleaded his own case but the court told him he must put up with the services of the men whom he knew were betraying him.

Joe Hill had no chance in that prejudiced plute court. He was a friendless stranger in a strange land, and had neither money nor influence. Moreover, he was known to be an obnoxious labor agitator and had participated in a number of prominent strikes in the west. The court was against him, the witnesses (whom Hill charges with committing perjury) were against him, the prejudiced sentiment of the community was against him and the whole machinery of the injustice was oiled to move smoothly on its murderous way.

scabby boss would raise the scared cry of the I. W. W.'s the I. W. W.'s are coming. Then all the thugs and gunmen would get ready to protect their masters' property. One of these gunmen left his job as guard in the Deer Lodge Penitentiary to handle a gun or be a butcher for the railway company; the whelps are feeling the hands of the Direct Action Proletarian coming closer and closer to their damn necks and when it does reach the goal I hope that the Rebels will crush the viperous skunks once for all. Fellow Workers, we want you to keep your eyes upon all employment sharks and don't let them reap their rich harvest by shipping men out here. And those that come with the intention of scabbing will wish to Christ they stayed away. We mean business. The war is still on. Yours for the One Big Union, PAT BRENNEN, For Committee.

of the working class.

The workers also have a strong dislike for wanton destruction of property. They produced it. The creative labor they have embodied in this property gives it, in their eyes, a sentimental value which is quite apart from its use value or its exchange value. The destruction of property is distasteful to them, even when the property is used directly for their enslavement.

The property owners took no part in the actual productive labor, and they value the property only as a source of profits which they are ready to destroy whenever destruction is profitable. They are as ready to plan the wholesale destruction of property in a war between nations, as they are to plan retail destruction for the sake of fire insurance or to discredit striking workingmen.

There is a story from the ancient wars be-

Save Joe Hill

"I have lived like an artist and I shall die like an artist."

These are the soul-stirring words of Joe Hill, facing death in a prison cell in Utah.

Joe Hill was railroaded to prison by an unfair trial, convicted of the murder of a man whom he did not know and whom he could not have possessed the slightest motive for killing. Joe Hill protested his innocence, but he was not allowed to prove his innocence. He had no money to employ legal aid, so the court appointed two lawyers to defend him; these lawyers displayed no interest in the case and did not try to defend him, so Hill dismissed these shyster parasites and would have pleaded his own case but the court told him he must put up with the services of the men whom he knew were betraying him.

Joe Hill had no chance in that prejudiced plute court. He was a friendless stranger in a strange land, and had neither money nor influence. Moreover, he was known to be an obnoxious labor agitator and had participated in a number of prominent strikes in the west. The court was against him, the witnesses (whom Hill charges with committing perjury) were against him, the prejudiced sentiment of the community was against him and the whole machinery of injustice was oiled to move smoothly on its murderous way.

Put yourself in Joe Hill's place; let the thought of his unjust treatment sink deep into your justice-loving soul and the write to the governor of Utah, Salt Lake City, telling him that as an American who advocates fair play and believes in a square deal you demand a new trial and a fair hearing for Joe Hill, or Joseph Hillstrom, which is his real name.

Write now. Unless something is done before October 1 Joe Hill will be shot and an innocent man will die.