Colorado [28 items]

Colo. , Springs Colo. Sept., 19th, 1915. Hon. Wm. Spry, Salt Lake City, Utah Dear Sir, We, citizens of Colo., Springs, State of Colorado, in mass meeting assembled, petition you to commute the sentence of Joseph Hillstrom, for the following reasons. 1st. We do not believe Jospeh Hillstrom guilty of the crime for which he has been convicted. 2nd. We do not believe that he had a fair trial. 3rd. We have learned that the jurors were not selected in the usual way. 4th. The defendant was practically without council when he was on trial for his life. 5th. No motive was shown for the crime for which he was convicted. 6th. The conviction was found upon the flimsiest kind of circumstantial evidence. Believing these to be the facts, we the undersigned, pray that the death sentence in the case of Joseph Hillstrom be set aside and elemency extended.

Briggsdale Colo Sept. 23, 15

Your Honor:- We the undersigned do, in the name of justice, peitition Your Honor, to grant Joseph Hillstrom, whom we believe is innocent of the crim charged against him, a new trial A.L. Bonnicksen C. Bonnicksen A E Peterson Henry Kerby Charles Swanson

Colorado Springs Sept. 26-1915.

To Hon. Gov. Spry Salt Lake City Utah,

My Dear Sir, We are writing you in the name of humanity protesting against the execution of one Joe Hill who has been sentenced to the shot on Oct. 1st. We consider the execution of Joe Hill to be rank murder, a blow at liberty and a crime against the working class of the U.S.

We ask you to commute his sentence to life imprisonment which is bad enough, at best and we are tired of seeing men R.R. to the penitentiary and gallows as we are raising sons ourselves

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and if such conditions as these continue to exist what incentive will the people of this country have to try to bring up a family in the next few years to come? We think the time is not far distant when the people will not only ask for clemency but they will demand it and rightly too.

Yours for Humanity Fred. H. Murdock Anna R. Murdock.

Cripple Creek Colo Sept 24-1915 A.D.

To the Honorable The Governor of Utah I hereby enter an earnest plea in behalf of our brother Joseph Hillstrom who as we believe was unjustly tried, & convicted for the murder of one whom he did not konw and had no grudge against. There is every reason to believe that Joe Hill is there victim of class and race hatred. We therefore as liberty loving American Citizens demand that Hillstrom be given a new trial. And also that he have the services of friendly and legal advisers. Attourney who will at least try to defend him. There is far too much chance for injustice and wrong verdicts when the accused is given every opportunity to prove his innocense. And the accused is entitled to the benefit of every doubt. I have secured the signatures of some of my neighbor B.R. Freeman

Frederic B. Coneltown E. F. Annis H E. Monis James Gastor Geo Grindsley H B Canny Easter Freeman W.C. Bentley Clifford McLeod Thr. E. Vanata A.J. Brandt Joseph, Joyce John Luttiy Fran C Richardson.