Pennsylvania [18 items]

Philadelphia, Pa. Sept. 14, 1915.

To the Hon. William Spry, Governor of the State of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

The undersigned, all being citizens of the United States, having been informed concerning the recent trial and conviction of one Joseph Hillstrom (also known as Joe Hill), by the District Court of Salt Lake County, Utah, for the alleged killing of J. S. Morrison, and his son, Arling Morrison, in Salt Lake County, Utah, on January 10, 1914, and of the affirmance of the judgment of conviction of said District Court by the Supreme Court of the State of Utah, hereby make appeal to your executive clemency on behalf of said Hillstrom, and request that you grant him a pardon, for the following reasons, to wit:

That the said Hillstrom was denied by the judge of the said District Court of Salt Lake County that fair and impartial trial which is guaranteed to all citizens of the United States by the Constitution thereof, and the laws of the State of Utah, in that the said court denied to him the privilege of being defended by counsel of his own selection, or of conducting his own defense and that he has therefore been deprived of benefit of counsel.

Because the conviction of said Hillstrom was obtained upon flimsy and wholly insufficient evidence, the said trial being a mockery of justice and the verdict rendered thereon due wholly to prejudice prevailing in said Salt Lake County against Hillstrom because of his activity in the labor movement.

Philadelphia September 14th, 1915

Hon. William Spry, Governor of Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

Honorable Sir:--

We, the undersigned members of the United Commonwealth of Philadelphia City, State of Pa., beg and implore you to pardon or commute the death sentence pronounced against our brother in misfortunte, Joe Hill: We are decided and convinced that the said Joe Hill was convicted upon mere superficial circumstancial evidence; that he was denied the constitutional privledge of choosing his own counsel for defnese; that, on the whole, the prisoner accused of murder and sentenced to be murdered is an innocent, peace-abiding man whose gentle and loving spirit is incapable of the horrible crime imputed to him: We hence advise in all truth and justice that you grant our petition uprejudiced, humane consideration:--we direct it to you, that One Great Man who now stands in the face of the world, on the treshold of an all-meaning Career; to the One Great Man who has reached the One Grand Soul Crisis, which if swayed toward the Good, shall re-echo the world over in self-testimony that a Great Soul has been born anew:--we submit it to you, to one on whose brave heart depends the life of a fellow creature; in whose magnanimous power to will the Good lies the redemption of Utah's honor, and the readjustment of the just laws of our just nation:--for we love our humble brother, Joe Hill,--yes, even as we love our honored brother, the Honorable William Spry, Governor of Utah: Yours, in all faith and sincerity:---

Jos. DeFusco Angelo De Fusco Maris Menbach Esther Borneo Celina Zimmernman J. Zimmerman M. Fine L. Shore Samuel Liebowitz Joseph Lepowitz Harry Lepowitz Samuel Mokowitz Herman Levy Ressler P. S. Medren M. L. Fish Sylvan Fish John Ruth Salvie De Fusco Thomas Fusco Louis Volinsky Isadore Herman Schwartz Frank Ep. Lewison Mary Lewis M. Shapiro L. Tavitz Marie Vasal Marie Donegan Jas. Ryan Jack Rosenberg Jos. Culligan W. Mc. McGowan Jr. S. H. Smish

Nicholas Martin Charles Ross Millie Jenise Laurie Garden Eugeni Petreau Mamie Volinsky Antonio Cevala Sosontello Paguuli Frank Grish Angelo Sarco Joseph Spector Paul V. Nor H. Rendoept Max Foures Jackob Goldman Harry Gelfand A. Sharp Morris Silbert Philip Natz John Kromitz J. S. Teselbaum Max Lattesh Nations Peren Harry Lichtman B. Yampolsky Henry John Milton T Karmonvsing P. Tuber Louis H. Jeff Martha Mackay Morris Shultzman David Feldman Jacob Native Jacob Schwartz Jacob Klein Mary Toland Kathryn Garagham Mary Claus Loretta Walker Margarett Spiedle James O'Neill David Savet Daniel J. Cecly Morris Tollin Harry Feinberg M. Pensler J. Soral Samuel Rudin David Weiss Morris Bussman Isaac Kesler Adolph Freikester Benjamin Traussel Obor. Mariant H. Grass Sam Vernsanch H. Tenenberry Jacob Azarra Morris Roslovsty Hyman Saiferman Morris Lempert W Berman A Beavint John Gildeon Louis Frank Isadore Dorph Jacob Goldsberry Alix Ressler Mrs. J. S. Medwin Abe Levin Wm. Gelbourst Josep Kaplan Pearl Litavekoff Almierz Bery Wolff Liechte H. Kaplan J. Eiken M. Gross James Tripodi Isidore Cutler Max Rubin Kein Rulin Etkin Barnett Rechersky Max Slayof J. Rosks J. Nundetz S. Spenstor R. Kippiov Joseph Katz H. Nilson Joseph P. German J. Kessleman J. Sutz A. Neuhomer N. Lewis J. Schartz M. Lomsky B. Stein A. Limitz Mores Kipnes

Sep 14

Holmesburg Pa the 15 of Sept 1915

Hon W. M. Spry Governor of Utah

This appeal is directed to the Board of Pardons in behalf of Joseph Hillstrom, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, under sentence of death in the Utah Penitentiary. We have read and heard something of the case: 1st. We do not believe Joseph HIllstrom guilty of the crime for which he has been convincted. 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 of 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 demand that the death sentence in the case of Joseph Hillstrom be set aside and clemency extended