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The Danville Trades and Labor Council 109 1/2 E. MAIN STREET
DANVILLE, ILL., Oct. 1-1915
To the Honorable Governor of the State of Utah:
WHEREAS, organized labor has made many hard struggles through life to better their conditions, and have met the attacks of gun men, and the active workers are generally known as being progressive to the true cause of Unionism, and in spite of the fact that men stand for the principle of organized labor, they are condemned and jailed, because they dare and do stand for the interest of the working class. And,
WHEREAS, the agitators of organized labor are being centered upon by the monied interests, slammed in jail and tried by a prejudiced jury, such as happened to John R. Lawson, Executive Board Member, of the United Mine Workers, for killing a man he never saw, And,
WHEREAS, Joseph Hillstrom, a miner of Utah has been sentenced to be court marshalled to death for killing Mr. Morrison, a man who Brother Hillstrom knew nothing about, and Brother Hillstrom is denied a new trial and justice because of being an agitator for the interest of the working class. Therefore, be it,
RESOLVED, by the Danville Trades and Labor Council, that we appeal to the Governor of the State of Utah at Salt Lake City, that Joseph Hillstrom be given a new trial, and that he will not be court marshalled without having a fair chance for his life, and that the Governor use all of his honorable means to get justice for our Brother who is striving for the cause of organzied labor.
E.W. Kiger President Fred Wittig Secretary
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Ferris, Texas Oct. 5, 1915
Gov. Spry, Salt Lake City, Utah,
Dear Sir:- I am writing to ask you to exercise executive clemency in the case of Joe Hilstrom whom, the newspapers state, you haverepreieved to Oct. 10th.
Hilstrom claims that all he wants is a new trial. Surely he had already made an appeal to your supreme court and has been refused in which case I see no chance of his getting a new trial. If he has not had that appeal then surely you should reprieve him until he can make such an appeal. If the court of final resort has already denied his appeal for a new trial, then it is your duty to either pardon him or at the very least to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.
It is a terrible thing to think of sending a man to prison for life on such flimsy circumstantial evidence as that on which Hilstrom was convicted, however that is not so bad as to sit supinely by and permit him to be legally murdered. You have the power to prevent his legal murder and if you fail to do so you are just as guilty of murder as though you had dashed out the brains of a helpless cripple.
I do not ask you to do something that I would not do. If I had the power, as you have, to stop every attempt at legal murder in a sovereign state I should not permit one single execution, for if I did I should feel as guilty of murder as though I had slain a newborn babe in his helplessness.
I make no threats. I am sorry if as the newspapers state, any one has threatened to do violence to you if Hilstrom is executed. They would then be as guilty of murder for revenge as you will be if you permit Hilstrom to be executed.
If you are a man, as is Ex-Gov. Slaton of Georgia, pardon Joe Hilstrom. If you are a thing, as is Ex-Gov Ammons of Colorado, you will permit his murder.
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If you can't pardon him give time a chance to prove his innocence by commuting his sentence.
Respectfully, A.T. Walker
P.S. Remember: Hilstrom is some mother's son. At one time he was her baby, her hope and joy. She may still live. If she does she can never fail to be grateful to you for preventing his murder. Think how grateful your own mother would feel to Hilstrom, were he governor and you condemned to die, should he save your life; and save Hilstrom for her sake.
A.T.W.
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Kansas City Mo. October 10, 1915
His excellency the governor of Utah,
Dear Sir:
Believing, like millions of others, that Joseph Hillstrom has not received a fair hearing, I ask that you grant him a new trial.
In case he were shot, I should feel as sorry for you as for the members of the jury who, on the thinnest of circumstantial evidence, convicted him.
Sincerely yours Waldo Wallis
2 West 40th Way
