Joe Hill died 1915

Subject: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 06:47 AM

This year is the centenary of the death of Joe Hill. He was executed by firing squad in Utah on November 19, 1915, accused of murdering two shopkeepers. A member of the firing squad claimed that the command "Fire!" came from Hill himself.

And yesterday Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a measure making Utah the only US state to use a firing squad as a method of execution. It isn't so very long ago that a 'liberal' state was one that gave condemned men the choice of the means of their execution.

Joe Hill wrote to Bill Haywood, the former president of the Western Federation of Miners and the best-known leader of the IWW,
"Goodbye Bill: I die like a true rebel. Don't waste any time mourning, organize! It is a hundred miles from here to Wyoming. Could you arrange to have my body hauled to the state line to be buried? I don't want to be found dead in Utah."

My Last Will written by Joe Hill

My will is easy to decide
For there is nothing to divide
My kin don't need to fuss and moan -
Moss does not cling to a rolling stone

My body? Oh! If I could choose
I would want to ashes it reduce
And let the merry breezes blow
My dust to where some flowers grow

Perhaps some fading flower then
Would come to life and bloom again
This is my Last and Final Will
Good luck to all of you, Joe Hill

To which I've added a codicil;

We watch as seasons come and go
But hard times always stay, we know
A hundred years long you've been gone
Your song, Joe Hill, still carries on

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 06:51 AM

Correction!

My body? Oh! If I could choose
I would to ashes it reduce
And let the merry breezes blow
My dust to where some flowers grow

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 06:52 AM

True, but his centenary isn't until November 19th. In the meantime if anybody wants to read his life story, there's a book called The Man Who Never Died; The Life, Times & Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon by William M Adler. Bloomsbury. 2011.

I haven't read my copy yet, so I can't comment, but I'll make sure I get round to before Nov 19th.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 07:24 AM

It's a heads-up, Fred. You've still got eight months.

I've got a tune for this too, and sang it at Janet Russell's workshop at The Crown at Worthington a few years ago.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,HenryP
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 07:51 AM

The Crown at Worthington? I remember it well. Does anything still go on there?

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 07:52 AM

Sorry folks. That previous missive wasn't from HenryP. It was from me. I put his name in the box instead of mine.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 08:02 AM

Comes to us all, Fred.... :-)

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 08:15 AM

I believe it is, Henry. Not sure what night or nights but Sid Calderbank has a lot to do with it. I remember the Crown best for being our canteen when I worked at the old Heinz site :-)

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 08:29 AM

Cooperative Folk Club, Crown, Worthington, Standish, Wigan, UK

Merry Meet Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March 2015

Virtual tickets available on website

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST, Sol
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 08:51 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2UF8yw89yE
Joe Hill - Bruce Springsteen

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Greg F.
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 09:33 AM

Adler's "Man Who Never Died" is excellent and clearly sets out the judicial murder of Hill for what it was.

Book highly recommended!!

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 02:11 PM

Angie Bladen used to run the crown worthington, very pleasant establishment, where is she now?

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Mark Ross
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 05:41 PM

The Industrial Workers of the World are sponsoring events all around the USA to commemorate Joe Hill. You can find more info here at this Facebook page;


Joe Hill at 100 Roadshow


Incidentally, I ran the IWW office in Missoula, Montana in the '80's. When it came to light that some of Joe's ashes were still in the hands of the Feds, the union put in a request for their return. They gave us the ashes, but wouldn't give us the envelope (it had writing on it, and the National Archives is charged with the preservation of information).

I put in a request for the a prtion to use in ceremonies around Montana, spreading them on the Clark Fork River with Earth First!, and sprinkling some on Frank Little's grave in Butte. But before that both Utah Phillips and I purloined a couple of grains each and place them in our guitars.
When I sent my handmade guitar back to the maker for a neck reset, I had to ask him not to vacuum out the box!

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: LadyJean
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 08:04 PM

There used to be a bar here in Pittsburgh called Wobbly Joe's.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Mar 15 - 08:26 PM

Starting this date, one hundred years ago, the Armenian Genocide, still unacknowledged, took far more than your pathetic, socialist scarecrow.



The total number of people killed as a result has been estimated at between 1 and 1.5 million.

Live GLOBAL   not Local.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 05:49 AM

Dear Guest - The state - wherever it is - bears the responsibility for the welfare of all of its citizens. And it should be answerable for its actions too.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 06:06 AM

HenryP and DTG. Thanks for the tip. I'll keep an eye on the website and maybe mosey on over there sometime.

Guest. What the fuck has genocide in Armenina got to do with the judicial murder of Joe Hill?

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: ced2
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 10:27 AM

I believe that Joe wanted a small portion of his ashes spread in every state in the Union except Utah. He is reported to have said that he did not wish to be seen dead with a bunch of Mormons. Looks like he is being proved right again!

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Greg F.
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 01:38 PM

Nothing against Springstein, but this is worth a listen for any number of reasons:

Paul Robeson - Joe Hill

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Thompson
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 02:20 PM

I wonder is Joe Hill remembered in Sweden.
Factoid: the writer Joe Hill (son of Stephen King, and a fine writer in his own right, with a killer sense of humour) was called Joe Hill after, well, Joe Hill.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Mark Ross
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 03:03 PM

Joe Hill is still remembered in Sweden. My friend The Union Maid, Anne Feeney tours there every year and tells me that there are Swedish musicians still playing his songs.


Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Greg F.
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 03:09 PM

I wonder is Joe Hill remembered in Sweden.

Yes, very much so!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BXIsLYDbCM

There are other Swedish websites, but I can't turn them up quickly - will try to do some checking & get back.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: Thompson
Date: 25 Mar 15 - 05:47 PM

Brilliant! Great downbeat Swedish documentary, Greg F.

Subject: RE: Joe Hill died 1915
From: GUEST,jimmy
Date: 19 Nov 15 - 06:35 AM

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