I am not afraid of death, but I'd like to be in the fight a little longer.
-Joe Hill
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Tuesday May 11, 1915
Salt Lake City, Utah - The Rebel Girl, Herself, Visits Joe Hill in the County Jail
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn from the
Fort Scott Daily Tribune-Monitor
of Kansas, April 29, 1915
On May 6th, on her way to California, Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn stopped off in Salt Lake City to visit with Fellow Worker Joe Hill who continues to be held in the county jail there. FW Hill has been convicted of murder and has been given a death sentence by the state of Utah. Miss Flynn was allowed to visit with the prisoner face to face in the sheriff's office. She states that she is the first visitor during his long confinement to be allowed to visit with FW Hill face to face and to shake hands with him.
Miss Flynn states that she found Joe Hill to be "tall, slender, very blond, with deep blue eyes." It was a spring day in the "garden city" and the prisoner and his visitor looked out from the prison onto an "expanse of a beautiful lawn."
Joe Hill noted the old bearded man outside who was mowing the lawn, and said to Gurley Flynn, "He's lucky, Gurley. He's a Mormon and he's had two wives and I haven't even had one yet!"
Miss Flynn noted the contrast between the pure mountain air of Utah and the fetid jail odor that assailed the nostrils: "damp air loaded with the sickening smell of disinfectants."
On the subject of the death sentence which he is facing, FW Hill stated:
I am not afraid of death, but I'd like to be in the fight a little longer.
~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCE
The Rebel Girl: an autobiography,
my first life (1906-1926)
by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
International Publishers, 1973
https://books.google.com/...
IMAGE
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn from a Fort Scott, Kansas,
newspaper of Apr 29, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/...
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Letter From Joe Hill to Katie Phar
Salt Lake City
May 7
Katie Phar Spokane Wn
Dear Friend & F. W.
Yours received and am glad to note that you are getting along fine with your music lessons. Am sending you thru the local Sec'y two of my songs and would like to hear how you like them. One of the Songs "The Rebel Girl" was sung at several big meetings in Chicago and was making a bit hit they are telling me. I had the pleasure to shake hands with Gurly Flynn yesterday and she told me that she would be glad to see you when she comes to Spokane. If you would practice up on one of the Songs you could help her a whole lot by singing it at her meeting in Spokane. The Rebel Girl would be best I think because Gurly F. is certainly some Rebel Girl and when [the copy of this letter is incomplete.]
Photograph added.]
SOURCE
The Letters of Joe Hill
-ed by Philip Foner
Oak Publications, 1965
https://books.google.com/...
IMAGE
Follow Worker Joe Hill
http://www.freedomarchives.org/...
Note: Katie Phar was the 10-year-old daughter of a member of the Industrial Workers of the World who lived in Spokane, Washington.
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Thursday May 11, 1905
From the Montana News: Mother Jones Coming to Montana
The Montana News, Socialist newspaper of Helena, is reporting that Mother Jones will soon be coming to Montana.
Hellraisers wishes to assure our readers that we will be on the look out to follow Mother's activities while she is in the state of Montana.
From the Montana News of May 3, 1905:
-----
"Mother" Jones, is expected to be in Montana this month.
-----
[Emphasis added.]
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~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCE
Montana News
(Helena, Montana)
-May 3, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGE
Mother Jones, Appeal to Reason, Mar 11, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/...
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Letter From Mother Jones to William B Wilson
I believe that Mother has misdated this letter (she did sometimes confuse her dates when writing letters) and that this letter was more likely written on June 9th. However, I am including the letter here because the letter is dated in May and further studied is needed to examine exactly where Mother was on May 9, 1905.
Stevensville, Montana
5-9-1905
My dear Comrade Wilson
William B Wilson
Here I am out in the mountains not on a pleasure but on duty waking up the Shumburg Joint . I spoke in Butte last night under the auspices of the Smeltermen Union. I had house packed stage and all the boys did not know what to do for me. They gave me one hundred dollars and my fare to and from Chicago. They want to remain out here all summer and go to the Springs for a rest they would pay the bill. I could not do that poor boys they earn their nickles to hard. if you could see them when they come home from those smelters in the evening you would feel they needed the Springs worse than anyone else. Who on earth did Sam marry his stenographer. I wished he had not for those old people needed him at home however that is something we cannot govern They will do as they want to.
I am glad Mrs. W--- and the children are well. I will be in the State of N. Y. for three months this fall. I will make an effort to go and see them while East. I want to see Joe before I die. Take care of him.
I speak in Helena on Miners day the 13th of this month. Back to Butte for two more meetings then I go to Coaldale for the Coal Miners then I go East. I have so much to tell you when I see you. The time seems so long. I am going to go before I am due. So that I just gaze on that face a reflex of the heart that has been true to the people. In looking over the field it looks as if you were going to have trouble next year. in fact it looks to me as if many crafts were on the threshold of Industrial War. let it come we only can do what we can for them. we are permeating them with clear conception of their class interest trying to put the Spirit Solidarity in them. let me warn you against that Board Member Jones [see note below] of Wyo. he is no Gods earth good for God or man. What cur will stoop to like [lick?] the feet of those in poor [power?] for a job. I am going to see you soon. Love to Miss May a Agnes your own good self.
fondly
Mother
[Photograph added.]
SOURCE
The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
https://books.google.com/...
IMAGE
William B Wilson, United Mine Workers of America
http://www.blossburg.org/
See also:
Search: Montana News + Mother Jones + May 1905
(Articles about planning a speaking tour for
late May and early June.)
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Search: Montana News + Mother Jones + June 1905
(Articles about Mother speaking in various Montana locations,
and a long article about her speech in Helena on Miners Day, June 13th.)
http://www.newspapers.com/...
Note: Mother is referring to W. E. Jones of Dietz, Wyoming, UMWA Executive Board Member from District 22. Exactly what Mother had against him, I do not know. Perhaps it had something to do with the convention floor fight from the Jan 1905 UMWA convention, summed up in this pamphlet by Robert Randell [Randall]:
http://babel.hathitrust.org/...
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The Rebel Girl-Mats Paulson
Yes, her hands may be harden'd from labor
And her dress may not be very fine
But a heart in her bosom is beating
That is true to her class and her kind
And the grafters in terror are trembling
When her spite and defiance she'll hurl
For the only and thoroughbred lady
Is the Rebel Girl.
-Joe Hill
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