He's in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He stood by us, we'll stand by him!
-Ralph Chaplin
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Sunday May 23, 1915
From Solidarity: "A Visit to Joe Hill" by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
On the front page of yesterday's edition of
Solidarity we find an account authored by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn of her visit with FW Joe Hill who is now buried alive in the Salt Lake County Jail. The Rebel Song writer has been convicted of murder on purely circumstantial evidence and is under sentence of death. Miss Flynn stopped over in Salt Lake City on her way to California. She was allowed a one hour visit with Hill on May 6th.
Miss Flynn describes meeting Joe Hill:
When he came to us he was guarded on all sides by deputies, he came with a smile and a cheery greeting, with the clear eyed look of one who cannot be crushed. He is tall, good looking, but naturally thin after sixteen months in a dark narrow cell, with a corridor and another row of cells between him and daylight, and nourished by the soup and bean diet of a prison.
A Prisoner of the Class War
Miss Flynn further states:
He's a true soldier in the army of labor, philosophically accepting the status of a prisoner of war and the possibility of death.
And she asks of us:
Shall we fellow workers accept it with him so lightly?
Funds for the Defense Campaign are low, and Gurley Flynn urges that donations be made and made quickly in order to save the life of Fellow Worker Joe Hill.
From Solidarity of May 22, 1915:
A Visit to Joe Hill.
I. W. W. Song Writer and Rebel Shows Undaunted Spirit in Jail.
$300 Needed At Once For Defense.
-----
by Elzabeth Gurley Flynn
Joe Hill
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But this superficial impression is rapidly dispelled by a visit to that cornerstone of civilization the county jail.
At the doorway of the low-visaged structure, squatted in behind residences, the familiar, fetid jail odor assails the nostrils and the clang of the keys, the surly permission to enter, the damp, tomblike air within, welcomes us to the compulsory abode of the free spirit under capitalism.
It was indeed a free spirit that drew us there-Joe Hill, the inimitable songster and poet of the I. W. W... They have accused him of an ignoble act, murder for petty theft, and they lied and lied until they've hypnotized themselves into believing it. So when he came to us he was guarded on all sides by deputies, he came with a smile and a cheery greeting, with the clear eyed look of one who cannot be crushed. He is tall, good looking, but naturally thin after sixteen months in a dark narrow cell, with a corridor and another row of cells between him and daylight, and nourished by the soup and bean diet of a prison. Yet he writes constantly and his latest jail product "The Rebel Girl" is judged by many as his most beautiful...
Joe Hill had nothing to say about his case, or himself, but wanted to know about the I. W. W., its growth, outlook, its contemplated work in the harvest, Solidarity, and Margaret Sanger's case, etc. And so the hour was spent in giving him the news of the movement, and a few words of encouragement about his fight for life. I've seen men more worried about a six month's sentence than Joe Hill apparently worries about his life. He only said: "I'm not afraid of death, but I'd like to be in the fight a little longer."
He's a true soldier in the army of labor, philosophically accepting the status of a prisoner of war and the possibility of death. But, shall we fellow workers accept it with him so lightly?
When I came out into the blinding sunshine, a cold hand gripped my heart. Was I leaving a tomb? Would he ever "be in the fight a little longer?" Nor is this concern for the individual exclusively, although I see no reason why we shouldn't exhaust our defense resources for every individual; but it's the realization that Joe Hill typifies to the employer the I. W. W. and if he can be murdered legally, so can every other agitator and organizer out here in short order.
Can we afford to give up our Joe Hill without a struggle? While I was in Salt Lake City, I saw a telegram from the attorneys pressing the committee for funds, $660 is still due, half of which the committee has. A stupid, sentimental story was published that a"woman of unlimited means" is backing the case. There is no truth in this, it is merely the fabrication of a romantic reporter. But I was surprised to know that members throughout the country believe it and are under the delusion that the committee has plenty of money. Three hundred dollars is needed quickly and fellow workers should realize that even if the appeal is granted it will not mean necessarily his release, but a new trial, the expense of which will have to be met.
Joe Hill didn't ask the I. W. W. to fight for him; he was in jail months before he'd consent to the local's taking up his case. So this appeal is not from him, but in the spirit of:
He's in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He stood by us, we'll stand by him!
As a matter of fact he hasn't been told how low the funds actually are, and it's up to us to make it unnecessary.
...Letters and telegrams to Gov. Spry will help, but money is the prime necessity.
I appeal to you-help Joe Hill to "fan the flames of discontent," to fight (and sing)-a little longer!
[Photograph added.]
SOURCES
The Letters of Joe Hill
-ed by Philip S. Foner
Oak Publications, 1965
-p.33 (snippet view), for date of visit
https://books.google.com/...
Joe Hill
-by Gibbs M. Smith
Gibbs Smith, Sep 1, 2009
https://books.google.com/...
-p.126: EGF in Solidarity
https://books.google.com/...
The Case of Joe Hill
by Philip Sheldon Foner
International Publishers Co, 1966
-p.53: EGF's article in Solidarity
https://books.google.com/...
IMAGES
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
http://dp.la/...
Joe Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Joe Hill-Shall This Take Place
http://www.warresisters.org/...
The Rebel Girl, Joe Hill, Sheet Music
http://www.gothamcenter.org/...
Little Red Songbook
https://www.reuther.wayne.edu/...
See also:
Joe Hill + Salt Lake + JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/...
"THE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS ORGANIZATION"
by Jesse Heckman
Kansas City Labor History, UMKC, April 29, 2004
pdf! http://cas.umkc.edu/...
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Tune: The Red Flag - Billy Bragg
Joe Hill In Jail
A rebel we have know for long,
Who’s thrilled us often with his song,
Has fallen on an evil day:
They seek to take his life away!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
They’d fill his warrior heart with lead
And gloat to see him safely dead:
His voice forever hushed and still,
Our singing, fighting brave Joe Hill!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
His spirit gloried in the fight:
In Labor’s sure resistless might;
And One Big Union, staunch and strong:
This was the burden of his song.
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
His heart was hot with burning hate
Against the bosses, small and great;
He told what haughty Sab-cats do,
And all about the wooden shoe.
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
The “long-haired preachers” feared his name;
He filled apologists with shame:
While “Mister Block” so bland and meek,
With “Scissor-bill” did take a sneak.
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
Now, boys, we’ve known this rebel long;
In every land, we’ve sung his song;
Let’s get him free that he may see
The day of our great victory!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
He made them hate him high and low;
They feared his tuneful message so;
He’d fight for us while he had breath;
We’ll save him from the jaws of death!
No harm to him can we allow;
He needs our help and he needs it now;
He’s in their dungeon, dark and grim;
He fought for us; we will stand by him.
-Ralph Chaplin, 1914
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