Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-11-25
H|L[STR0M GIVES
FINAL ORDERS To
EXECUTION SQUAD
Facing Firing Brigade, Con-
demned Man YeI!s "Fire! Let
Her Col" Then Dies With
Bullet In Heart.
LOSES HIS FINAL APPEAL
Governor Of Utah Refuses to
Comply With Presidents Re-
quest as No New Evidence
Was Presented.

Salt Lake City. Utah, Nov. 20
Fire, Let her go" We're Joseph Hills
trom's last words, uttered an instant
before the rifles of the firing squad
his life with a bullet in his heart
at 7:41 o'clock this morning. Although
he was self possessed and asserted his
innocence when he faced his execution
ers. Hillstrom had a sensational nerv-
Gus collapse just previously, when he
tied the door of his cell at the state
prison with strips torn from his blank
with The handle of a broom he had
snatched from an attendant in the cor
ridor.
Hillstrom's outburst was unexpected.
He retired calmly last night and re-
manned apparently asleep until early
this morning. He arose about 4 o'clock
and began to shake the cell door,
shrieking as if in a nightmare. The
noise cached the outside guards, who
turned in a general alarm, bringing all
the prison officers to the scene. The
prison physician ~endeavored, with
slight success, to quiet him.
Battles With Guards.
1t was decided not to interfere with
HIM until necessary, and he was not
uialaA ulll1l tle Tune arrived 10
take him to the scene of the execution.
When the guards arrived for this pur-
pose Hillstrom fought them savagely
with the broom handle, which he had
broken in two, leaving a sharp point
on n piece. The officers tried vainly
to get him out Of the cell without dis
turbance, Deputy Warden A. C. Ure
receiving q slight wound in the arm
from Htllstrom's weapon in the pro-
cess. Hillstrom fought silently until
Sheriff ]. S. Corless, for whom he had
previously manifested high regard, ar
rived and appealed to him.
Joe. this is all nonsense said Cor
less. What do you mean? You prom
Used to die like a man,"
Hillstrom hesitated a moment and
then yielded. We'll, I'm through" he
said. But you can't blame a mar for
fighting for his life"
The blanket strips he had tied to
the door We're then cut, he was blind
folded and led to the place of execu-
ton, supported by two guards. He
talked incessantly in the few moments
that elapsed between the time of his
arrival and the firing of the death VOL
ley. He asked whether any of his
friends were in the firing squad and
kept saying he was innocent and would
die like a man. His voice was clear,
but low.
q Never Did Any Wrong"
He was quickly adjusted to the death
chair and. as the attendants drew aside,
HilIstTom Strengthened himself in the
chair and said, I'll die like u man. I
did any wrong in my life. L die
fighting, not like a coward. Well, I'm
going. Goodbye, everybody"
The word to fire was given and the
reports of the rifles came an instant
after Hillstrom's final words, Let her
goi" He died instantly.
HillstTom wore his prison suit.
A dark suit had been obtained
for him, but the officers feared delay
might another outbreak from
him ard did not wait to remove the
clothing he wore.
His breakfast, which was placed be-
fore him at about Gas o'clock, re-
manned untasted and, in fact, unno-
ticed, as he was then in the midst Of
his nervous thu
Hiilstrom's body was claimed by Ed
Rowan, secretary of the local Indus
trial Workers of the World organiza-
ton, Who intimated that it would be
sent to Wyoming for burial, as request
ed by Hillstrom in a telegram to w.
D. Haywood, yesterday, whom he told
he did not want to be found dead in
Utah.
Loses Final Appeal.
kilograms from o. N. Hilton. Of
btIltSI. VIE VI u . alloi Z -,
asserting that William Busky, Of
Seattle, a made an affidavit that he
was with Hillstrom the night J. G..
Morrison was murdered, and that Hill
strom was innocent, were received by
Governor Spry and other officers OF
the state and county early this norm
ing. The sheriff was requested to
postpone the execution until his state
ment had been investigated. Warden
Arthur Pratt. of the prison, then asked
Hillstro;n if he knew Busky and Hill
strom answered tnat he did not. The
sheriff was then directed to proceed
with the execution.
None of Hillstrorn's 1. w. w. friends
We're present. The law provides that
not more than five friends of a on
demned man may be present if their
presence be requested by him. Hill
strom declared last night that he did
not wish any of his friends to see the
execution and a committee of the I. w.
w. was accordingly denied admission
to the prison.
Hillstrom was convicted of the muir
der of j. G. Morrison, a Salt Lake City
grocer and Morrison's son. January 10,
1914. On appeals from organized labor,
the Swedish minister and many others.
President Wilson twice interceded for
his life. Thu presidents second APP
peal yesterday to Governor Spry was
denied because, the governor said. it
was not based on new evidence.
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