Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-11-26
HILLSTRON shot
IN UTAH PRISON
Slayer Is Put to Deuv''h by
Firing Squad.
He GAVE ORDER TO SHOOT
The Man President Wilson Twice Ap-'
pealed for Pays Penalty for Muir
der.


Joseph Hillstrom, condemned muir
derer, whose case attracted attention
throughout the country and prompt
ed the intercession of President Will
son, the minister to the United States
from Sweden and the American Fed.
Grafton of Labor, was put to death
by firing squad in the state prison,
at Salt Lake City.
Hillstrom was convicted of the muir
der of John G. Morrison, grocer,
and his son, Airing, January 10, 1914.
Under the law, he was allowed to
choose between shooting and hang
ing. He was the nineteenth person to
pay the death penalty in Utah and the
fifteenth to choose shooting instead
Of hanging.
President Wilson twice appealed
for further respite for Hillstrom. The
presidents second request, made
Thursday, was denied by Governor
Spry as not based on any new facts.
Although self-posssessed, when he
faced his executioners, Hillstrom had
a sensational nervous collapse just
previously. He tied the door of his
cell with strips torn from his blankets
and fought the guards fiercely. with
The handle of broom he had snatch
I'd from an attendant in the ccrridcr.
TIE outburst was unexpected.
Ee arose and began to shake the
ell doc. si2rieFing as il in niTh:-
uare. t. H3ise reached the outside
yards whn turned in a general alarm.
The prison nh"si"ia1 triel with slight
uccecs to criet the man. 1t was DE-.
iAed not to interfere with him un /
,ecessary ani he was not disturbe
'ntil the time to take him to the
Icene OF execution.
When tho guards arrived for this
lrrDCse Fi'istrom attacked them say
ige!y with to broomhandle, which he
ad broken il two, leaving a sharp
roint Oh ore piece.
The deputy warden, A. C. Ure, re
reived a slight wound In the arm
rom Hillstrom's weapon. Hillstrom
fought silently until Sheriff Corless
arrived and appealed to him.
"Joe, this is all nonsense" sail
Corless. "What do you mean? You
promised to die like a man." Hill
strom hesita 'ed moment and then
yielded. "F'e!l, I'm through" he said
"But you can't blame man for fight
ing for his life."
The blanket strips he had tied tt
the door were then cut, he was blind
folded and led to the place of execu'
tion, supported by two guards. He
talked necessarily in the few mo-
ments that elapsed between the time
Of his arrival and the firing Of the
death volley. He asked whether any
friends were in the firing squad and
kept saying he was innocent and
would die like man. His voice was
clear, but low. He was quickly ad,
justed to the death chair and the at
tendants drew aside.
The firing squad consisted Of five
men, who were paid $40 each for the
work. They selected their rifles by
lot, one of the weapons containing a
blank cartri+r"e.
The chair for Hillstrom was placed
against the inner wall of the prison
fnriDg a barricade to conceal the fir.
ing squad from the condemned man
and the spectators. After he was
seated attendants asked if he had any
thing to say. He said:
Gentlemen, I die with a clear con
science. I never did anything wrong
in my life. I die fighting, not like a
coward. Well, Pm going, good-bye.'
Hillstrom staggered to the chair and
his head dropped as he was strapped
in. Hillstrom's collapse was attrib
uted to an opiate administered after
he had offered resistance In his cell
The prism physician placed pa
per target directly over Hillstrom s
heart to guide the members of the
firing squad. .''@ ...'
When the officer started to give the
command to fire Hillstrom yelled:
LET her Fo!" The squad fired, and
four bullets pierced his heart.
Ed. Rowan, secretary of the local
Industrial Workers Of the World or
ganization, claimed Hillstrom's body.
He intimated it would be sent to Wy
oming for burial, as requested by Hill
strom in a telegram to w. D. Hay
wood. 7."~