The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-20
JOSEPH HILLSTROM FACESF|R|NGS SQUAD | WITHOUT FL|NCH|NG Himself Gave Order to Fir ing Squad Which Ended
 His Career VOLLEY OF BULLETS
 PIERCES HIS HEART Last Statement: "Gentlemen, Die With a Clear Conscience; | Never Did Anything Wrong in My
 Life-I Die Fighting"

|
 most instantaneous.
 At q o'clock this morning Governor i Spry and the members of the board
 of pardons received teIcgrnms from
 Seattle, Wash, saying that William
 Husky of that city had sworn to affi-
 dnvits saying that hc was with Hiil-
 strom all of the night on which the
 Morrison murders were committed and
 that Hillstrom was innocent. A sim
 far message, 1t was stated. had been
 sent to President Wilson. | Attorneys for Hilistrom immediately
 asked the governor to grant a 10 days
 respite. Members of the pardon board
 held n hurried conference and decided
 to refuse to interfere with the cxe-
 cution.
 | When the officers went for HiIlstrom
 he broke down and started to struggle
 with them. but when he saw the sheriff he became calmer and threw up his
 hands. Accompanied by the officers, he
 walked in line to the death chair After
 he was seated they asked him if he had anything to say. He said: I |
 science. never did anything wrong in
 my life. I die fighting, not like a coward. We'll I'm going. good-by." 1 When the officer started to give tho command to fire, Hillstrom yelled. | "Firei"
 l The squad fired and the bullets pierced
 his heart. He was dead In l minute
 and 10 seconds after the volley was fired. l Hillstrom was convicted of tho mur-
 der of John G. Morrison grocer. and l his son, Arling, Under the Utah law
 he was allowed to choose between shoot | ing and hanging
 | President Wilson twice appealed for l further respite for Hillstron. The Pres ldeitts second request made yesterday, I was denied by Governor Sprs as net 1 based on any new facts.
 WOULD NOT SEE MINISTER ] nillstrom spent last night in his cell at the state prison under the eyes of the death watch, which was placed over him yesterday when Governor Spry declined | to grant President Wilson's request for | a consideration of the case. Hillstrom declined to sec a minister. saying that | he had worked out his own salvation. and was satisfied with 1t and would not be helped by seeing minister. He re- tired about 10 o'clock and went to sleep at once.
 Although he continued to protest that | le could prove his innocence if granted | a new trial, Trillstrom remained silent about how he received bullet wound, | or where he was the night Morrison, of whose murder he was convicted, was shot and killed at his grocery store in Salt Lake City.
 It's tobodys business where I got | that wound" Hillstrom said. Tt is\only pIl ittr hot af,fe ts Irr,nx am not here to gratify public curi- csity"
 I. w. w. MEETING | The Industrial Workers of the World. | of which Hillstrom was a member, held n meeting at their hall and another in 1 the streets last night. Attendance was not larger than usual ana the remarks | of the speakers were mild. l Hllstrom last night expressed de- | sire to wear dark suit, which had been under lock and key with his other ef- | fects Deputy Warden Ire brought. out | the suit and examined it. preparatory to | having t pressed. He discovered the name Morrison" the name of the man murdered. written in indeble ink on l the white lining of the suit. When he ieported to Hillstrom that he had found d name in the suit, Hillstrom inquired | whether the name was Morrison" and 1 said he believed it had been placed there
 
 liillstrom said the suit was bought for 1 him by a friend after his arrest. The suit, however officials at the prison said. did not fit Hillstrom. It was much too large for him. Mrs. Morrison said her husband had a similar suit and l that the writing resembles that of her
 husband. but she was unable to iden- l tify the suit positively as his, | Another suit was obtained for Hill strom to wear at his execution | Although self-possessed when accosted l by his executioners, Hilstrom had a sen | sational nervous collapse Just before the struggle He tied the door of his cell with strips torn from his blankets and l fought the guards fiercely with the
 handle of a broom he had snatched from an attendant in the corridor.
 STRUGGLES WITH GUARDS 1 Hillstrom retired calmly last night. He remained apparently in sleep until l early this morning. About o'clock he arose and began to shake the cell door, shrieking as If in a nightmare. The out
 side guards turned in general alarm and all the prison officials rushed in.
 The prison physician tried with slight success to quiet the man. When the guards arrived to take him away. Hillstrom attacked them viciously wiW the broomstick. which he had broken in two, leaving sharp point on one piece of the handle Deputy War den Ire received a slight wound in the arm from Hillstrom's weapon. Hillstrom fought silently until Sheriff Corless. for whom he had previously manifested high regard, arrived and appealed to him.
 Zoe, this Is all nonsense,' said Cor less. What do you mean? You promised l to die like a man"
 Hillstrom hesitated a moment and then yielded.
 well, I'm through" he said, but you can't blame . man for fighting for his l life"
 LED TO EXECUTION 1 The blanket strips he had tied to the door were then cut he was blindfolded and led to the place of execution. sup l ported by two guards. He talked in- cessantly in the few moments that l elapsed between the time of his arrival and the firing of the death volley. He asked if any of his so-eailed friends
 were in the firing squad, and kept say