LESSON TEN

Text: Joe Hill — The Man They Couldn't Kill (from " The Case of Joe Hill" by

Philip S. Foner¹)

Grammar: Tense and Voice (revision)

JOE HILL—THE MAN THEY COULDN'T KILL

 

On November 19, 1915, came the terrible news that Joe Hill, the great Wobbly² songwriter, poet and organizer, was executed in Salt Lake City, ³ after he was found guilty of the murder of J. G. Morrison, a grocer. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world felt that Joe Hill was not guilty and protested against the trial.⁴

He was born in Sweden, October 7, 1879, and given the name of Joel Hä gglund. His father was a railroad worker.

Joel Hä gglund came to the United States from distant Sweden in 1902 at the age of 23. For ten years he worked at many jobs; during this time he changed his name to Joe Hillstrom, and became popularly known as Joe Hill.

The year 1910 marked a turning point in Joe Hill's life. He Joined the Industrial Workers of the World as he was determined to win a better future for the working people. The I.W.W. was five years old. It had been organized in June 1905 in Chicago to lead the workers in their fight against the AF of L ⁵ for " One Big Union" which would unite skilled and unskilled workers, foreign-born and native Americans, Negroes and whites, women and men.

In the years after 1910, Joe Hill was an I.W.W. organizer. He attended Wobbly meetings, moving from one hall to the next, helped out in strikes and free speech fights, worked at different jobs, and, of course, always composed his songs. A music-lover since childhood, he put his political ideas into song and soon became a bard of the working class.

 

* * *

 

On Saturday, January 10, 1914, at about 9: 45 pm, ⁶ two men, their faces covered with red handkerchiefs, entered John G. Morrison's store at 778 South West Temple Street in Salt Lake City. The grocery owner and tits two sons were closing the shop for the night. As soon as the men entered, one of them cried, " We've got you now! ", and shot at the elder Morrison. He had been shot twice and died that night.

It was generally believed that he was killed by two bandits who had twice in the past ten years made attempts to rob him. Mrs Morrison told the police that her husband had spoken to her of two men in their district whom he believed to be his enemies, had given their names, and had said, " If anything happens to me, you may have to look them up."

Though several people were arrested, no attempt was made to hold the two men whom Morrison had told his wife were his enemies. Strangely enough, the event which took place that night had also led to the arrest of Joe Hill. However, all the men who were arrested in the days immediately following the murder were later set free, except one — Joe Hill.

Joe Hill was a marked man. A campaign against him had been on from the moment he was arrested. Hill was an active I.W.W. agitator, the author of I.W.W. songs and therefore a dangerous man. The state authorities decided that the arrest of Joe Hill would end the active strike movement in that part of the country. On the very day of his arrest, the police pronounced their verdict: " The police now believe that Hill is guilty...." The police and the press had found Joe Hill guilty before the trial.

 

* * *

 

On the morning of November 19, 1915, Joe Hill sat in a chair before the firing squad.⁷ Five men with guns stood waiting for their orders to shoot.

" Aim, " commanded the sheriff.⁸

" Yes, aim! " cried Joe Hill. " Let her go. Fire! "

" Fire! " commanded the sheriff in a hurry. He couldn't allow the prisoner himself to give the final command.

The bullets went into Joe Hill's heart.

(Adapted)

 

JOE HILL'S LAST WILL   My will is easy to decide, For there is nothing to divide. My kin don't need to fuss and moan: " Moss does not cling to a rolling stone." My body – Oh! – If I could choose, I would to ashes it reduce, And let the merry breezes blow My dust to where some flowers grow. Perhaps some fading flower then Would come to life and bloom again. This is my last and final will. Good luck to all of you. Joe Hill.

ЗАВЕЩАНИЕ ДЖО ХИЛЛА   0 завещанье ли дyмать мне? Ведь нечего делить родне. К чему ее притворный вздох: «К камням лавин не липнет мох». А тело? Был бы выбор мой, Я сжег бы в пепел огневой, Чтоб ветры весело в полях Развеяли цветам мой прах, Чтоб увядающий цветок Опять воскреснуть к жизни мог. Вот все о чем бы я просил. Желаю счастья вам. Джо Хилл. (Перевод М. Зенкевича)

 

NOTES

1. Philip S. Foner, an outstanding contemporary US historian. Dr Foner is the author of " History of the Labor* Movement in the United States", " A History of Cuba and its Relations with the United States", " The Complete Writings of Thomas Paine", " Jack London: American Rebel" and many other important works.

2. Wobbly (sl): a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. The Industrial Workers of the World («Индустриальные рабочие мира») was formed to unite that part of the American working class whose interests were ignored by the American Federation of Labor. Among the founders of the I.W.W. were Eugene V. Debs, leader of the Socialist Party, Daniel De Leon, head of the Socialist Labor Party, and William Haywood, an outstanding Labor leader. In those years the I.W.W. was very popular among the working people for its progressive policies. The organization existed until the early 1920s.

3. Salt Lake City: the capital of Utah, a Western State of the United States

4. trial: суд, судебное разбирательство; зд судилище

5. AF of L: American Federation of Labor («Американская федерация труда»). This labor union was founded in 1881 and united the so-called " labor aristocracy", that is the privileged and better-paid part of the working class. Its policy was based on the principle of class collaboration. In 1955 the AF of L merged with the CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations).

6. pm: (Lat) post meridiem, after noon (во столько-то часов) пополудни

7. firing squad: взвод солдат, выделенный для приведения в исполнение приговора

8. sheriff: the chief law officer of a county