Joe Hill Was Killed for Singing Labor’s Song
One hundred seven years ago today, the labor troubadour Joe Hill was executed by a Utah firing squad for a crime he almost certainly didn’t commit. His real crime: singing and agitating on behalf of the working class.
Joe Hill (1879-1915). (Utah Division of Archives and Records Service via Wikimedia Commons)
At 7:00 a.m. on November 19, 1915, they shot Joe Hill, strapped to a chair, a target placed on his heart. Five sheriff’s deputies armed with rifles, four with live ammunition, one with blanks, stood ready.
“Aim” said the sheriff.
“Yes, aim,” said Hill.
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