joe hill - the man, the myth, the ashes

joe hill, originally uploaded by John Barleycorn.

Joe Hill was executed by firing squad on November 19, 1915. That's 89 years ago. Not that far back in time. His last words were "Don't mourn for me. Organize!" Hill's body was sent to Chicago were it was cremated. His ashes were purportedly sent to every I. W. W. local. In 1988 it was discovered that one envelope had been seized by the U. S. Postal Service in 1917 because of its "subversive potential." The envelope, with a photo affixed captioned: "Joe Hill murdered by the capitalist class, Nov. 19, 1915," as well as its contents, was deposited at the National Archives. After some negotiations, the last of Hill's ashes was turned over to the I. W. W. in 1988.