The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1878-05-10
AxornsR LAND eRanrlNC ArrORxEE.
usw Judge n. hurley. OF YamailI. ne
ffaaded Poor Blind nan cut OF
his Land.

now Jndge II. Hurley. OF YamAilI, ne
fraaaed Poor Blind nan cut OF
his Land.
1t frequently occurs that after the
election of an officer it is found that he
possesses qualities that render him very
unfit to fill the Office to which he has
been chosen. The experience which
the people have had in this respect
should render them very careful in ex
amining the past life of the candidates
presented to them, so that they may
avoid eleeting such men as have already
proved by their acts that they are anft
to Eli positions of honor and trust,
While we do not believe In raking up
every little petty detail of the eandi-
dates private career, we nevertheless
consider it our duty to expose suchaets,
as they may como to our knowledge, as
would demonstrate his unftness for the
position to which his party has seen fit
to nominate him.
We are reliably informed of certain
matters relating to the past career Of
Mr.. b. Hurley, of Yamhill, the Repub-
lican candidate for Prosecuting Attor-
ney, which we submit to the eensidera-
ton of the voters of this District.
There has been of late certain class
Of attorneys who, not finding their
legitimate business sufficiently remune-
rative to satisfy their sOrdid ambition,
have resorted to the practice of search
ing the county records for the purpose
Of finding defects in the title to lands,
and going to parties who had some tech
nieal legal rights, have induced these
parties to give them, for a small consid-
Grafton, a quit-claim deed for their IN
terest, aud have then commenced suit
on the bona 5fde owners and holders of
such lands, for the purpose either of
levying blackma1 or of disPessessing
them Of their fairly acquired property.
About thirty years ago one J. Il.
Hess secured for himself and wife a
section of land in Chebalem Valley, ia
Yamhill county. Some years subse-
quently Hess and his wife separated.
Daring this separation, AID while both
parties still lived, Mrs. Hess sold her
land for it. full value to one James Lee,
q poor cid blind man. But the deed
conveying this land was not signed by
Hess, nor did it occur at the time to
either granter or grantee that the sigma
tpEe of Hess was necessary to make a
good conveyance. After this Hess died,
and it became impossible to remedy the
defect, had 1t been detected, which de-
lection was rendered more than ordi-
narily improbable by Lees blindness.
But his blindness did not protect him
from man who, IN searching the rec
erds, discovered the fatal flaw in Lees
title. Mr. H. Hurley, the Republican
nominee for Prosecuting Attorney Of
this District, was the man who made
this discovery. BIrs. Hess was at this
time living in Portland, IL great pov-
erty, a wenaa of but feeble intellect
and of no business qualifications. Hur-
ley induced Mr.. Large to go to Port
land and secure a deed from her to the
land in question. Mrs. Hess, pressed
by poverty, and not knowing much
about land titles, sold her interest tc
Largefor 500. the property being worth
$1,000 Large then entered suit to re
cover the land, Hurley acting as his at
torney, and obtaining Judgment in hi.
favor; after wkich he decided Hurley
half of the land for the nominal consid
Grafton of $50, or exactly half of the
sum paid by Large TO the poor widow
Iarse's wife, however, refused TO sign
the eeed, declaring that she knew the
whole proceeding to be 81 indie.
Large and Hurley are to-day in pos
session of the property which they ac-
quired by these means.
The deeds and other papers relating
to this affair are matters of record at
Lafayette, the county seat of Yamhill.
We ask whether man who will ae-
quire from a poor blind man and an IN
aigent widow property worth 81 ,50o
for the paitiy sum of $50, in this dis
reputable manner, is ft to hold any Of
fee whatsoever In the gift of the people
LANE COUNTY.