Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-07
MURDER.
SHOT DOWN AT THE PORTALS OF A
COURT.
Ths Killing of J. A Estuardo by Joseph
Eurtado Yesterday-Ihe Cor
oner's Inquest.

Yesterday morning about half past 10
o'clock Jose Antonio Estuardo. alias Spanish
Joe. was shot and instantly killed by Joseph
| Hurtado on the southeast corner of Front and
I streets. It seems that on Friday last Hur-
tado assaulted Estuardo, and beat him over
the head with pistol in the Bank Exchange
saloon on the corner of Second and K streets.
| At that time he evidently intended the MUIR
der of Estuardo, but was prevented from con-
summating the act by the interference of by
ISLANDERS. The deceased had Hurtado arrested
On charge of battery and it came up before
the Police Court yesterday morning. When
the case was called it was continued on the
calendar until to-day. Hurtado Immediately
left the Court room and proceeded TO the
saloon on the southeast corner OF Front and
l streets. The deceased did not leave the
building for some time afterwards. When
he arrived at the southeast corner OF the
street ne was walking Immediately behind
James i. Wyatt. Hurtado stepped from the
door of the saloon in front of Wyatt, placed
his revolver over Wyatt's shoulder
AND SHOT THE DECEASED
Through the breast. The pistol was placed
80 near the face of Wyatt that he was con-
siderably powder burned. Deceased started
to run, when Hurtado shot him again. He
fell about ten feet from where he received the
first shot. After falling, Hurtado leaned over
his PROSTATE form, put another bullet in his
body, and was pounding him over the head
with the pistol-a large English navy, self
| cooking revolver about A caliber-when he
Aal L. ri Aolya
him by officer Rider. Hurtado was immedi-
ately taken in charge of by Chief of Police
Karcher, and confined in the City Prison.
| The wounded man was Immediately taken
| into the Police Station, where he died In less
than FIVE minutes. The news of the murder
spread over the city very rapidly. and In less
than half an hour over three hundred men
were collected in front of the City Prison
! For time it looked as though the excitement
would become so intense that
LYNcHING WOULD BE REsoRTED TO.
The deceased was a man small Of stature,
entirely unarmed He has been engaged for
several years at the steamer landings in this
city, loading and unloading river steamers
He has always had the reputation of being
an honest, sober and peaceable citizen. The
deceased came from Marysville some years
ago, with q wife and three children. His
wife sometime since died, and two of his
children were placed in the Protestant Orphan
Asylum.
At the request of Hurtado, representative
Of the RECORD UNION visited him last even
ing in his cell in the City Prison. He was
found reclining on his bed, apparently asleep.
He expressed qualification on seeing a re-
porter was perfectly composed exhibited
no signs of excitement, and expressed no feel
ings Of regret. His story is substantially as
follows: L was born in Suffer Creek.
Amador county, Cal, on the 18Th day of
November, 1853. For many years I have
been resident of Sacramento city. Have
been engaged as runner for various hotels,
and also have acted in the capacity of pilot
on river steamers. l have had great many
troubles in my life. About three years ago
1 KILLED JACK DENNEY
In this city and seriously wounded his brother
! About two years ago got iuto an alterca-
tion with Ike Sunderland, and he shot me
through the body. l am married man. AID
have one child. The deceased and myself
| for many years were close aud intimate
friends. After l was married he brought his
children to my house and made nay place his
| home we were the best of friends. He
seemed to think the world of my wife, and
often told me that she was too good for
me-" l thought nothing of that kind of
talk-only laughed at it. After awhile his
| hCLlpuS WtEc 81 pcCullhF SAtlbSQ m1
suspicious found that instead Of being a
| friend, he was the destroyer of my happi-
ness. l intercepted letters, and on facing my
wife with incontrovertible evidence she ad-
mitted her guilty iaisons with the deceased.
This broke my heart loved my wife, and
1 loved still more my child. l Immediately
sought out the destroyer OF my home,
exhibited to him the letters that sealed
his guilt, and asked an explanation. He
/ oJr,TffaI oil He cold tO IS tha
meat and you are the knife. l have betrayed
your friendship, ruined your home do with
| me as you please" / told him then to leave
me alone never to speak to me, or,recognizs
ne at any time, at any place, and never dare
TO speak to my wife.
WAS A BRoKEN.HEARTED MAN.
l went home, sent my wife away to her folks,
sold out my household goods, and broke up
forever what a few days previous was happy
| home. When my wife went away l told her
that if, after a separation of few months,
she could make up her mind to return
with the honest intention of again being a true
woman, aud if I could forget the wrongs done
me, that then, perhaps, We would be enabled
again to live together as man and vile. Is
tuardo, instead Of keeping away from the
man whom.he had so basely wronged, was
continually thrus.ing his presence upon me.
Every time that man spoke to me he excited
the spirit of revenge within my breast Only
last week, as | walking down the levee peel
ing an orange, he stepped up to me and said,
"Give me piece l handed him the
orange, said Take it all" and passed on
On Friday night last, as | was going up K
street in company with others, he thrust his
disagreeable presence upon me again.
cursed him, told him to go away and not pro-
woke one whom be had so cruelty wronged.
Up to that time, for the sake of my wife apd
| r L L. ~.
within my breast, but it was mOlderirg
FIRE within my bosom. His actions on Friday
evening was too much for me to endure. l
went to the Western Hotel procured re-
| volver, and made the assault for which | was
arrested and arraigned in Court this morning.
When was in the Police Court to day he
| got up and asked that | be held TO answer on
charge of attempt to murder. That was
the climax of the whole business. That
speech sealed his doom. When the case was
ordered continued I stepped across the street,
asked the boys in the saloon to take drink,
and when l saw him coming.
STEPPED OUT AND SHOT HIN.
I have letters in my possession written by
him to my wife in the Spanish language. La
one of those letters he says he contemplated
| suicide, and told her where and when to fad
his dead body in certain room 10 the Ten
Eyck House, and that the various letters
that he had received from her would be
found in n certain drawer of bureau in his
room. The reason l pounded him over the
head with the pistol, after he fell, was from
the fact that | wanted to make sure OF his
death, and was reserving the extra shot in
my pistol for myself, and was only prevented
from taking my own life by George Rider
taking the pistol from me. | presume the
entire community is down upon me, and con-
denim me for the act. know it was coward
iy. I don't deserve any sympathy, and do
not wish any. | don't expect any mercy.
ANOTHER VERSION.
The Spanish and Mexican population are
considerably exercised over this murder, and
apparently Hurtado has but few friends
among them. They say thst the act was
Committed more from revenge than on &C.
count of jealousy They say that during the
alb erce of Hurtado's wife from town he
was keeping snd living with woman of the
town, famiii .rly known as Kitty Kshoo
That Estuardo informed Mrs. Hurtado of the
in6delJty OF her husband, and for this, and
this alone, was Estuardo murdered.
THE INQUEST.
At z o'clock last evening Coroner Vermilya
held sn inquest upon the body of Estuardo,
with a jury composed Of III. Dusenberg, j..
F. Suydam. Charles Demmon. Alfred Weber,
Thomas Kirkpatrick, s. Sisenv n, c. Glenn
ent, q. 2. Wessarvels, Charles Mccormack,