The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-09-30
HURT IN COURT
FT0ItiGTSnaI Figuring Before Oak
land Judges.
Is a Western Character-Odd Fami-
ShOOter-A Divorce.

a constant litigant ar Oakland
Calf, is Joel J. Hurt, who has been
described in the daily reports for sew
eraI months as the wealthy caJtleman
from Wyoming" Hurt is rich He is
a wool grower. His fortune is too great
for him Hurt is a character worth
writing and reading about.
Hurts business in Oakland is to try
and get the children of the Old mar
riage from MS former wife. She di-
v0rced him, secured the little ones and
rehusbanded. The woman didn't treat
Hurt quite right He killed a man on
her account. Mrs. Hurt went into
court while her husband was in jail
awaiting trial on capital Indictment.
In this situation she had things her
own way. Hurt was mayor Of the petrO-
leum and wool town of Casper. WyO
The wife complained TO him that she
had been insulted on the-street. Hurt
knew the man she describ bed for a loaf
er and rough and in q wild rage went
out at once and shot him down.
At this time in Wyoming the vogue
of the siX-ShOOteT was on the Wane
and Hurt, with all his money. was
prosecuted most vigorously and was in
the tolls a couple of years before he
was acquitted In the meantime the
woman had secured the divorce, pos
session of the children; a handsome
alimOny and a handsOmer man.
For time the eX-Mrs. Hurt and the
children and the new husband lived
at Denver Hurt made it interesting
and uncomfortable for them They
moved to California. They did not
think would FOLLOW no
soon on the scene. During the past
six months the children have had no
less than fourteen guardians The po-
sitiOn of caretaker of the young ones
has attractive emolument, but it has
the constant chance that Hurt will
come along at any moment and raise
rumpus and take the children. Those
who have known Hurt wonder that he
does not kill the successor to the wO-
mans affections. He was accused in
court at Oakland of having such an
idea in mind, but declared on oath that
considering both the man and the wO-
man in the case, even his staunchest
friends of the pioneer days of Wyo-
ming would not justify him in remov-
ing the man.
1t is certain that the trouble over
the children will continue until some
thing desperate occurs
Hurt does not look Old but ne was a
Pony Express rider and afterwards
keeper of a stage station, when sta
lions were raided at least once a sea-
son by the Indians. He's tall, 1.-the,
active, sunburned man, blonde hair
and mOustache and with a light eye
that changes color and becomes sharp
err and brighter and more wicked when
he is aroused in anger. He has been
guide and hunter and scout and cOur-
Ter and everything worth being in the
early wild life of the West. Hurt was
a member of the Wyoming State SEN
ate once. In his first speech he want
ed to say hue and cry and he put it
human cry" and wondered for some
time why they laughed. Then he en-
ployed a newspaper man for coach and
was willing to stand treat any time
anyone said human cry"
What a heart Hurt had. He must
have it yet. And how it must pain him
to fell how things have come about.
His first thoughts always in the days
before the killing we're for the wife
and children. He idOlized the lot Of
them. Mrs. Hurt was a plain woman,
but she dressed like a queen. Hurt was
not particular Of his own appearance
His thoughts on wardrobe were for
clothes that would be cool in summer,
warm in winter and wear the money
worth. But nothing was too good for
the wife and children. What tales of
adventure he could tell. He knew all
about Indians and bears and mountain
lions and horse thieves and sluice-bOX
robbers and road agents and MOrmOns
and tenderfeet and wagon immigrants
and cowboys and Fnglishmen hunting
+,ror NEThiIn
was keeping the stage station couple
| of Mormon missionaries came along
! one day and ate heartily. Meals were
rated at 81 80 each. When the travel
! ers were through they said they were
| without scrip because it was the Gus
! tom of their calling. Hurt gave them
a fright He proposed 10 kill them
! saying it would be a kindly ac- because
/ they were 400 miles from a settlement
and broke" and had better be dead
/ Pay for the meals was at once forth
| coming.
Hurt and his money make a double
| study. In his sheep business, witt
wool at p and % cents a pound anC
mutton commanding a good figure
profits accumulated so rapidly that h
became confused He was not cheated
out of any money, but he made soma
ton plantation in Texas, a small can,
estate in Louisiana, farms in Missouri
and Illinois, stock feeding outfits il
/ Nebraska and Kansas. Possibly tn!
shrinkages of recent times have inter
fered with his progress as none
maker, but eight or nine years ago tn
outlook was that he would becOm
very rich.
Hurt has a bad scar on one side o
his face It was drawn there by
bears claw. Hurt said he had bee-
told when a boy that if one could hap
pen upon a bear when it was aslee
and waken it softly, control of tn
beast would be accomplished. He tried
! The bear was found slumbering on tn
sunny side Of a big stone. Hurt spOk
to it gently. Then a streak Of bea
passed and left him insensible an
bleeding.
The sturdy frOntiersman has in hi
day done some of the bOldest ffghtin
against odds, but there seems 10
IN, fr1e