The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-12-20
BOB PLUME VS.. TOM POTTER
GOSSIP ABOUT the GREAT LIBEL
TEAL IN JUDGE KNAPfsS COURT.

GOSSIP ABOUT THE GREAT LIBEL
TEAL IN JUDGE KNAPfsS COURT
The Cha acter Of the Letters Written by
Potter to the Mother o4 the Plaintiff
Parts of the HIissives Carefully Sup-
pressed by Roth Sides-Pen Pictures.
All the interest that was aroused by the
original publication in the SUNDAY TATTLER
of the story of Tom Potter's alleged perse-
cution of Mrs. Julia Plume, and her son
'Bob," has been revived by the trial of
young Plume's suit for libel in Judge
Knapp's Court during the past week. The
crowd that gathered in the court room to
listen to the developments. of the case have
been largely disappointed. The least inter-
esting part of the story only has been
revealed. The relations that existed be-
tween Plume's mother and Potter have
been studiously kept from the public gaze
Neither Potter nor Mrs. Plume is anxious
to have this part of the history revealed,
for very obvious reasons and counsel on
both sides have worked with equal vigor to
keep out all references to 1t. The suit is
based on the charge that Potter falsely and
maliciously accused young Plume of having
defraaded him of $50, while he was in Pot
ter's service The whole case turns upon
the good faith with which Potter make the
charge at the start. If he did it in the
belief that Plume had indeed swindled him,
that fact would go a good way in the miti-
cation Of, damages. But young Plume
claims that it was done out of pure malice,
because he had interrupted the relations
existing between his mother and Potter; and
little glimpses of those relations have neces-
sarily been opened to the view OF the jurors
in order that the malice that prompted the
persecution might be laid bare. So it hap
pens that some of the letters written by
Potter to Mrs. Plume have been thrust
into the case. The more Objectionable
parts of them have, how ever, been sup
pressed. The lawyers would not permit
them to be read. 1t is enough to say of
them that the suppressed portions of the
letters are obscene in the extreme. They
contain expressions that no man of ordi-
nary decency could or would write even to
his ife. In fact, Mrs Plume went with
the letters before the United States Grand
Jury at Trenton, and endeavored to have
Potter indicted for sending obscene itera-
ture through the mails. The Grand Jur
were on the point of indicting him when.
it incidentally leaked out tt at Mrs Plume
had sent the letters through the mails
herself to her counsel, In order hthat
he might proceed upon them and friends
of Potter on the Grand Jury used that
piece of information as a clue to brighten
her off with - If we indict Potter" they
said to her, 'f for using the mails for the
transmission of the letters, we will have to
indict you for the same thing" Mrs
Plume deemed discretion the better part
of valor, rushed the letters into her reticule,
and went back home with them.
That the matter was brought to the
notice of the Grand Juries in this county
has already been made known in these
columns. For some reason with which the
TATTLER has no concern no indictment was
ever found.
Potter is handsome fellow, forty-fve,
perhaps fort weight years of age His dark
hair is tinged with grey. He wears mus
tache and sbo-t cropped mutton chop side
whiskers. He has keen black eye. His
nose is straight and thin at the nostrils.
His forehead is high and his skin as fair as
woman's. He is rather short, not heavy
in build, but well proporiioned. He is an
unusually good taixer. and his letters, not
withstanding their shocking obscenity,
show him to be perfect mas ter of English
its language and its rhetoric as well-a
man with SO facile pen that, if he had
turned his talents in that direction, he
would probably have made a hit in the
literary world He is well-known in social
and political circles ia South Bergen. He
has been married for many years, and has
family of thirte children at home. He
Is said to be man OF considerable means.
Mrs. Plume lis about Potter's age She
must have been in her younger days an
unusually handsome woman. Even Eow
she is SO shapely as to attract attention;
and her healty-looking face shows lingering
traces of beauty She has large brown
eye, full lips, straight nose, not thin; but
not broad. Her face is full but not round.
She darted an anxious glance at Pott.
when she mounted the stand to testify the
other day: and was under evident restraint
during all the time she was under examine
ton. She DIRE ses very plainly but with
great taste and neatness.
Her son parts his black hair in the mid
die, and allows it to fall carelessly over q
broad forehead. His nose is long and con-
spicuously aquiline. A little tuft of black
beard Is allowed to grow down his cheeks
to the ends of the jawbone !; otherwise, he
keeps his face clean shaven. He has
delicate complexion, and his face pales and
Pushes like a schoolgirls.
John W. Herbert, of this city, is assisted
in the prosecution of the case by Borche-
ling, of Newark, who was conspicuous as
counsel for Mrs. Meierhoeffer and her
tramp lover Lammens who were hanged in
Newark few years ago for the murder
OF Mrs. Meierhoeffer's husband. Mayor
Collins, who is conducting the defence
with matchless address and skill, is assisted
Douglas.