The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-03
TWO MODEST TEN,
Heard of but Not Seen i'm
Court.
MYSTERIOUS MALE FRIENDS.
One LayisiIed Furniture and the Other
Honey on Women Whom They
Favored.

Two cases of mysterious male modesty
enliveDed the gloom of the City Hall law
courts Yesterday afternoon.
Katharine L. Rolfe. a dainty blonde, with
delicious blend of Paris and Boston Ia
her aspect, was being sued by III. F. Shell
don as representative of the large upholstery
house of Charles Plum 6 Co.
The fair Katharine had bought big bill
OF furniture-there was no denying that
fact-it amounted &c $500 at least.
The only point OF controversy was wheth-
er she bought it Of Plum & Co.. or whether
she bought it Of some else.
How did the distraefing defendant come
TO want so much furnituree"
1t was simple enough.
She lived with a Mrs. Townsend Smith at
80 Hyde street, and together the two women
furnished the house. They went down To
Plum's and ordered the finest things and
then had them sent up On approval, and re-
turned TO the store and brought back again
all In accordance with the strctest ethics
OF feminine power OF purchase.
Then Mrs. Townsend Smith went East
and the furniture bill had not been settled.
1t was shown that Miss Rofe paid
$500 to Mrs. Smith to pay Plum IL Co., but
Miss Rolfe said that was for the furniture
In her own apartments.
sometimes the women had been accom-
panied 10 the Iurniture-store by a mystic
rious gentleman friend.
On one occasion when Miss Rolfe was
very much tempted by some tapestry but
hestated at paying Sc yard, this mystic
riouS friend had acted as deus ex ma
china.
lie nyeigled the salesman to one side and
whispered that he would be re spansibIe for
the difference between that price aud "a.
and so the fair buyers got the lovely tapes
try at the latter figure.
w lO was this apenrn LAT fria
The attorney for the prosecution endeaV-
| ored to remind Miss Rolfe of a conversation
he intimated she had taken part in i'll the
| lawyers Office.
Didn't you say you had an acquaintance
VINO advised you to go to this house aud
| buy the furniture?'
Il oblectw gasped the tair ones counsel.
a well-knoan railroad attorney.
DIDN'T you tell me you had already ex-
| ceeded the allowance meant for furniture
| and that you did not dare to ask certain
friend Tor more as it would deprive you of
pin-m0ney Tor whole quarter 2"
"Thls is too much | object, your
Honor, again protested the attorney.
Didn't you tell me that We had better
| not sue you for this amount, as we won d
lose the custom of certain prominent
| gentleman who"
| Il object object, Iobjeet." shrieked aud
stamped the attorney IN evident agony lest
| the name should transpire.
| But it did not.
! Justice Cook would not allow any ex-
| traneous matter to be dragged into the cues
| ton, and even thought the inquiry whether
| Miss Rolfe had not sold a certain amount of
| carpet to Mrs. III. Z. PendIeton of the
| Pleasanton Hotel for $40, to be taken ont
| In board. as having doubtful but admissible
bearing on the case.
After hearing the testimony of both sides
| the court took the matter under Amusement
| In another court-Judge Leyy's-there
was another attempt to bring in modest
and retiring gentleman friend of the
| plaintiff.
Emma kennett had, two weeks before.
| secured divorce from her husband by de-
| fault.
Yesterday the husband, Ferdinand B.
Kenneth. b0okkeeper in the employment
| of the Western Refinery, had the decree set
aside.
| In an affidavit he ayerred that when the
| divorce snit was begun he paid her attorney
| $50 to free him from aiimony and counsel
| lees. When he found that alimony had
been awarded her he resolved to contest the
action.
| His attorney tried to introduce the fact
/ tain prominent military man, but the conrt
choked him off summarily.
The husband said his wife was very ex-
| trayagant but he had n OF been cruel TO her.
| Ine vile claimed that she was very sensj-
| tive. and her husband had once thrown her
| on lounge and choked her into fDsensi-
| bility. She said he threatened ner life. and
| she left him with her constitution Shattered
| by his cruelty.
The court ordered the default set aside
| and the case will be tried in the near future