The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-13
pIOUF-DEMPSEY SUIT.
The Defendants Version OF the
Affair Brought Out.
THINGS IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT.
NJ. PIouf soundiy Scored by Attorney
Pfies-suit to Recover Bonus Psid
to . Land Locator.

The PloufDempsey damage suit yester.
day afforded another day Of salacious
testimony to crowd Of prurient sensation
seekers who filed Judge Osborn's court
room. The defendants side Of the case
heean to come out, and of course the
nature of the evidence was completely
changed, being now favorable to the
Dempseys and against Plouf.
The greater part of the morning was oc.
cupied with DR.. PIouf on the stand in an
attempt to show the lucrative business
that he claims has been injured by the
slanders of the defendants.
Upon the opening Of the afternoon
session 8. II. Piles, the defendants attor.
nsy, made his statement to the jury.
Alter announcing that he proposed TO show
that Mr.. and Mrs. Dempsey were in no
way responsible for the attempted horse
whipping of the plaintiff by Miss Shears,
he made most scathing arraignment of
DR.. Piouf. After summing up the latter's
character and reputation in very vigorous
and uncomplimentary language, the attor-
ney enumerated several crooked transac.
tions which he said he proposed to prove
that the doctor had taken part in.
He said he would show that Plouf had 1t.
tempted to hire a man to ''do up" Demp-
sey; that he had made a proposition to
woman by which they were to begin a sys-
TEN Of blackmail upon physicians Of the
city; that he had cheated q well-known
attorney Of the city out Of $3.50 by false
pretenses; that he had secured two citi.
zens to go on his bond for 5000, and to Sc
cure them had given them q deed in es-
crow to certain property that he had al
ready transferred to another party: that
he had made the most insulting and con.
temptible propositions to q sister of Miss
Shears in the character of a physician:
that he had promised to marry Miss Shears
and had tried to persuade her to live with
him as his wife before the promised we'd
ding ceremony. These charges and others
of as serious q nature were hurled at
Ploufs head without any mincing of
words.
Charles Phillips, the ex-city detective,
was called by the defense and testified
that Plouf had approached him to know
If he could recommend q man to "do up
Dempsey for him. The witness had re-
ferred Plouf to "Smithy" Coppersmith as
man who might do such . job for him.
Mrs. Jennie Marer testified that while
coming by boat from Fairhaven to this
city DR.. Plouf, who was on the same boat.
had made proposition to her to establish
systematic blackmailing of the physi-
clans Of Seattle. They were to be APP
preached with the apparent purpose of
securing their services to perform criminal
operations, and then If they implicated
themselves they were to be forced to paw
for the silence of those engaged in the
scheme.
Mrs. Marer proved difficult subject in
the searching cross-examinatlon attempted
by Mr.. Scott, DR.. Plouf's attorney. She
evinced no backwardness in handling any
topics that the lawyer saw fit to touch
upon, and her answers were sharp and
cutting. She practically confessed that
she had ill-feeling toward Plouf because
he had beaten her out of q commission on
. sale of real estate which she as agent had
worked up for him. When her family
affairs were touched upon she grew very
snappish and finally had to be repri-
manded by the court.
"Are you . married womanf" asked
Mr. Scott.
"Yes, SIR"
"Where is you husband ?"
THAT'S none OF your business"
7. II. Dempsey, one of the defendants,
took the stand and told in detail his YER
sion Of his connection with Miss Shears
and DIR. Plouf. He said that he had
warned the girl against Piouf because he
was man that young women ought not
10 associate with. When Miss Shears
learned of what Piouf had said about her
self and her sister she had threatened to
throw vitriol in his face. Then she an
nounced her intention to horsewhip him.
The witness and his wife had attempted
TO dissuade Miss Shears from doing such a
foolish act, but to no purpose. At the
time that Miss Shears went to DR.. Plouf's
office the witness was down town. He
heard the report of what she was attempt
ing to do and went to advise her to go
home. He had no hand whatever in ad-
vising or assisting her to make an assault
on Dr. Plouf. After the affair Miss Shears
had come to him and demanded that he
make tnanciai settlement with her, be-
cause he was to blame in the matter, and
said she would expose him if he did not
settle with her.
Dempsey was put under q long and rigid
cross-examination, but his testimony was
not shaken TO any extent. He Was still
on the stand when court adjourned until
this morning.