The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-01
fingers BETWEEN
LIFE And DEATH.
DR.. PLoUF SHOWED SOME. SIGNS
OF IMPROVEMENT YES ::
TERDAY.
MCGAUGHEY MAKES DENIALS
He PROMISES ASTONISHING DE-
vELoPMENTs WHEN HIS TRIAL
COMES OFF. :

=. .
The shooting of DR.. J. E. Plouf in front
of the Columbian building, 916 Market
street, on Saturday afternoon by j. D. L.
McGaughey, formed a live topic of CONVEX
sation yesterday.
DR.. Plouf fingers between life and death
in the Waldeck .Sanitarium with the
chances very much in favor of the latter.
Everything that medical skill could devise
has been done for him by the physicians
in attendance. The most dangerous wound
is the one in his abdomen, and unless
something almost miraculous happens
it will prove fatal. No one is permitted to
see him.
McGaughey when seen yesterday was
anxious to hear whether his victim was
dead or alive. He expressed himself as
satisfied tn at he would never be convicted
as he acted in self-defense.
~ did not know DIR. Plouf personally
in Seattle said he, 'but from my posi-
ton as Deputy County Clerk know con-
siderable of him. He was arrested for
malpractice, and as clerk of the court had
the filing of the papers in the suit. Plouf
assaulted the wife of Thomas Dempsey of
the Evening Times, and Dempsey and
Thomas Kehough, his brother-in-faw, gave
him terrible beating and two ladies horse
whipped him. That led to libel suit by
the doctor against Dempsey. | also filed
papers in that suit. Dempsey charged the
doctor with enticing young girls into his
private office.
':Plouf, suppose, knew that was the
clerk of the court and that / was conse.
quently possessed of these facts. | left
Seattle before Plouf and came here, but
shortly afterward l went up north to adj
minister an estate and then returned to
Seattle. By that time Plout had gone to
San Francisco.
81 came here again last June and bought
an interest in PIoufs business. l was
there three months, and when found out
the mans character l retired from the
business, but have never yet got the money
back that put into it. l was not an en-
ploye of the doctor, as has been enormously
stated.
''After retired G. S. Johnson put $1,000
into Ploufs business. but like me he soon
retired. AS he could not get his money
back he sued the doctor and was wit
ness in the case. Since that time Plouf
has been persistently prosecuting me and
trying to drive me out of the city.
HE blamed me for having him arrested
a few months. ago for practicing without
license, but had nothing to do with it.
The action was brought by DIR. Wadsworth,
secretary of the State Board of Medical
Examiners.
THE charge preferred against me and
Wilson by Plouf of attempting, by verbal
threats, to extort money from the hus-
bands of lady correspondents is utterly
false. L never went through his waste
paper basket and pasted pieces of letters
together, nor did / ever open his private
letters. 1t is part of his persecution to
drive me out of the city.
.'When my trial comes off, if it should
go that far, there will be developments
that will astonish people. decline to say
what they are at present, but will reserve
that for the trial.. :. q.
liam married man. My wife is a..
daughter of the United States Commits.
sioner in Seattle. She left here two weeks
ago for Seattle, as her. mother was very.
sick. 1t is. not true that / was an. embez-
zler while Deputy County Clerk there
That was proved to be a mistake"
Inquiry last night at the institution
where DR.. Plouf fingers revealed that dur
ing the day the patient rallied consider
ably and that there were even favorable
symptoms, :.-: :.
"Of course" said DR.. Rosencrantz, who
was in charge, "the case is very, very
delicate one and it. is difficult to tell from
one hour to another what may happen
DR.. Plouf has strong constitution and he
may pull through. Then again he might
collapse at any time and if the latter &C.
Cured all that we could look for would be
the worst. 1t is a hopeful sign, though,
that the rally has continued SO long as it
hac -