The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-31
By James D. L. MeGaughey
Whom He Had Prosecuted.
OUTCOME OF A STREET FIGHT
The Quaek Hits Me6aughey With a
Cane, and Gets Bullets.
Three shots Take Erect. and the Mo-
torfous rheumatism Expert and I.o-
thario VIII Die From His Wounds
Mc6aughey In Jail, Plouf in q Hos
pital-Ststements by Both.

San Francisco. March sa-Dr. John f.
Ploun, patent medicine specialist.
was shot three times and fatally wound
ed today by James u. l. McGaughey
who was at one time in the employ OF
the doctor.
The shooting occurred within 100 fee, of
the Baldwin hotel, and marked the ter
minatlon OF street brawl. The street
was crowded with women and children at
the time. The Baldwin theater matinee
audience had Just been dismissed. and In
ADDITION 10 the throng OF people from the
theater there was the usual crowd OF
saturday afternoon promenaders. \ fist
fight, lasting but few seconds between
the two men frightened the passershy.
women and children. of the sidewalk in
10 the street.
Men rushed 10 part the fighting couple.
but the sight of a revolver in the hands
OF McGaughey caused them to pause
Then came the shots. The reports OF the
pistol added to the fright OF the women
ana children. Several ladies tainted
Others. In their endeavor TO seek places
OF safety, fell on the rough cobble stones
and were trampled upon. The police then
came up, and the fainting and injured
women were taken 10 neighboring drug
stores
The wounded doctor was removed 10
the Columbian building. and the man who
dld the shooting taken TO the police sta
ton The excitement soon subsided, and
a rev minutes after the shooting the
sidewalk was again thronged with the
slowly moving. gayly dressed crowd of
saturday afternoon promenaders.
This afternoon was the first time the
doctor and his ex-clerk had met since
McGaughey's arrest on Pioun's COM
plant last Tuesday. and the stories diff
Ter as 10 how that meeting was brought
ABOUT. The wounded mans tale is as
follows:
i was stroliing along the street." he
said as he lay stretched on the floor OF
the room where ne had been taken. and
when near the Baldwin hotel McGaughey
stepped up and spoke TO me- / tried 10
pass on. but he insisted that l listen,
and coarsely upbraided me for causing
him TO be arrested. / made no reply, but
again attempted TO resume my promen-
ade. Then he assaulted me. In the
scrimmage he caught my cane and IL
snapped in two. / grappled with him
in effort to protect myself. Then the
shots were fired. l did not notice the
pistol being around. ! heard the report
then felt something strike me. | started
TO run. Then there were more shots. and
/ fell against the wall. No. I do not
know how many shots were fired, and
did not hear anything said after / was
first HIT"
Miss May Hawkins, who stood not five
feet away from the fighting men, says
she saw DR.. Plouf hit McGaughey with
his stick and then the latter shot him.
She could not tell how many shots were
fred, but. from the stories of others who
saw the fight, az least four shots were
fred, and probably five. After the shoot
ing McGaughey stepped into "A doorway
and was coolly examining his pistol when
he was arrested. He said: THAT fellow
assaulted me and shot. l want to give
myself up TO a policeman"
Mc6faughey's veSsion of the affair is as
follows: II was strolling up Market
street Near Beamish's store l stopped
to make a note in a book. While l was
writing Plouff came along. and. slap
ping me on the arm, said he wanted TO
speak TO me- There was a friend with
him at the time. but the friend stepped
one side and left us alone. The doctor
began to abuse me, and called me sew
eral vile names. ] answered back. and
then he hit me on the face and knocked
me down. While / was trying TO set up
he rained blows on me with his cane.
Finally / got on my feet. Then he
caught me by the vest. and. drawing a
surgeons knife. made lunge at me. 1t
was then I pulled out my pistol and shot.
I do not know If hit him. l was excited,
and only tried 10 save my own life"
Relative to the original trouble with
the doctor, McGaughey refused 10 talk.
Pending the result OF Plouff's wounds
no charge has been placed against Nc
Gaughey.
Two Of the bullets penetrated the Doctors
right breast and passed through him.
The third Is lodged in his abdomen. He
was reno, ed TO the Waideck sanitarium.
"a. m.-Dr. Plouf is stiil alive. and the
chances of his recovery are better than
during the evening.
The causes which led to the shooting are
told in the following article which ap-
peared In last Tuesdays issue OF she
Evening Post OF San Francisco:
..pr. J. e Piouf, who has an office in
the Pheian building, called al the police
court this morning and swore 20 war
rants charging J. ID. McGaughey ana
Charles 5. Wilson with attempting to eh-
tort
.~The former was a clerk In the doctors
Office. In the odd moments when he had
nothing else 10 do he put in the time
SO the doctor states. IN collecting frag-
-nents OF letters he mad thrown into me
waste basket and putting them together
.syyher ne had a stock OF these fnissiVes
on hand he took Wilson into his conn
dence and showed the latter how a nice
-ouna sun Of money could be made dis
,,cx4ne Of the letters, many OF whicn ne
ra,resen,ei as extremely compromising,
s.Wflson was ripe for such scaeTne
and willingly enlisted. \ numoeF o. le''
,ers were given to him and ne ana Nc
c,aurhev r,nt up A job TO realize on 'hehl-
T-e,~aa ~ ;he naissives were from mar
~saa v-o-nan living IN Woodland win
.Lnss to his rossession Wilson went 70
~ .ou,n found the woman's nuSoaha.
"a nv represeuting 20 him rnat ~ had
,s..,,-ren.arv evidence affecting TIE man
-,,f. he managed 20 induce the co4htFy-
-, N purchase the letters EoF 60.
.s-rbs nan perrsed the documents sa"
49,, vera entirely Harmless and that they
,,,sra Of a bushes character AheH COZ"
I ,anfs referred 70 some loss Nhieh "s "S1
/ belonging 30 Dr. Fiout- .-,.- ,. =.
+.-rhe Woodiander imrediately Nfotc
| 1a+ter 10 the doctor. explained 'hs sisua-
49, ana fnclosed the patche1-up letters
| TO the doctor. ,l.A.. -, --..,a
s.ternnt at hlackuail by demanding
...o,e.. ~ the doctor for the return OF
/ s.r,e letters he had picked from the
&c basket Instead OF yIeIaing coin.
- ,,Axzts~iar aeterniFs-1 TO have the con-
s~5~ato~ arrested. In the complaint ne
,,sss fhe following language. which ne
savs sf~Gauxhey employed In making an
attempt 20 extort;
DIR Plouf-I want some money az
o,,,~e and IL YOU don't give II 20 me viii
/ rsvA voi published and d1sgfzcss4- Be-
.s-ss I }. e some letters received ~ you
s-o-, married women, the ones you tore
~ ar8 threw into the waste paper basket.
/ took them and pasted them together
ana IAN going 20 sell them 70 the ladies'
/ husbands II YOU don't come up with the
rrouav. have EoG 10 have tbs money