The herald., 1896-08-13
NOTHING STARTLING YET
The Shafer.L borde Case Finally ia
Court
A Jury Has Been ImpsneI.d and Some
Witnesses Have Been Exa,nined-So
Far Il Is Tame

The trial Of the suit of Frank H.
Shafer against Blanche Laborde was
commenced yesterday afternoon in de-
partment three, before Judge York and
a jury, which was easily empaneled, S
most of the jurors were unacquainted
with either litigant or their attorneys.
The case is one in which Shafer seeks
to evict the defendant Laborde out of
certain small brick tenements. usually
described as cribs, in the Tenderloin dis
trict, and numbered 740 and 740la North
Alameda street, because of her failure
to pay $22O rent accrued in May last and
which he claimed had not been paid
when demanded. 1t was admitted that
Mrs. Laborde was tenant under three
year lease, which would not, under or
dinary circumstances expire until Aug
ust, 1897.
Blanche Laborde in her answer de
MED that Shafer was the owner of the
land, but averred that the ownership
vested in his wife, and set that up as one
line of defense. She also alleged that
the plaintiff had fenced her in SO that
she had neither means of ingress or
egress to her leased premises, and final
ly contradicted Mr.. Shafer in his claim
for back rent. She denied owing him
any sum whatsoever.
In her cross-compla.nt Mrs. Laborde
demands $1,000 damages. There would
have been hardly anything sensational
about the case We're it not that in that
document the defendant claimed that
Mr.. Shafer had entered into conSpir-
acy with Chief of Police Glass. Mayor
Frank RAIDER, Police Commissioners
Guy Barham and Robert Wirsching and
Fire Commissioner Louis Vetter. for the
purpose of preventing prostitutes from
occupying those cribs and contir-
uing therein. by stationing police offic-
ers in the vicinity to warn away would
be visitors. All these mcaeuVe.s. ac-
cording to defendants statements We're
for the purpose Of frecrn.; her out 50
that the eX-kinc Of I.itUe Paree, Theo-
dore Bauer, might take possession of the
property which Mr.. Shafer had leased
to him, notwithstanding that by virtue
of her own lease she was lawfully en-
titled to their possession.
Isidore Z. Dockweiler appeared for
the plaintiff, and Messrs. King and Har-
mon for the defendant Chief Glass.
Mayor RAIDER Police Commissioner
Wirsching and Fire Commissioner Louis
Vetter were the most conspicuous of
the alleged conspirators present to
swear that the conspiracy was all
moonshine, if called upon at all to tes-
tify to that effect. The attorneys for
the defendant. in their inquiries respect
ing the jurors qualifications, made a
great show to impress upon them that
the premises were used for Illicit pur-
| poses, and asked very particularly
whether the panel would give as much
credence to persons alleged to be lead
ing an immoral life as to others with a
| more immaculate reputation. Mr..
| Dockweiler strongly objected to this
| line of questions, because he claimed
| that the suit was merely one in eject
! nent for non payment Of rent, and thai
| the pleadings showed nothing as to the
| character of the houses inmates, MOI
was it because of these persons alleged
! occupation that tto ejectment suit hac
| been brought.
One of the peculiar incidents in the
| trial was the appearance in the case Ol
! Louis f. Netter the fire commissioner
| which was a mistake. Netter was sub
poenaed in place of Police Commissioner
w. II. Cook. The same error was com
mitted when the papers were first nice
and before, but it has never been recti
fed.
The first witness and only one exam
ined for the plaintiff was Frank II
Shafer, whose testimony was anything
! but sensational
The story of Blanche Laborde, toll
through Frank Oakley, who acted a
interpreter, might have proved OF IN
terest had not plaintiffs counsel inter
posed an objection to the introduction
of any evidence tending to prove con
spiracy by the police against the wo
man. Joseph Wyatt, another tenant Il
the tabooed district, was also on tn
stand. but he told nothing worthy Q
repetition.
THE case will 60 on this morning.