The San Francisco call., 1909-02-14
CHARGE LAFON
WITH PUTTING
POISON IN TEA
Two Women Accuse Mysterious
Man With Trying to
Kill Them
Swear Out Warrant, but OBJ
iect of Their Wrath
Evades Service
Former Partnership in Lodging
House Followed by a
Strange Tangle

1Iiss Armstrong says, was spilled upon
the stove.
Then Lafon retired TO the front
- rooms. and the two women, they say,
gathered up the powder in the pres
-ence Of roomers IN the house and took
Il TO a chemist TO analize. The chem
:ist returned the report the two women
.~and John 5. Glover, their attorney as
sert, that enough iodine Of arsenic
was put in the tea to kill IA persons
The purpose OF the alleged deed. it
IS asserted, was 10 restrain Mrs. Coff
man from receiving $500 Lafon had
promised her for her half interest in
the lodging house. and TO put Miss
Armstrong, who knew of the bargain,
out Of the way.
BIackmaiI, Says Lafon
!, A peculiar phase Of the case is the
fact that Miss Armstrong and Mrs
Conman both remained at the house
until the night Of December so, 26
days after the alleged plot TO poison
them had been laid, and so fortunately
discovered. LafOn said yesterday be-
fore disappearing that the women
were in a plot to blackman him, and
pointed out TO sustain his allegation
The fact Of their continued residence
in = house in which they assert such
2 subtle and fendish attempt was
made TO put them out OF the way.
Even while asserting yesterday that
Mrs Coffman wished to blackmail him.
I4sfon declared that he did not bear
her any malice. and affirmed that his
thoughts were only for her comfort
and continued happiness. Whatever
wrongs the man feels that the un-
responsive object Of his love has done
him, still his love remains. manifest
ing itself. now that the first burst of
passion is over, in the deep rooted
and abiding determination 10 wish
her naught but well.
Receives Meager Pay
1t was last summer. while Lafon was
conducting a lodging house at 3O071a
Mission street and preparing to enter
the college OF Physicians and Surgeons
as a student, that he secured the serv-
ices OF Mrs. Coffman as house
keeper. through an advertisement in
4 local paper. The woman said yes
terdsy that she worked for him there
without any but the most meager pay
Tor many months, and then secured a
half interest in the house at $50
: Golden Gate avenue when he took that
place getting the interest because of
her past lack Of salary and on the un-
'derstanding that she was to take ac-
tive management OF the house while
Lafon went 10 school and gave private
French lessons in the afternoons and
evenings. Lafon asserts that he paid
all the bills Of the house and secured
little OF the money. Mrs Coffman
says she paid the bills and got only a
small percentage OF the profits, after
being promised half of them.
Miss Armstrong Lafon secured TO re-
side at the house and coach him in the
medical studies he was taking up at
the College OF Physicians and Surgeons.
She and Mrs. Cohman rapidly became
fast friends and united against Lafon.
Spying is Alleged
The Frenchman acknowledges that
. he often went about the house at night
seeing that all was well and investi-
eating whatever strange noises he
heard on the premises, and Mrs. Coff-
man asserts that he in reality was spy
ing upon her and subjugaung her TO
the utmost annoyance. She states that
he often was peering into her room
through the windows or the keyhole.
looking for fancied rivals. and this
aroused her anger. she says as well
as her terror.
On one occasion, Mrs. Coffman re-
lates. she went hurriedly out of her
room, one morning and found Lafon
STOPPING down before her door. evil
IDENTIFY endeavoring to peer through the
keyhole. She rated him soundly, and
declares that as she turned TO go down
the hall Lafon sprang upon her and
choked her. Buster Brown, a lodgeT
sn the house with Harry Phillips the
woman says. released her.
The $500 Lafon agreed TO pay Mrs
Co1man for her half interest in this
house finally was paid December so, and
that incident closed. When the two
swomen left that night, Lafon says, they
took with them a goodly portion of his
table and bed linen, together with nu.
.snerous articles Of silver ware and othei
Valuables.
DIR. Armstrong Reticent