Los Angeles Herald

FIFTEEN DOLLARS BAIL.

A BRUTE SET FREE ON INSIGNIFICANT BONDS.

"Dr." William Meffert Charged With Assaulting Tessie Plummer—His Victim Tells a Horrible Story of His Depravity and Brutality.

In the police court yesterday morning, William Meffert appeared before Justice Austin for arraignment upon the charge of battery, preferred against him by a young woman named Tessie Plummer. Upon entering his plea of guilty to the charge, he was ordered to reappear at 2 o'clock p. m. for sentence; but at that hour was represented by counsel, and asked to withdraw his plea of guilty and substitute that of not guilty therefor. His request was complied with and he was released upon bail in the sum of $15, to reappear for trial on Thursday morning next at 11 o'clock.

The case is one of those which, unfortunately, occur only too frequently in this city, but as a rule the victims themselves are reluctant to be dragged into publicity, and their cowardly assailants thus escape the punishment they so richly deserve. Meffert, who professes to be a physician, affects to be a gentleman, and invariably dresses in the height of fashion, but his actions belie his appearance. The Plummer woman informed the police authorities that Meffert formerly lived upon the earnings of her sister, who subsequently died in the county hospital. He subsequently attempted to compel Tessie to support him, and failing in this he endeavored to coerce her by brute force. She asserts that he is already the acknowledged lover of three or four unfortunate women of the demi-monde; but in spite of all this, he visited her in her room in the Weill block, on South Main street, and because she refused to give him money the brute struck her on the head with his fist and knocked her down.

Strange to say, Justice Austin admitted Meffert to bail in the small sum of $15, and the probabilities are that the defendant will prefer to forfeit this small sum than to stand his trial upon such a charge.