The herald., 1898-11-04
SHORT WAY TO PRISON
GRIFFITH PLEADS GUILTY TO
BURGLARY AND FORGERY
STRANGE CLIMAX TO A SPREE
Formerly a Druggist in This City and
the Owner of Property Here and
at Pasadena

ID. j. Griffith will serve two years at sar
Quentin for burglary and three years there
alter for forgery Deputy District Attorney
Willis came before Judge Smith yesterday
for the purpose OF filing two lnformation'
against Griffith, who desired to be arralgheo
plead guilty on both cnarges, anu re
ceive sentence.
The first information presented was fol
burglary. committed at the house OF Mrs
+, <. Law on Buena Vista street, i'll this
city, in the daytime, on October q. The
other was for the forgery OF a check iol
$780, made payable to George II. Morris
and purportng to have been signed by Ii
Jevne which was dated and passed on one
John Schneider on October %. The defend
ant was arraigned, and, after pleading guilty
to the charge of burglary, was permitted to
make statement OF his case. He sad hs
was seeking furnished rooms, and called al
the house of Mrs. Law. No one appeared
in response to the bell, and he stepped in
side. Going into one Of the rooms he saw
a small sum of money, about $3.50, plainly
visible and took it. He had been drinking
for some time.
Respecting the other charge, his formal
arragnment and plea having been made
Griffith said he had been with Schneider up
town, and they had been drinking together
Running out of money, he had asked
Schneider, on the impulse of the moment,
to cash check, and Schneider, consenting,
he had used Jevne's name, as 1t CHANGED to
come into his mind. He had no acquaint-
ance with Jevne, but merely knew there was
such a person living in the city.
when did you come to Los Angeles!'' in
quired Judge Smith.
''On October l, your honor" responded
Griffith.
"And all these things have happened since
that time?"
"Yes, your honor"
"What part of the country did you come
FROM"
From Ohio-Scio, Ohio, where l was en-
gagged in the drug business. Coming here
by way of the southern route, | was i'll for
three months at FL Paso with malaral fever.
My acts here were due to protracted spree.
l have never before been charged with an
indictable otfense."
"Well, YOU are responsible for your own
misfortunes," continued the court, land it
is my order that you be confined for two
years at San Quentin on the charge of burg
larry, the act having been committed in the
daytime, and that you be imprisoned for
three years on the charge of forgery, the
last term to commence at the end of the
first"
The prisoner thanked the court and turned
away with grim smile on his face appar
emily satisfied that he had got off much
easier on account of pleading guilty than he
would have done if he had stood trial. He
is an enigma to the officers. They do not
believe his true name is Griffith but are
convinced that he is posing under an alias
Griffith says he used to be in the drug
business here, ten years ago. and owned
property here and in Pasadena. After sell
ing out his store in Ohio he claims to have
expended in less than six months over $4,000
in dissipation, and, his money being gone he
next resorted to these petty means of getting
more. He will be taken at once to San
Quentin.
Griffith is man of slight physique, we'll
dressed, hair tinged with gray, thin features
and black mustache. He bears the stamp
of fast life, for he does not appear to be
more than 50 years OF age, though prema-
turely gray. He is believed to be an eastern
crook, and his photograph and description
have been sent to the national bureau OF
identification in Chicago.