The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1907-01-16

Pledged His Word TO Reform
Holgate Pleads Guilty.

Saturday morning Judge Rigg
imposed sentence of one year
in the Walla Walla penitentiary up
pom Edward Ross, the young man
convicted of forgery upon his own
confession. In all probability Ross
will not be put at the hardest labor,
since the Judge did not include this
penalty in passing sentence, leaving
that matter with the warden.
The case Of Ross is an interesting
one. He was arrested on the charge
OF forging checks in this city during
the month OF November, signing the
name OF f. c. Hall to them. He at
first stoutly maintained that he was
innocent and told so many different
stories that the facts were hard to OBJ
tain. At the time of his arrest he
said his name was Archie James, and
that he was 10 years old. Later he
told Dr.. f. l.. Hayden, who had be-
come interested in him, that his
name was the same as that of one of
the most honored and well known Cit
liens of the state, the founder of a
sectarian school, and that he was
nephew OF this man. He finally con-
iided everything to DR.. Hayden, and
he has the doctor to thank that his
promises to lead better life and APP
parently sincere repentance have
saved him from a longer sentence.
Ross is % years of age. He is
the son of Mr.. and Mrs. w. NJ. Ross,
who live at the corner of Eighteenth
and East Union streets in Seattle. He
is married, and one of the most pa
thetic features of the affair is that
his wife is soon to become a mother,
and has not yet learned of the trou-
BILE he is in. She is said to be with
her parents in los Angeles.
When Judge Rigg asked him what
he had to say why the sentence of
the law should not be passed upon
him, he replied:
II am guilty. your honor. have
made up my mind. however, that if
| am dismissed or when my term
of sentence is expired. | will try to
the best of my ability to be a better
man prevaricated to the court
about my age, as | thought that
would be the only way to get off, but
have since reconsidered the matter
and wish to plead guilty. ! wish to
thank the court for the kind con
sideration given me and assure you
will he better man in the future. :"
Judge Rigg stated that he had CON
sidered the case and thought that
Ross would be better man, and he
would therefore impose the lightest
sentence possible, one year in the pen
| itentiary.
An evidence of his sincere peni-
tence is shown from the fact that he
/ has written a history of his career,
from the standpoint of man who
+ desires that it may be a warning to
others in danger of following in his
footsteps This he gave to DR.. Hay
den. who will present it in forcible
manner in carefully prepared SER
mon to the young. which he will de-
liver Sunday evening at the First
Presbyterian church. He also en-
trusted to DIR. Hayden letters to his
wife. his parents AMI his younger
brother.
Sidney E. Holgate appeared before
Judge Rigg in the superior court Fri
day evening at o'clock and plead
ed guilty to the charge of stealing
from the person of j. H. Lanion on
November 1G gold nugget watch
chain. james Spencer, an Indian
also appeared before the Judge and
pleaded guilty to the charge of bur.
glary. Spencer entered the home OF
w. f. Spangler at Toppenish on
November 81. The prisoners will be
sentenced later.