Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-15
LAVENDER LADY,
SENT TO PRISON.
DOROTHY G0RHAM TO SERVE
EIGHTEEN MONTHS
PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN GUILTY
OF FORGERY
Bravely Receives Shock of Judges
Pronouncement, but Later Bows
Head as Though She
Realizes Disgrace

Dorothy Gorham, alias Grace Rheims
child, alias Grace OBrien, known as
the Lady in Lavender" stood upright
before Judge w. p. James In depart
ment four of the superior court yes
terday and received sentence or
eighteen months Imprisonment in the
state penitentiary at San Quentin.
Daintily arrayed, not in lavender this
time, but in dark blue the young wom-
an who has twice been convicted OF
forgery in the superior court here,
seemed to have no fear of her fate
until after the dread words were pro-
nounced.
Before the Judge arrived she sat in
one of the seats just inside the rail-,
apparently at peace with all the world
and showing no sign of care. After
the sentence she returned to her seat,
her shoulders back and her head up,
but in a moment the head was bowed
and 1t was evident that, at last, the
woman realized something of the fate
in store for her.
The charge for which she was SEN
fenced was that of forging a check for
$500, complete except for the name.
She took the check to Wiley b. Allen
q Co. and said that she wished to
purchase a piano. Handing the check
to the man behind the desk, she asked
him to fill in the firm name. This was
done and the transaction was COM
pleted.
Asks for New Trial
Before sentence was pronounced yes
terday, Attorney Noleman, who repre-
scented the prisoner, both on this oc-
casion and on a former conviction two
years ago, when she was placed on pro-
baton, made strenuous plea for
new trial and for an arrest of judg-
ment His contention was that, al
though the prisoner had been held to
the superior court under the name OF
Dorothy Gorham. she had been prose-
cuted in the higher court on a COM
plant charging Dorothy Graham"
with the crime, and that the verdict
had been rendered against her by the
jury under the name of Dorothy Cor
ham.
Both motions are denied" declared
Judge James. There was ample tes-
timony introduced to show that the
woman in the police court and the
woman tried here were one and the
same. The slight mistake in name is
of no significance.
stand up" said the judge as he
motioned toward the convicted woman.
She strobe boldly forward. her face
somewhat concealed beneath a black
veil. The judge asked the customary
question whether there was any rea-
son why sentence should not be pro-
nounced upon her She shook her head.
Pleads illness as Defense
Then Attorney Noleman came to the
front once more. He referred to the
tubercular trouble with which the pris-
oner was said to have been afflicted
when she was convicted before and
which resulted in her release on pro-
baton. He declared that long con-
nnement would mean her death.
This case" declared Judge James,
sis not dissimilar to that of Gilbert
e. Rollins, whom / sentenced to three
years in the penitentiary yesterday
Yet there are differences in your IA
yor 1t was shown that Collins had
deliberately practiced his raising of
the piece of scrip. This was made
-evident from the-eondition- of his room.
He gave-the paper to his younger
brother and asked him to cash 1t. on
the stand he committed perjury by
denying his guilt and by saying that
he had no part in the crime. You have
not denied your guilt. Against you is
the fact that you were convicted of a
similar offense once before and placed
on probation. | presume you know
that the maximum for forgery is four
teen years. 1t is the judgment of the
court that you be confined VI the state
prison at San Quentin for a period of
eighteen months"
without a word the woman turned
away and once back in her seat she
bowed her head. 1t seemed as though
her sense of the result of her crime
had lust dawned on her. At the re-
ouest of her attorney the execution of
the sentence was stayed for three days.