Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-08
PLEA FOR MERCY
IS NOTAVAILMG
FoRoER AND GAMBLER GETS
FIVE YEARS IN PRISON
Attorneys Submit Statement of Crimi-
nal lmposItions on Aged Couple.
Robbers Sent UP for Flf-
teen Years

"Your honor, a restaurant Keeper at
Venice told me of the great winnings
he made at the races. | believed MN
and lost. Then L got money wrong
fully and tried to make good, but lost
that. l am not asking mercy on my
own account, but because OF my wife
and baby"
Against this statement of Arthur
Gordon In Judge Smiths department
of the superior court, when ne APP
peared yesterday for sentence on
charge of forging the name or Mrs. f.
Robinson to checks drawn on the
Bank Of Santa Monica there was hand
ed to the court letter received py
John North, deputy district attorney,
from q firm of attorneys In wnlcn they
declared Gordon was not entitled TO
any sympathy, as he had through mis-
representations secured more than ten
times the amount of the check he is
said to have forged.
The Robinsons, according TO the let
ter, have by thrift accumulated prop
erty sufficient to keep them comfort
ably In a modest way of living to the
end of their lives.
Method of SwindIing
Gordon, through representations OF
character and expectations secured
the old couples consent to marry their
grandniece, girl of II years. He TOOK
her north with him in March last, say
ing he was going to visit his parents,
but when they reached Sacramento ne
made some excuse and they stopped at
Selma.
There, it is said, he prevailed upon
his wife to induce the old couple III
Santa Monica to make, remittances TO
her. alleging illness and straitened cir
cumstances. The aggregate amount re-
ceived was about $1,000.
In December he returned to Santa
Monica with his wife and month old
child and uuartered them at the nome
of the Robinson's, contributing nothing
to their support. He worked at res
taurant at Venice a short time ana
then told his wife he had q position In
Los Angeles, but 1t was discovered
later that he was a hanger-on around
pool rooms, where he lived by petty
gambling.
While in Los Angeles he is said to
have used the name of Mrs. Robinson
on checks, securing over $500 in this
way. The bank finally became sus-
picious and made an investigation,
which resulted in Gordon's arrest fol-
lowing an attempt to cash check for
| $3.50 February 10.
IA more fragrant imposition upon the
kindness, forbearance and generosity
of confiding old couple will seldom
come under your notice." says the let
ter. "The only reparation is that he be
taken away as far as possible and
made to pay for his cussedness."
Gordon was sentenced to San Quentin
penitentiary for a term of five years.
st ask the mercy of the court for my
peoples sake" said Charles Brown as
he stood before Judge Smith to receive
sentence after pleading guilty to a
4. g t4.<11 ft1er md rn L.
Woodland on February "a. 81 promise
when come out of the state institution
to be a better man and hope the court
will send me to Folsom rather than San
Quentin
yours is certainly a sad case" said
the Judge. 81 saw your father and
mother yesterday. They came to me
| old and feeble and nearly done with
| life They pleaded for you, their son.
on whom they looked for aid and COM
fore in their declining years. I would
like to do something for you on their
account, but how can / show the man
who held the weapon at a mans head
while an accomplish robbed him more
consideration than I did his asso-
ciate?'
Brown was sentenced to Folsom peni-
Tertiary for fifteen years. r. M. Nc
Cabe, who pleaded guilty to completely
| in the robbery, has already received a
| like sentence.
H H. Hall, implicated with McCabe
and Brown, said he did not take part
in the robbery. He stated that he had
| left his companions before it took
place and did not see them again until
| they came to his room and gave him
| S4-one-third of the proceeds of the
| hoidup-and told him to "know moth
| ing about this" Hall was sentenced to
seven years at Folsom.