| OCR Text |
Show BACKER 1AIES APPEAL FOR LENIENCY When Wilford Racker appeared bo-iore bo-iore Judge Harris this morning for sentence, he advised the court that he dosired to make a statement bcToiv judgment wns pronounced and the court accorded him the privilege. The young man a few days ngo pleaded guilty to the crime of forgery, which is a penitentiary offense. "Your honor," he said to the court "there is no special reason why 1 should not be punished for the offense 1 committed, but I want to ask the court to be lenient with me A term in the penitentiary is to be expected, and I think It will do me good, for I will get lrcc from the ding habit that has caused me all this trouble. I am quite free from it now and I want lo say that I shall not take it up again As soon as I am released from the penitentiary I am going to do the right thing and keep away from cocaine and yther drugs. "When I forged my step-father's name to the check. I did not know what I was doing. I rcall did not know whether I was on Washington avenue or Twenty-fifth street My companions led me to forge tho name to get money We had visited the Chinese den where cocaine i3 sold and t I used the drug until I did not know what I was doing I also drank some liquor, but it wns the cocaine that did tho work. I want a chance to become a good man and, if you will be lenient len-ient w.th me, I promise to be decent rnd do right when I am released. I can do it and I will do iL" Tho young man further stated to thr ourt that he had been an inmate of the State Industrial school and that while there he became acquainted with boys who were addicted lo the use of drugs He met some of them In the city after his release from the school and thev induced luni to join tkin in their folly. His father Is a, business man of Lehi his mother having been divorced and Is now living at Morgan. He said that ho had been a user of drugs the past two years and that when he wns. under its influence he was not re sponsible, and, as a matter of fact, did not know what he did. The court advised Rpckor that he had committed a penitentiary offense and that the court had no alternative than to sentence him to a term in the than to sentence him to a term in the state penitentiary for a time not lees than one year nor more than twenty but because of his statement regarding regard-ing his life and his earnestness 'n asking for n chance to reform and bo come a useful citizen, sentence would not be passed until tomorrow morning morn-ing Racker is 24 yeprs old He pleaded sruilty to forging the name of Samuel Francis to a check ov $20 oo |
