A Thief's Thin Lips Tremble at the Word 'Guilty'

FORD PLEADS GUILTY. Three Years at Walla Walla for "Famous" Burglar. GLAD TO ESCAPE SO EASILY.

R. H. Ford, the opium user who a week ago was detected in the robbery of the Famous Clothing House, was arraigned in the criminal court yesterday and cut all prosecution short by pleading guilty to a charge of burglary. He was at once sentenced by Judge Humes to three years' imprisonment at Walla Walla.

On being questioned by the court, Ford said his father was dead and that his mother lived in San Francisco. He did not know how she obtained a living or what she was doing. He gave his age as 30 years, and said he had been in town since last October, during which time he had worked at his trade, barbering, but two days. He had roomed most of the time at a cheap lodging house in the lower part of town.

When Ford stood up before the court and entered the plea, his thin lips trembled visibly as he spoke the word "guilty." Whether he was agitated or the unusual movement was the effect of the opium habit could not be determined.

At any rate, after Ford had been taken back into the jail he repeatedly congratulated himself that he had escaped with so short a sentence. He expected fully eight years.

Jailer Monroe thinks Ford is an old timer, and much older than 30. In the short time he has been in jail, Ford has shown an intimate knowledge of all the crooks in the country, and there seems to be no doubt that he is a member of the profession.