Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-29

Wade WOOhward's Way war0ness.
Recent developments In the case against
Wade Woodward, the young man now con-
fined at the county Jail under indictment for
forgery, tend to place him in a very unenvia-
bic light, and his prospects for a speedy
restoration to liberty are anything but prom
ising. In view Of the numerous statements
made about him it is very difficult to say
when he first departed from the path of
honesty aud rectitude, but 1T ,s quite certain
that his downward steps since that time have
been neither few nor far between. II is as
serted that had he been contented with forg-
ing checks, pawning borrowed property, Civ
ing his w checks on banks where he had
no deposits on which TO obtain money, or
sundry other similar means of peculation, he
might yet be outside prison walls, as since
his arrest other parties than those interested
in the case on which he is indicted lave been
voicing their complaints, and the aggregate
swells to such proportions that the prisoner
may we'll feel worried as to what the future
may have in store for him.
What led to his arrest, or more properly
speaking, what led to the grand iury's inves-
tigation of his case, was his ungrateful con-
duct toward the firm of Parks IL Son, by
which he was employed for some time as
head clerk. 1t is stated that during his con-
nection with this house Woodward systemat-
ically robbed the money drawer, and also
stole a revolver belonging to the firm from
the store. He admitted his guilt in the latter
instance, and promised TO return IL as soon
as a friend, to whom he had loaned it,
brought 1t back to him. He failed to do so,
though repeatedly setting a time for its re-
turn. II now transpires that the weapon had
been pawned, and Woodward had failed to
redeem il at the expiration of the specified
time. Under such circumstances it Is not
surprising that he soon severed his c0nnec-
ton with the establishment. 1t was then
that he went to Omaha, where he visited the
mercantile agencies and Wholesale houses
and advised all creditors of Parks & Son to
look after their accounts, as the firms liza
bilities were far in excess of their assets.
He prepared a list of creditors and the
amounts due each. These amounts were
made about three or four times as large as
the sums really due, and naturally aroused
the creditors to lnstigate an Investigation.
The mercantile agencies, of had re-
ceived like reports, and Parks & Son would
doubtless have been driven to the wall but
for a small circumstance, when Woodward
forgot his cunning. In his list of creditors,
as presented to Meyer e. Raapke, the amount
due this firm was increased in the same ratio
as others. The house saw that this was
wrong, and it was thus discovered just what
was in the wind.
What Woodward's object could have been
is unknown, unless the hope that driving the
firm into bankruptcy would lessen the
chances of their having him arrested and
sent to Jail for larceny. Aside from this ex-
planatiOn, the move must have been
prompted by a vicious disposition.
1t now develops that a short time ago
Woodward purchased a gold watch from a
certain young lady living on First street,
agreeing to pay for it at the end of the month.
The watch, which was valued at $50, he
pawned, and the rlghtful owner has never
received a cent for it. Aside from this mum
erous forged checks have come to light, but
Woodward redeemed the greater part of
them. They were cashed by j. L.. Forman,
Sears & Haig and several Others. The one
cashed by MIR Forman purported to be signed
by Thomas Clark, aud when it developed
that it was a forgery Mr.. Clark wanted to
prosecute the case, but Mr.. Forman was
charitable and refused to give up the check.
Several others mourn various losses in
which they were victimized by Woodward,
but have little hope now of recovering any
thing. Woodward's friends are greatly as
tonished at the rapidly accommodating
charges, and those who were rather inclined
to doubt at first, are now salts fed that af-
fairs are taking a proper course.