The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-02-19
BY ANOTHER NAME.
Mr.. FRANK WOOD AGAIN HEARD
FROM.

MR.. FRANK WOOD AGAIN HEART
| FROM.
The Fellow Who "Got Away With" q
Number of Henderson Business
Men and Skipped the Town
About Four Years Ago,
Turns up in Plainfield,
New Jersey, as Mr..
| James Hardy.
The people of Henderson have very
distinct recollection of Frank Wood
BY many he will be remembered chiefly
by the debts he contracted but did not
pay, and by others as pleasant, aft.
able. hail-fellow-well-met kind of a
man who impressed himself as an act.
i've. energetic, stirring, fellow, shrewd,
sharp and quick, a superior mechanic
and a contractor and builder who thor
| oughly understood his business. In
short he was a man who made friends
and gained the confidence of the people,
and was capable of making for himself
an honorable name and enviable repu-
tation as citizen and business man.
People were quick to recognize his
talents and abilities in his particular
sphere, and no man was accorded a
more cordial welcome. He was a USE
full man in the community, man who
stood high as workman, and his pri.
vate acts and intentions were judged Of
| men by his outward acts and appear
anccs. But they soon had cause to
look beyond or rather below these. He
contracted debts he did not pay. Peo-
pie began to grow suspicious. His con.
duct and affairs were enquired into
He skipped the town, claiming that he
was going off for short while on i'm
portant business. He did not return
and his wife followed. Our citizens
are familiar with the whole matter, the
amount of Woods indebtedness, sc
Where he went from Henderson no one
knew, but it was afterwards reported
that he had been seen in Philadelphia
It appears that he located in Plain.
field, New Jersey, where he has since
lived as James Hardy. He played
about the same part there and has just
left for fields new and pastures green
Mr.. Hunt Macon, who lived in Hender.
son at the time Frank Wood did, is
now living in Plainfeld, where he met
and recognized Wood. The following
article taken from the Plainfield Dali,
Press of February 18th, for which We
are indebted to Mr.. Macon, throws some
light on the career of Frank WOOD
since he took his departure from Hen.
derson about four years ago. 1t will
no doubt be read with keen degree Of
interest by many of our townspeople
| AN EXODUS.
James Hardy has gone. He left towr
yesterday morning, and took his wife
and little daughter with him.
These facts seem ordinary enough
and to those who believe that the RICH
to migrate hither and thither is an in
alienable privilege possessed by ever,
American citizen there is usually moth
ing of special interest in the mer,
statement that man has changed hi
place of residence; but when sucl
astounding news is announced as tn,
fact that James Hardy has vanished
from North Plainfield, and when tn
people realize that there is gone from
their midst the man who was a Justic,
of the Peace, who was Magistr O
the Borough's Police Department, wht
was continually, whether justly or I'm
justly, running up against the finger o
suspicion, scorn, reproach,-then ;
thrill of intense excitement stirs tn,
people, and the tongue of gossip i,
given loosest rein.
The facts of Hardy's exodus are
easily recited. He himself and hi
family left town in broad daylight, b,
train. His household effects were re
moved later. Some Of them had beer
sold to Tunis J. Cary, to whose plac,
they were taken. Others, including :
piano, were conveyed to the home o
DR.. d. G. Adams, on Grove street, il
satisfaction of a mortgage for none,
owed. One load was carted to Fan
wood, where it was marked and put OF
board freight car. The goods wer,
addressed to Frank B. Cone, Mt. Yer
non, n. Y, and are now out of tn
State.
This was all the property that Hard,
took with him; it was all he had t.
take. The house which he occupied i
to-day entirely devoid of furnishings
the floors and walls are bare.
All sorts of stories are, of course
afloat concerning the departure, whicl
was to Hardy's neighbors sudden an
unexpected. but the statement of Mr.
Charles A. Reed. who was his counsel
puts somewhat favorable light on hi
actions.
HIS COUNsEL's STORY.
Mr.. Hardy has been unfortunate,
said Mr.. Reed. when he first cam
to Plainfield, about four years ago, b
worked as foreman for R. V. Saum:
but as he was pushing, energetic
, enterprising man he soon was able t
, start in business for himself. He n
serves great credit for being a 70
, worker, COED manager and for%
oping big business. But he =
hands too full. He undertI
contracts than he could ful2 -
} kept only two or three cEE
. way he could have gotAeis
with twelve or fifte@ y
! the work thefx