The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-10
AN INSANE MILLIONAIRE.
WIiism Wood. Adjudgrd Insane in This Coun-
~. Heir TO an Immense Fortune.

william Wood. Adjudgpd Insane in This COun
ty. Heir to Immense Fortune.
The following is special dispatch from
Denver dated Saturday night last:
In the county court today Judge Mile
! appointed W. j, B. Throckmorton to b
| the guardian of w. J. Wood, now confine'
in the lunatic asylum at Wichita, Kan
! Mr.. Wood is one of the heirs to the Woot
estate, and party 10 the litigation nov
| pending in the United States suprem
court, involving the title TO the Emma
mine at Aspen, valued at SIS, coo. 600 Mr.
! Wood is the son OF William Wood, thu
I original owner and locator of the mine
Mr. Wood, Sr., came to the United
| States from Canada in 1870, snt
located at Greenwood county, Kan
! He moved in 1850 TO Aspen, Colo.
where he discovered the mine. Shortly
| afterwards he died interstate. 10 the mean
time a shrewd Leadyille miner named
! Jerome b. Wheeler became acquainted
with the valuable property and sent his
children, and by false representations IN
duced them sign all theirinterest in the
estate or the deceased for s., 500.
In 1899 heirs of the estate became aware
of the enormous value of the nina and
brought suit in the United States district
court to set aside the deed conveying thei I
interest to Jerome B. Wheeler on
the ground of fraud. Wheeler admit
ted in evidence thathe had taken over
50 900, 600 in ore from the mine and the
prospects appeared good for greater pro
ducts. A verdict was entered setting aside
the deed and reyerting the property TO the
estate of Wood. The decree as appealed
from was reversed at the cost of the appel
lees, and the right and title of the widow
and children of Wood in the mine was de-
creed valid
Senator Wolcott represents Wheeler and
IS again trying TO get II rehearing of the
case, but the prospects for doing so are
very slim. The only missing link to have
the estate probated was to locate w. j.
w God. The news that he is an inmate of
The " ichita asylum was confirmed today.
The prospects for all the Woods becoming
mlliionaires soon is very bright.
The w. j. B. Throckmorton mentioned
in the above dispatch is our own Billy
Throckmorton, eX-city treasurer, and his
insane ward, who is now millionaire, is
William Wood, adjudged insane i'll this
county in 1879, while Postmaster Jewett
was probate judge. Ga the application of
Judge Wall, who alleged that he was
Woods next friend, Mr.. Throckmorton
was made guardian in 1855 Mag Woods,
for years notorious character in this city,
is another one of the heirs. Mag became
an heir to this vast fortune by
being lucky enough to get mashed
on one George Wood, son of the Colorado
mine prospector, at Caldwell and marry
lug him. About ten years ago George
was killed in Il dance house at Caldwell.
Mag buried him with a $1,000 diamond
in his shirt front and erected fine
monument over his grave. Subsequently
some of the toughs of Caldwell opened his
grave and stole the diamond. They were
never apprehended.
About 1885 some Pinkerton detectives
came along and got Mag's quit claim
deed to the mine for s., 500. The other
heirs, about six in number, save William,
were also bought off, but William being
insane no effort was made to negotiate
with him. Ia the trial, witch is famous in
Colorado. the heirs proved that their quit
claim deeds were obtained through false
pretense, and hence the decision restoring
them TO their original rights. Mr.. L.
some few weeks ago ap-
piled for letters of guardianship III Colo
RADIO and the request was granted by the
court Gner0 AFTER considerable COnS1uerd-
ton, owing to the fact that Mr.. Throck-
morton was not citizen of Colorado
Jerome b. Wheeler, the multi-millionaire
Of Colorado, is the defendant to the suit.
The jury that adiudged William Wood
insane consisted of DR.. McAdams, DR..
Rentz, l.. \. Woodcock, J, T. McMillen,
John Wilkin and A. E. Dodge, and they
had no idea then that they were passing
on the sanity of a future millionaire. H.
w. Duming was the sheriff that brought
Woods into court.
The verdict stated that Mr.. Woods did
not exhibit any homicidal or suicidal ten
denotes, 1t was generally understood at
the time that Woods insanity was
caused by being hit on the head with Il
stick of wood. Mr. Wood is still in the
Topeka asylum and Mr.. Throckmorton has
heard from him frequently through DIR.
Eastman of the asylum at that place. Mr..
went up last night to see
him. The details of the case and sur
circumstances, taking in the
OF George and Mag Wood,
afford a good basis Tor a novel. 1t is quite