The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-25
S%QUANDERED HIS MILLIONS
WOOD, Also, FELL IN WIN DAU G H
TIERS OF THE HORSEBEECH.s

-
Houses and Lots. ne We'll AZ Hundreds OF
Thousands, went TO May Reiiard-Meu
Bied Him Right and Left-When All
Was Gone lIe Forged HE Wife's Name.
Tho Commission appointed by Judge New.
burger to inquire into the sanity of William G.
Wood. who Is locked up In the Tombs on q
charge Of forgery, held Its FIRST session yester-
dav In the Grand Jury room in the Criminal
Court building.
Wood lived at ESQ Lenox avenue. and was
reported to be q millionaire. He spent his money
lavishly. until he finally could get no credit, and
began forging his wife's name. On Dec. 8 he
was arrested on complaint of a Mrs. NJ. d.
Spencer. who lived at 304 Columbus avenue.
She said that he had passed a worthless check
on her. swindling her of 81, 0o0.
The commission is composed of William +.
Stillings. Patrick keenan,, and DR.. j. Monroe
LiebermAn.
The members OF the commission had collected
information which they embodied in the form
of q hypothetical question that was prepared to
snring on the doctors who had ami Wood
in the Tombs. They decided. however. after
hearing the testimony of the physicians, that It.
would not be necessary to ask the question. but
the matter 1t contained was filed as part Of tho
documentary evidence. and will be submitted
to the Court with the commissions report.
This evidence which the commissioners COL
lected showed that Wood had had control of
more than $4,000, 600, consisting of his fathers
estate and money left to him. He had married
at the age of "a and acted In a rational manner
until he was 80. He is now go. BY the death OF
his father in 1887 100000 worth q real estate
eem int sf s bis 6 pSss e sion i paid Wood ,S an i he
made the acquaintance of women to whom he
gave large sums of money. He also signed bonds
to oblive casual acquaintances. and endorsed
notes to oblige bartenders and saloon keepers.
All these obligations he was a%fterward required
to pay, and he lost loans OF large sums of money
made TO insolyent persons without security. On
one occasion he lent u man $4,000 In fash while
II also showed that he had given large sums Of
money to three women whom he had taken great
interest In. Ono OF, these was Miss Mabel
OF meeting Wood at the Hamilton Hotel, l25th
street and Eighth avenue. One OF her most
was dated Mt the hotel, and was, addressed to
Wood at Deans stables. 1879 West l35th street,
where he kept his horses. 1t reads as follows:
you that / viii 60 down to stern's and get that coat
n@a 70 sn nls aTs'' For %a | wil ab 6s t ire 60 after aom sss Tnt and 81 t
AM 81 8 q and sorry forlt So desrey vii, see you
e = ! Ssn 4! { { With %i5, Nay G'' i : SoSs my yt dear aye You ~ ian az :
in oss s snd k Ina I / am You yours sa iii d %Sfhh.hs' WIN Ms All my
=. s.-Answer soon.
Wood had given Mabel thousands OF dollars.
habit of giving her $4,000 or SO. 1000 at a time.
iD,, Sno5hes woman he b, hid gwen & faii 600; not o
thSiuuinR u mouse. 10 May .h. htlldru. IN ID 1
the missionaries" who Surrounded Barbara
Aub. Wood gave large sums Of money, aEsre;
purchased for her lots OF real estate.
Woods check books were produced aud
showed that he had drawn checks In Decem Der.
the Twelfth Ward Bank. to the: order Of May
kellard. for sums varying from 500 to $500.
checks to the order of James Reynolds, a grocer
in the ne. ghborhood of Woods residence who
WINS in the habit OF designating notes for him.
Lawyer Thomas said that Wood was in the
habit of purchasing diamonds recklessly on
sFsdi na Snd then b. M SiytnE w the ISs Ss bs,n to % f %S ,
that the women had pawned the jewels. he said
they could do wha. they pleased with the pres
1t was an easy thing. the lawyer said. to get
Wood to sign his name 10 anything. although
It.. He would seldom meet a creditor II he could
help 1t. Miss Kellard. il was stated. got most
pa q Of the Te" estate " Law ,ns Fne o ,aid. perhaps mIs
one-qnarter Of it. which he gave tn his wife and
sd06Rmri d Wada esm t" square q ARE hI%s 81 Tor mis- mis- IS
1894. Then. said the lawyer. Wood and Miss
Kellard found it impossible to negotiate any of
began to fabrisa.e obligations IN the name
had been made to his own order and endorsed
by him. Miss Kellard. the lawyer stated. had
tha, prac,tcaliy ali of them Hn'e CAME = into ne her pos.
session and were used for her benefit. The
first discovery OF the forVeries was made early
In 1898. when il was learned that a certain
bank held one OF the forged notes for $500.
With great protestations Of grief Wood then
confessed. to his wife that he had forged her
name to this note and begged her forgiveness.
He was forgiven. Again he committed forgery.
Altogether he had forgiven him on q dozen oc-
caslons, and on each occasion had paid the
money demanded on forged notes
DR.. George w. Jacoby testified that Wood
was in an unfit condition to care for himself and
that he had an undev-loped brain. The develop
ment of Woods brain. the doctor said. had been
arrested at the age OF Is or l6.
DR.. Allan NcI.ane Hamilton corroborated DR..
Jaroby 5 testimony.
The hearing will be continued on Monday.