The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-04
OfaOnce Prosperous andWcalthy
New York Man
HAS CAUSED Ills SAD DOWNFALL


fortune when he met Mary VI. Ecllard
eight years aEo, says the Herald. was
locked up In police headquarters last
night on n charge Of forging the name OF
his WIFE, Mrs. Virginia Wood. 81 No. 80
LcnoH avenue. 20 two promssory notes
for 81 900 each.
Two indictments were found against
Wood yesterday by the grand jury. and
he was arrested on a bench warrant last
night at the Aullc hotel, Thirty-ilfth
street an Broadway, where he has lately
made his home. by Detectives Nc
NAught nud birmingham, OF the dis.
trict attorneys 6i;icA.
The story OF Woods downfall Is pa
thb,ie one. His lntaiuatIOn for Miss
Kcllnrd caused his separation from his
wife, and after that his money began TO
70 rapidly. II Is estimated that since
his acquaintance with Miss kcllIrd he
has spent $4,000, much OF which was
used for expenses incurred by her,
During the early years. OF their friend
ship Miss Kcllard purchased 100000
worth OF goods from one ilrm. which he
paid Tor, Miss Kcllard figured prOm!-
fpntly IN the surprising denoucment of
the Barbara Aub trial a. the woman who
induced the girl to make 4 confession
eXhonoraunE the defendant LANCER
man. Her association with Mr.. Wood
has only recently been severed.
Forged nj, WIfr's Sams.
The offensc with which Mr., W0od Is
charged has. It is alleged, been practIccd
BY him for several years. After all HIS
own money was spent he began TO use
his wlfe'S name on notes, His custom
was. Il Is alleged. 20 draw the note to
his own order and sign his wlre's name
. Hoo h..N iFNls ~ nj got
* cashed by 4 note broker or some per-
son who knew him.
Mrs. Wood Is ! woman OF c1nSiiera-
bic wealth. and her alleged signature
was sufficient 20 guarantee the payment
of the note Wood kept up the practice
until his wife had uncomp laIutngiy paid
some $4,000 worth OF these notes. She
Is 4 gentle forcbearirt wOnllE. and was
lOath to expos her husband. knowing
well that his arrest was bound 90 cnsue,
81 she kept on paying the notes until
she suspected that her money was not
being used entirely for her husbands
expenses.
She made an Investigation. which sat
iSticl her that her susp!c!nrS we're cor
rect Mr. Wood il a m2n OF simple hab
Its and was living In modest way u: the
.Aulic.
Mrs. Wood then determined 30 lc, him
take the consequences Of his future mute
transactions Among the persons who
were In the habit Of clshinC the notes
for Mr.. Wood was Mrs Mary D. Elmer
son. a florist At Ninaueth street and
Columbus avenue The paper had al
ways been promptly paid =" when Wood
offered her two notes for Sl.OGD each on
August last she had no hesitancy in
giving his the money.
The notes were made payable In five
months and in ;hr meantime several
smaller notes were clshcl by Mrs, En-
erson. These Latter came due In Il few
weeks. but when pn-senieI 70 Mrs. Wood
she refused u pay them.
Mrs. Emerson. stllI not suspecting any
thing, put the matter In The hands NJ
her lawyer Tor collection. Il was then
that Mrs. Wood was forced 10 reveal the
fact that her husband WAS a forSer.
The lawyer laid the matter before
Acting District Attorney Vernon VI.
Davis, who. with Assistant District At
' trrney Battle. made 4 long and careful
Investigation Ot the case. with the result;
that Wood was Indicted yesterday for
forging the Loo notes.
II Is believed by many Of the mans
friends that he is suffering t>bm 4 spec
les OF INSANITY and some assert that he
was hypnOiiZed by Ni2s kclllrd II Is
only on thest, grounds, they say, that hl1
extraordinary conduct can hc accounted
for Il vii. be remembered that Miss
Ke!lard was credited With having cXer-
cIsad 4 hypnotic power over barbara
Aub.
Sketch or His Career.
William G. Wood was the son OF James
Wood. retired builder. who died. lcay
Ing an estate valued at 100000. TO lie
divided between his three children. lie
first came prominently before the public
in September. 1884. when. he was sued
by Mrs Matilda Darlington. an 4 note
executed by him and payable by him,
for $4,000. The not" was duly presented
In July OF the same year, and Wood.
whose fortune had dwindl"i to small
proportions, acknowledged that he wa5
unable to meet II. Then Mrs. Darling
ton began an actlun to recover the
amount OF the note. alleging that IN"
note was given to her In business
transaction and that she was entitled 10
recover the amount Wood vet W aS II
defense II counter claim mounting to
$4,000. and filed one n the most re-
mnrkablc bills 81 particulars eyer pre-
scented To Il court, In his schedule he
ltemlzcl various articles he had pur-
chased for Mrs. Darlington. among them
diamonds and jewciry, JuppcrS. car
rlngc hire. money advanced 20 the
amount OF thnugn nIs OF dollars. sc.
Prior to the Darlington suit jarvis IL
Miller had been appointed receiver or
Woods affairs by Justice N"whurGer
on his plea that he waI bankrupt, and
that several judgments had been taken
against him. He nj that .imC lived IN
pnlatial style at No. @5J L"HoS avenue
with his VIII" and daughter. His wife Is
rich In her own right. and since the APP
unintmCnt AZ the receiver has YgpDOTt-
ed her husband by means OF an allow
anCc which she settled upon him. Wood
met the Darlington woman In 1892.
GIns 10 >iisE I>rilnrd.
His connection and dealings with Miss
Mary NJ. Kcllard came ont At the time OF
the barbara Aub confession. II was
then laccrtlincd that Wood had met her
In 1889, and during the period Of his lnN-
macy with her II was said ihIt hr OK
pended In the ncighborhnOI Of S20oOOO
on her AZ tho time he met her he held
the title 10 llfty-scven pieces Of property
IN this city and owned large estates In
Bedford Park. He presented TO Miss
Kcllarh during his intimacy n hnuge IN
WcIt Seventy fJurth street. one in West
Scvcnty-clghth street, one In West For
ty-n!nth Ftrcct and large tract Of land
In Bedford Park.
She started a home for unfortunate
women on the Bedford Park property
and 1t has bren stated that all the money
she secured from Wood went toward
pa ying the expenses ~ her many Chnrl-
Ties. Wood WA at that time nCcugtOm-
cd to give Mrs. KrllIr1 blank drafts or
nOtpa signed, which she would I'll out
MS she needed money. william lehman,
Icwercr. Of broadway md Thiriy-irst
street. stated that he had sold jcwelry 70
ann 4.