The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-04

NEW YORK, Dec. c,--WnlIam G.
Wood, ilfty-Gvc years OF hgc, who was a
prosperous and wealthy man, happily
married and enjoying II large inherited
fortune when he met Mary NJ. Ecllard,
eight years ago, says the Herald, was
locked IN In police headquarters last
night on u charge Of forging the name Of
his wife. Mrs. virginia Wood. OF M. 80
1.cnoN avenue, 10 two promissory notes
. Tor $1,000 each.
Two indictments were found against
Mood yesterday by the grand jury, and
he was arrested on bench warrant last
night at the Aullc hotel, Thrty-nith
street an broadway, where he has lately
made his home. by Detectives Nc.
Narght and Birmingham. OF the dis
trIct attorneys Office
The story OF Woods downfall Il a pa
thttio one. His lnf1tuation for Miss
Kcllarl caused his separation from hts
wife, aud after thas his money began to
20 rapidly, II is estimated that since
his acquaintance with Miss kclldrd he
has spent $4,000 much Of which was
used, for expenses incurred by her,
During the early years OF their friend
ship Miss Kcllnrd purchased S3O.Q00
worth OF goods from one Arm, which he
paid for. Miss Kcllard figured prom!-
Ilrntly In the surprising denoucment "
the Barbara Auh trial A. the woman who
induced the girl to make confession
cNhonora,!nE the defendant. LANCER
man. Her association with Mr.. Wood
has only recently beeu severed.
Forged III. Wife's Name.
The oftense with which Mr., Wood IS
charged has, /: is alleged. been prac;Iccd
by him for several years. After all HIS
own money was spent, he began 10 use
his wIfe'S name On notes. His custom
was, Il Is alleged. TO draw the note TO
his own order ana sign his wifc's name
10 Il. Then he would lndOrse II and &c!
q, cashed by note broker or som" per-
son who knew him.
Mrs. Wood Is i woman OF c0nSidera-
Bile wealth. and her alleged signature"
was sufficient 20 guarantee the payment
OF the note Wood kept up the practice
until his wife had overwhelmingly paid
some $4,000 worth Of theFe GO;.s. She
IS gentle, forcbcarIuH womIU and was
lOath to expos fer husband, knowing
well that his arrrse was bound 10 ensue.
81 she kept on paying the notes until
she suspected thss her money vas not
being used entirely FOR her husbands
expenses.
She made an Investigation. which sat
!sfied her tina; he- suspicious were cor
rect. Mr.. Wood Is man OF simple hlb
its and was living In 4 modest way NJ the
.AulIc.
Mrs. Wood then determined 20 let him
take the consequences OF his future note
transactions. Among the persons who
were In tho hablr OF cashing the notes
for Mr.. Wood was MIS- Mary d. Emcr-
son. a florist at Ninet!rth street and
Columbus avenue" The paper had al
ways been promptly paid g" when Wood
offered her two notes for $1,000 each on
August last she had no hssitancy IN
giving his the money.
The notes were made payable In five
months and in the meantime several
smaller notes We're cashed by Mrs. I'm
crson. These later came due In few
weekg but when presented 10 Mrs. Wood
she refused 70 pay them.
Mrs. Emerson. still NOT suspecting any
thing, pu: the matter IN She hands 81
her lawyer for collection. II was then
that Mrs Wood was forced 10 reveal the
.act that her husband wa5 fOrGer.
. The lawyer laid the matter before
Acting District Attorney Vernon VI.
Davis. who, with Assistant District At
turncy Battle. made long and careful
investigation Of the case w!th the result
t1tl " ttI wa iItilAsf'A gFcN'AN'As Iva
forging the 81 .ro0 nJIe.1
II is believed by many Of the mans
friends that he is suffering fNlm spec
les OF INSANITY, and some assert that he
was hypnOtizad 10y Mis- Kelllrl. II Is
only on ;hese grounds. they say. thai his
extraordinary COuduc; can be- accounted
for II vii. he remembered that Miss
Kellard was credited with having; c1er-
ciscd hypnotic power over Barbara
Aub.
sketch Or His Career.
William G. Wood yeas the son OF James
Wood. retired builder, who died icav-
Ing an estate valued At Sl,000,000, TO be
divided between his three children. He
first came prominently before the public
IN September. 1894. when. he was sued
by Mrs Matilda Darlington. IN "A note
executed by him and payable by him,
for So. 600 The note was duly presented
in July OF the same year, 1nd Wood.
whose fortune had dwlnilea TO small
proportions. Acknowledged that he WAS
unable to meet II. Then Mrs. Darling
ton began al action To recover the
amount Of the note, alleging that the
note was given to her In 4 business
transaction and that she was entitled 10
recover the amount. Wood get up az II
defense Il counter claim mounting 10
$50, 900. and filed one OF the most re
markablc bills Of particulars c"cr pre-
sented To # court. In his schedule he
ItemiZed various articles he had rlr-
chased for Mrs. Darlington. among them
diamonds and jcwrlry. gupners, car
riagc hire. money advanced TO the
amour; 0c thousands Of dollars, sc.
Prior to the Darlington suit Jarvis II.
Miller he'd been appointed receiver OF
a Ia TtgfiE., NnV'l1 Trspr
on his plea that he waa bankrupt. and
that several judgments had been taken
against him II" At that timC lived IN
palatal style Mt No. $50 LenoX avenue
with hls wife ana daughter His wife Is
rich In her own right, and since the up-
puintmcnt OF the receiver has support
cd her husband by means OF M allow
nncc which she settled upon him. Wood
met tho Darlington woman In 1882.
CHS to Miss Nclinri.
His connection and dealings with Miss
Mary VI. Kcllard came ont at the time OF
the barbara Aub confession. 1t was
then asccrtaned that Wood had mot her
In 1859 and during the period OF his init
macy with her Il was said that hr cX-
pended In the nciGhbOrhuod OF 100000
on her. A the time he mot her he held
the title to fifty-scvcn pieces or property
IN this city and owned large estates in
Bedford Park lie presented to Miss
KcIard during his intimacy house IN
Wet Seventy fourth street, one In W"at
Seventy eighth street, one In West For
ty-n!nth street and large tract OF land
In Bedford Park.
She started a home for unfortunate
women on the bedford Park property
and It has been stated that all the money
she secured from Wood went toward
T.. Il. al