The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-12-03
BroexAPBY OF .sra HAwLEr-
New York. Dec. The Herald says:

New York. Dec. 2-The Herald says:
The career of William Carroll Wood
ward, alias Big Hawley," who was SEN
fenced Monday to q long term IN Sns sing
is repletewith sensational incids1tS kut
the most significant phase of the man :
life lies in the warning influences when
were at work in the shaping Of his destiny.
AS study in heredity. he IS unique
The best blood of the South flows in his
veins His father was an embezzler, his
mother a woman of proud spirit. Her
noble influence for q time held in check the
stronger power for evil. Her prayer was
that her boy should redeem the family hon
or There was a brsaf struggle between
good and evil, and then-well. Woodward
has been arrested thirty-seven times, and
ne is just thirty-seven years old
Arrested thirty-seven times in the thirty
seven years Of his Efe, That IS the record
of William Carroll woodward. alias Big
Hawley," who is now In the Tombs con-
victed OF blackmail.ng Samuel w. Bridg-
ham, and he glories in the fact that he has
never yet been sentenced to prison. He
had never been convicted until last week,
and when I saw him in his cell on Friday
he laughingiy informed me that surprise
would be sprung in the court room on Mon
to Sing Sing.
William Carroll Woodward is on of the
most remarkable crooks the New York
police have ever dealt with. He is man OF
education, a voluble taIker, clever writer
and an accomplish musician. In his veins
flows the best blood of the old South; but
there is ataint in it. The influences of her
edity have left their imprint. He has all
nd has la Y
The entree to the best society of America
and Europe. But he has the instincts o.
the criminal, and is equally at home 90 the
police of two continents.
The story OF his career in crime has al
ready been told. His operations IN Europe
as Honorable Lionel Musgrave." his life
in Asia as bill, tn Slick" his crimes in
Australia as Woodward. the American"
are all matters of history which need not
be retold. 1t is the psychological phase OF
the mans nature that presents the great
est fell Of interest.
William Carroll Woodward, musician,
composer, newspaper reporter. gambler.
confidence man, sw.ndler, green goods"
r1anipulator and counterfeiter, was horn
in Memphis, Tenn, on the northwest eoT-
ner OF Second and Exchange streets. in
1889. His fathers name was Shield Wood
ward. VINO. during the fifties, was tax cCl-
lec.or Of Shelby county (Memphis,. Tenn,
ana w1o defaulted in the SIN % $780, go.
for which he was sent 10 the Nashville
Peritentiary. All real estate belonging to
him wss ccnfiscated by the coutv in rart
settlementof the defalcation, with The eS-
ception of the family home. which was n
his w:fe's name. At the expiration of MS
sentence he returned to Memphis, where
he. died.
Billy Woodward, as he was familiarly
termed, received his education in the public
schools of Memphis. He was bright, apt
pupil and invariably stood at the head OF
his class. He early evinced a fondness for
music and became a finished pianist. Be
fore he was twenty years old he composed
quite extensively. BILLY" was a hand
some, manly looking young fellow. He al
ways dressed well and was a favorite IN
whatever society he chose to mingle. He
was, moreover, an accomplished singer, as
well a pianist.
The mothers hope was in her handsome
by. She was bringing him up to be an
honor TO the family, 40 wipe out the stain
left upon the escutcheon as an inheritance
from his father. He was handsome a
picture, clean limbed and slender, with a
high forehead, piercing eyes and a mouth
ike a baby's. Other mothers sighed and
wished their boys were ike young Billy
Woodward. He neither smoked or drank.
Cards were his adherence. He was what
is known as a model young man.
In 1880 he migrated TO St. Louis. where he
sought employment as a newspaper report
er, being enga ged on the st. Louis News,
daily morning paper. AS an all round
news gatherer Woodward added TO his ac-
compl!shments that of pungent, descr:p-
tive writer George Eddy was then city
editor of the News. He soon lost conf
dence in Woodward, and his suspicious, as
after events proved, were well founded.
When the first five-cent pieces with a V
on them were coined Woodward industri-
ously negaged in the counterfeiting of them
into five-dollar gold pieces. These he cir
culated quite extensively throughout the
city of st. Louis, and worked the game
for al lit was worth for a period of three
or four months before the secret service
authorities located the proper criminal
He was evidently notified by one of his ac-
completes in crime that the authorities
were hot on his trail, for he took a Chi
caga and Alton train for Chicago. but was
captured at Alton, H., twenty-five miles
from st. Louis. by secret service detec-
tives.
Handcuffed and shackied. he was put
aboard train, to be returned to st. Louis
for trial AS the train neared the East
St. Louis Qll) approach to the bridge,
and while on the treslework Of the bridge
proper, Woodward, shacSed and hand
cuffed as he was. made a dash for the door,
jumped off the train onto the tres;ie work,
and thence TO the ground, fully twenty five
feet below the trestle. and DISAPPEARED.
1t was afterward learned that he had a
large roll OF greenbacks concealed upon
his person, which the authorities failed 20
discover when he was searched for ne
crawled to a blacksmith shop and paidsJo
to have the handouts and shackles remov-
ed from his hands and feet. Then he went
to the Mississippi River. stole a skin and
made his escape down stream.
That was the beginning OF a long and
varied coreer. From operating with FIVE
cent pieces Woodward raised the lint
He went out after big game. The element
Of danger seemed an additional incentive.
There was another phase Of his character
his influence over women.
Companion For All Ages
gentleman who Used TO read the
YoIfn's rOvlOaufon Xf1esl !. bOv- .,a