Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-11-26

WILLIAM CARROLL WOODWARD.
to the skill Of Assistant District Attor-
ney Carpenter, whose management OF
the case throughout was both brilliant
and thorough.
The distinguished rascal with the ia
tality which invariably at some time
comes to all criminals. insisted upon
going on the witness stand and telling
the story Of his life. He denied, II is
true, the specific charge on which he
was indicted, but his confessions as to
his past life were so startling that
jury might have felt itself compelled to
convict on general principles.
Boasts of His Cunning.
indeed, he sought to prove an alibl
to the charge of blackmail by demon-
strating th1t at the time of the con-
spiracy against the wealthy Mr.. Bridg-
ham he was engaged in travelling be-
tween Boston and New York, sometimes
by boat and sometimes by rail, teach
ing dudes how to play cards and show
ing them how much there was about
the game that they did not understand"
But he was careful to say he had dealt
only with dudes and that he turned
no card within the city limits. He used
New York as a sort of distributing CEN
er spending here what he won on his
.ravels.
Mr.. Carpenter led him on dexterously.
Now and then the court warned him
that he was imperiling his case with
the jury, but he kept right on. He
seemed eager to show that whatever he
had been abroad he had committed no
crime in this city. He recited his for
eign adventures. probably with a view
to suggesting that he was so busy
abroad and found foreign parts 50
profitable that II would have been alb.
surd for him to be at work here. He
gave his opinion of the French police
with a frankness that was charming
and as for the Scotland Yard staff he
told of how they operated between
chuckles. He would have asked moth
ing better than to have the best OF
them in a poker game but for the fact
that they had no money.
His Booty q Million.
We'll" asked Mr.. Carpenter, you got
away with a good deal of money!"
II did," was the reply.
How much?"
Possibly a million dollars"
"A million dollars?"
Eyes, maybe a few dollars less or a
few dollars more. 1 am speaking now
Of my recollection at that time. A few
thousand in those days meant little to
me-"
"was that before you went to Cey-
lon?"
"Oh, yes; before. went to Ceylon in
steam yacht which I purchased"
"You had a little affair there In reia-
tion TO some diamonds7'
"Yes; but really that affair was much
exaggerated. Ceylon is not the para
disc that it's been painted"
"You and the diamonds however, left
Ceylon simultaneously. apprehend?"
Now" said the prisoner, "Ceylon Is
an English colony. 1 am ready TO &c
there any time they may think they
want me extradited."
How much were the diamonds
worthT
Twenty thousand pounds. Some Of
the stones were poor"
Escaped Thirty-seven Times.
How many times have you been ir
Jail ?" asked Mr. Carpenter.
II am 81 years old, and I have beer
arrested 81 times. It was predicted that
/ would be arrested 40 times--that give,
me three more times. After I have beer
arrested 40 times I will give the wOrlt
a great medical discovery. A gypsy
told me So"
BY adroit leading Mr.. Carpenter goi
him back to where the man most fool
ishiy became vain, and he told OF G
wonderful trip he took around th'
world Immediately after his diamond
escapade in Ceylon. He spoke pleas,
antly Of his life in the south Pacific, o.
his trip through Hawaii. OF his enter
tainment in California and his roughinl
Il in Cripple Creek. After all, he though
he liked Australia best OF all countries.
After the story told by Woodward. 4
did not seem possible that there coulC
be any doubt as to the result. The jurl
surprised every one by remaining ou
one hour and 20 minutes, but wher
they returned their verdict was "Guiltl
as charged" woodward looked at then
lcalmly, buttoned his bum overcoa
about him and prepared for his marcl
back TO the Tombs.
II Is one OF the remarkable things II
this mans variegated career Of crook
edness that this case OF blackmail rs tn
first case Of any kind in which he eve
had TO face a jury. though he had heel
arrested frequently. He viii be sen
tsnced on Monday next. and probabl,
will get the full term for the offense
i've years In Sing Sing.