The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-03-19
CONFESSED MANY
MURDERS
j. w. Wood, Escaped Folsom
Convict, Tells of Many
Bloody Crimes

AHN ieNiAO oOOAlldl VI yGSlSIudy pun
fishes the following confession by J.
w. Wood, the Folsom convict who
was convicted of murder in the first
degree at Placerville recently. The
confession was dictated to a State
Journal reporter under promise that
1t should never be published until
Wood was convicted of murder in the
first degree. and is as follows:
Il was in the Philippine war as a
private in the United States army. The
company, or regiment, it is not neces.
sary to state. My first trouble was
that / killed Filipino and took his
horse. This 1 gave to a lieutenant
in another company. at the request of
the captain of my company.
Il gave the horse under protest, but
my captain promised to return it. so
| let it go. The lieutenant had not
ridden the horse mile when owing to
the badly stove-up condition of the
animal. it fell in a pile of rocks and
neally killed the lieutenant.
Shortly after this / killed Filipino
officer and got fine pony. / had not
ridden the animal far when the lieu
tenant. who had been afoot after the
accident. said he was lame and could
not walk and wanted my new horse.
Again at the request of my captain
| gave it up and let the lieutenant have
this horse.
1T is needless to say never got
him back. I met the lieutenant in q
Spanish saloon, and still being sore
over the horse matter 1 said to the
Spaniard who was keeping the place:
What do you think of man that
would steal a horse. anyway"
knowing that 1 referred to the
lieutenant the Spaniard did not an
swer; but the lieutenant spoke up and
said
You seem to be doing considerable
worrying about that horse
II said: 1T is not worrying me near
yas much as it does old Betsy. mean
ing my pistol, which 1 had with me.
With that he left the place.
I'm August, 1900. my captain was
killed and as he was the only friend
| had there, l knew things would go
hard with me.
About this time certain advances
were made 10 me from the Filipino side
and / became a deserter, and was CIV
en- a captains commission and $1,000
American money.
II organized and led a Filipino party
and was more than successful. / mar
ried Filipino woman, and finally rails
ed to the rank of a major In the Fill
plno army.
Drunk with success l attempted to
capture a party of Americans with
only eight men under me. All eight
were killed, and 1 was made a pris-
oner.
by the irregularity of mixed court
which had no power in the matter. l
was sentenced to be taken to the
United States and there shot.
II was brought to Alcatraz Island
and was released by President Nc
Kinley in August, 1901. finally land
ed in Folsom. convicted of highway
robbery, and life sentence hanging
over me.
Il Immediately began to plan an
escape and was continually figuring
on how l was going to get out.
'The only thing that 1 am sorry
for is that ] had to take the poor
devils in with me. and they will have
to suffer for my crime.
II was in control of the party from
the time they left the prison. and at
no time did they work except under
my direction. When my authority was
questioned was when the first separa-
tion took place.
1t was who killed the two men
at Manzanita Hill. Had they acted
like sane men nothing would have hap
pened. But they came right onto us.
and when they saw me, they said:
There they are.'
- ney were at this time about eight
feet from me. I fired two shots and
saw them both fall. and for that rea-
son think | got them BOTH"