The chronicle=news., 1913-03-04
MILLIONAIRE IS
CHARGED WITH
OYNhM|T|NG

spectacle 0f the leading representa-
tive Of one OF the largest and wsilth-
lest corporations IN this state beihS
tried upon the same charge a. III, 10
representatives OF Labor who sLur'
time ago wero convicted Of conspiracy
in Indianapolis. will be prc-snIel
when William ". Wood. president OF
the American W0Olcn comptn'. and
ono Of the leading textile masnn,cs
Of the world. eOEether with several
alleged nccomplices. will be tried he.
fore q jury In the superior cr'mins
court Of Suffolk county UPON :Le
charge Of compiicity In thr alleged
planting" Of dynamite during the
strike Of the mill hands at I.lv'-fac".
Mass. last spring. owing tc tic
great wealth sad prominent POSITION
OF President Wood aud the ssrirls
nature Of the charges aEaias: hinI
aud other defendants the cas-. wtic!,
Is to begin next week and viii prob
ably last . fortnieh, or moe. Is al
tractinx country wide attention. pa:
ticularly In labor circles wh"r" ;hc
outcome Of the trial Is awai:ci With
intense interest.
The commonwealth whica. ~ The
trial. will he represented by District
Attorney Joseph c. Pclict,er. char.cs
aud vii ltry to prove that Wood a1d
the other defendants conspircd 10
place explosives In such u manner IN
the disturbed community US 10 dis-
credit the striking mili operatives
and turn public sentiment against
them. The trial. which has mauv
unusual features. promises to b.
highly sensational.
The arrest OF John ]. been. -
member Of the Lawrence school
board. upon tho charge of hav'n;
planted dynamite, was thc first .,n-
satlon which developed In til. .on-
splracy ease during the str.k. al
Lawrence. Brecn was found gniI;y
and utter = quick trial was sen. ac,d
to pay = fine Of $500. II WAS ,!'.n
suspected that others were cOncr nd
In the natter. but II was seven
months later. long after the - Ike
had been ended. that the xranl 'rv
f0und Indictments against Wool nnd
several others. Including Frci T..
Attcsux. u dyer: Dcnnic J. Coii'n1. n
Cambridge dog fsncicr; William ~.
Rice. an East Milton quarrympn. \
few days before the indictments wc..
returned Ernest r. Whitman. hc,a Of
the =. ". Pitmau company. ono ~
the largest builders Of textile min. ii,
New England. committed suicit.. =,
bis home In Andover a day bef,itc he
vas TO sail With his family for f:u-
rope. II was rumorcd at the tim.
that he had Inadvertently given dam.
aging evidence In tue conspiracy caAc
sod had taken hts life for fear 81
becoming cntaugled IN the ease.
Wood and the other defendants were
arrested on August 10 Of last year
and released under heavy bonds.
Naturally enoush the general In
tcrest is centercd upon William NJ.
Wood. the. principal defendant. and
alleged leadr Of the conspiracy. His
life history is unusually interesting.
and bis rise from poverty to wealth
and high position presents the Gle.
ncntx Of remarkable romance. In
the fall Of 1860 Captain Henry Pcasc,
. whaler of Edgartown. Martha a
Vineyard. brought with him to that
town n poor Portuguese from Fayal,
one OF the Azores. who had shipped us
cook on the captains vessel. The
mans name was Jacintho. but he
soon changed II to Wood. In honor Of
q man who had bcfricnded him aud
supplied him with fishermun's out
fit. William Jacintho Wood soon
hurried and OH April ). 1861. their
eldest child, William II. Wood. was
born. The boy was bright and his
father tried his best to give him an
education. Jacintho did not thrive
In the raw New England climate un,l
after he had worked for few years
as fisherman. cobbler aud steward on
one Of the Sound boats. he died ut
New Bedford Of tuberculosis.
William NJ. Wood was 4 years old
whom his father died and he had to
quit school and go to work. For
three years he worked in the office Of
tho Wamsutta mills and displayed
great ability. Then he worked for
three years In the mechanical de.
partment Of the mills and acquired
q thorough knowledge OF the milling
work. His next position was that of
bookkeeper In }. A. DeauvaIs' bank.
After a few years be became assist
ant manager OF some wooden mills in
Fall River. When DR.. Frederick
Aver. the patent medicine manufact-
urer, was obliged to take over the
Washington mill In Lawrence. be-
cause that institution could not re-
pay certain loans. Wood was made
Assistant manager of the mill. He. al.
W became acquainted with DR.. Ayers
family and married the Doctors only
daughter. Backed by his father-in-
laws wealth. William N. Wool soon
expanded hih activity and with re-
markable business ability succeeded
In organizing the American Woolen
company upon Il substantial basis and
making It well paying corporation.
His salary as president Of the COM
puny alone Is said to be 100000 Il
year and his other interests In mills
and other industrial and financial in
stitutions are estimated to be In the
millions.