Semi-weekly herald., 1913-02-27
WOOD TRIAL PROMISES SENsA
TION.


BOSTON, Mass, Feb. 26.--The
spectacle of the leading representative
of one of the largest and wealthiest
corporations in this state being tried
upon the same charge as the thirty
representatives of labor who short
| time ago were convicted of conspir-
acy in Indianapolis, will be presented
when William M. Wood, president of
the American Woolen company, and
Gne of the leading textile magnates
of the world, together with several
other accomplices, will be tried be-
fore jury in the superior criminal
court of Suffolk county upon the
charge of completely in the alleged
planting" of dynamite during the
strike of the mill hands at Lawrence,
Mass, last spring. Owing to the great
wealth and prominent position of
Wood and the serious nature of the
charges against him and the other de-
PENDANTS the case which is to begin
next week and will probably last a
fortnight or more, is attracting coun-
try-wide attention, particularly in la
bor circles where the outcome of the
trial is awaited with intense interest.
The commonwealth which, at the
trial, will be represented by District
Attorney Joseph C. Pelletier, charges
and will try to prove that Wood and
the other defendants conspired to
/ place explosives in such manner in
the disturbed community as to dis
credit the striking mill operatives and
to turn public sentiment against them.
The trial which has many unusual fea-
lures, promises to be highly sensa-
tional.
The arrest of John j. Breen, a
member of the Lawrence school board,
upon the charge of having planted
| dynamite, was the first sensation
which developed in the conspiracy case
during the strike at Lawrence. Breen
was found guilty and after quick
trial was sentenced to pay fine Of
$500. 1t was then suspected that
others were concerned in the matter
but it was seven months later, long
after the strike had been ended, that
the grand jury found indictments
against Wood and several others, in.
cluding Fred E. Atteaux, dyer, Den
mis- J. Collins, Cambridge dog fan
cier; William Fl. Rice, an East Miltor
quarryman. A few days before the
indictments were returned, Ernest W
u Pitman, head of the f. w. Pitmar
. company, one of the largest builders
of textile mills in New England, com
mitted suicide at his home in An
dover day before he was to sail witt
! his family for Europe. 1t was ru
mored at the time that he had in
advertently given damaging evidence
in the conspiracy case and had taker
his life for fear of becoming en-
tangled in the case. Wood and tn,
! other defendants were arrested OF
Il Aug. 30 of last year and released
under heavy bonds.
! Naturally enough the general inter
, est is centered upon William M. Wood
the principal defendant and ALLEGED
leader of the conspiracy. His lif,
history is unusually interesting ant
his rise from poverty to wealth ant
high position presents the elements
of remarkable romance. In the fal
of 1860 Captain Henry Pease, whalel
of Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard
} brought with him to that town pool
: Portuguese from Fayal, one of tht
Azores, who had shipped as a cool
on the captains vessel. The mans
J name was Jacintho, but he soor
changed it to Wood, in honor of mar
who had befriended him and had sup
piled him with fisherman's outfit
William Jacintho Wood soon married
and on April 5, 1861, their eldest
child, William NJ Wood. was born
The boy was bright and his father
tried his best to give him an educa
ton. Jacintho did not thrive in The
raw New England climate and after
he had worked for a few years as
fisherman, cobbler and steward on one
of the Sound boats, he died at New
Bedford of tuberculosis.
William M. Wood was II years old
when his father died and he had to
4 quit school and go to work. For three
years he worked in the office of the
Wamsutta mills and displayed great
ability. Then he worked for three
years in the mechanical department
Of the mills and acquired thorough
knowledge of the milling work. His
next position was that of bookkeeper
in J. A. Beauvais' bank. After few
years he became assistant manager Of
some woolen mills In Fall River. When
DR.. Frederick Aver, the patent medi-
IL - -. L. A~f-