The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-11-23
FOUND TALENT IN PRISON.
Famous Short Story Writer Began
While Serving Sentence.


his generation, served three years
and three months in the State peni-
tentiarv at Columbus, Ohio, for en-
bezzlement. This fact has just come
to light, six years after his death.
He was charged with having embez-
zled s554.4S on October 10, 1894;
S299.60 on November II, 1894, and
s299.60 on November II, 1898. He
was found guilty on February IT,,
1898, and sentenced on March 20 OF
that year to five years imprison-
ment. He entered the penitentiary
ON April 25, 1898, and came out on
July "a, 1901, his term of contlne-
ment having been reduced from five
years to three years and three months
on account of good behavior.
Ever since o. Henry's death there
have been rumors that at some time
in his career he suffered for some
violation of the law of the land, says
the New York Times, but nothing
definite about it has appeared IN
print and his friends have endeavor-
ed to kill the rumors.
But, believing the facts of the case
reflect nothing to the great authors
discredit, Professor c. Alphonso
Smith, of the University of Virginia,
has decided to publish the complete
story of O. Henry's trial and impris-
onment. 1t will be given in the 20.
Henry Biography" to be published
next Friday by Doubleday, Page &
Co., and it is expected that Professor
Smith will refer to it this afternoon
in his address on O. Henry at Chick
ering hall.
On January 21, 1891, o. Henry, or
as he was then called, William Sgd
ney Porter, became paying and re-
ceiving teller of the First National
bank, of Austin, Texas. He had writ
ten anecdotes and jokes for the pa
pers. but was not at that time known
as an author. 1t appears that the
bank was carelessly managed. The
patrons used to enter, go behind the
counter, take out one hundred or
two hundred dollars and say week
later, "Porter, I took out 5000 last
week. See if 1 left memorandum
of it. I meant to- The affairs OF
the bank were managed so loosely
that Porter's predecessor was driven
to retirement and his successor to
attempt suicide.
Did Not Go to Austin.
According to Professor Smiths re-
cord, o. Henry resigned from the
bank in December, 1Ss4-which is
nearly a year before the date of the
third of the misappropriations with
which he was charged. Leaving Aus
tin, he went first to San Antonio,
where he edited a humorous weekly
which was called The Rolling Stone,
and later to Houston, Texas, where
he ioined the staff of the Daily Post,
conducting a column of verses and
paragraphs.
When he left Houston, never to
return, he left because he had been
summoned to go Immediately to Aus
tin and stand trial for alleged en-
bezzlement of funds from the First
National bank Of that city. Profes-
sor Smith believes that had he gone
to Austin, he would have been &C
Quilted. He protested his innocence
to the end, and many of his fellow
townsmen believed him. But he did
not go to Austin. When his train
reached Hampstead, about third of
the way to Austin, o. Henry left it
and took the last train to New Or
leans.
After a brief stay in New Orleans,
he took a fruit steamer for the Hon
duran coast, arriving at Puerto Cor
tez or Criva or Trujillo. On the
wharf at Trujillo he met another
fugitive from the law, Al Jennings,
now a citizen prominent in public
affairs, but at that time a fugitive of
law, whose gang of train robbers ter
rorized the Southwest.
O. Henry Joined Al Jennings and
his brother, and with them circled
the entire coast of South America.
When the money gave out, the Jen-
nings brothers decided to go back to
Texas and rob German trading store
and a bank, and asked o. Henry to
join them, but he refused.
In 1887 o. Henry had married Miss
Athol Estes, and she was now living
with their daughter in Austin. He
corresponded with her through Mr..
Louis Kreisele, and in February OF