New Britain herald., 1926-03-02
FAMOUS PRISONER
 DIES AT ATLANTA
Worthineton Was Known as
 "WOlf Of LaSalle Street,

Atlanta, Ga, March 2 R,-John Whitehouse Worthington of Chicago, known as the Wolf of La Sallo Street" died at the Atlanta federal penitentiary today, where he was serving a term for using the malls to defraud.
 Death was caused by a stroke Of paralysis. Worthington was brought 10 the penitentiary on last october 10 to serve two years. He was sui fering from diabetes and A former paralytic stroke and had to be car. ried to the penitentiary.
 During his six months confinement he was kept in the prison hospital and given special treatment for dia- betes. His condition was thought to be Improving, but the second stroke Of paralysis this morning proved fatal
 Funeral arrangements will not be completed until word is received from relatives Jane Allen, actress, is Worthington's daughter.
 After charges were made against him In Chicago he fled 10 Mexico where he remained several years be- fore returning voluntarily to face the accusations. Due to his physical condition special efforts were made 10 obtain communication of sentence, An appeal was made to the United States attorney general 10 save him from the prison sentence but all ef- forts proved fruitless
 T would rather be in prison in the United States than be free in Mexico" Worthington stated when he surrendered to Chicago authori- ties after his return from Mexico,
 A few days ago he filed an ap- plication for communication Of sen tence with the department of jus tice.
 WorthlnEton's operations are es- timated to have netted him more than S2,500,0o0.
 At one time he was head of 8 chain of banks In Alabama; then h." became a confidence operator and piled up fortune from speculative ventures which eventually involved him with the government and caused his flight 10 Mexico.
 Making his will before entering prison here, Worthineton directed that the bulk of his fortune to go to his daughters, Mrs. Alien Pike, Chicago, known in moving pictures as Jane Allen and Mrs. John Rodgers of New Rochelle, Long Island. Another s200,n00 was be- queathed to his granddaughter Miss Helen Rodgers and s25,000 to pr, Ronald McKibben, a Los Angeles physician.
 Warden John A. Shook Of the federal renitentiary said that the Wolf of LaSalle Street" had no visitors during his Imprisonment.
 Chicago. March 2 LP---John w. Worthington, the wolf of La Sall' street." who died in prison q At- lanta today, had one of the most remarkable careers ever linked with the financial history of Chicago.
 It was only last fall that Worth ineton was placed in q cell al. though Chicago agencies of one sort or another had tried since 1909 tC inprison him.
 Worthington was described by 2 tctcctive as "the man who started half million dollar bank on his breath" He spent much of his life explaining his million dollar trans actions. For example, he protested when arrested in connection with "rlueless" safe robbery from thF Union Pacific railroad at Omaha 1T March. 1922, after some of thF stolen bonds were found in his pos session, fits all a mistake. handle hundreds of thousands O dollars worth of bonds may haVf handled some of those bonds, bh didn't know they were stolen"
 Little Is known Of his life befor' 1902. At that time he was released from New York prison, where b' had served four years for swtndhni Mary F.. Smith out of merchandise Such was his background when h. came 70 Chicago and opened banking and hrokerag" office. II 1906 he was the center of litigation over the Visibl" Typewriter com pany," which he promoted. II" wa charged with misrepresentation r" Sarding security for a S6o,o0h,oo bond issue.