Evening star., 1926-02-03
TEXTILE MAGNATE
TAKES OWN LIFE
William NJ. Wood Had Nota-
BILE and CoIorfuI Career in
American Industry.
By the Associated Press.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. February
3.-The body of William Madison
Wood 6S, former president of the
American Woolen Co. of Andover,
Mass, was prepared here today to be
sent to Shawsheen, Mass, tomorrow,
where it will be placed In the family
mausoleum beside that OF his son,
William, who died in 1922.
Mr.. Wood died yesterday from the
effects of self-inflicted bullet fired
into his mouth. Since the death of
his son. it was said by his friends. he
has been apparently without IN object
in life. Ill health and consedr ent mel
ancholia is ascribed as the direct
cause of his deed.
The wool magnate. accompanied by
his valet, Augustine F'rederickson. who
has been his attendant for So years,
and his chauffeur, Joseph Beauleau,
yesterday drove along F'lagler Beach.
stopping the car at lonely spot, Mr..
Wood stepped into the bushes that
lined the road and presently the shot
that ended his life was heard. His
servants dashed into the brush and
found him dying.
Doctor Comes Too Late
The chauffeur drove back to the
Hotel Ormond, where Mr.. Wood with
Mrs. Wood had been living. to obtain
the services of DR.. A. ID. Griffin, Mr..
Wood S personal physician, but he was
dead before the physician could estab-
lish contact with him.
Justice of the Peace F. A Rich,
conducting an inquest, returned a YER
dict that Mr.. Wood came to his death
by a bullet wound. self inflicted"
Mrs. Wood, while not informed Of
her husbands death until several
hours afterward, had q premonition
earlier in the day that something had
happened to him, friends said. When
he and DR.. Griffin failed to return
to the hotel for luncheon, he. know
ing that he was out driving, made a
search of the hospital thinking he
had been taken i'll suddenly. Upon
failing to find him, she learned he had
driven out F1agler Beach and went to
look for him there, ali to no avail.
Left Physician Behind.
DR.. Griffin. it is said. usually ac-
companied Mr.. Wood wherever he
left him behind on the last drive.
Mr.. Wood is survived by his widow,
a daughter Miss Rosalind Wood, and
a son, Cornelius Wood. the last now
in Europe.
Mr.. Wood recently was thought to
have been improving. Only Monday
he walked mile along the beach and
was seemingly in good spirits Mrs.
Wood was planning to leave here for
Louisville. Ky. yesterday afternoon
to visit a grandchild who is i'll with
pneumonia. but Cancelled her plans
at the last moment, even before she
learned of her husbands death, when
he and DR.. Griffin failed to return for
lunch.
Rose From Poverty.
The romance Of the poor boy who
rose to wealth and commanding posi-
ton was strikingly e1emplified in the
life of Wood. The son Of humble i'm
migrant parents, he became. as presi-
dent of the American Wooden Co, a
dominating figure in the woolen and
worsted manufacturing industry of
the country. 1t was through his apti-
tude and ambition. shown as a boy in
a mill Office and as youth in vari-
Gus departments Of mill work. that he
won the opportunity to serve as su-
perentendent of a large mill. and even
tually to head the largest wooden man
corporation in the world.
Woods father. native Of Santa
Maria. in the Azores, came to this
country as a cooks assistant on a
whaling vessel. His name was ia
cintho. but not long after his arrival
he took the name of Wood A little
later ne married a young woman who
had come from Flores. another island
of the Azores group. They estabNhhed
their home In Edgartown, on the is
land of Marthas Vineyard. off the
southern Massachusetts coast. There
William NJ. Wood was born, April 5.
1858.
Entered Mill Work.
The father became steward Of a little
steamer plying between Edgartown
and New Bedford, and the family soon
moved to the latter place Wood attend
ed the grammar school and had entered
high school when his father died. The
mother and two sisters needed sup
port. and Wood got a job In the Of
fee Of the Wamsutta mills, in New
Bedford. He showed such promise
that Andrew G. Pierce. head Of the
corporation, took a personal interest
in the boy. After three years in the
office he spent three years at the ma
chimes and then was advanced to the
agents office.
He had gone ahead rapidly when he
accepted a chance to enter a banking
house, but after a brief experience
there he returned to mill work. Six
years Of increasingly important duties
in Fall River led to his choice as su-
perintendent Of the Washington Mills
in Lawrence, which had been taken
over for debts by Frederick Aver Of
Lowell.
Married Employers Daughter.
The poor boy already had risen far.
He was made welcome in Mr.. Ayers
home, and after a brief courtship he
was married to the manufacturers
daughter.
In 1900 a merger of many Of the
wooden mills in the East was CON
summated and Mr.. Aver became presi-
Co., while Wood was made treasurer.
Within a short time he succeeded to
the presidency. Other mills were
taken into the combination from time
to time until the company had ap-
proximately 10000 employees in New
England and New York.
Wood built in Lawrence. where the
company had $4,000 workers, the
Wood Worsted Mill, the largest of its
kind in the world. Later he built in
the neighboring town Of Andover a
settlement Of model homes for mill
workers known as Shawsheen Village.
Here he gave employees of the cor
poration the opportunity to purchase
their own homes on a system of
monthly payments and provided
bowling green, soccer grounds and
other opportunities for recreation.
Workers Entered Strike.