Woodard - William Austin
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Review Nov 17, 1910
When W.A. Woodward (sic), a prominent and wealthy Boone County farmer living three miles south of Colfax, drove into Jack Dunbar's garage at Colfax Friday evening to have slight repairs made to his machine, Mr. Dunbar discovered that a fiendish attempt had been made to assassinate Mr. Woodard (sic).
Wired to the muffler of the automobile were two, half-pound sticks of dynamite, and attached to these was a fuse that led to the cut-off, and at the end of the fuse was a bunch of matches. The fuse, matches and dynamite were securely fastened to the machine.
The fiend who planned the death trap was familiar with the mechanism of the automobile. He arranged the matches in such a position that the heat from the cut off, if opened, would ignite the matches and fuse, explode the dynamite and blow the machine and Mr. Woodard into atoms.
Mr. Woodard was ignorant of the design on his life until it was discovered by Mr. Dunbar and the revelation completely unnerved him. He was accompanied by his son when he left home and drove direct to Colfax. He did not have occasion to use the cut off on the three-mile run and this was the only thing that saved his life and the life of his son.
Mr. Woodard cannot divine the motive of the person who fastened the dynamite to the machine. It was evidently done while the machine was idle at Mr. Woodard's home. He does not know that anyone has a grudge against him and opinion is divided as to the object. Some think it might have been done for the purpose of robberty. It was a fiendish thing and Mr. Woodard had a very narrow escape from a terrible death. - typed by kbz
When W.A. Woodward (sic), a prominent and wealthy Boone County farmer living three miles south of Colfax, drove into Jack Dunbar's garage at Colfax Friday evening to have slight repairs made to his machine, Mr. Dunbar discovered that a fiendish attempt had been made to assassinate Mr. Woodard (sic).
Wired to the muffler of the automobile were two, half-pound sticks of dynamite, and attached to these was a fuse that led to the cut-off, and at the end of the fuse was a bunch of matches. The fuse, matches and dynamite were securely fastened to the machine.
The fiend who planned the death trap was familiar with the mechanism of the automobile. He arranged the matches in such a position that the heat from the cut off, if opened, would ignite the matches and fuse, explode the dynamite and blow the machine and Mr. Woodard into atoms.
Mr. Woodard was ignorant of the design on his life until it was discovered by Mr. Dunbar and the revelation completely unnerved him. He was accompanied by his son when he left home and drove direct to Colfax. He did not have occasion to use the cut off on the three-mile run and this was the only thing that saved his life and the life of his son.
Mr. Woodard cannot divine the motive of the person who fastened the dynamite to the machine. It was evidently done while the machine was idle at Mr. Woodard's home. He does not know that anyone has a grudge against him and opinion is divided as to the object. Some think it might have been done for the purpose of robberty. It was a fiendish thing and Mr. Woodard had a very narrow escape from a terrible death. - typed by kbz
Note: It is Woodard (William Austin) -- not Woodward-- he died a natural death just eight years later at age 38
Source: Indiana Certificate of Death #42416 Sugar Creek Township (Thorntown) Boone County, Indiana
Name: William Austin Woodard
Male White Married
Died Nov 3, 1918 (Dr. GM Owsley attended him from Nov 1 - to Nov 3, 1918 when death occurred at 5 a.m. of Bronchial Pneumonia
Born: August 10, 1880 in Boone County, Indiana 8-10-1880 Age: 38 Years 2 Months 23 Days
Wife & Informant: Pearl Woodard, Thorntown, Ind buried by CC LaFollette Nov 5, 1918 at Thorntown
Father: Isaac Woodard born Hendricks County, Ind
Mother: Lydia Duzan born Hendricks County, Ind