O. Henry - 10 Facts You Probably Didn't Know

#1. O. Henry was a pseudonym (pen name) for one of the American short story writers, William Sydney Porter.

#2. His was born in Greensboro, North Carolina in the year 1862.

#3. William Porter only went to school until he was 15 years old.

#4. He dropped out of school so he could work at his uncle’s drugstore.

#5. While in his 20’s Porter became both a clerk and bank teller and moved to Texas.

#6. He did not write professionally until he was in his 30’s.

#7. O. Henry was accused of embezzling funds from the First National Bank of Austin, Texas in when he was 34. After being accused of this, Porter fled to Honduras.

#8. Learning his wife was dying, O. Henry returned to be with her, and then after she died he turned himself in.

#9. The sentence was 5 years (it was a small amount of funds embezzled), of which O. Henry served 3 at a jail in Ohio.

#10. O. Henry died in the year 1910, nearly 10 years after his release from prison.

Source:
Microsoft Student with Encarta