Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series on Anton Woode’s life. Multiple spellings of Anton Woode’s name are found throughout newspapers, including Antone Woode, Antone Wood, and Anton Wood.
On Nov. 2, 1892, Anton Woode was guiding Joseph Smith, a wealthy businessman to a desirable hunting location just outside his home in Brighton.
During the walk, Anton became envious of Smith’s shiny gold watch and new gun. As Anton led them into a ravine, he moved behind Smith, lifted his old musket, and shot Smith in the back, killing him instantly. According to articles by the Aspen Daily Chronicle, he then took the coveted gun and watch and returned home.
Anton Woode was only 10 years old.
In February 1893, Anton, who had just turned 11 the month prior, and his parents, Thomas and Maggie, stood on trial for the murder of Joseph Smith. The parents, who were named as accessories to the crime, eventually had their charges dropped. The trial of the “Boy Murderer” would go on to attract national attention as people speculated what would become of the young murderer as it was illegal to hang him, and he was considered too dangerous to be sent to the reform school for boys.
Articles during the trial would describe Anton as a “pleasant-faced bright boy, with blue eyes and golden hair with an unusual intelligence and no sense of remorse.” An article covering the trial dated March 3, 1893, states, “He says he expresses no regret for his crime and says that he would kill anybody in order to obtain what he desired.”
Assigned a defendant who admitted his crime multiple times on the stand, the defense team tried to build a case that would prove that Anton’s act was committed during drunkenness. Anton testified that on the day of the murder, he had a lot of beer at home, as well as whiskey on the trail from a flask that Smith offered him. However, no evidence was ever presented that could prove that Anton’s actions were not deliberate.
After 27 hours of deliberating, the jury would be dismissed after they failed to agree on charges. A new jury was brought in and found the boy guilty on March 30 and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Without any other option on where to send the lad, Anton arrived at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Cañon City on April 3, 1893, becoming the youngest prisoner to serve time there.
A boy in a man’s prison, Anton was allowed certain privileges, including a private tutor. Reports would go on to state that he was something of a mathematical genius, mastering college courses in a year. A talented artist and violinist, he often spent his time drawing or playing songs for entertainment. In 1904, a painting done by Anton of Gov. Peabody was on display at the World’s Fair in St. Louis.
On Jan. 22, 1900, Anton, who had just turned 18, found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Assigned to the evening shift of the boiler room along with Thomas Reynolds, C.E.Wagoner, and Kid Wallace, Anton was unaware of the escape plan the other convicts planned.
Organized by Wagoner, the plan called for the gang to overtake the three-night guards on their way back to the boiler room from dinner, sabotage the belt system that ran the electric lighting, and under the cover of darkness escape over the wall. The group agreed to not tell Anton until it was happening, for fear he would tip off the guards.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. As the men moved to capture Night Capt. Wm. C. Rooney, he attempted to fight them off and one of them stabbed Rooney through the heart. Leaving Rooney, the trio moved on with their plan, dragging the bewildered Anton along with them. Breaking into groups of two, they climbed the walls with Wallace and Anton headed toward Cripple Creek and Reynolds and Wagoner heading to Florence.
Three days later, Wallace and Anton were captured by Charles Canterbury and Will Higgins by the tollgates, according to reports at the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center.
During their time on the lam, the atmosphere in town had shifted. The citizens had gone from panicked over the escape to angry at the needless killing of Capt. Rooney. Demanding justice, the community eagerly awaited the return of men responsible for Rooney’s death. Predicting the desires of the community, Wallace and Anton were hidden in a wagon full of hay as they were returned to the prison. One day later, Reynolds would not be so lucky.
As the buggy bringing Reynolds back to the penitentiary from Florence approached the penitentiary, signal shots could be heard announcing their arrival. Despite the late hour, a crowd lined Main Street from Fourth Street to the penitentiary gate, according to an article. Despite the size, the mob seemed orderly, no weapons were visible, however, several men held packages containing various sizes of rope from 50-100 feet in length.
As the buggy approached the gate, it was soon overtaken and Reynolds was dragged out and marched to the corner of First and Main streets. According to a very detailed report on the night’s events in the Daily Record the following week, Reynolds remained calm and simply asked for a cigarette when allowed to talk. The location of the lynching was strategic as it was in plain view of the sell house windows, a message to the others that murdering a guard would not be tolerated by the townspeople.
After the excitement of his jailbreak, the papers had little to say about the “Boy Murderer.” Both Wallace and Anton were tried for Rooney’s murder in January 1901, but the charges against Anton were discharged because of lack of evidence that he took part in the stabbing.
In an interview with Wallace after he was captured, he admitted that “Woode just stood there scared to the death the whole time,” and later, “I pulled him up the ladder and over the wall.”
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Back In Time: The story of ‘Boy Murderer’ Anton Woode, who committed his crime at the age of 10 - Canon City Daily Record
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