David Wood - The Commercial Traveller and a Dirty Deed

This mugshot of David Wood taken on his arrest in October 1904 when he was 36, portrays him as a well groomed, dapper individual sporting a neatly trimmed moustache. His clean and natty appearance betrays his occupation as that of a travelling salesman for the Vinolia Soap Company for which he had worked for a total of twelve years, apart from a brief spell with the rival Crown Perfumery Company.

A Vinolia Soap Company newspaper advertisement from 1900

David Wood's crime was embezzlement of £11 8s.6d. from his employer, with the misdemeanour first coming to light in Aberdeen, hence his trial in the city. The Aberdeen Daily Journal of Saturday 15th October 1904 carried a report of the proceedings in which it was mentioned that Wood was a married man and that his home address was Viewforth, Edinburgh. The trial heard that Wood, 

"...travelled from Dundee and Perth all over the north of Scotland, to Orkney and Shetland, and for this he was allowed £2 a week and £3 of travelling expenses. Wood stated that that amount was quite insufficient to meet the expenses in covering the ground which he had to go over, and what he did with the money he embezzled was to spend it on the expenses he incurred in connection with the firm's business. There was nothing against Wood's character. He was a married man. He was extremely sorry that he had allowed himself to be tempted to commit the act of embezzlement, and if the Sheriff gave him the option of a fine, he would be able to get hs friends in Edinburgh to pay back the money which he had taken".

However, the presiding sheriff, Sheriff Begg, was none-too impressed when Wood's taste for high living was revealed during the course of the trial:

"The accused had lived in first-class hotels wherever he went and if he found that his expenses were too heavy, he should have lived in less expensive hotels...The Sheriff said that it was impossible to let Wood off with with a fine as an offence of this kind was very serious. Accused might account himself lucky in being tried in a summary court, and not before a jury. Sentence of one month's imprisonment was passed".