How a beggar woman rose to wealth, then chose isolation for 25 years

Ida Wood went from a girl from a low-income family to the owner of millions. She had a reputation for being calculating and smart. But money did not bring her happiness. She went through a strange and challenging path, with a flare of mental instability that turned into insanity. Ida Wood became a grim legend in the United States, and it all started so promisingly.

A girl from an impoverished family

A girl named Ellen Walsh (real name Ida Wood) was born in 1838. Her parents were poor immigrants from Ireland. Unfortunately, little is known about the woman’s childhood, mainly from the stories of her contemporaries. The girl grew up smart and beautiful. She dreamed of traveling and moving to a big city. Since childhood, Ida was sure that great achievements awaited her. And she was right.

When Ellen was 19 years old, she decided to leave her homeland and move to the city that fulfilled her dreams – New York. She decided that her path to the top should begin with secular circles. To join the crowd, the girl came up with a new identity: she introduced herself as Ida Mayfield, the daughter of millionaire Henry Mayfield, who became rich in sugar production. At that time, it was much easier to create a legend for yourself than in our time, and Ida was so confident in herself that no one around her doubted the truth of her story for a second.

The “heiress” of a multimillion-dollar fortune quickly joined the high society of New York. In secular circles, she was accepted and called one of the most promising brides in the city. Many men are attracted to a beautiful and charming girl, but her high standards often prove too much for them. And that was until Ida Mayfield heard about Benjamin Wood, the owner of a shipping company and the New York Daily News.

The fact that Wood already had an official wife at that time did not bother Ida in any way; she wanted to become rich and stubbornly went for it. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. In the spring of 1857, the girl wrote a letter to the millionaire, which became the beginning of her new life.

The millionaire’s second woman

In the letter, Ida wrote that she had recently arrived in New York and knew that he was in a relationship. She noted that she is young, attractive, and smart. Ida offered him a close relationship, but he wasn’t interested. She suggested that he write to her if he was interested in meeting.

Wood was very surprised by such boldness. He, as the girl had expected, offered to meet, and she simply charmed him on a date. They began a secret affair that lasted about 10 years. During their relationship, they had a daughter, who was given the name Emma. The truth of the pregnancy story was strange because no one had seen Ida in that position, and no one knew exactly where she had given birth to the baby. Due to the lack of information, a variety of rumors began to circulate in society about her and Wood’s daughter.

But Ida paid no attention to the conversations. She had a goal that she was moving towards smoothly and confidently. She wanted to marry Wood and soon achieved it. Her lover’s wife, who stood in the way of their love, died, and the path to the millionaire’s money became open.

The millionaire’s wife

Ida married Benjamin shortly after his wife’s death. The ceremony took place in one of the most expensive hotels in the Golden Apple, and the guest list was full of high-ranking personalities. She took his last name and began the life she had dreamed of since she was a little girl.

After getting married, she began to live together in a luxurious millionaire’s apartment in an elite part of New York. Ida began to communicate a lot with people from high society, for example, Abraham Lincoln and the Prince of Wales. The millionaire’s wife became a regular at lavish social events and expensive parties and attended important political meetings.

How to make money in a marriage with a millionaire

There were some ugly sides to marriage with Benjamin. He was a well-known gambler in the city, and a huge amount of money could easily float out of his wallet overnight. This worried Ida greatly, as she did not want to lose her status and wealth, so she devised a plan to protect her finances. Every time her husband returned from the casino after losing, he paid his beloved wife a fine in the amount of the loss, and if he was lucky and won, he gave half of it into her hands.

Ida was able to make her own fortune in this way. The husband pays his wife for his addiction not only in cash, but also with expensive jewelry, securities, and even property. When the hour of Benjamin’s death came in 1900, he had almost nothing; his wife owned all the property and funds.

After her husband’s death, Ida began to enjoy the life of a millionaire. She took over the management of her late husband’s newspaper, spent time and money traveling, went to parties, and did not skimp on charitable donations. And so it went on until money began to affect her mental health adversely.

Mad about money

Ida began to feel that her millions were being spent very quickly. Having grown up in poverty, she was terribly afraid of losing what she had. So she started acting. Wood sold her late husband’s newspaper, and then all the real estate she owned.

A distraught millionaire, accompanied by her sister, Mary, and daughter Emma, moved into a cheap Herald Square hotel. They moved not only their belongings to their room. They took all the cash with them, which was filled with suitcases and trunks. Wood did not believe in banks and wanted to keep all her wealth to herself.

Ida Wood was terrified of losing her fortune and was afraid that someone might steal her wealth. Therefore, she locked herself in a hotel room and cut off all contact with the outside world. She wouldn’t even let the maids clean the room, and her food was left under the door. This has been going on for more than two decades. In 1931, her sister, who lived with her, fell ill, and Ida was forced to leave the room and call for help.

The hotel staff and the doctors who arrived were amazed by what they saw. The millionaire’s room was a scene of devastation and chaos, with garbage and leftovers scattered everywhere. The millionaire herself, her daughter, and her sister looked like homeless people. There were suitcases full of money in the room, and Ida was frantically afraid that someone from the visitors would steal something.

After the living conditions and the condition of Ida Wood herself were seen by outsiders, rumors began to circulate about her. There were even attempts to get the millionaire’s closure in a psychiatric hospital. But she still defended her right to live in a cheap hotel room.

Ida Wood passed away in 1932 at the age of 93. The doctors who examined her body were amazed; she weighed no more than 30 kilograms with a height of 170 centimeters. The maids said that the millionaire dreamed only of fresh milk, fried eggs, and sometimes raw fish.

The death of Ida Wood revealed unexpected details of her biography. Its true origin was revealed thanks to the documents found in the room. It also became known that Emma, who died shortly before her mother’s death, was not her daughter, but her younger sister. It is known that Ida’s money was distributed among her distant relatives after her death.

The story of a mad millionaire who locks herself in a cheap hotel room in fear of losing her wealth has become an urban legend. The townspeople tell it to each other, adding new details. It is said that part of the wealth was buried with Ida Wood, so even after her death, she was able to keep her money with her.