O. Henry’s Twisted Stories Are Still Honored

Why Are Pennies Often Found on His Grave?

O. Henry, born William Sidney Porter, and known as “Will” to his friends, was famous for his witty, twist-filled short stories — but there’s much more to the man than just his profession.

Here are a dozen facts about the renowned writer that you may not know:

1. Porter moved to Texas for his health.

He developed a troublesome cough while living in North Carolina, and his family doctor believed that the climate of Texas, as well as the country lifestyle, would help cure his ailments. The two years Porter spent on a ranch owned by Richard Hall in LaSalle County improved his health and provided experience that he later used for his short stories.

2. He was a political appointee at the General Land Office.

After working in Austin at a drugstore, cigar store, and a real estate firm, Porter was appointed to the position of draftsman by his friend Richard Hall, who had become Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office.

O. Henry’s 1889 map of Kent County. O. Henry, known as Will Porter, in the Draftsman Room of the GLO in 1887. Image courtesy Texas State Library and Archives.

Porter spent four years as an assistant compiling draftsman, during which time he worked on a small handful of maps, the most notable being his 1889 map of Kent County. His skills as a cartoonist can be seen in the intricate borders and detailed country scene.

3. Porter served time in prison.

After he left his position at the Land Office, Porter worked at the First National Bank of Austin. In 1894, an audit turned up evidence of foul play, and Porter was accused of embezzlement.

Photograph of First National Bank interior; Porter is shown in the teller’s cage.

He fled to Honduras before his trial in 1896 but surrendered to U.S. authorities when he learned his wife was dying from tuberculosis, and he cared for her until her death in July 1897. He began his five-year prison sentence in March 1898 at the Ohio Penitentiary, where he served as a night druggist. While imprisoned, Porter published 14 stories under various pseudonyms, one being O. Henry.

4. Porter’s first publication was a weekly newspaper entitled the Rolling Stone.

Photograph of the front page of *The Rolling Stone*, January 26, 1895.

Not to be confused with the current popular magazine, Porter’s newspaper was first published in 1894 when he lived in San Antonio and served as the medium for many of his early works.

The publication’s existence was short, however; it was shut down in 1895 due to a lack of funds resulting from Porter’s legal troubles.

5. His Austin & San Antonio homes are honored as museums.

While in Austin, Porter lived with his wife and daughter in a house on East Fourth Street.

The O. Henry Museum, once Porter’s Austin home. Image courtesy Austin Parks and Recreation Department.

Thankfully, the house was saved from demolition, relocated to East Fifth Street, and converted into a museum in honor of the author. With free admission, the public can visit the house for a complete O. Henry experience.

Porter lived in San Antonio from 1883 to 1885 after being accused of the Austin bank embezzlement. He rented this two-room house for $6 a month.

6. There is an annual “Pun-Off” in honor of Porter.

Since 1978, the O. Henry Museum has held an annual “O. Henry Pun-Off” for the pun-lovers and “punslingers” of Austin. Every May, people join together to celebrate O. Henry and compete with the best puns.

7. The true origin of the author’s pen name is disputed among historians.

While some claim that “O. Henry” originated from the author calling for his cat, Henry, others claim that the “O” is an abbreviation. In 1909, Porter told the New York Times that the name “Henry” was found in the newspaper and the “O” was added simply because it was an easy letter to use.

The inspiration for one of O. Henry’s stories, Bexar Scrip 2692, contains testimony from the Land Commissioner regarding the story. Texas Land Grant Records, Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin, TX.

8. His stories are famous for his twist endings.

In his lifetime, O. Henry wrote over three hundred stories. The author wrote twist endings so often that they became his trademark — an “O. Henry Ending” can usually be expected when reading the author’s work.

9. Several of his stories are based on his experiences as a GLO employee.

One of his GLO-centric stories, “Bexar Scrip No. 2692” is centered on a fictional tale of land fraud. Even though O. Henry’s tale of treachery is not possible in reality, it caused such a stir that past Commissioner J. H. Walker released a statement on the work of fiction in 1933. The testimony was placed together within the original Bexar Scrip file.

10. Porter’s Death

When he was released from prison early for good behavior, Porter moved to Pittsburgh to be with his daughter Margaret before relocating to New York City, where he wrote 381 short stories.

He married Sarah (Sallie) Lindsey Coleman in 1907; she left him two years later. Porter died on June 5, 1910, after years of deteriorating health.

11. His grave is often covered in pennies.

In O. Henry’s famous Christmas short story, Gift of the Magi, one of the characters only has sixty cents in pennies. It has become a tradition for visitors to leave that amount of pennies on Porter’s grave to honor the talent and rich life of O. Henry.

O. Henry’s grave in Riverside Cemetery in North Carolina. Image courtesy of Riverside Cemetery.

12. His Literary Works

● “The Gift of the Magi” is about a young couple, Jim and Della, who are short of money but desperately want to buy each other Christmas gifts.

Unbeknownst to Jim, Della sells her most valuable possession, her beautiful hair, in order to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim’s watch; while unbeknownst to Della, Jim sells his own most valuable possession, his watch, to buy jeweled combs for Della’s hair.

● “A Retrieved Reformation” tells the tale of safecracker Jimmy Valentine, a man recently freed from prison.

He goes to a town bank to case it before he robs it. As he walks to the door, he catches the eye of the banker’s beautiful daughter. They immediately fall in love and Valentine decides to give up his criminal career.

He moves into the town, taking up the identity of Ralph Spencer, a shoemaker. Just as he is about to leave to deliver his specialized tools to an old associate, a lawman who recognizes him arrives at the bank.

Jimmy and his fiancée and her family are at the bank, inspecting a new safe when a child accidentally gets locked inside the airtight vault.

Knowing it will seal his fate, Valentine opens the safe to rescue the child. However, much to Valentine’s surprise, the lawman denies recognizing him and lets him go.

● “The Caballero’s Way” in which Porter’s most famous character, the Cisco Kid, is introduced.

It was first published in 1907 in the July issue of Everybody’s Magazine and collected in the book Heart of the West that same year.

In later film and TV depictions, the Kid would be portrayed as a dashing adventurer, perhaps skirting the edges of the law, but primarily on the side of the angels.

In the original short story, the only story by Porter to feature the character, the Kid is a murderous, ruthless border desperado, whose trail is dogged by a heroic Texas Ranger.

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