O. Henry.

• His real name is William Sydney Porter and he was born and raised in North Carolina
• He was a licensed pharmacist 
• He lived on a sheep ranch in Texas
• He got his pen name, "O.Henry," from the Harrell family that he lived with in Austin, Texas for 3 years
• He then worked in 2 different banks for many years.
• After working for the banks, he started an unsuccessful comedy newspaper called the Rolling Stone.
• He then wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post.
• He was accused of embezzling funds from when he worked at banks, so he left his daughter and wife and fled to many different states and countries.
• When he returned to be there when his wife died, he was found guilty of the charges and spent 5 years in prison.
• He wrote hundreds of short stories while in prison, and when he was free from prison he kept his identity of O.Henry and wrote many more short stories in New York City until he died in 1910.

http://www.lsjunction.com/people/porter.htm

http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/cvc/historic/ohenry.htm