O. Henry was a pen name. His real name was William Sydney Porter. At the age of 19 he was a licensed pharmacist when that meant working with a mortar and pestle and rolling pills. He also worked as a draftsman and a bank teller. He was indicted for embezzlement and fled to Honduras where he wrote Cabbages and Kings. He coined the term "Banana Republic". He returned to the U.S. to be with his wife who was ailing and subsequently died. He was tried and served 3 years in the Ohio State Penitentiary. The prison put him to work as a pharmacist. While there he submitted stories for publication through a friend and his life as a writer took off. He moved to New York City to be near his publishers and in a short span of time he wrote 381 stories. His stories were famous for their unexpected twists.