He was appointed as a cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1893 and remained two years.
After studying law, Wood was admitted to the bar in 1898 and commenced practice in St. Louis, Missouri.
Wood presented his credentials as a Democratic Member-elect to the Fifty-ninth Congress and served from March 4, 1905 to June 23, 1906, when he was succeeded by Harry M. Coudrey, who contested his election.
Coudrey submitted evidence that the voting rolls were filled with people who didn't exist and whose addresses were various saloons and boarding houses.
[1] There were numerous affidavits submitted accusing Wood of coercion and bribery and in the end the House unanimously voted to remove him and replace him with Coudrey.