William Stroud was born around 1852 in North Carolina. Stroud worked as a laborer and resided in Columbus County, North Carolina. Stroud was charged with larceny on March 8, 1875, and sentenced to seven years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. Stroud was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 1141. In the descriptive register, Stroud's race is noted as white. Stroud was twenty-three years old when he was arrested. Stroud was noted as possessing no formal education, meaning he could not read or write at that time. During his incarceration, Stroud was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. Stroud escaped from the Western North Carolina Railroad in 1879 and 1880 and was recaptured both times. He was discharged on March 12, 1883, after receiving a pardon from Governor Thomas J. Jarvis.