The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-16
She Claims That She Spent Pleasant Even
Ing Until Wright Asked for Pistol.
TRIED TO TAKE WEAPON FROM HER.
As He Tore Il From Her Grasp Hs Fell Back and
Weapon Was Discharged DOCTOR Did Not
Arrive for Nearly Two Hours.

Chicago. April 1s.-Rufus s. Wright,
the millionaire manufactures OF rubber
tires, who was shot during a scufile for
possession OF revolver in the apart
ments OF Mrs. Louise Lottridge at the
LELAND Hotel, died yesterday from the
effects OF the wound. The body OF the
millionaire is now at undertaking
rooms, where an inquest will be held
today. 1t is the opinion OF the police
that the coroner's investigation will
mark the close OF the sensational case.
A statement by the deceased to Chief
OF Detectives Colleran that the shoot
ing was accidental, will, IL is thought,
clear Mrs. Lottridge OF all response
bility. Wright d.ed with words of ex-
culpation on his lips for the woman
whose revoiver was responsible for his
death. He persisted in saying that the
woman was not TO blame for his con-
dition. and that he had the revolver in
his hand when IL was discharged.
Mr.. Wright's son-in-law and partner,
Fred Morgan. was at his side at death.
Mr.. Morgan held that his father-in-law
was on an errand TO help a friend who
had become entangled with the woman,
when he received his death wound.
Although he admits he can offer no
evidence, Chief OF Detectives Colleran
strongly believes that the weapon was
not in the hand of Wright when IL
was discharged. A careful examina-
ton of the position of the wound. he
says, will show that IL would be impos-
sible for Wright to have held the weap-
on in his hand. Capt. Colleran says
also that Mrs. Dottridge said she could
not remember whether the weapon was
in her hand or in Wright's. He also
cites the fact that Wright's beard Is
not singed, as IT would have been IL a
weapon Rad been discharged close TO
his head; his face is not marked with
powder; in fact, Capt. Colleran says
there is nothing to show that he held
revolver close to his face
Mrs. Lottridge in a statement made
at the police station said:
Il cannot remember what led up TO
the production of the revolver. i was
talking to Mr. Wright. when he asked
me to show him a revolver OF which he
had spoken previously. / refused TO do
So and we talked on other matters for
a while. I remember that finally went
no my valise and took out my weapon,
and when he saw IL, Mr.. Wright begged
me TO throw il away. AS / remember,
he tried to take the weapon from my
hand and we scuffied. stood up and
he was sitting on the couch. / had hold
OF the weapon, when. with a sudden
effort, he-tefe the revolver from my
grasp. He fell backward and followed
him. managed to get hold of the butt
of the weapon. he holding TO the guard.
As we struggled. the weapon was dis
charged. and bad as i felt from the
liquor i had drunk, / could not help
crying out in horror when / saw he
was wounded. He fell back en- the sofa
. and sasped that he was shot. 1 laughed
Historically and told him he was all
right. He insisted he had been wound
ed and begged me to call a doctor.
n11 la draa aft,o nd
then set about caring for him. I took
a handkerchief from his pocket and at
temptedl to staunch the flow Of blood
from his neck where the bullet had en-
tered I saw at a glance that the revol-
Yer had done deadly work, but I could
not bring myself TO tell any one of the
occurrence. / waited on Mr.. Wright for
two hours, possibly. before ! summoned
n doctor. j was so overcome that 1
could not talk. and may have said
things ought not to have said, but the
pressure was laboring under was the