Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-16
EXOnerateS Woman Who.
1t Is Thought, Shot Him.
. MILLIONAIRE DEAD
Police Believe the Woman Committed
the Crime-Weap0n Was Dis
charged During Struggle-Were
No Outside Witnesses. "

Chicago. April 15.-Rufus Wright. the
millionaire manufacturer of rubber tires,
who was shot during a scuflle fol, the
possession of a revolver, in the apart
ments of Mrs. L.ottridge in the Leland
hotel, died today from the effects of the
wound. The body of the millionaire is at
the undertaking room, where an inquest
will be held tomorrow. 90
1t is the opinion of the police that the
c%oroner's investigation will mark the
close of the sensational case. A state
ment by the deceased to Chief of Detec-
tives Colleran that the shooting was acct
dental, will. it is thought, clear Mrs.
Lottridge of all responsibility. Wright
died with words Of exculpation on his
lips for the woman whose revolver was
responsible for his death. He persisted
in saying hat he had the revolver in his
hand when it was discharged.
Although he admits he can offer no
evidence. Chief COlleran strongly believes
that the weapon was not in the hands Of
Wright when 1T was discharged. Captain
Colleran says that Mrs. Lottridge 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
If the weapon had been discharged close
to his head and his face is not marked
with powder. Captain Colleran says there
is nothing to show that he held a reyol-
Yer very close to his face.
Mrs. Lottridge in a statement made at
the police station said: IT cannot re-
member what led up to the production of
the revolver. was talking to Mr.. Wright
when he asked me to show him a revolt
yer of which he had spoken previously. I
refused to do SO and we talked on other
matters for a while. I remember that
finally I went to my valise and took out
my weapon and when he saw it Mr..
wright begged me to throw it away. AS
1 remember he tried to take the weapon
from my hand and we scuffed. stood nm
and he was sitting on the couch. 1 had
mold Of the weapon when with a sudden
erfort ne tore the revolver from my grasp,
tie fell backward. I managed to get hold
OF the butt of the weapon. AS we strug-
gled, the weapon was discharged and
pad as L felt from the liquor I had drunk
L could not help crying out in horror
when | saw he was wounded. He fell back
on the soft and gasped that he was shot.
| laughed historically n told him he
was all right. He insisted he had been
Wounded and begged me to call a doctor.
Il told him he was dreaming and hen
set o caring for him. 1 took a hand
kefchlef from his pocket and attempted
to staunch the flow of blood from his
neck where the ball had entered. I saw at
a glance that the revolver had done dead
~ work. but l could not bring myself to
tell n one of the occurrence. I waited
on Mr.. Wright for two hours possibly be-
fore summoned the doctor. 1 was so over
come that l could not talk may have
said things 1 ought not to have said. but
the pressure l was laboring under was
the excuse for my action. The story that
Mr.. Wright came to my room in the in
terest of a friend is false. He came to see
me at my request. He had known me long
enough to come at my least CALL. He was
in good spirits when he entered the room.
We drank and talked of matters which
concerned ourselves. We had a pleasant
conversation until the revolver was in
foduced by chance and the struggle
which ended in his DEATH"