The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-08-15
lMlTAToR OF HOOLEY.
Whitaker Wright, Who Has FIoate.
Many Companies, IN Court.

- fE7E -E
London, Aug, l1.-Whttaker Wright
the promoter of visionary ~l!Eancia!
schemes, and who used the late Lord
Dufferin as a f~igurehead for the enter.
prises, has been called into court to pay
$3.50, 600 to a creditor OF n of the de-
funct companies. ~ ~ f-
Whitaker Wright put forty-one com
panies on the London market. The
aggregate capital stock was Sill, tie 5000
The public, gulled by the promise OF
large dividends, invested something like
500, 0o0, 900 in these schemes They ali
failed. the creditors receiving S cents
oil the dollar, the shareholders moth.
ing.
Lord Duffer1n. former governor gen.
eral of Canada, n who had been am:
bassador to Russia and Turkey and
several times q member of the cabinet,
was induced by Whitaker Wright tc
lend his name as president of the Lon
don n Globe Finance corporation
the company which WAS supposed to
finance the enterprises in which the
public was invited to invest. 1t was
Lord Dufferin's name and his well
known personal integrity that induced
'tk, public to invest millions.
Lord Dufferin Disgraesd.
When the crash came Lord Dufferir
was ruined, n although no blame
could be attached to him, except that
he had been the blind tool Of Whitaker
Wright, he sank under what was tG
him a disgrace, and his DEATH. which
followed a few months ago, was at
ributed directly to his connection with
the bankruptcy CT the company OF
which he had been the president.
The compulsory liquidation Of the
London ana Globe Finance corporation
was ordered on October 80, 1901. Since
then there have been insistent demands
for action by the public prosecutor. A
special petition has been circulating or
the stock exchange and signed by many
influential men demanding the prosecu.
tion of Whitaker Wright, as it is con.
sidered that the credit of the city anG
the stock exchange demands a thor
,ough investigation of the London, anG
Globe methods of finance. ,
Wright Began Life as a Footman.
Whitaker Wright is one of the mos
noted of the meteoric flnanciers Of the
many who have filled the public y He
began life as a footman and friendless
an ordinary mining Spectator
He formed a number Of companies
and made money rapidly, millions Of 1t
Then he induced Lord Dufferin to &C.
eept the craftsmanship Of the Londor
and Globe Finance corporation. This
gave the public confidence and Wright
made millions SO rapidly that he ha6
hard work in spending it. @
In England, Wright began to be
called the modern Monte Cristo." He
bought an estate in Surrey and planned
a series of Alterations requiring twelve
years to carry u
When he entered into possession Of
the estate a large hill in the center OF
the park was a source of great annoy
anec to him, and he forthwith had II
removed piecemeal and erected in an.
other part of the grounds which he
thought more desirable.
Just as readily as he whisked hills
about, so Mr.. Wright made and un.
made lakes, and one which he had con
structed is certainly a novelty, If c
somewhat costly 1t is situated a.
some. distance from the house, and be.
meath it a large cavern fitted with {
glass roof has been built. This concer1
Is connected with the house by a sub,
terranean passage, and in lot summe,
days formed a favorite retreat of MI
Wright's. What sort of an effect tn,
sudden collapse of the glass would hav,
had can be better imagined than de
! Bcribed.
Buys Italian Fountain.
One Of the features Of Lea park is
magnificent Italian fountain, which MI
Wright saw in the courtyard Of an oil
italian palace and promptly bought, pay
!ng the owner his own price. Two day
after 1t had changed hands 1t was o
board one Of it's new owner's yachts, &C
companied by several italian masons an
sculptors. on it's way to England. TIL
Is merely one instance of Mr.. Wright
extreme way Of securing what he want
ed. When he desired anything to i'm
prove or beautify his estate he forthwith
bought it., paying almost any price t
crafty his desire.
The grounds at Lea park abound wit
%grottos and summer houses, Nesting /
secluded corners among shady tree:
while almost priceless marble statuary
TO be found everywhere. One piece q
Btatuary, which Mr.. Wright took a fame
to on his travels is a gigantic dolphin
weighing over thirty tons, which had t
be transported to its site by traction er
gines, no railway being willing to attemI
to carry IL. 's,, ~