Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-22

Just as wright's name is said TO be J. W.
Wright. Lord Dufferin masquerades as the
Marquis Of Chaldon. This Is the novelist's
description Of the promoter:
Thorpe was tall, but Of a burly and
slouching figure. His face, shrouded in a
high growing dust colored beard, invited no
attention. One seemed always to have
known this face-thick featured. immobile,
undistinguished. It's accessories for the time
being were even more than ordinarily unim-
pressive. Both hair and beard we're ragged
with neglect. His commonplace dark clothes
looked as II he had slept in them; the hands
resting on his big knees we're coarse in
shape and ~roughened and III kept"
The novelist goes on to describe how
Thorpe induced members Of the nobility to
lend themselves to his schemes, and tells
how the Marquis OF Chaldon, Ambassador
at Vienna in his time, but willing to gather
in his five hundred a year Just the same"
became chairman OF the board Of directors
Of Thorpe's great company, Just as Lord
Dufferin became chairman Of the board OF
directors Of the London and Globe Finance
company.
In the end all Thorpe's enemies are ru.
ined. his friends enriched, he himself mar.
ries a wealthy and aristocratic wife, and
the novelist leaves him planning new
schemes by which he may utilize the noble
friends, under whose tables he Ia now priv
ileged to place his feet.
His MeteOric Career.
Mr.. wright's nnanciering has been of
the pyrotechnlc order. He Hoated into
prominence and fortune on the mood gates
Of the boom in West Australian gold mines.
The Landau and GInho Ffpanra pornpany
was a promoting concern for manufactur-
ing securities, and 1t has been said that
none of the directors, except Mr.. Wright,
had the slightest grasp Of its Affairs or the
remotest conception Of its ramihcations
and ventures.
Men like Lord Dufferln, Lord Loeb and
Lord William Beresford were used by
Wright to dazzle the bourgeois public,
rather than to assist in guiding the affairs
OF the company.
He had a marvellously rich mine in Lake
View, in West Australia, which was turn
ing out 500. 900 a month in gold, and the
stock aoared to $40 a share.
An American mining engineer was in
charge at the mine, and reported to Mr..
wright's London office that the Bonanza
mine, which was producing most OF the
profits, was growing bigger and stronger
in depth.
Mr.. Wright bought all the stock in sight.
only to learn later that the great store Of
ore was dug out.
Before the collapse Of the Lake View
mine Mr.. Wright had advanced $40, 900, 900
the total capitalization Of the London
and Globe Finance c~ompany--tO the Baker
street railroad scheme in London. Then
he bought out the British American COR
poration, with a capital Of 37,5oO,O 900. 1t
was over subscribed and the stock went to
a premium. This corporation bought UP
the lie Roi and other mines in British
Columbia, and within two years the LIE Roi
mine alone was said to have made $2,5e0,00
profit.
-Four different corporations we're organ
ICED to control these mines and the COM
panies were foated on the London market.
The stock Of all rose to a large premium
and the market value o. the stock Of the
four companies soon rose TO $40. 600, 900,
representing an investment Of less than
Sc, 900, 900, all made within three years.
Then Came Collapse.
This was imitation and manipulation
which could not last. Collapse was IN
evitable. Thirteen firms, involving about
thirty members of the London Stock ex-
change, failed through the Globe group col
I AaDbtF oOhlO vi NhCIA WIZ oAASh6 NNC SSoS
known men id the London financial world.
At that time IL was said that the crash,
while it was certain to come sooner or
later, might have been delayed had 1t not
been for a quarrel between Mr.. Wright and
Joseph Kaufman, a mine exploiter, who
we're once bosom friends. The former led
the bull movement in West Australian
shares and the latter led the bears. After
a three years fight Mr.. Kaufman con-
quered.
Even then the Stock exchange wits had
a ding at the promoter. When, was
whitaker Wright" they asked. to which
the proper answer was, when he took a
Duffer-in."
The story was also told at that time, az
) illustrative Of dangers he had escaped, OF
I how an Indian squaw once saved his life
after he had given her a trivial present.
4 He was out prospecting one day and looked
into her tent. She Immediately told him
3 the braves of her tribe were after his scalp
; and hid him beneath some skins Pres
entity up came the redskins and asked II
, she had seen him. She stood at the door
I Of her tent and said he had passed In q
: certain direction. Every other white man
j in the neighborhood was murdered.
American Money Lost.
: Much American money was lost in the
a failure Of the Wright companies. There
a was a great cutlery against the attitude Of
a the authorities In not prosecuting Mr.
Wright and his fellow directors in tbs
London and Globe. and In January last Z
petition was circulated on the London
Stock exchange, signed by many influential
men. demanding the prosecution Of Mr.
= Wright. as 1t was considered that the
. credit Of the city and Of the London STOCK
exchange demanded . thorough investigs'
!. tion.
A fund Of $4,000 was raised to initial,
the prosecution Of Wright. Arnold White
an author. at . meeting said the reason
the prosecution was not undertaken by the
government was that the directors Of the
London and Globe were shelteriAg them
selves behind members OF the royal family
He added that he understood q royal duke