The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-16
WHITAKER WRIGHT
ARRESTED IN \, Y,
London's Promoter Accused of
Perpetrating Gigantic Fraud
WANTED TO KEEP IT QUIET
His Arrest Was Requested by French
Authorities and He Took 1t Calm
N-Accompanied by Good
Looking Young Woman.

eused Of being concerned in colossal
frauds IN connection with the organiza-
ton Of various financial schemes. was ar
rested today on the arrival of the French
liner La Touraine from Havre.
The arrest was made by two central Of
fee detectives at the request of the
French police. Wright was taken to po-
lice headquarters and later to the Tomos
nolioe court. where he was arraigned be-
fore a magistrate and turned over to the
United States authorities. He was then
taken to the Ludlow street Jail.
With Wright on the steamship was
tall. sood-looking young woman who said
she was the niece of the prisoner Her
name was on the passenger list as MISS
F. Browne Wright.
When told that he was under arrest
Wright showed no evidence of excite
ment and said he was friend of King
Edward. His principal concern was to
avoid publicity, and he asked that his ar
rest be kept from the newspapers
Wright and the young woman occupied
one of the finest deck suites on the
steamer. Wright was sitting at a desk
In his cabin when found by the detectives
When addressed by them he at once ad-
mitted his identity and on being told
that he was under arrest at the request
of the Paris police, said;
THAT was business transaction. l un-
derstoad the matter was all settled In
parliament. This is surprise to me-
am willing to go with you. All l want
is to get away from here with as little
noise as possible Don't let the news
papers know anything about this"
Then they went on the deck and the
woman Miss Wright, was told quietly OF
his arrest. Wright was taken to court
where two United States marshals ap-
peared with warrant for his arrest
charging him with being fugitive from
iustice. Wright was not called upon
10 saw anything and in few minutes he
was formally turned over to the custody
of the marshals. who took him to the
Ludlow street jail. Miss Wright, who
was lat on the pier, remained looking
after the baggage. She declined to make
any statement beyond that she had come
over to visit
After her baggage had been examined
she left In a cab instructing the driVer
to go to an uptown hotel Nothing was
learned on the vessel as to the identity
Of the pair. They made no friends and
Wright appeared in public but little.
Eleven Companies Failed.
The financial crash of the companies
foated by Whitaker Wright came In De-
cember, 1900 There were eleven oil these
including the parent company, entltleo
the London and Globe Finance corpora
tion with a total capitalization of $780,
SIS, 900. Wright was the mahasihs VI
rector.
Few millionares lived in the same
princely style as Whitaker Wright. In
Park Lane, London, he had miniature
palace, in the drawing room OF which
was a copy of the famous cabinet Du
Roi of Louis XIV. 1t took three years to
complete it and cost many thousands OF
pounds At Godalming he owned a coun-
try seat in beautifying which 600 work.
men were engaged. 1t contains costly
foundations and statuary brought from
Italy.
One of the victims of the crash was the
late MARQUIS of Dufferin and Ava, for
merly governor general OF Canada ana
British ambassador at Paris. He con-
sented to be chairman of the London and
Glcbe and had 25,0OO shares in the differ
ent companies. With Lord Dufferin on
the board of directors were Lieutenant
General Calthrop who was colonel of the
Fifth Dragons Guard, and Lord Ed
ward William Penham- Clinton. master Of
the late queens household, and son of
the fifth Duke Of Newcastle.
When the crash came Lord Dufferin
was severely censured for his connection
with the Wright companies, but In
frank speech to the stockholders of the
London and Globe corporation he declar-
ed his position and won the sympathy of
the board His wealth at one time large.
was believed to have been swallowed up
in these companies.
Much American money was lost in the
failure of the Wright companies. There
was a great outcry against the attitude
of the authorities In not prosecuting
Whitaker Wright and his fellow-direc-
tors of the London and Globe. and in
January last petition was circulated on
the London Stock Exchange signed by
many influential men demanding the
prosecution of Wright, as it was consid-
cred that the credit Of the city and OF
the London Stock Exchange demanded
thorough investigation.
His Wife Was Fooled.
London, March 15.-Only yesterday the
London police authorities cabled the New
York police that Whitaker Wright and
a woman, supposed to be his niece, had
sailed on La Lorraine under an assumed
name. Wrights wife and family are still
in England, and as far as the police have
ascertained none of his relatives has left
the country. When seen this evening
Mrs. Wright reiterated her belief that
her husband was on his way to Egypt
for the sake of his health. When told
that her husband had been arrested in
New York she said she supposed he
must have met friends in Paris who per-
suaded him to change his mind and got
him to visit New York. Mrs Wright
stated that eminent counsel would be en-
gagged in her husbands defense, and she
hoped that his health would enable him
to make a vigorous defense.
London Papers Discuss 1t.
London, March 1.-THE papers this
morning in commenting on the arrest of
whitaker Wright express their satisfac-
tion that Wright was not permitted to
evade arrest, and hope that there will
not be a repetition of the long delay in
securing a trial which occurred in the
case of the notorious company swindler
Jabez Balfour, who fed to Argentina.
The Daily Mail comments rather scath-
ingly upon the opinion expressed by the
attorney general that there was not suf-
ficient case against Wright and upon the
obstructive tactics which have been en-
ployed to prevent the AFFAIRS of the Lon
don and Globe corporations from being