The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-16
STORY OF WRIeHT's CAPTURE
The New York Police Take Him From tho
IT, T. Havre Steamer.

. ~
The New York Police Take Him From tho
f. T. Havre Steamer.
New York, March 16.-J. Whitaker
Wright, the London promoter who is ac-.
cused of being concerned in colossal
frauds in connection with the organza
ton of various financial corporations,
was arrested yesterday on the arrival Of
the French line steamer La Lorraine from
IIavre. ..rs
There as a woman with him whose name
appeared as Miss F. Browne.
Wright. when told that he was under
arrest, showed mo evidence OF excitement
and said that he was friend of King
Edward. His principal concern was to
avoid publicity and he asked that his ar
rival be kept from sthe newspapers.
Wright is thus described in the cable
message from the London police: ABB
sconder charged on warrant with fraud
to large amount, Whitaker Wright.
manager of London and Globe finance COR
poration Of this city,. Age so years;
height five feet ten or eleven inches; com-S
plexion dorid; hair and mustache dark;
large head; small eyes; receding fore
head; small chin, with heshy roll beneath;
stout build and weighing about 252 pounds.
Wears gold-rimmed glasses. with gold
chain attached. Speaks with a slight
American accent. Please arrest.
-. r-@# Many Millions Involved
Wright. for a. dozen years or more, was
the best-known promoter in London, not
excepting even the great Hooley. He is
charged with swindling shareholders In
the London and Globe Finance corporation
Of London out Of sums aggregatin9
according to various estimates, anywhere
from $75,000,000 to $50, 900. 900.
:. The financial crash Of the companies
foated by Wright came in December,
1900. There were eleven of these, inoltd-
ing the parent company, entitled the Lon
don and Globe Finance corporation, with
a total capitalization Of $50. 675, 900.
Wright was the managing director. Few
mililonaries lived in such princely style as
Whitaker Wright. In Park Lane, Lon
don, he had miniature palace in the
drawing room of which was a copy of the
famous cabinet du roi of Louis XIV. It
took three years to complete it, and it
cost many thousands of pounds. At Do
dalming he owned a country seat, in
beautifying which 600 workingmen were
engaged. It contains costly fountains and
statuary brought from Italy. Wright's
stables alone cost small fortune. They
have upholstered oak and leather settees
and polished gun metal fittings. while
valuable paintings and bas reliefs adorn
the stalls His private pacht was fitted
up with similar luxuriousness. and at one
time he was credited with the intention
Of constructing a yacht to race Sir
Thomas Lipton's Shamrock.
One of the victims of the crash was the
late marquis of Dufferin and Ava, form
erly governor general Of Canada and Brit
ish ambassado at Paris. He consented to
be chairman of the London and Globe.
and had $4,000 shares in the different
companies.
With Lord Dufferin on the board Of di-
rectors were Lieutenant General Cough
~ o1l4 r4l ,f
Dragon guards, and Lord Edward Will
liam Pelham 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 a frank speech to the stockholders
of the Lonond and Globe corporation he
declared his position and won the SYM
pathy of the company. 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
Wright and fellow directors of the Lon-
don and Globe. and in January last a PEE
tition was circulated on the London
| stock exchange, signed by many influential
men, demanding the prosecution OF
Wright. as 1t was considered that the
credit of the city and of the London stock
exchange demanded a thorough inyestf-
ton. A fund of $4,000 was raised to
initiate the prosecution Of Wright.
Mr.. Wright, In an interview said:
| 81 cannot express to you my amazement
at my arrest. 1t is an outrage and those
who are responsible for it will be made to
| suffer torthe full extent of the law. The.
entire charge against me Is technical, and
in this country no one would ever think Of
making 1t.
"If had believed it possible that such
a charge would be made, would not, OF
course. have left home. but after having
devoted the last two years to assisting
| the official liquidation of the Globe com.
pany, and the crown officers having made
the statement in parliament that 1t was
| no tposible to press any charges against
me, felt free to take a two months trsn