Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-03-25
MODERN MONTE CRIsTO.

tained."
MODERN MONTE CRIsTO.
Incidents In Career of whitaker
Wright, British Promoter.
Whitaker Wright, known in London
as Monte Cristo" and managing di-
rector Of the London and Globe FL
nance corporation, limited, who has
just been imprisoned in Brooklyn, has
had a career as a financial plunger
and promoter that covered three con-
tinents, says the New York American.
His name has been mentioned with that
Of Cecil Rhodes, he has associated
with the nobility, dined with royalty
and lived like a multimillionaire.
For several years he has been the
most prominent financial figure in Lon
don. He organized score Of corpora
tions capitalized at Sill, IT'S, 900, boom
ed them until their shares were away
above par and in many instances paid
huge dividends. All the concerns were
closely allied, and when the parent
concern failed the others tumbled too.
The loss to investors and stockhold-
ers amounted to more than 500, 0,000, 900,
though q few Of those who went in ear
ly and sold out before the final smash
made fortunes. The success Of all of
the schemes depended on the personal
ity Of Wright. He had manner 80
impressive as to- be hypnotic, and on
the witness stand number Of titled
Londoners testified that their faith in
his executive ability was such that
they never made the slightest inquiry
into what he was doing.
Lord Dufferin, Lieutenant General
the Hon. Somerset ]. Cough -Calthrope,
Lord Pelham Clinton, groom in waiting
to the king, and number Of others
holding high social and official positions
aided Wright in organizing his syndi-
Gates and stock companies and made
large investments In them. Lord Duff
ferin, when the crash came, retired to
his country house and died Of the dis
grace brought upon him. The others
have been generally execrated for their
blindness and willful negligence
through which thousands lost their in
vestments, and the general crash fol-
lowing the fall of the London Globe
Finance corporation dragged down a
score of other firms and companies.
Intimately associated in his schemes
with Wright was the Countess Of War
wick. Under Wright's advice she in
vested heavily in the shares Of the
Lakeview company and Australian
Mining company. The shares, under
the skillful manipulation Of Wright,
rose to an unprecedented value, and at
the proper time the Countess Of War
wick was advised to sell out her hold
ings. She netted profit Of 100000 on
the venture. Immediately following
her sale Of stock the shares began to
tumble and fell until they reached the
bottom. From that time she constant
ly aided Wright, and 1t Is said that 1t
was she who induced Lord Dufferin to
invest in the Globe Finance corpora
ton. At the reception held at her
home she introduced the promoter to
the many members Of the nobility who
became investors and directors In his
many companies.
Even the London Stock Exchange
wits had a fling at the promoter.
when was Whitaker Wright" they
asked, to which the proper answer was,
when he took a Duffer-in."
The story is also told Of his prospect
ing days in America as illustrative OF
dangers he had escaped, Of how an In
dian squaw once saved his life after he
had given her trivial present. He
was out prospecting one day and looked
into her tent She Immediately told
him the braves Of her tribe were after
his scalp and hid him beneath some
skins. Presently up came the redskins
and asked If she had seen him. She
stood at the door Of her tent and said
he had passed in certain direction.
Every other white man in the neigh
borhood was murdered.
At Lea Park, Wright had one Of the
handsomest estates in England. Six
years ago he began work upon it and
estimated that the labor Of transform
ing the park into the paradise he de-
sired to create would take at least
twelve years. At times as many as
500 workmen have been engaged upon
the work, cutting down hills and re-
building them elsewhere, destroying
groves in sections where they were not
desired and setting out others in diff
ferent locations. A lake that had been
on the estate for centuries did not
please Wright, and he filled 1t In, exca-
vating another and larger lake nearer
the house and surrounding 1t with
grove Of handsome trees which were
brought from another section Of the
place.
Under the lake he constructed glass
house which could be entered from the
building, and here in summer in a room
furnished, many feet un-
der water and with thousands OF
strange fish poking their noses inquisi-
lively against the glass sides OF the
he spent many hours. OLD
fountains and statues from Italy were
carried to Lea Park, and the work OF
building it into a fairy palace and gar
len first earned for him the title OF
Monte -Cristo."
DEADLIEsT OF RIFLEs.-The essential
:ests Of the new army rifle, said to be
he deadliest small arm In modern
warfare, were finished recently by the
T~Ik kAl fof