New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-27
WHITAKER WRIGHT DEAD
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man OF business and honor was ended. Wright
seemed utterly oblivious. He sat down me-
chanically while Mr. Walton made a plea for
mercy. As Justice Bigham, in sharp and re-
morseless tones. answered Mr.. Walton Wright
was peremptoTily ordered to stand up.
Whitaker Wright" said Justice Bigham,
in my opiron the jury could not. on the evil
dence. have arrived at any other conclusion
than that which they have expressed in their
verdict I confess that 1 see nothing that in
any way excuses the crime of which YOU have
been found guilty. and 7 cannot conceive of
worse than yours. Under the sections or
the Act of Parliament upon which YOU have
been indicted. and which define the offences in
these circumstances. I DO not think that 7 have
any option save to visit you with the most Sc
we're penalty which the act permits. and that is
that you go into penal servitude for seven
years"
STILL PROTESTS INNOCENCE.
The crowd in court gasped in surprise Wright
was almost the only person present who APP
peared to be unmoved. Then. turning to the
reporters in the room. rather than his judge,
he cried out in a firm voice:
"Al 1 say is that am as innocent of any
1t was apparent that he would have said
more. but two tipstaves took him by the arms
and led him out of court a friend pressed for
ward 10 offer his condolences. oh. never
mind said Wright. II don't mind bit. and
with firm step. and looking in perfect health,
the convicted man STROBE to the consultation
room to take farewell OF his solicitors.
For about twenty minutes Wright discussed
his family affairs and the disposition of his
remaining moneys. He frankly expressed his
amazement at the verdict and still more aston
ishment at the sentence: but George Lewis jr.
his solicitor says that he spoke rather as a
man prepared to grin and bear it than a
person who contemplated suicide
THE PRISONERS TRAGIC DEATH.
Suddenly Wright fell backward. as IL he had
tainted. The officers who were waiting to take
him to Brixton Prison ran 10 Kings College
Hospital which IS near by, for a doctor. In the
mean while, the unconscious man was propped
up on two chairs. The doctor came quickly
His first thought was that Wright had fallen
in ordinary apopIectic At. but it was noticed
that his heart began gradually TO give out and
before another doctor could arrive Whitaker
Wright within one hour from the time he had
been sentenced. was dead.
An examination Of the body, made at a late
hour tonight. points strongly to the fact that
death due poisoning. The post mortem
examination viii be held on Wednesday.
Through the evening thronG OF curious peo-
pie fingered around the Law Courts, and in or
der TO avoid scenes the body OF Wright had TO
be taken out by a side entrance and taken out
almost by stealth to the mortuary.
The crowd in the Court of Kings Bench was
larger to-day than at any time during the trial
to hear Justice Bigham's summing up. After
complimenting counsel the ability with which
they had conducted their respective cases, JUS
tice Bigham said he could not agree with the
complaint Of Lawson Walton Of counsel for the
defence In regard to vindlctyeness on the part
OF the prosecution.
THE CHARGE TO THE JURY
Dealing with the charge comprising twenty
six counts. Justice Bigham said he would ask
the jury TO find a general verdict OF guilty or
not guilty. If they were satisfied that Wright
guilty OF one or more OF these charges they
must not be deteSred from finding a verdict OF
guilty by the suggestion that such verdict
would cast a slur on the memories OF Lords Duff
FERN and Loeb II would not do anything Of the
kind. Their conduct was consistent in their
having honestly made mistakes.
Dealing with the evidence Justice Bigham de-
scribed as singular the way In which THOUSAND
OF pounds sterling became millions on paper so
far as the Lakeview shares were concerned.
The London and Globe and the Standard COM
panies were gambling concerns which excited his
Indignation. In the course OF his long experience
Justice Bgham had never before heard OF any
thing like the transactions which preceded the
hopeless bankruptcy of the London and Globe
Finance Corporation. The Jurymen could tell
plainly what he thought OF these transactions
but the verdict must be theirs and not his
Justice Bigham concluded his reference TO
Wrights career by referring to places which the
defendant said he held in New-York and Phila-
delphia, and said Wright had built up a fine
place for himself in two or three years, and IL It
was necessary to seek a motive for his actions
1t would be found i'm his desire TO maintain this
place. At the same time it said that after
the crash OF the London and Globe Finance
Corporation he found himself with Sl.500O00
to S2,O00,OO0 in worthless shares.
The justice then asked the jurymen to form
their own opinions of Wrights trip TO Paris and
New-York. The jury retired at . p. m.
MON