Arizona republican., 1904-01-27
The Sudden Death of
 Whitaker Wright
THE FRIEND OF ROYALTY
He Was Engaged in Transactions Which in This Country Would Have Made Him Promoter Tn England They Called Him a Felon.

London, Ian. 27.-At 300 o'clock this afternoon Whitaker Wright was sen fenced to seven years of penal servi- tude
 At 4:00 o'clock he lay dead on the floor in a small room in the Law Courts. Whether he took his own life by poison or whether death in it's natural course ensucd will not be known until a post mortem examination is held. Indica- tiOns, however, point to poisoning.
 The end of this man. who was known on three continents for his stupendous financial operations, was closed in a startling tragedy. Even In his life, which with his rise from poverty to wealth was full of dramatic incidents. there was nothing that could compare with the manner of his death.
 All London tonight is thrilled with the news of it. No such human tragedy has been enacted in England for many years. Until nearly 500 o'clock tonight the body of a man who formerly had controlled many worlds markets and had been cOurted by royalty remained upon the floor of the room where he fell, for. as convicted felon, Wright's person had become properly that of Q pauper. The home office finally gave permission for it's removal, and the body was given over to the Jurisdiction of a coroner. It now lies at the West minister mortuary, where almost all corpses taken from the Thames are laid out. The inquest will probably be held on Thursday.
 Mrs. Wright the dead mans wife, is an American. She now lies i'll at the magnificent country home which Wright had in Surrey.
 The feeling that Justice Bigham $ conduct of the case was not very ju- dicial appears to grow in the legal cir cles of London. That and the sentence imposed upon Wright in itself would have furnished England with an unex- pccted sensation.
 Until counsel commenced pleading the actual trial of Whitaker Wright scarcely aroused that keen public in- terest, which was exhibited when Wright was in the United States, or when parliament decided he did not come within the pale of lawbreakers. When Messrs. Isaacks and Walton started to make their appeal to the jury the people woke up to the gravity Of the issue concerned. Even the gov ernment was involved for it had taken stand that Wright could not be prosecuted. Furthermore. 1t was an open secret that many great and even royal names were indirectly involved in the proceedings.
 Friends of Wright had said that if driven into a corner he would tell who had proflted by his transactions. Sus- pense reigned in many quarters. while counsel for the defense made their ap- peal, but when the appeal was finished those involved breathed easier and public curiosity remained unsatisfied.
 Justice Bigham. began summing up today and the court room was crowd ed. During several previous sessions Wright had gone to sleep. He adher- ed to his conviction, that he could not possibly be found guilty and it was upon this conviction. that he, against the advice of his lawyers, insisted up- on returning from the United States to stand trial. As Justice Bigham em- phasized the points against Wright and expatiated to the jury on the inn morality in issuing misleading balance sheets and the doubtfulness of his transactions of the London and Globe financial corporation under Wright's guidance. the prisoner showed intense interest, yet when the jury retired Wright still retained confidence of his acuuittal.
 He reiterated that he had done noth- ing which was not done every day In the city.
 For an hour Wright awaited the yer dict. meanwhile talking cheerfully with his counsel, while the city mag mates, members of the aristocracy and other spectators, who crowded the room, kept their eyes riveted upon the man, whose fate hung in balance.
 When the jury filed in al 3 o'clock Wright showed his first sign of ner- vousness. Peering through his glasses he leaned forward to catch the fore mans answer. At the word guilty