The Van Buren press., 1904-01-30
LAW ROBBED OF
ITS FULF|LLMENT
Whitaker Wright Dropped Dead One
Hour After Being Sentenced.
TRIAL ENDED IN A TRAGEDY
Had Just Been Found Guilty and
Sentenced TO Seven Years Penal
scryitude when Death
Closed His Career.

London, Jan. 27-The trial Of Whit
aker Wright ended in a tragedy Tues
day. Within an hour of being found
guilty and sentenced TO seven years
penal seryitude, the most severe sem
tence the law allows for the fraud for
which he was convicted, the financier
whose colossal dealings have created
a sensation on both sides of the At
lantic, lay dead in the ante-room or
the court. Whether Wrights death
was due to heart disease, following the
excitement of the trial, as announced
by the doctor, or by poison, as grimly
limited by his friends, is still unde-
cided and possibly will not be asCer-
tanned until the coroner's verdict
Protested His Innocence.
Standing with his hands in his pock-
cts and looking very pale, but not so
anxious as during the judges severe
summing up Wright heard the judges
condemnation and sentence without APP
parent excitement He quietly protest
ed his innocence in a firm voice, audi
bic throughout the room, left the court
in company with his solicitor and was
arranging for the future of his wife
and family. when he suddenly fell and
expired without another word. His
solicitor, George Lewis, Jr., who was
with him at the time, said to press
representative: Wright seemed to be
stunned by the sentence, but he did
not give the slightest indication, eithc+
before or after his sentence, Of any
intention to take his own life.
"Of course" said Mr. Lewis, mo
one can really tell the cause Of death
until the post norton examination
Did Not Finch AT Sentence.
The general opinion is that while
Wright fully deserved the verdict Of
guilty, the judges whole conduct of
the case was most partial, and that
while none Of his co-directors were
punished Wright alone had to bear the
entire punishment.
When the jury filed In at three
o'clock Wright showed his first signs
of nervousness. Peering through his
glasses, he leaned forward to catch
the foreman's answer. At the word
guilty" which broke the tense and
eNpectant silence, Wright did not even
finch, but sticking his hands deep
down into his pockets and gazing rath-
er grimly at the Judge, he stood up to
receive sentence
From Poverty TO wealth.
The career Of this man, who was
known on three continents for Ills STU
pendous financial operations, closed in
a startling tragedy, Even in his life,
which, with his rise from poverty TO
enormous wealth, was full of dramatic
incidents, there was nothing that could
compare with the manner of his death,
All London Tuesday night was thrilled
with the news Of It. No such human
tragedy has been enacted in England
for many a years,
Body Lies nt westminstcr Mortnnry.
Until nearly eight o'clock Tuesday
night the body of the man who for
merry had controlled many of the
worlds markets, and who had been
courted by royalty, remained upon the
floor OF the room where he fell, for,
as n convicted felon, Wrights person
had become the property Of the crown.
The home Office finally gave permits
sion for its removal and the body was
given over to the jurisdiction OF the
coroner 1t now lies at Westminster
mortuary, whore almost all the corpses
taken from the Thames are laid out.
The Inquest probably viii be held on
Thursday
Mrs Wright, the dead mans wife,
is an American She now lies III at
the magnificent country home which
Wright had In Surrey,
Death POINTS strongly 10 Poison,
An examination OF tho body made
at a late hour Tuesday night pointed
strongly to the fact that death was
due to poison. The post norton exam
nation viii be held to-day Through.
out the evening crowd OF curious
people fingered around the law courts,
aud In order to avoid scenes, the body
of Wright had TO be taken out by 4
side entrance and conveyed almost by
"a 4. 4.