The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-27
WHITAKER WRIGHTASUICIDE
GREAT PROMOTER OF BUBBLES
 TOOK POISON

HIS Tragic Death Has Thrilled London
 Received Sentence of Seven Ysars'
 Penal serviiuds Calmly but shortly
 Anervrrd " nile Talking to His Law
 yer He FeII to the Floor and Died
 Within an Hour of the Time He Was
 Sentenced.
 London, Jan. 26.-At o'clock this af- ternoon Whitaker Wright was sem fenced to seven years penal servitude. At 4 o'clock he lay dead on the floor of a small room in. the law courts. Wheth- CT he took his own life by poison or whether death in it's natural course rob bed the law of it's fulfllment will not be known until the post mortem exam ination is held; the indications. how ever. point to poisoning.
 The career of this man who was known on three continents for his 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 tonight is thrilled with the news of it. No such human tragedy has been enacted in England for many year.
 Until nearly o'clock tonight the body of the man who formerly had con trolled many of the worlds markets and who had been courted by royalty, remained until the floor of the room where he fell, for, as a convicted felon, Wright's person had become the prop erty of the crown. Later the home office gave permission for it's removal and the body was given over to the Jurisdiction of the coroner It now lies in West minister mortuary. where almost all the bodies taken from the Thames are laid out. The inquest probably will be held Thursday.
 Mrs. Wright is an American. She now lies i'll at the magnificent country home which Wright made in Surrey. Dis patches from there say:
 .'The news of Whitaker Wright's death has caused much sorrow. He was well known here for his generosity, and it was generally believed that he would be acquitted and return home"
 The feeling that Justice Bigham's conduct of the case was not very ju- dicial appears to grow in legal circles of London and the sentence imposed upon Wright would in itself have furnished England with an unexpected sensation.
 Until counsel commenced pleading the actual trial of Whitaker Wright scarce ly aroused that keen public interest which was exhibited when Wright was i'll the United States. or when parlia- ment decided he did not come within the pale of law breakers.
 When Messrs. Isaacks and Walton started to make their appeal to the jury the people woke up to the gravity of the issues concerned. Even the government was involved, for it had taken the stand that Wright could not be prosecuted. Furthermore, it 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 profited 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 pub lie curiosity remained unsatisaed
 Justice Bigham began summing up to-day and she court room was crowd ed. During several previous sessions Wright had gone to sleep. He had ad- hered to his conviction that he could not possibly be found guilty, and it was upon this conviction that against the advice of his lawyers, he insisted upon returning from the United States to stand trial. As Justice Bigham empha- sized the points against Wright, expa- tiated to the jury upon the immortality Of issuing misleading balance sheets and the doubtfulness of the transactions on the London and Globe Financial cor poration under Wright's guidance, the prisoner showed intense interest; yet, when the jury retired. Wright still re- taine confidence in his 'acquittal. He rei ated that he had done nothing vi sch was nos done every day in the fsty. For an hour Wright awaited the Verdict, meanwhile talking cheerfully with his counsel
 When the jury filed in at 3 o'clock Wright showed his first signs of ner- vousness. At the word guilty" which broke the intense silence, Wright did not even finch. but sticking his hands deep into his pockets and gazing rather grimly at his judges he stood up to re- ceive sentence. To the cry of a woman that come from the back oe the court and to the realization that his career as a man of business and honor was ended. Wright seemed utterly oblivious. He sat down mechanically while MT. Wal ton made a plea for mercy As Justice Bigham, in sharp and remorseless tone. answered, Wright was peremptorily or dered to stand uD.
 Whitaker Wright, said Justice Big ham, fin my opinion the jury could not on the evidence have arrived at any other conclusion than that which they have expressed in their verdict. I con- fess that I see nothing that in any way excuses the crime of which you have now been found guilty. and I cannot conceive OF a worse case than yours, Under the sections of the act of parlia- ment upon which you have been in- dicted and which define the offence in these circumstances, I do not think that have any option save to visit you with the most severe penalty which the act permits, and that is that you go into penal servitude for seven years''
 The crowd in the court room ga asne5