The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-01-27
WHITAKER
WRIGHT DEAD
Famous London Promoter and
SwindIer Didn't Live to
Be Sentenced.

LONDON, Jan. 27-Whitaker Wright
the company promoter, who became no
toriOus in Great Britain and the Unit.
ed States after the crash of the London
and Globe Financial corporation, with
the attendant ruin of other companies,
died here unexpectedly after receiving
sentence.
He was attacked with a sudden ill.,
ness after he had left the kings bench
division of the high court of justice,
where he had been convicted Of fraud
and sentenced to seven years penal
servitude. Two physicians were sum
mOned, but could do nothing for the
stricken man, whose death they attrib-
ute to heart disease.
The jury before which Wright had
been on trial for twelve days on nu-
merous counts for fraud was charged
by Justice Bigham and after being out
an hour brought in u verdict of guilty.
Mr. Waltons plea in mitigation had no
effect.
Justice Bigham in passing sentence
said he could see nothing TO excuse the
crime of which Wright had been CON
victed, and he could not conceive Il
worse case He must therefore allot
the most severe punishment the law
permitted.
Wright, who had stood up to receive
his sentence, said in firm voice, "All
can say Is that | am as innocent of
any intention to deceive as any one in
this court"
The sentence was followed by COM
motion in distant part of the court,
and the faint cry of woman in dis
tress was heard.
An hour after Wright was sentenced
he lay dead on the floor of a small room
in the law courts Whether he took
his own life by poison or whether death
in its natural course robbed the law of
its fulfillment will not be known until
a postmortem examination is held The
indications, however, point to poison
ing.
The career of this man. who was
known on three continents for his stu
pendO1s 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 is thrilled with the news of
it. No such human tragedy has been
enacted liz England for many year.
Until nearly s o'clock the body of the
man who formerly 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 Il convicted felon Wrights person
had become the property of the crown.
The feeling that Justice Bighams
conduct of the case was not very judi
cial appears to grow IN legal circles of
London, aud the sentence imposed up
on Wright would Id itself have fur
nished England with an unexpected
sensation.
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 gov
eminent 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 We're indirectly involved in
the proceedings. Friends of Wright
had said that if driven into corner he
would tell who had profted by his
transactions. Suspense reigned in
many quarters while counsel for the
defense made their appeal, but when
the appeal was finished those involved
breathed easier and public curiosity
remained unsatisfied.
During several previous sessions
Wright had gone to sleep. He had ad- |
hered to his convicti5l that he could |
not possibly be found guilty, and II was |
upon this conviction that he, against |
the advice of his lawyers, insisted upon |
returning from the United States TO |
stand trial
For an hour Wright awaited the YER
dict, meanwhile talking cheerfully with
his counsel, while the city magnates,
members of the aristocracy and the or
binary spectators who crowded the
room kept their eyes rlveted upon the
man whose fate hung in the balance.
When the jury filed in 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 eXpectant silence, Wright did not
even finch; but, sticking his hands
ieep down into his pockets and gazing
'ather grimly at his judge, he stood up
% receive sentence.
Without exception tha London daily
papers this morning express satlsfac-
ion with the salutary vindicaton of
he law in the case of Whitaker Wright
md admit the justice of the verdict and
If the sentence
Some contend that she law officers,