Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-24
DEATH
TO SAVE WOMAN
SEEKS TO AVOID TESTIFYING
AGAINST WIFE
Chicago Politician and Attorney Cuts
Wrists to Escape Divorce Suit
That Might Make Bride
FeIon

Obsessed by a fear that his wife
would perjure herself if allowed to
press her recently filed divorce suit
against him, Walter Wright attempted
suicide last evening in his private
ward in a local private hospital by
slashing his wrists. Wright is in a
weakened condition from the effects Of
an operation performed last week and
will probably die.
The papers in the divorce case, filed
on July 21, set forth the allegation
that Wright was married once before
and that this previous contract had
not been dissolved when he married
the woman who filed this suit 1t was
on this ground the complaint was
based and it was this statement
Wright worried over until he decided
to end it all by taking his life.
According to friends, who We're seen
after the deed, Walter Wright is the
scion of a wealthy family in Chicago,
where he practiced law and entered
into politics for several years. 1t is
said he was prominently identified with
the Republican campaign committees
in Cook county for four years and that
he counts among his friends such men
as Senator LaFollette Governor De-
neen and Judge Joseph A. O'Donnell.
Story Like Fiction
He has several brothers prominent in
the world of business and the law one
of them being cashier of the United
States Bonding and Trust company in
Washington, d. c., and another super
1ntendent of the system of the Pacific
States Telegraph and Telephone COM
pany at Grants Pass, Ore.
The story of Wrights marriage to
the woman who is now suing for an
annullment of the contract reads like
fiction. According to the report, it was
while the attorney was in Omaha last
December, on matters pertaining to a
Republican organization fight, that he
met the woman, who was waitress in
a restaurant.
Three days after their marriage,
which was hastily planned and con-
tracted, the bride was stricken with
smallpox. Wright secreted the woman
in an inner room in his hotel suite and
cared for her himself so as to avoid
quarantine and to save her from the
rigors of tretmeant in a pest house.
When she was recovered he gave him
self up and paid a fine of $50 for his
offense, which was partially condoned
by the authorities.
Suit Was Surprise
1t was shortly after this event that
the couple came to Los Angeles, the
friends of Wright say They assert he
was a faithful husband, but she tells
another story. They did not live to-
gether long after their arrival, at any
rate. The suit for the annulment of
the marriage ceremony came as a sur
prise to friends here and to Wright
himself, it is said.
Ten days ago the man was overtaken
by a malady that incapacitated him
from work and was placed in a private
hospital by wealthy relatives. An
operation on the kidneys was performed
four days ago.
In the meantime the suit for annul-
ment was filed. When Wright was
informed of it by his attorneys, Messrs.
Bowers & Keefer, he was much de-
pressed. He said at once the woman
had perjured herself and that he would
be compelled to make her out felon
in the eye of the law if he should con-
test the case, because he would find 1t
an easy matter entirely to disprove
her allegations. Worrying over this
phase of the situation probably caused
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