The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-06

i" HE life. trial and tragic death of Whitaker Wright is well remem- . bered by most readers. The story of this promoters career reads like a page of fiction MT. Wright was an Eng lishman, who had long resided in Amer ica. where he had accumulated quite a fortune. At 8 o'clock on the afternoon of January 26, 1904. the famous promoter was sentenced to seven years penal servi- tued and one hour later he lay dead on the floor of a small room in the law court. the result of poison administered by himself
 The astonishing career of Whitaker Wright as promoter began in Philadel- phia, where he lived from 1880 to 1891, and where he made his first million as a broker in cotton, grain and petroleum. Shortly after he returned to England he became the friend and feecer of those who sit in the "seats of the mighty" When he was caught in the tolls of jus tice for footing Englishmen of $10o,00O,oO0 he boasted that he was immune from punishment because "The King of Eng land is my friend.
 Wright fioated no less than Il companies in England, financial, mineral and rail- way. When the financial crash of the Wright companies came, in December. 1902, Whitaker found that his boasted friendship with the King did not stand for as much as he expected it would, and in February, 1903, he left England for America with his niece, Miss Browne. under the assumed name of Andreoni. When he reached New York on Febru- ary 15. he was immediately arrested on an English order of prosecution for fraud, which had at last been issued after the House of Commons had taken up the mat ter.
 How much money Wright made out of his victims has never been fully known. but he was able to live in princely style at Park lane, London. in a miniature palace, which it took three years to com- plete. <At Godalming he owned a country seat, in the beautifying of which 800 work men were engaged His private yacht was fitted with the utmost luxuriousness.
 Among the victims of Wright in Eng land were the Marquis of Dufferin. the Duke of Connaught, a brother to King Edward Right Hon. Arthur Balfour, pre- mier of Great Britain; the Earl of War wick, Lord William Beresford and many others. The many companies he fioated represented 8 grand total in money of sl11. .775,O0O.
 When Wright was arrested in New York he was held until extradition papers ar rived on June 1. 1903. and after long legal wrangles in the courts MT. Wright aban- doned his resistance and on July 7extra- dition was granted.
 On August he arrived In England. The next day he was charged at Guildhall with various crimes, the main one of which was with reporting certain material particulars with intent to deceive and defraud the members, shareholders and creditors. and which the said accused knew to be false" The court was timed to sit at Il o'clock, and at 20 minutes be- fore that hour Wright took his place. He with his solicitor, MT. G. Lewis, upon the arrival of Alderman Smallwood, took a seat in front of the dock After various legal arguments the outcome was that Wright was liberated on bail of $20O.O00.
 The case dragged on for some time. with no further developments worthy of note. Sir Rufus Isaacs was the head of A formidable array of counsel for the prosecution. It was not until January Il, 1904. that the English government was able to bring the greatest swindler and promoter of modern times before the bar