An American Scandal.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7744, 21 February 1905, Page 4

An American Scandal.

MILLIONAIRE AND BRIDE. It is believed in Chicago that Miss Alice L. Webb, w : ho in December became the wife of Mr Urodie S. Duke, an American millionaiire, who has since been adjudged insane and committed to a sanatorium, will soon loom into prominence rivaling that of Mrs Cassis L. Chadwick, and that the names of financiers of countrywide reputation, east anil west, will be brought out in the sitory of her business career. The new bride is aid to be a woman of doubtful haracter. A friend, Agnes Desplain|o3, to whom she fled when turned out' o,' the hotel by the manager I when Urodie was taken to the asylum, was formerly interested in the |" House of all nations," the most notorious place of its kind in America, and her sister is stint to be interested in antother establishment of I unsavoury repute. Confronted with sjch a situation, the Duke family jhas decided upon the employment of j the best legal talent available to \in|do what has been done. As Duke is deemed insane, it is probable that j the next step will be to appoint a commission to take charge of his person and his property. Following I that, if current rumour is true, an effort will be made to show he was insane at the time he contracted "the wedding with Miss Webb in the ohurch of Dr Parkhurst, and the Qourts will be asked to annul the marriage. Paskhurst did not perform the ceremony in his churoh ; the officating clergyman was the Kcv. W. W\ Coe. The £BOOO in bonds found on Duke's person is in the hands of the District Attorney, who may institute a criminal action,. George 11. MalHory, who has been conducting for the new Mrs Duke negotiations for the purchase of about 750 acres of tobacco land in Texas, has washed his hands of the transaction, an l said he would have nothing more to do with the woman or lv.'r business uUair.,. Accoi<ding to the story told to Majlory by Miss Webib, the scheme was to colonise 7.V1 acres, which were to be bought in Texas by the Stock Corporation, which had been formed by Miss Webb and Taylor, an associate of hers.

The indications are that Duke's bnde has got a large amount of money from him. When Duke married Miss Webb he told the minister that his former wife had left him throe years ago, and was now in California. Duke said he divorced her lai.;t year on account of desertion. It is now sakl that the tirsl Mrs Duke get'; an- income from her divorced husband. Duke inherited his wealth from his father. His income is £OOOO per year. The bride is described as. a keen, ag'_p'ess:i vt\ business woman. It is said that she has been able to interest in her tobacco ventures in Texas several men of immense fortunes in Chicago,, New York,Cincinnati.aiui other financial centre;. Mrs Duke has not confined her field to Chicago which is mei'uiy her liV'.Klquurtii''. Her base of operations radiates from, the gulf to the seaboaivl. She is the president of the Texas Cuban Tobacco Company, of Nacogdoches, Texas. She is also a member of the brokerage linn of Taylor, Webb, and Co., whose offices are in the Continental National Uank building, in the very heart of the moneyed centre of La Selle street. To what extent if any, and in what way was she able to interest Duke in her tobacco enterprise, is not known, but it is beiioved he .furnished considerable 'tatton th ' S pUrposc " Jl htr soiiqi-

A suit for the annulment of thu marnagu has been instituted in the Supreme Court by altomevs for Duke s relatives. The allegation is made in the suit that Duke was jnentailj irresponsible, both at the time of _ his marriage and for some time bTtv r° ils' » V' S nientai 'rresponsifivf bc '" s <ll ' unk fol ' uti Hls carnage to th« Wehl. woman was one of u,.' d ™ ts ° E extended spree. Mr H. Lawrence JDuke, son of (]„. we,,t the sanatorium and saw his father. •• H'hv did von marry Miss Wel>„ ? " he j* ™ his surprise his father sa d that he | had no recollection „/ marrying" Md niarried ™ e to j* r h C '"T" X>r to J '*' i'arkthe plea o/X was not s lather participated Wh ™ monv, aIK i thai if u , ;aseeor< - Icd. Ont of . tho " id be annuity th ™u™ a 'h i f i " m - Tnd f U ' aSS «"'' «ho I of