The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-23
A Marriage in Gotham
that Surprises Durham.
1T WAS SECRET ONE
Miss Webb eff the Great Western City
is Mr.. Dukes Third Wife. The
Couple Were Welded Tues
day and Have Sailed
for Europe.

News reached here to-day and lato
this afternoon was verified that on
Tuesday evening Mr.. B. L. Duke, OF
this city, was secretly married in New
York, Miss Alice Webb being the
bride They were married it is said.
by DR.. Parkhurst. The rumor is thar
yesterday morning they sailed for
Europe and will be absent from this
country some two months.
The bride it is learned. lived IN
Chicago, being the junior member of
firm doing business at No. 112 LaSalle
street 1t is also said that she is q
large owner of Independent Cuban
Tobacco Manufacturing stock and
owns other interests in this country.
Very few people in Durham know
of the marriage at this time. The an
nouncement will be a great surprise
to all, his family as we'll as other rel
atiVes and his friends. Mr.. Duke left
here on November 23rd, stating that
ne was going to New York on import
ant business matters. Since then moth
ing has been heard from him untIl
the news came that he was married.
SO far as can be learned this evening
he has not communicated with any
member of his family or with his pli-
vate secretary, w. G.. Braham. who
has charge of his business affairs.
AS soon as the news Of Mr. Dukes
marriage reached here your CORE
spondent called on Mr.. Bramham and
asked him about the matter. II know
nothing directly concerning the mat
ter said Mr. Bramham. "Mr Duks
left here on November 23rd. goinf
to New York on important business
matters. I went with him as far as
Richmond and he went on to New
York. Since then / nave heard moth
| ing from HIM" Continuing Mr.. Bran
| ham said: '''rhe private and business
transactions of Mr.. Duke are open
| and above board. and while / have
never heard of the bride | am satisfied
{ that his usual good business Judgment
! has been manifested in this case. As
have not been advised of the mar
riage I can neither confirm nor deny
| the rumor l represent him in bus
i mess capacity and am not supposed to
| be kept posted as to his family affairs.
! | have nothing for the press"
An hour after this your correspond
! ent again called on Mr.. Bramham and
! he confirmed the marriage. He hau
| been in communication with some
friends in New York and these friends
wired that the marriage was solemn
| ized on Tuesday evening. This, Mr.
Bramham stated, was the first direct
! information that ne had of the mar
riage.
His Third Marriage.
| This is Mr. Dukes third venture
on, the matrimonial sea. His first Wife.
a Miss McMannen. Of this county. died
a number Of years ago. Later a few
years ago, he was married to- Miss.
| Minnie w. woodward. of Chattanooga.
| Tennessee. The late divorce proceed.
ngs, at which time Mr.. Duke secured
divorce by compromise, are still fresh
in the minds of the people Of the
State.
The divorce was granted on March
| 24th, of this year. There were inti-
nations of hard ieral fight over
! this matter and Mrs. Duke had em-
| ployed able counsel to represent her.
| One of the attorneys was q Congress
man from California, and he came ON
to Durham to make the fight. Mr..
Duke had very able counsel. At the
last minute there was a compromise
and an agreed verdict was returned
by the jury. This verdict gave both
a divorce and Mrs. Duke retained the
only child, Woodward. She and the
child are now at Pasadena California.
i In regard to this matter it is learned
that in order TO bring about the COM
promise Mr.. Duke paid to his wife
the sum of 5000 There is no rec
ord showing this, however.
The grounds on which this divorce
were brought were that Mrs. Duke had
deserted her husband two years prior
to the time of bringing the suit and
! that she had refused since that time
to sign any deeds or papers transfer
ring real estate. Mr.. Duke is large
| holder of real estate and he brought
the suit in order to clear title TO his
I property.
Considered Very Wealthy
Mr.. Duke is considered very
wealthy man. He is q son of Washing
ton Duke. the founder of the Duke
! business that was the nucleus in forp-
| ing the great American Tobacco Com
! pany. Several years ago he failed III
| business but recuDerated his lost for
tunes, paid off all of his accounts ard
since then has accumulated large hold
ings He is supposed to be worth
million dollars or more.
/ Mr. Duke holds large blocks of to-
bacco stock, and speculates on large
scale In addition to this he owns
| business interests i'm all parts of the
/ country. being the principal stockhold-
er in the Keely Institute at Washing
ton, having much mining interests in
Tennessee: owns oil interests In Texts
and California. and has property scat
tered throughout the western part of
the country.
| Nothing is known about where nc
Will make his home in the future. but
it is supposed that he will reside here.