The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-02-03
WAS CARROLL .
COUNTY GIRL
MRS. ALICE WEBB DUKE BORN
NEAR NEW HARRISBURG.
Moved to Malvern, and When Quite
Young Entered Upon a Life of
Adventure. ~

Malvern, o., Feb. 1.-Nsrs. Alice
Webb Duke, was born about 4S years
ago in New Harrisburg, a hamlet near
Carrollton, removing later to Malvern
where she was educated in the public
schools, and when young girl in her
teens, entered upon life of adventure
and romance which rivals the imagina,
tion of the writer of the factory girl
novels Of which Alice was an avar-
icious reader. Her fathers name was
George Rollins. He was saddler and
served as justice of the peace at his
home for a number of years. He died
several years ago in Malvern under
suspicious circumstances, leaving a
goodly life insurance policy to his
family.
Alice has two sisters in the west,
a brother, Charles Rollins, in Des
Moines, Iowa, and another brother,
William Rollins, in New York, both of
whom are engaged in the tobacco bus
mess. Married four times and di-
vorced three times is her marital rec
ord. When a young girl journeying
west from Malvern to visit relatives,
she became acquainted on the train
with Frank Higbee, who removed a
cinder from her eye. This occurred on
a Wednesday, and the following Fri
day they were married. They made
their home in Aurora, Ill. Mr.. Higbee
was a travelling salesman for fur
niture house In Grand Rapids. A son
was born to this union. After two
years of welded life she was granted a
divorce. The divorce was secured
without knowledge of the husband
who was away on three months bus
mess trip. 1t was based on some let
ters which she found in his trunk
from woman with whom he had been
intimate. He did not learn OF the di-
Vorce until he returned home and was
informed of the fact by Mrs. Higbee
who denied him admittance to the
home. A reconciliation was effected,
and she and Mr.. Higbee were mar
ried in Chicago about two years after
separation. The second matrimonial
venture was also failure and di-
vorce was again granted her on the
grounds of incompatibility of tom
permanent. Then she and her son went
to San Francisco where she took up
the study of art, for which she showed
considerable talent. 80 Several years
later she wrote Higbee in Chicago,
making an appeal for money as she
was in want. Higbee wired her to
come to Chicago, and that he would
marry her. Upon her arrival there
they went to secure license, but II
was refused on account Of The dt
vorces.
The Mr.. Webb appeared on the
scene and she left Higbee, and with
her new admirer, whom she married
went to the Klondyke. She was the
first woman to invade that region in
search for gold. While there she fur
nished several papers and magazines
with series of articles on1iife9 and
conditions in the Klondyke. The ar
ticles were written in clever and
spicy style which attracted consider
able attention, being the first TO give
the public any authentic information
regarding the Klondyke. 31Yt'
Returning she secured a divorce
from Webb. Shs had upIfuntil this
time kept up a regular correspondence
with her schoolmates in Malvern, ant
while the correspondence was sudden
ly terminated by her. They lost TRACK
of her until her marriage with Duke
and the ENHANCEMENT following II. ~
Her aunt, Mrs. Pusey Pennock, o.
Minerva, recognized Alice Webb Duke
as her niece from the photographs ap
pearing In the papers. ~