The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-15
ANOTHER ACCOUNT GIVEN.
Mrs. Dukes Statement as to Her Mar
riage and Her Previous Life.
(By the Associated PressD

(By the Associated PreSS.)
New York, Jan. 14.-Mrs. Brodie l..
Duke whose marriage To Brodie L.
Duke, a half brother of the president
of the American Tobacco Company
was followed by her husbands COM
mitment to a sanitarium and proceed
ings TO inquire into his sanity, made a
statement of the circumstances under
which she met and married Mr.. Duke
today Mrs Duke declared that she
wanted to be set right before the pub
lie She told how she met Mr. Duke
IS the result of an effort to secure a
loan on tobacco lands in Texas, said
that she was dumbfounded when Duke
proposed marriage to her. that Duke
had promised TO give her stocks and
bonds but had never done so.
Mrs. Duke said that she had been
largely interested in tobacco raising in
terests in Redfield, Texas, that she
formerly was q promoter in Chicago
with Charles F. Taylor and that she
was land ard immigration agent of
the Southern Pacific Company.
Mrs. Duke then stated that she re-
CURED the sum of $1S,500 TO pay for
the Redfield land, as, although she
had possession of it, she did not have
a clear title because the land belong
dto the bankrupt firm of Suly &
deed to her. Her first introduction to
Air. Duke was the outcome of her at
tempt to secure a loan from him to
develop her lands at Redtield.
Tells of Her Marriage.
"Mr. Duke came up and saw me in
New York and three days afterwards
he asked me to marry him. said Mrs.
Duke. II was dumbfoGnded at the re-
quest, but he insisted that / become his
wife, and | finally consented and we
Weer married on December 10.
When Mr.. Duke asked me to marry
him We discussed his family affairs
The fact that he was twice married
and had four children made ME realize
it would be unpleasant for NE to mar
TX him and enter into his family.
However, / told h n that l would sign
ain agreement not to accept any or his
property in case of death, only Sc
curing for myself my own property at
Redfeld, which is situated four miles
from Nacogdoches. In reply to this.
Mr. Duke said:
Il believe in you now and I will
never doubt you ANYMORE. / shall
trust you and l will find way to give
YOU while / a m alive stocks and bonds,
and what is left. after my death Tie
children can fight over if they want
to-
Did Mr.. Duke give you any such
stocks and bonds?' was asked.
NO. he never did
Mrs. Duke then told of her marriage
by Rev. w. w. Coe, in New York,
They Lived at hotel until Mr.. Duke
was taken away on January 6, she said
Il have nothing TO fear in Texas,
said Mrs. Duke. 81 am not afraid to
go back there, and While 1 have nc
knowledge Of an indictment against
me there, L can conceive Of no reason
for one. This property of mine i'll
Texas, | have improved by building
houses for my help. and 1 have stock
ed ii with cattle and made it 5elf-slp-
porting. | have also raised crop of
tobacco
Mrs. Duke produced a letter which
she said WAS written by her husband
to his father in which he wrote Of her
in affectionate terms.
Mrs. Duke said that she was horn
near Buffalo thirty-seyen years ago and
came TO Mrs. Desplaincs boarding
house in this city when she was twelve
years old.
Her mother, she said, was Helen E.
Chapman, a daughter Of the profess
sor of languages in the University of
New London. Her grandfather was
Thomas S. Webb the father of Free
masonry i'll this country, she declared.
She also told of her marriage in 1885
to George w. Hoplinson. which mar
rage she said was annulled. and her
marriage in 1897 to Edward f. Powell
and her divorce from him in 1903.
Statement From Duke.
After q conference with his attorney
today W. G.. Bramham, private Sec
rotary to Brodie L. Duke gave out the
following statement:
Mr.. Duke will have nothing TO do
with his wife until all the charges
made against him are thoroughly
cleared up. Mr.. Duke is as sane as
any man living and in my opinion he
will he released of the charge of in
sanity. [ have known him for years
and he is capable of managing his own
affairs. Mr.. Duke told me yesterday
he would not see Mrs. Duke or any
of her representatives until the
charges against him were cleared ~.
Mr.. Duke says il any of the charges
against Mrs. Duke prove to be true he
will have his marriage annulled."
Mr. Bramhams attorney Champe S.
Andrews and John ID. Lindsay repre-
senting the Duke family, conferred
with Assistant District Attorney Per-
l1ins today regarding the Duke case.