The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-17


 get away.
 Mrs. Duke has been indicted in Texas on charge of obtaining money by false pretenses and warrant for her arrest Is reported to be in the mails on the way to New York
 Where the Dukes Are Known.
 Durham, N. C., January 1L-(Special)-- Here where tobacco Is nlng and the great Duke family has had the lmeight for nearly a century, each new report from New York concerning Brodie L. Duke is first carefully weighed and then given it's true value. Only Durham knows the real Brodie l.. Duke. whose younger half brothers. James B. and B. N Duke. after twelve years of embarrassing partnership with him in the tobacco firm of w. Duke, Son & Co., at the formation of the tobac- Go trust in 1890, shared alike with him tn division of s-.5o0OOO
 Went Broke in Three Years.
 Three years later Brodie l.. Duke was broke. Again his brothers rescued him from his creditors and put his affairs in- to shape, with a balance of $3O0 OOO Since
 
 over $i5O,000 advanced him by his father, the aged Washington Duke, now in his Sth year. That Is why the good people ot Durham are angry over the alleged statements of Mrs. Alice Wehb- Duke, whom Brodie l.. Duke married from the Hotel Winton in New York city. that Brodie was "cheated by his brothers;" that he was the real power behind the throne and that the present inmate of Long Island sanitarium was put away for purpose" These are all laughed to seorn in every quarter of Durham.
 In the northwestern section of this town of 10000 inhabitants Brodie l.. Duke has handsome residence located in small grove. He once owned 150 acres of land. Now IL is plastered with mortgages. His eldest daughter, Mrs II. R. Goodall, wife of Durhams leading druggist has lived in the house since Mrs. Duke No. 9 for merly Miss Mamie W. Woodward of Ala bama, deserted her husband because of his excessive drinking. and with her boy. now 10 years of age, took up her resi- dence in California. Brodie got a divorce by setting S3o.o0O upon his wife for the maintenance of their child
 Is 67 Years Old.
 Brodie l.. Duke Is now e years old. In 1878 he the proprietor of a small tobacco factory in Durham. His father owned a larger plant They consolidated into the firm of W. Duke Sons X Co.,. James B, the active head of the senior Dukes factory; E. N. Duke his brother, and George w Watts formerly of Bal timore, each hold fifth interest with Washington Duke and Brodie. Each n- vested $i4000 and the business was run as a firm. In the sos both Washington Duke and Brodie retired from active sociatlon with the firm, although both retained full interest in the business. which continued to grow.
 In 1885 the firm was incorporated at $250,000, which raised the interest of the retired partners each from sl4.o00 to s..- GOO. James E. Duke was elected pres dent, his brother. B. N. Duke vice pres dent, and MT. Watts treasurer. Three years later the capital stock was raised to S600.0O0. and the holdings of Brodie L.. Duke and his father were each advanced from $50.000 to SIzO.0OO. Great difficulty was had in keeping Brodie from selling out, and all through these early years he derived n yearly income which was the product of his haf-brother energy. Occasionally he would go out upon the road for the concern, but his habits were said to be SO uncertain and the results Of his labors so embarrassing that he was discouraged from continued activity.
 Had Immense Income.
 In 1890 the American Tobacco company was loff1tu anu IT0ult l-. Duhc NdS Ndtr ried bodily into the tobacco trust along with his father. Out of the s25OOo.61 stock issued w. Duke & Sons got an allotment of $7,5OO.000 The five partners each received sl.50O. 600, which insured to Brodle l.. Duke an annual income of $150.OOO providing ne retained possession ot his holdings. His first check for divi- dends upon his common stock alone was S9c000 The stock turned over to him by his brothers is worth SS,000,000 to-day.
 But Brodie Duke liked to speculate. and he embarked upon a career of wild plung- ing into different ventures which ended in his assignment in 1s93 The people of Durham say that Brodie always got into these unfortunate deals when upon spree. Experimenting his tobacco stock in Wall street. Duke invested in land companies in Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama. He sunk s250,OO0 in build ing a street railway from Memphis to Raleigh Springs Tenn which included the construction of hotel.
 Crash Was Memorable.
 The crash was a memorable one to Dur ham, Without warning to the half-broth- CTS 800 ,O00 worth of tobacco stock hy- pothecated by Brodie was dumped upon the New York stock exchange driving the price of the common stock down to 43. Under the skillful direction of the half lf-brothers. the stock was bought back and assistance given Brodie. V. Ballard and John F. Wyly. the latter cashier er the Fidelity bank here, as assignees, got his affairs into shape, and the half-broth- CTS saved $30O 600 from the wreckage. This was turned over to Brode. and included the ownership of a local hosiery enter prise, securities of which MT. Duke was seel<ing 10 dispose of in Wall street shortly