Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1905-01-27

years he heard nothing more Of her.
Then he began to receive gentle requests
for money, and In 1893 the woman, as
Mrs. IIopklnson, began her action for
alimony against him. saying that sho
had married HOpkinson on November
"a, 1873, when she was 10 years old.
Hopkinson denied ever having married
her, said that she was at least % years
old at the time he met her, and generally
exposed the wOfnan's character In court.
The questionable authenticity OF her
marriage resulted In his attorney having
the suit dismissed In 1896.
II has also been learned in the In
t~igation of the woman's record. that
Alice Webb married Edward II. Powell,
a hotel clerk. in P%ittsburg. Pa, in 1895.
Powell is now believed to be In Chicago
or Allegheny City.
The "Doctor's' Story.
Further light was thrown on this re-
markablc case by a man named DEE.
Il. OSbaldcston, who was employed as q
nurse In the Duke apartments during Mr..
Dukes indispositlon after his marriage.
He told the criminal authorities that
"i'h Ht HlSI ~" lplNf i've W DIS ulucI Luo
influence OF liquor or drugs. Mrs. Des-
plaines." he testified to the district at
torney. mixed something, put what
looked like whisky in one glass, and
took from another what seemed to be-
milk. Soon after his was given to Mr..
Duke, he fell back on his pillow, his Jaw
dropped and he was asleep and breathing
hard" The nurse also declared that on
the day before the marriage he found
Duke so near death that he insisted that
n doctor be called. The next day Mrs.
Dcsplaines told him Duke and Miss
Webb had gone away to be married, and
the day after the marriage, so Osbaldes-
ton told District Attorney jerome. Mrs
Duke came to him and showed him her
marriage certificate. saying:
Now address me as Mrs. Duke with
the 500, 600 600. Oh, my God, what have
gone through and suffered In the last
few weeks to get this | cant tell you.
But, thank God, it Is over"
1t Is a curious part of this cX~traordin-
airy case that nearly everybody connected
with it has Il record. Osbadcston admits
that he was once arrested in Montreal
with "A woman named Louisa Weiss, who
was accused of theft, and that he spent
several years in an insane asylum there.
In August, 1892, he was shot while inves-
tigatinG a suspected dive In New YORK
city. Later he had a silver plate inserted
In his skull to cover the hole made in 1t
by a cOlorcd man who shot him while he
was thus engaged in another raid. In
on thn Voice woman went 10 (rprnHnV
where Osbaldcston followed her. There
In the course of his life Of adventure
he was assaulted by a man named We'll,
whom he shot dead. Osbaldcston was
chased by a mob and fired and killed
the loader. Subsequently he was set
free on the ground that he fired in self
defense. lie was also once arrested In
Washington, ID. c., for cxtOrting money
from the owner of a massage establish
ment. but this case was dismissed.
While the examination of the persons
principally involved in the Duke mar
riage tangle was under way and evil
dcncc was being prepared for submis-
! sion to the grand jury, District Attorney
! Jerome was informed that Mrs. Duke
: did not own the valuable tobacco lands
, in Texas which had figured in her bust
ness relations with the imprcssionnble
Mr.. Duke. She once held title to some
property, but 1t had previously been sold
under sheriff's execution for $3.50. and
instead of being very valuable 1t was
probably worth only about that sum.
In any case, Mrs, Duke declared that
- she would stand on her rights as a law
. full wife and began habeas corpus pro-
ceedings for the recovery OF her hus-
8 band from the hospital. The Duke fam
lily are equally determined that the
separation shall be final, regardless of
| the modification and scandal growing
out OF court proceedings.
The Ways Of the City.
, One .act which has com to light In
20 the course of the inquiry made by the
q criminal authorities in this case Is that
, there ara a number of disreputable
. women In the city of New York who
l. live In good style, in pretentious quar-
81 tiers, and make IL their special business
r to keep informed about the habits ol
A men of wealth who are given to dissi.
, patton and loose living. They maintain
O elegantly furnished apartments. are
4 women OF good manners and pleasing
r address. and under the %pretense of car
rylng IN regular business operations are
really concerned with whcedling money
b out OF their victims by fair means and
n foul. Several Of these cases which have
u been uncovered have been suppressed