davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
HUMOROUS

In talking to some Of his political
friends the other day William Hepburn
Russell, who Is known as the Sunny Jim
of politics. emitted q statement that
should put him in the Solomon class OF
wisdom. Good advice" said he. lis
one of those injuries which a good man
ought. If possible, to forgive. but at all
events to forget at once"
The president gets a good many let
tiers from the men who served under
him in the rough riders. This one came
recently from New Mexico: Dear
Colonel: am in a heap of trouble, and
| write to see if you can help me out.
Last week when | was shooting at my
wife another lady stepped In range and
| hit her. 1t was an accident. wasn't
shooting at her at all. l hope you will
write to the judge and tell him to let
me CO."
Admirers of Mark Twain will recall
his famous letter to Queen Victoria.
According to his own account he once
wrote: Il don't know you personally,
but have met your son. He was at
the head Of a procession in the Strand
and l was on a bus" During a late
visit to London Mark Twain was pre-
sented to King Edward, who showed
his appreciation of the American hui
morist by remarking: II have met you
before. You must remember. 1t was
on the Strand and you were riding on
q bus"
Senator Depew tells the following sea
story. In addition to the genial Doctors
word, the story has internal evidences
of being genuine: Several men in the
smoking-room of a liner were discuss
ing the wonders of navigation. All
agreed that the accuracy of the readings
was marvellous. At this point a very
heavy-lookng Englishman interrupted.
II say" he drawled, cts deuced strange,
you know, how they ever find their way
over-deuced strange! Now, of course,
going back it's awfully simple. They've
only to follow the straight white line
the ship has made"
Senator Carmack tells this story of a
colored man who called on him for
legal advice a, Columbia, Tenn: The
elder of his clurch had advised his
wife to get a divorce from him, and the
negro asked: III a elder come foolin'
roun' you all's house mlxin' up trou-
BILE, advisin' yo' wife f'r to git a divorce,
what'd you do?" Take a shotgun and
kill him, most likely" replied young
Carmack. Kill him-kill a elder! Den
what de law dot" exclaimed the client.
"Oh, hang YOU, probably" For a full
minute the negro was silent. Then in
great disgust he turned to go. As he
shufied along down the steps he turned
a perplexed eye on the lawyer and
said: For the Lawd's sake, Mr.. Car
mack, what so't 'torney is you, amy
how?"
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
A GREAT SUFFERER
LAY HELPLESS AND SPEEOHLEsa
FOR HOURS AT A TIME.

Sinking Spells. Headaches, Rheumatism,
All Caused by Poor Blood-Cured by
DR.. Williams Pink Pills.
When Mrs. Williams was asked for
some details of the fearful illness from
which she had SO long suffered, she spoke
as follows:
"Ever since I had nervous prostration,
about thirteen years ago, I have had
periodical spells of complete exhaustion.
Any excitement or unusual activity
would throw me into q state Of lifeless-
ness. At the beginning my strength
would come back in a moderate time,
but the period of weakness kept length
ening until at last I would lie helpless
as many as three hours at a stretch"
"You were under medical treatment,
of course?'
Eyes, when I became SO bad that I
had to give up my homework, in May of
1908, I was being trested for kidney
trouble, and later the doctor thought my
difficulties came from change Of life. !
was not only weak, but I had dizzy
feelings, palpitation of the heart, misery
after eating, hot flashes, v head.
aches, rheumatic pains in the back and
hips. The doctor did me 50 little good
that I gave up his treatment, and really
feared that my case was i%ncurable."
"What saved you from your state Of
hopelessness?"
elm July Of 1908 I had a very bad
spell, and my husband came in one day
with a little book which told of remark.
able cures effected by a remedy for the
blood and the nerves, DR.. Williams Pink
Pills. He bought a box for me, and
that was the beginning of my return to
health. My appetite grew keen, my food
no longer distressed me, my nerves were
quieted, and my strength began to re.
vive."
elbow long did you take this remedy?"
"For two months only. At the end
of that time I had regained my health
and cheerfulness, and my friends say
that / am looking better than I have
done for the past fifteen years."
Mrs. Lizzie Williams is now living at
No. 416 Cedar street. Quincy, Illinois.
The pills which she praises so highly,
cure all diseases that come from i'm.
poverished blood. If your system is all
run down, DR.. Williams Pink Pills are
the very best remedy to take. Any drug.
gist car supply them.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

since she left the Erie county orphan
asylum in Buffalo. The New York police
say that Alice Webb first came to hat
city in 1878 to begin a life full of excite
ment. One of the first incidents in her.
career that brought notoriety to her was
her attempt to shoot a mar named Murat.
Masterson, who represented himself to be
8 wealthy Arizona miner. The two had
been associates for some time, and their
quarrel vas the ordinary case of ieal-
ousy so common among people of a GER
tain class. Masterson and Alice L. Webb
were arrested, but as neither would make
a complaint both were discharged. This
was in 1890.
Three years later the woman brought
a suit against George w. Hopkinson. a
wealthy manufacturer of perfumeries.
for alimony. According to afidavits now
on file, Hopkinson lived at a fashionable
hotel in New York city in 1877. He had
been introduced to a woman calling her.
self Alice Osborne, who told him that
she had been married to a man called
Osborne, and afterwards been charged
with "endeavoring to blackmail Mr.. Os-
borne's estate" Hopkinson induced
Alice Osborne to leave the Desplaines
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
CURRENT

One of the most remarkable opals in
existence is supposed to be a fossil frag-
ment of the cinioliasaurus, which once
lived in Australia, reaching a length OF
40 feet. The specimen, lately brought
to New York, weighs 1,150 carats.
J. NJ Tilton, a merchant of Bozeman,
Mont, left in a will that was probated
O October 10 the income Of his estate,
which will amount to several thousand
dollars annually, for the celebration OF
the Fourth of July with fireworks, flags
and bunting.
The following is a translation of a
public announcement, which appeared
recently in the principal paper of a town
in Alsace: "The commune of Hirsingen
requires a capable man to wind and look
after the village clock. No salary to be-
gin with, but this will soon be doubled
If services are satisfactory"
New Britain, Conn, a hustling city,
with 10000 persons, has only two po-
licemen at work in the daytime-and
only one when the chief eats his lunch
con. 1t seems to speak volumes for
the orderly disposition of the New
Britain people that this has been the
condition for SO long, and events have
only just called attention to it.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
WHEN LOVE IS BLIND
The Experience of Wealthy Brodie L. Duke with a woman
with Schemes
MARRIED In HASTE, REPENTS AT LEISURE
Takes a Wife Under What Is Said to Be Peculiar Circum-
stances His Family Object and the Investigation
Brings Out Some Startling Statements-WaS He
the Victim of a Deep-Laid Scheme-Rch
Victims of Questionable Women.

For some time the Dukes had not
known where Brodie Duke was. He had
been in the habit of spending a good deal
Of his time away from his South Caro-
lima home. Last October he dropped out
of sight for an unusually long period.
Then one day he turned up at Durham,
N. c., with Miss Alice Webb. Then came
another disappearance, and it was not
until his son, Lawrence Duke, had ar
rived in New York to find out what had
become of his father that the truth was
known. One day late in November Ben
iamin N. Duke, a half-brother of Brodie
Duke, who lives at the Hoffman House,
was called up at the hotel by a woman.
who said:
Caught by the Texas Girl.
This is your new sister-in-law. l
called you up to tell you that l have mar
ried your brother Brodie. l want to tell
you that We are very happy. Mr.. Duke
wants to talk to you himself"
Then Benjamin Duke heard some con-
versation and a voice which he recog-
nized as his brothers came over the
phone. 1t said: This little Texas girl
has got me, and got me good"
Benjamin Duke asked his brother II
he was satisfied, or something to that eff
feet, and there was a conversation at the
other end of the telephone in which he
heard women's voices. Then his brother
said: eyes, 1. is alright. l am salts
fed"
A Strange Disappearance.
At that time the Dukes didn't know
where Brodie Duke was. What really
caused them to put private detectives to
work was the knowledge which came to
his family that Brodie Duke had gone
back to North Carolina and tried to wind
up his affairs there, among other things
asking that about $780, 900 worth OF Sc
c~urities he held there should be forward
ed to him in New York. On top of that
they discovered that he had given a
check for 81, 200 OF a bank where he had
only 5000 on deposit, and that the check
had been returned. Next they learned
that an attempt had been made to Dor
roy money on two of his notes for $16,-
500, which had finally come into the
hands of a well-known money lender.
At once one of his brothers and a son
applied to the court for an order commit
ting Brodie Duke to the hospital. De-
tectives were sent to the Park Avenue
hotel, a fashionable establishment where
Brodie Duke and his wife were living.
Duke himself made no resistance, but
Mrs. Duke was not so passive. She
abused the relatives, and particularly
the son who was instrumental in getting
his father away from her. The detec-
tives pushed Duke out of the apartments,
and the next day the bride was asked to
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

leave the place. For awhile she went
into hiding, but when at last she was To-
Gated she told a story in which sentiment
and business was strongly mixed.
Mrs. Duke has all along claimed to
have large property interests. She is
about 80 years Of age, perhaps five years
the junior Of her husband. For several
years she has figured as a promoter Of a
certain kind Of industrial concern OF
more or less magnitude. Her business
correspondence is written on nicely en-
graved stationery, under the heading Of
The Texas-Cuba Tobacco Company"
of which Alice M. Webb figures as tho
president. The offices Of the concern are
in the Continental bank building, Of Chi
cago, and, according to Mrs. Duke, it
owns a considerable area Of tobacco
land in Texas. She is also interested in
the firm Of Taylor, Webb & Co., which
has its headquarters with the tobacco
concern. Mrs. Duke is the Webb Of the
firm. It is engaged in promoting all
sorts Of projects and stock enterprises.
According to Mrs. Duke, her first meet
ing with her husband came about In the
way Of business.
A High Priestess Of Finance.
II have large property interests In
Texas, she explained. after her husband
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

boarding house. She set up an estab-
lishment Of her own and lived in consid-
cradle luxury. Some years later, when
Hopkinson tried to drop her acquaint-
ance, he took the %precaution to have pa
pers duly drawn up and signed in the
presence of his attorney. The woman
acknowledged that she had never been
his lawful wife, and for two or three
years he heard nothing more of her.
Then he began to receive gentle requests
for money, and in 1899 the woman, as
Mrs. Hopkinson. began her action for
alimony against him, saying that she
had married H%opkinson on November
"a, 1878, when she was IS years old.
Hopkinson denied ever having married
her, said that she was at least rs years
old at the time he met her, and generally
exposed the woman's character In court.
The questionable authenticity Of her
marriage resulted in his attorney having
the suit dismissed in 1896.
1t has also been learned in the inves-
tigation of the woman's record. hat
Alice Webb married Edward H. Powell,
9 hotel clerk, In Pittsburg, Pa, In 1895.
Powell is now believed to be in Chicago
or Allegheny City.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
Lord Nelson and soap.

'As occasional squalor is the worst
evil of poverty and labor, so cleanliness
should be considered the greatest bless
ing of luxury and ease" argued Mr.
Frank Prindle in expatiating on the
moral force Of his own business, which
is the importation of soap. However
he continued, those in the seats of the
mighty are not altogether without re.
proach on this subject. 1t is a we'll au.
thenticated fact, if not generally known
that the celebrated Lord Nelson had moi
washed his hands during the last eight
years Of his life, and Napoleon Stunned
a bath as though he was a cat. A clergy.
mar once told mi that he believed the
expression cleanliness. is next to godli.
ness referred to moral cleanliness ant
that the fashionable daily morning bath
was of little consequence to health OF
habits. We should, he said, make ouI
manners as well al our teeth, make oui
temper as sweet as our breath, and cut
off our peccadilloes as well as our nails.
IN. Y. Herald.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

cure his commitment to a private SAM
tarium at Flushing, l.. l., where he was
put under close guard.
Then the circumstances of Dukes
riage became public, and two days later
suit was brought for the annulment Of
the marriage. To one of his sons Duke
frankly expressed amazement when told
that he was married.
II didn't know that / married Miss
Webb" he is reported to have said. Il
aon't remember having asked her to mar
ry me, nor do I ~recollect appearing be-
fore the minister with her. 1t is all very
strange"
AT Bellevue hospital they said plainly
that Duke was suffering from alcoholic
dementia, and 1t was even intimated that
his condition might have been brought
about by the use of drugs. Naturally,
Mrs. Alice Webb Duke had quite q diff
ferent story to tell, and her friend, Mrs.
Agnes D~esplaines, bore her out in most
Of the details. But It happened that pri-
yate detectives employed by the Duke
family and the detectives from District
Attorney Jerome's Office had unearthed
enough OF the records Of the two women
to cast strong suspicion on them. and the
grand jury was put to work investigatirg
the matrimonial tangle.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

had been committed TO the hospital. 1T
was in connection with these that / came
to New York from Chicago in the latter
part of November. l wanted to secure
additional capital to develop the prop
erty. and naturally I meant to seek
wealthy investors. OF course l heard of
the Dukes as men of wealth.
ION arriving in New York, I sent a
telegram TO Brodie l.. Duke, asking him
for a business appointment. By mistake
my message fell into the hands of his
brother, who came to see me at the As
tor House. When | discovered that he
was not the man l expected to meet, /
to,5 him my message had been intended
for Brodie L. Duke. Then | explained
what my mission was, and before leav-
ing he made me an offer of SIS, 600 a year
for my services in his business affairs. l
declined the offer after telling Mr.. Duke
that my services were not for sale.
Then | Sent a second telegram to
Brodie L. Duke, at Durham, N. c., and
we met for the first time at the Astor
House. l explained my business propo-
sition to him, and he expressed great in
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
OF TALK.

Wise Is the wife who has only small
wishes to be granted.
Many a woman is not as blond as
she is p~eroxidized to be.
Liquor may weaken the voice, though
it adds strength to the breath.
Love may be blind, but the girls lit
tie brother seldom has to be shown any
thing about it.
II a woman is permitted to do the
talking she is not very particular who
does the thinking.
Some politicians roost on the fence
most of the time because there are vot-
ers on both sides of 1t.
You may kick, you may shatter a
boom il you will, but the hopes of its
owner will cling to it still.
Tight shoes cause the blood to mount
to the face, yet there are young men
who can't imagine why girls blush.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
rhe apoctor,sy STORY.

Further light was thrown on this re-
markable case by a man named DIE.
I. 0~sbaldeston, who was employed as q
nurse in the Duke apartments during Mr..
Dukes indisposition after his marriage.
He told the criminal authorities that
when he first saw Duke he was under the
influence of liquor or drugs. Mrs. Des-
p~laines," 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 this a 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
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
rARTIErs OF TALK.

Wise is the wife who has only small
wishes to be granted.
Liquor may weaken the voice. though
il adds strength to the breath.
Love may be blind, but the girls lit
tie brother seldom has to be shown any
thing about it.
If a woman is permitted to do the
talking she is not very particular who
does the thinking.
Some politicians roost on the fence
most of the time because there are vot-
ers on both sides of it.
You may kick, you may shatter a
boom if you will, but the hopes Of its
owner will cling to it still.
Tight shoes cause the blood to mount
to the face. yet there are young men
who can't imagine why girls blush.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

New York.-Somehow New York over
looked the announcement of the mar
riage of Brodie L. Duke and Miss Alice
Webb on December 81, 1904. The fact
that the ceremony was performed by
Rev. w. w. Coe, chief assistant of Rev.
Charles Parkhurst, of Madison Square
Presbyterian church, who became ia
nous some years ago because of his cru
SADIE against vice, ought to have attract
ed attention. Ordinarily the mere name
of Duke would have been enough to ex-
cite gossip. For Brodie L. Duke is the
half-brother of James B.. Duke, the head
of the American Tobacco Trust.
1t was James B. Duke who, starting in
a small way at Durham, N. c., founded
the tobacco trust and made it the great
power that it is. Since that day James
B. Dukes progress to wealth has been
phenomenal. The trust virtually con-
trolls the entire tobacco business of this
country, and several years ago invaded
England and fought the big tobacco in
terests there to a standstill.
James B. Duke is the sturdy, square
jawed, silent type of man, who gives the
impression of force, but carefully avoids
notoriety. There are a dozen men con
nected with the Tobacco Trust who are
more talked about than he and who's
real achievements as money makers ant
bushes organizers are not half so great
Lately he has built a palatial country
place at Somerville, N. j., where he nov
makes his home. He, too, not long age
married a wife who was unknown to the
society of millionaires, which men of his
type usually aspire to enter in New
York.
Brodie L. Duke is quite a different type
of a Through his family Relationship
he has shared to some extent in the goot
fortune of James B. Duke, and has hat
the reputation of being wealthy. Blu
most of his life has been spent in hare
work in North Carolina, and the attrac.
tions of New York proved too much for
him. He is said, in fact, to have dissi-
pated a large part of his fortune before
his marriage and to have been a frequent
cause of anxiety to his family.
After the Ceremony.
Two weeks after the quiet little cere-
mony at the home of Rev. w. w. Coe, a
mysterious patient was taken one night
to the ~psycopathic ward of Bellevue hos
pital. Every care was taken to conceal
the identity of the patient. 1t was no I'm
til the next day, when the detectives OF
District Attorney Jerome appeared at
the hospital and demanded the delivery
of some $4,000 in stocks and bonds, and
a quantity of valuable jewelry, that it
was revealed that Brodie l.. Dukes fam
lily had taken steps to have him declared
irresponsible. The next step was to Sc
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

was cruel to separate them, but It will
not last"
These things and many more were
told by Mrs Desplaines to District At
torney Jerome. who has charge of all
criminal cases in New York county. Ii
the meantime it was discovered that she
had something of a record of her own.
and that her acquaintance with Mrs.
Alice Webb dated back many years. 1t
seems that Mrs. Desplaines in 1894, when
the state legislature ordered a searching
investigation of police conditions in New
York city, appeared before the Lexow
committee and acknowledged that she
was the owner of "a Raines law hotel"
that had been raided by the police. The
Raines law hotels are a peculiar institu-
tion in New York city, by which it is
made possible to sell liquor ON Sunday
There are some 1000 of them licensed.
and as a class they are dens of vice and
infamy.
Mrs. Dukes Past.
There have been many interesting
chapters in the life of Alice L. Webb
Powell : H%opkinson : Masterson : Duke
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26
Examination,

Has you boy passed his examina.
tions for college?"
Not entirely. He has qualified in
bis studies, but has yet to pass q
psysician's examination to determine
whether he can stand being hazed"-
Washington Star.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-01-26

Sinking Spells, Headaches, Rheumatism,
All Caused by Poor Blood-Cured by
DR.. Williams Pink Pills.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-02
Treaty Completed Today.

Portsmouth, N. H., September l.-As result of the reports made tonight by MT. De Martens and MT. Dennison to their respective chiefs upon their work this afternoon at the navy yard in the draft ing of treaty of peace, M. Witte and Baron Komura had brief conference in the formers apartments at S:90 o'clock tonight regarding some details of trans- lation and the few points of interpreta- ton upon which the framers had been unable to reach complete accord.
 When Baron Komura left MT. Dennison and Mir. Adachi, he entered the apart ments of MT. Witte where they were joined by MT. De Martens and MT Plan con. This conference lasted for about half an hour when the Japanese returned to Baron Komuras apartments, leaving M. Witte and his conferees who remained in conference for more than an hour. M. Witte and Baron Komura had no diffi- culty in coming to an agreement on the disputed points and at tomorrow's session the framers of the treaty expect to com- plete their work. The treaty must then be engrossed in French and English in duplicate which may take several days. It Is stated tonight that twelve articles of the treaty have been completed and agreed upon. It now seems probable that the framers will be able to confine the treaty to fourteen articles instead of fif- teen, as was the original plan.
 M. Witte continues to receive messages of congratulation from all over the world. He reads each one and gives directions to his secretaries regarding the answers to be sent.