The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-01-20
BIG bLkCKMAIL|NG
PLOT IS EXPOSED
Duke Case in New York Prom
ises Some Remarkable
Developments.
PREY on MILLlONAlReS
System attic Methods Used in Roping in
Rich Men "Out for Time and
Marrying Them to Women
Of Town When Drunk.

New York. Jan. Little civil pro
ceedngs begun to annual the marriage
of Brotie L. Duke and Alice l.. Webh,
and criminal investigation begun by
Jerome, developments are expected.
The charge is that Duke is only one
of many lu ID into marriage by con-
spirators. who mulct them of for
tunes; that these marriages are en-
tered when the victims are irresponSi-
bic from drink and drugs.
This charge is made by Dr.. T.. 7. Os-
haldSton to the grand jury. Through
this man the Duke family were lc-
quainted with the condition Of Duke.
He was called us masseur when Duke
his new wife and Nine. Agnes Des-
PLANES. MIS-. Dukes friend, We're at the
Hotel Winton. Realizing the serious
condition of Duke, Osbaldston thought
ii his duty to save his life.
1t is claimed n regular gang of women
in Chicago. There are men. too, and
they start after millionaires and take
money from them by all methods.
Mrs. Alice Webb Duke. from her hid
ing place, is making efforts to have her
husband released from the sanitarium
al Flushing, where he was taken for
alcoholic demcntia.
She has employed counsel who will
take steps in habeaS corpus. 1t is said
she will have Il score of witnesses, who
will swear her husband is sound of
mind and illegally detained on the
representation of his son. b. Lawrence
Duke, and half brother, Benjamin N.
! Duke.
Search for Mrs. Duke.
Jerome is not inclined to credit the
! report that she is 50 unable to appear
! before the grand jury and explain her
! marriage, and a long list of mysterious
| transactions.
| The district attorney has evidence
! that Mrs. Duke made grave misrepre-
| sensations to her husband concerning
| Texas properties. Notes of $4,000 We're
about to pass from Duke to his wife.
| They represented the purchase price
of land upon which Duke put Il tictiti-
| Gus value.
Osbaldston charges that Mrs. Duke
and Mrs. Desplaines are blackmailers,
| Headquarters in Chicago. He closeted
| with Jerome for an hour. Osbaldston
threw much light on the case.
Mrs. w. w. Coe wife of Rev. DR.. Coe,
assistant 80 Dr. Parlhurst. throws
light OH The marriage. Her husband
did not hesitate to perform the cere-
mony, though he did not know any
thing about Duke or the woman.
She says her husband realized they
We're in mature age and he had not
the right to refuse The clergyman de-
tected liquor on Dukes breath.
Mrs. Desplaines appeared at the Ho-
tel Winton, where detectives say the
plot was Matched. and demanded the
baggage belongi < to her and Mrs
Duke. The proprietor said their bag
gage was still there and did not know
when ii would be taken away.
One fact connected with the inquiry
was made known. 1t is that several
disreputable women in this city who
make it their task to learn of men OF
No Il icsi ti,,r hoy l,o,
elegant flats ready to receive the vic
Tins.
Woman's Checkered Career
Osbaldston. at his home West Six.
ty-thrd street said: II was introduced
tn Mrs. Duke by Mrs. Desplaines, five
or six years ago. Mrs. Duke went by
the name of Mrs. Alice Powell. Hel
husband. J. a. Powell, conducted
gambling establishments at Long
Branch. this city and Chicago
Osbaldeston never saw her again un.
til the Duke case. Mrs. Desplaine:
came to his home and he went witt
her to the Winton ut II O'Clock a
i, night. He saw a man and a woman
and recognized the woman as Mrs
,, Powell.
Look here. doctor" the woman said
here is Il patient worth having. He i
. Il member of the Duke family, tn
wealthy tobacco man, and has made al
S2O,000,000. We are going TO get mar
ried."
!, He was much under the influence O
liquor or drugs" Osbaldston saiG
Mrs. Desplalnes. when l wa
through with him. mixed some
thing in n glass that looked like whisk
and mi <. She gave it to Duke an
: in Il few minutes he was aseeI
: breathing hard.
l ION the day before the marriage
: found Duke so near death that I in
| sisted that Il practitioner be called il
2 Next day Mrs. DeSDlaines told me Duk
$ and his fiance had gone away to b
G married.
when I called the day after tn
marriage. Mrs Duke. showing her mar
riage certificate, said: Now addres
me as Mrs. Duke, With $4,000, 600 Of
u what | have gone through in the las
u few weeks to get TO this! Thank Go,
: it is over
n Mr.. Duke was low that night an
y I told them to bring a DOCTOR"