The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-15
MRS. DUKE EXPLAINS
TELLS OF HER MARRIAGE TO HER
 PRESENT HUSBAND.
Says He Promised to Give Her Stocks and Bonds, But Failed to Dc
 SO-Her Texas Lands.


 New York, Jan. 14.--Mrs. Brodie l.. Duke, whose marriage to Brodie L. Duke, a half brother Of the president of the American Tobacco Cortpanys was followed by her husleahd z ~ jsi.s. mitment to A ssnitoriUn and proceeesN statement of the conditions under ings to inquire into his sanity, made a which she met and married Mir. Duke today.
 Mrs. Duke declared that she wanted to be set right before the public. She told how she met Mir. Duke as the result of an effort to secure a loan on tobacco lands in Texas, said she was dumfounded when Duke proposed mar riage to her. that Duke had promised to give her stocks and bonds, but has never given them.
 Mrs. Duke said that she had been largely interested in tobacco raising formerly was a promoter in Chicago formerly was a promoter in Chicago with Charles r. Taylor and that she was a land and immigration agent of the Southern Pacific Company.
 Mrs. Duke said that she had required the sum of $1S.5O0 to pay for the Red' land land as. although she had possess sion of it. sine did not have a clear title because the land belonged to the bankrupt firm of Sully and Company. which could not delivor Q deed to her. Her first introduction to Mir. Duke was the outcome of fer attempt to se- cure a loan from him to develop her lands at Redfield.
 MT Duke came up and saw mo in New York and three days afterwards he asked me to marry him. said Mrs. Duke. T was dumfounded at the re- quest, but he insisted that I become his wife, and I finally consented and we were married December 10.
 When Mir. Duke asked me to mar " nim, we discussed his family af- fairs The fact that he was twice married and had four children made me realize 1t would be unpleasant for me to marry him and enter into his family. However, I told him that would sign an agreement not to ac- cept any of his property in case of death. only securing for myself my own property at Redfield, which is sit- uated four miles from Nacogdoches. In reply to this MT. Duke said: believe in you now and will never doubt you any more. I shall trust you and I will find O way to give you while am alive stocks and bonds and what is left after my death the children can fight over If they want to-"
 Did Mir. Duke give you any stocks and bcnds?' was asked.
 "No. he never dld.'
 Mrs. Duke then told of their mar riage by Rev. W. w. Coe in New York. They lived at a hotel until Mir. Duke was taken away January 6, she said. T have nothing to fear in Texas" she said T am not afraid to go back there, and while I have no knowledge of any indictment against me there, can conceive of no reason for one. This property of mine in Texas I have improved by building houses for my help, and I have stocked 1t with cat- tie and made 1t self-supporting. I have also raised a 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 she was born near Buffalo thirty-seven years ago, and came to Mrs. DGsplaines' boarding house in this city when she was twelve years old. Her mother. she said, was Helen E. Chapman. a daughter of the professor of languages in the Univer- sity of London. Her father was Thom- as S. Webb, tne father of Free Masonry in this country, she declared. She also told of her marriage In 1885 to George w. B. Hopkinson which marriage in she said, was annulled. and of her marriage in 1897 to Edward F. Powell, and her divorce from him in 1903.