The San Francisco call., 1905-01-10
MAY RIVAL
CHADWICK
SENSATION
BrOdie Dukes Wife
Has q Record as
a Promoter.
WEEDS the Millionaire After
Interesting Him in
Her Ventures.
Men of Prominence Are Said to Be
Involved in Woman'S Financial
Operations.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

CHICAGO, Jan. 9.-An explosion
which bids fair to rival the Chadwick
exploit in some respects is promised
f1n the case of Mrs. Alice Webb Duke,
wife of Brodie l.. Duke the son Of
Washington Duke. the tobacco mer-
chant. The incarceration of the
bridegroom in a private insane asylum
on Long Island a few days after his
marriage in New York to the Chicago
woman, and the bitter fight now being
made by the bride for his release,
charging fraud and conspiracy, led to
a scandal. This, it is said by those
claiming to know, is only at its be-
ginning. 1t is claimed that men of
prominence in New York, Chicago.
Pittsburg and other cities are in
: vo!ved.
Alice L. Webb, as she is known in
business way, was and is yet asso-
ciated with Charles F. Taylor in busi-
Bank building, 218 La Sale street The
firm is known as Taylor, Webb
g. Co, the Texas-Cuba Tobacco
Company and the Nacogdoches Tobac-
co Company of Nacogdoches, Texas.
Alice L. Webb is president and Taylor
is the secretary and treasurer. The
partnership was formed for the pur-
sisting, financially or otherwise, COM
panies. syndicates, partnerships adm
associations of all kinds, commercially
undertaken by contractors, capitalists,
financiers, ETC.
Alice l.. Webb is said to have first
met Brodie L. Duke in seeking to
interest him in land deals and to-
bacco plantations in Nacogdoches. 1t
is said that she and Taylor needed
about $150,000 for the purpose of pro-
noting property, and Duke was finally
induced to invest $4,000, but whether
the money was paid over or not is
not made clear.
Before the woman had known Duke
long she went to New York, and on
December 81 they were married.
In Chicago Miss Webb lived at 427
Forty-seventh street with her maid.
She was exclusive and passed as the
wealthy divorced wife of Z. H. Powell
a former Pittsburg hotel proprietor.
A story is afloat that she abandoned
her apartments and creditors swooped
down upon the place. 1t is declared
that the firm that sold her the fur.
nishing for her fiat secured an attacks
'ment and tradesmen of every class
clamored for payment. This is de-
MED, however by her friends. who as
/: sert that she had plenty of money.
When she left 1t was rumored that
partner, but this Taylor denied en-
phatically. He declared the firms
. business took them out of town very
often. He said:
Mrs. Duke is really the daughter of
the late William H. Webb, the wealthy
corporation lawyer of New York.
When her father died ten years ago
he left her 500, 900 and she engaged
in business. She did not care for So
ciety and proved to be q very shrewd
business woman. She told me that
her first husband. Powell, had squan-
dered her fortune. Since forming the
with Miss Webb in many business ven-
lures. She is still the junior member
of the firm"
NEW YORK. Jan. 9.-The announce
meflt was made to-day that Lawrence
Duke, son of Brodie l.. Duke recently
committed to a sanitarium on the or
der of magistrate had taken initial
steps to secure the annulment of his
fathers marriage to Miss Alice Webb.
What turn the investigation by District
Attorney Jerome may take is yet uncer-
tain. but 1t was said that there would
certainly be nc immediate arrest in the
case. the investigation not having
reacne6 a stage where criminal pros
ecution involving such action was pos
sible.
John q. Lindsay, attorney for Law
renee Duke. said to-day that he knew
notnlng about a statement attributed
TO Mrs Duke that an offer of $500 900
mad been made tu her on condition that
sne consent 10 the annulment of her.
marriage. He said that he was conf
dent that no offer had been made.
The commit s1ent of tie >.1er Duke