The Washington times., 1905-01-10

Trust magnates now a mental wreck IN
q private sanitarium at Flushing, L. l.,
where his family sent him, admitted TO
his son. Lawrence Duke, that he mad
net the faintest recollection OF his mar
rage to Alice l.. Webb at DIR. Park
bursts church December IS.
; He told his son that the events of the
last few weeks were haze to him, and
that he could not be quite certain of
anything he had done.
Already Mrs Duke is the defendant in
a suit for the annuiment of her mar
rage on the ground that the man to
whom she was welded was a mental
wreck at the time the ceremony was
performed. and wholly incapable OF the
realization of the step he was taking
Conspiracy Alleged.
But the suit of annulment is not the
most serious of Mrs. Dukes complica-
tons. 1t was said that relatives of her
husband We're fully determined to prose
cute the woman on a charge OF conspi-
racy to obtain possession OF large
amount of bonds and other valuables
from the man. who says he married her
without any knowledge of what he was
doing.
1t Is said no less than four or five
others will become involved i'll these
serious charges
Financial troubles of nature sug-
costing Mrs. Cassie Chadwicks career
in high finance seem 20 Turk in the path
of Mrs. Duke.
She is a member Of the Chicago brok-
erage firm of Taylor, Webb & Co.. the
outgrowth of which was the Texas-Cuba
Tobacco Company.
In this latter concern Trodie Duke had
liV
the instance of the woman he married.
In this city December l9 and from whom
relations separated him whelA he was
found to be in a hopeless condition Of
alcoholism
A Financial Tangle.
The German National Bank of Little
. Rock. Ark. is suing Mrs. Duke and her
promoting company for $4,000. the face
OF two notes of s. 900 each, due and I'M
paid. The tobacco company has foated
thousands and thousands of dollars
worth of stock
An attorney who came to New York
to get service CD these notes says he
fears they are absolutely worthless. He
rays the woman had dropped out of
sight. and that the announcement of her
marriage TO Duke and the subsequent
developments gave him a clue to her
whereabouts.
1t is said Mrs. Duke owes many other
large and small amounts. and that prom
inent men in several cities are tangled
in her financial affairs.
She Pleads Illness.
Mrs. Duke was 30 have appeared be-
fore the grand jury yesterday, but in
stead of doing SO she sent word to Dis
tricI Attorney Jerome through q physi-
rior hot 81, nc
attack Of nervous prostration and I'M
able TO leave her bed in a Park Ave
nue. hotel
Thirty minutes later Mrs. Duke was
in carriage and hurrying away to an
other address for the purpose of avoid
ing the watchful eyes of half a dozen
detectives
The mysterious woman who has fig
ured all along in the case as the intimate
friend and constant companion of Mrs
Duke. Mrs Agnes d Esplaines, who had
also been summoned to appear before
torney's Office and said she was ready
TO answer questions. She was told her
testimony would not be required until
Mrs Duke was able to appear before
the grand jury
Nurse Scented Conspiracy.
George A Ochsen, trained nurse,
who had Duke in his care for six days
in the latter part of December. has
thrown light on the csse.
He says he was called to the Hotel
Winton by DR.. Stur1n 70 treat Duke for
an attack of alcoholic dementia
The nurse says that during the time
! of his professional service ne became
convinced that the wealthy tobacco
manufacturer had fallen in with evil
companions.
He says he has every reason to be-
heve that those about him were In a
plot to get possession OF vaIuabI Sc
curities belonging to him
Z. r. OSbaldeSSen, a nasSeur saws
that on the night of December he was
summoned TO the Hotel Walton to treat
"a man and woman
He was taken to a room on the third
floor, and there he met Mrs d Espu-
lanes. who took him into an adjoining
room, where Duke and the woman who
became his wife ten DAYS later were
pointed out to him as the persons who
desired treatment
Duke Was Wreck.
The masseur says he found Duke in a
serious condition. His mind appeared 10
be wandering. and his heart was fiutter-
ing, manifestly from the excessive use
OF stimulants. He says that it became
manifest to him that Duke was but an
infant in the hands of the two women.
John D. Lindsay. counsel for Law
renee Duke in the suit to annui his
fathers marriage. said today:
Lawrence Duke has commenced a
suit to annul his fathers marriage on
tthe ground of fraud Mr.. Duke has been
terribly imposed upon by this woman.
He did not know what he was doing
when he married Miss Webb and il Ia
quite certain that the court will declare
the marriage contract void. We are in
possession of all the facts OF Miss
Webbts career.
That Miss Webb has been offered
money By the Duke family to give up
her alleged husband is all bosh She
has not been offered one cent, and will
: mot De. You can safely say that any
Financial transactions with this woman.
SO far as the Duke family is concerned,
are at an end"
an Women's Power"
Referring TO the intervention of the
district attorneys Office, Mr.. LORD one
OF Mr. Jerome's associates, said today:
Duke has been under the influence
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