The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-05-20
MRS. DUKE HAS
SISTER JAILED FOR
STEALING LETTER
Missive Helped Tobacco Mag
nate Greatly in Getting
His Divorce. 4al
Especial to the Evening start

Especial to the Evening start
NEW YORK, May ~20.-Charged with
stealing a letter from the desk of her
aunt. Mrs. Emily Towne, to aid James
T.. Duke, the tobacco king, who lives
in New Jersey, in obtaining hrs divorce.
Mrs. Louise Bale, a sister of the for
mer Mrs. Duke, has been arrested and
will be arraigned today.
1t is expected that the trial will re-
veal the deep hatred between the two
sisters and how great a part it played
in the famous divorce proceedings.
Mrs. Towne was dependent upon Mrs.
Lille Duke, the first wife of James
Duke, for support. She alleges that
Mrs. Duke blamed her for the fact that
the letter In question fell into Dukes
hands and was used so effectively at
the trial. AS a result, she AYERS, her
income from Mrs. Duke was cut Off
and she must now depend upon her
son, Charles Belloise, of 1852 Marcy ave-
nue..
The letter, which was dated Septem-
Der 2, 1905, was written by Mrs. Duke
to her aunt 1t evidently was intended
to show that she was visiting her aunt
when she was really somewhere else.
The letter read as follows:
Dear Aunt EN- received your last
letter and laughed over the last part of
it. l hardy think that will happen.
Hope you will find the place soon. The
grand duke has not arrived yet. May
get here this evening. Now, want
you to do something for me. l was
visiting down on Long Island Thursday.
7 fha,,pbs I mould batr, n ,l,,.,. - 100
you, but could not maxi the train.
Write me, telling M how much you
enjoyed my visit and how you regretted
me leaving you on Friday morning, so
that 1 can get it Monday morning. A
letter I can show. Don't forget it.
Will be over next week.. Be sure and
send the letter, With love.
LILLIAN.
Mrs. Towne alleges that Mrs. Bale
called pom her many times in her home
in Van Buren, street and tried to in
duce her to testify against Mrs. Duke
in the divorce trial. On n occasion
she declared Mrs, Bale said:
IF you are determined to testify for
Lillian I will go on the tan and make
a liar out of you. for l hate her and 1
will lose no chance to separate her and
Mr.. Duke for good
At another time. Mrs. Towne de-
clares. when Mrs. Bale found that she
was not to be influenced by threats,
Mrs. Bale, in the presence of Charles
Belloise, Mrs. Towne's son., and of her
cousin, Mrs. William James, of Phila-
delphia, offered to support Mrs. Towne
for life if she would testify in Dukes
favor. Mrs. Towne alleges that Mrs.
Bale on this occasion declared that
Duke had given her a large block of
stock to stand by him in the suit.
Mrs. Towne says she declined this
offer with scorn.'' and that later Mrs.
Bale called at her home at a time she
well knew that Mrs. Towne would be
absent. Mrs. Ann Wagner, landlady
of the Van Buren, street house, adj
mitted Mrs. Bale. according to Mrs.
Towne's story, n the niece went up
to her CMrs. Towne's) rooms, saying;
81 will wait for her"
Mrs. Bale was left in the room for
more than an hour. Mrs. Towne says.
and finally left, saying she could wait
no longer, as she feared she might
meet her sister, Mrs, Duke. A few
weeks later the letter was used in the
suit. Mrs. Towne says when she read
the evidence, she hunted for the orig
inal copy and found it missing.
When Mrs. Duke withdrew her sup
port Mrs. Towne says she appealed to
the Bales to support her, and they
promised to do so, but failed to keep
their word. AS a result she was forced
to givesup her home and accept shelter
from her son.