The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-11
Her Death Was Very Unexpected, Can
Ing Her Husband Hurried
ly North
ward.
WAS BEING TREATED
The Remains Were Taken Last Night
to Her Southern Homo
by Bereaved
Husband.

The st. Louis Republic of this morn
ing makes the sad announcement of
the unexpected death in that city OF
Mrs. Charles t. Duke, an estimable
lady we'll known in Keokuk, where she
and her daughter, Miss Katherine,
visited last summer. The Republic
says:
Charles T. Duke, wealthy planter
of Monticello, Ark. is on the way to
St. Louis to aid in the investigation
into the death OF his wife, whose
body was found yesterday in her suite
in the Usona Hotel, 5000 Waterman
avenue.
Two physicians who reached Mrs,
Dukes bedside after she had been
dead an hour or more, are of the opin-
ion that her death was due to paraly-
sis of the heart induced by an over
dose of morphine. I.
Mrs. Duke, who was of an aristo-
cratic southern family and had three
grown daughters, came to st. Louis
June 20 In a feeble condition, ac'
companied by her daughter, Catherine,
nineteen years old.
They went to the Usona, and Mrs.
Duke placed herself under the care
lot Mrs. Eliza Taylor, practitioner of
First Church of Christ, Scientist.
"She was being treated for general
nervous conditions, Mrs. Taylor SAID"
Mr.. Duke is the son Of the late Col
onel S. A. Duke, a resident and
prominent business man of Keokuk,
who later located in the south, who
continued to visit his old home and
Keokuk up to tire time Of his death.
The son, Charles T. Duke, had until
last year, owned some handsome resi-
dence properties here, which he dis
posed of only last October, which was
transferred, short time after his visit
here with his wife and daughter. He
still holds fondness for Keokuk.
The Republic further says:
II had seen Mrs. Duke, whom have
known since the worlds fair here
about 10 o'clock Wednesday night
said the practitioner.
"She expressed the belief she would
have good nights sleep. Her daugh-
ter and the nurse, Mrs Slater, retired.
after midnight About an hour later
/ reached Mrs. Dukes bedside, after
having telephoned for DR.. D. F. Rice.
"As soon as l arrived | ran down
stairs and summoned DR.. Frank
Boogher, who told me Mrs. Duke had
been dead. propped up on her pillows,
probably an hour.
Mrs. Dukes daughter and the
nurse told me they had tried several
times to awaken her from her appar
ent stupor before they called upon
me.
II knew she had taken morphine
from time to time, but believed she
had been induced to give it up en-.
tirely.
How she obtained the drug, II that
| is what killed her, do not know. Dr.
Boogher and searched every place in
the room and found no paper, box or
other receptacle in which it might
have been contained"
Mrs. Duke walked over to the home
Of Mrs Taylor unaccompanieG We'd
Inesday afternoon, Mrs. Taylor said,
and it is thought 1t was during this
few minutes, outing she obtained the
drug.
Coroner Padberg. who investigated
the case, permitted the body to be
removed to an undertaker's, where an
autopsy was performed.
Mrs, Duke, who was forty-eight
years old, was popular society mat
ron and entertained with lavish hand
at her magnificent home at Monticello.
She is a daughter of Colonel w. F.
Slemons, former brigadier general in
the confederate army Colonel Stem
ons served in congress from 1874 I'M
| til 1880.
Despite her feeble health, Mrs.
Duke participated in public enterprises
and was leader among the Daughters
OF the Confederacy.
MTS. LUKE is suISiVeu Wy Hoi pa
rents, two brothers 7. and
Writ A. Slemons of Louisiana-and a
sister, Miss Fred Slemons of New
! York
Her husband, Colonel Duke, is one
OF the wealthiest cotton and rice
plantation owners around Monticello,
his holdings being worth more than
half million dollars.
"His plantation interests, consisting
of 5000 acres of farming lands, as
well as his mercantile interests, are
situated in Baxter, on Bayou Barthol.
new, six miles east of Monticello.
THE body was taken to her home
last night