The evening world., 1914-04-16
MRS. DUKE GETS
HEARING |NPENCE
DIVORCE CASE
Her Name Dragged in and
Decree Granted, She Says,
Unknown to Her.

Mrs. Lillian N. Duke. divorced wife
OF J. r. Duke, the big tobacco man.
will have an opportunity tomorrow
to appear before Justice Scudder In
the Kings County Supreme Court and
give testimony In the divorce suit
brought by Mrs. Katherine Soper
Pence against former Congressman
Lafayette Pence OF Washington. Mrs.
Duke was named In the testimony be-
fore Justice Scudder upon which the
Court signed an interlocutory decree
In Mrs. Fences favor on April 8. 1914.
Neither Of the women In the suit
nor Pence, the defendant. appeared In
court to-day. Mrs. Dukes attorney.
3. r. spsliman. submitted Mrs. Dukes
anidavit. In which she denied MIRA
Pence's allegations. and asked that
the Judgment Of divorce In MIRA
Pance's favor be set aside. Justice
scudder set tomorrow A. the date
upon which he will hear Mrs. Duke.
Mrv. Duke was not named In the
complaint In the suit. Her name nrst
appeared when witnesses gave testi-
mony In MIRA Psncs's favor. Pence
did not appear to defend the action
before Justice scudder last April and
the decree was entered on his default
Mrs. Dukes predicament grows out OF
the system Of secret. undefended d.
vorce suits which have lately gained
| much vogue in the courts Of New
York City.
Justice scudder has issued an order
commanding Mrs. Katherine sope'
Pence to appear In the Brooklyn su'
preme Court to-day and show cause
why tho divorce proceedings sh'
brought against former Congressman
Lafayette Pence should not DO 70
opened. The order was obtained b!
Mrs. Lillian N. Duke. divorced wifi
Of James b. Duke. whose name fig
ured In Mrs. Pence's suit. and VIII
also asks that tho interlocutory dc
cree awarded TO Mrs. Pence on Apri
Z 30 vacated and that she be allowe'
to defend the action.
This 10 Mrs. Dukes third appear
anae In the divorce courts. She wa
divorced In 1898 BY william +. Nc
} Greedy. = coffee broker. and In 1905 b,
Duke. She and Duke had lived to
gether less than . year. He In re
r ported to have given her $4,000
D when thay separated.
, Mrs. Duke, through her counSe
Benjamin +. Spellnian. gave out
signed statement yesterday severed
, censuring Mrs. Pence for draggin
4 her name into the divorce action. lie
affidavit submitted to Justice Scud
der was equally severe. In this Mr.
: Duke swears she did not know oh
had been named In the divorce pro
E ceedings until after the decree ha
been granted. She adds:
! THE charge that had any rela
. tions with the defendant. other tina
!. those which are proper In every re
= !. s,ect, IL absolutely false and untrue.
When they were married In 1ss
D Mrs. Pence was one OF the tw
y daughters OF Col. Robert Soper {
Georgetown. KY. renowned In tn
blue grass country for hor beauty. sh
explained In the papers that. after b
I Ing for four years member OF II
Colorado Legislature. acquiring lart
interests In mining projects. acting
|. tho District-Attorney In Denver q
/. four years. and spending one ter
: In Congress. Mr.. Pence entered Il
x partnership with former Deputy A
n torney General Kitchener In Washing
" ton In November. 1910.
4 To them came Mrs. Duke a. the
J. first client. tho vito alleged. Fo
t days later. Mrs. Ponce asserted. h
Z husband abandoned her. Since Se
. tember Of the following year. 81
. said. he has not contributed to b
support.