The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1922-10-20

Many and many a wealthy man
has concealed for years from public
knowledge the existence of a home
maintained by himself, presided over
by a beautiful woman, blessed with
happy children. The celebrated cases
of the sort are too we'll known to
newspaper readers to need recalling.
The story of a millionaire who is one
day found out" to have an apart
ment uptown, an estate in the coun-
try or even yacht where he sup
ports a lady of his choice and the
resulting children is very old story
so well known that when a new
one bursts out in print people merely
shrug and say:
Another one" ~,
Alexander Mckenzie, erstwhile re-
publican boss of North Dakota, had
a secret somewhat of this kind and
kept it a secret for 80 years. But
McKenzie's secret was different from
the others. What he concealed was
not a mesalliance, mistress, a
common law marriage" or union
in any way Illegal. 1t consisted of
a marriage, a home and family
which were, so far as the record
shows, in every way5fegal-a legiti-
mate "love nest so to speak, re-
garding which he manifested the
greatest tenderness and pride ex-
cept in North Dakota.
The stage was all set for full
public revelation of McKenzie's Sc
cret, the New York World reports, |
but it seems likely now that the cur
tain will not rise after all and that |
there will be mo further disclosures |
nor any explanations.
A suit to break McKenzie's will |
which disposes of his $1,000,000 es-
tate was scheduled for trial in St.
Paul, Mimi, in the October court
term. Then,r it was expected, his
for eoncealing for 80 years
from his closest associates in the
northwest that. he had a wife and
three children at No. 721 Palisades
avenue, Yonkers, would be made
known.
Settle Out of Court
But the mystery probably will re-
main as deep as ever. According to
Alexander Mckenzie Jr. of o. 80 st.
Andrews place, Yonkers, one of the
principal contestants of the WILL the
rial will not be held. He said that ,
he case will probably be settled out
If court.
The principal beneficiaries of the !
will were. McKenzie's children by his !
irst wife, Mrs. Anna G. Mckenzie
Mcdonald and Mrs. Mary B. McKen- :
leicester, wife of the assistant man :
ger of the Canadian Pacific railway !
ystem, both of Montreal. To them J
lie left the bulk of the estate. The :
are Miss Jeanette Nc !
<enzie, 29 Alexander Mckenzie, Jr., +
,8,"and Thomas o.. Mckenzie, 81, all .
If Workers, offspring of McKenzie's p
econd marriage. Them he cut off !,
With $4,000 each. The Mckenzie :
children of Yonkers are represented +
Ii the suit by Ambrose Tighe of st. =
'aul. :,
: Mckenzie died last June. His will,
lied in St. Paul, by its requests to
is second wife, who died a month \
efore he died, and her children, was ;,
he first authentic record of the ex- :
jtence of his family in the east. AL 9.
1ough as a prominent politician Nc f.
-enzie had many friends, many of .,
HON thought they were deep in his ;,
onfidence, no intimation of his sec Il
nd marriage and his family reached is
lem until after McKenzie's death. -
Funeral, Then Facts ~
The first knowledge of the fact r.
as received the day after his funeral ~
hen Judge Flannery, an intimate ta
lend for many years. looked over
personal belongings. He ~
'und a telegram and letters tucked =;
way in the inside pocket of the ",
,at that Mckenzie wore when he .,
ent to the hospital where he died. ~
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