### Clue: Earl handled fragment (5)
### Answer: ERODE 
 ### Explanation: Definition: fragment
 E(abbrev. for "Earl", the title) + RODE(handled;endured successfully, as in "he rode out the political storm").
Defn: To break off. I thought the defn. and answer are not totally equivalent: the former refers to detachment in pieces, while the latter is separation by slow grinding. But, of course, I may have the wrong answer in the first place, in which case the above is academic.