The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-29
ROMANCE OF THE TOMB.
Effort to Prove That the Duke
Of Portland Lies Buried
as a Commoner.
MRS. DRUCE'S CLAIM TO A COROEET
Record of an Eccentric Noble
Who Had a Passion for
Art and Building.
rBy Cable to The Associated Press. !


Divorce and Admiralty Division of the
High Court of Justice, to say whether the
Faculty ought to issue an order empow-
ering Mrs. Anna Maria Druce to open the
vaults and inspect the coffin which Is al
legged to contain the remains of 7. c.
Druee who, the applicants assert. was
really the Fifth Duke of Portland.
Mrs Anna Maria Druce claims that the
father of her late husband was no other
than the Fifth Duke of Portland who
was supposed to have died unmarried, and
that her son is the rightful Duke of Port
land She alleges that her husbands 5 ala
legged death and burial under the name of
Druce were deceptions and that he finally
lived and died. after having been under
the care of DIR. Forbes Winslow. in a lun-
attic asylum, as DR.. Harmer
In an interview last March. Mrs. Druce
said
.eThe marriage on October 30, 1851, at
New Windsor. Berkshire, between my late
husbands father and mother, in which
the names were recorded as Thomas
Charles Druce and Annie May, was in
reality between the Marquis of Tichfield,
afterward the Fifth Duke of Portland,
and the illegitimate daughter of the Firth
Earl of Berkeley.
'sThe Marquis and his brother, Lord
George Bentinck were in love with the
same woman, but while the younger's
suit received the appreciation of their
father, the latter not only discouraged
the desire of the Oldest son. but treated
him with insult and referred in very
cIxfp dicna g from which
he suffered.
"The climax to the quarrel between the
brothers was reached September 21, 1S4S,
when Lord George was found dead near
Welbeck Abbey, it was stated, from
spasm of the heart.
whether this was the true cause of
his death will never be known; but 1t is
certain that from that time my husband
father suffered the keenest remerse and
AFFECT fear. He was nearly always in a
state Of terror.
He took various courses for his pro-
tection. and. adopting the name of
Thomas Charles .Druce, transferred to
himself as Druce an immense property
from himself as Duke of Portland.
You know the manner in which he
undermined Welbeck Abbey with sub
terranean apartments. He did precisely
the same thing with the Baker street
bazaar, his desire in each case being that
he might have always ready place of
refuge.
Realizing the risk of exposure to which
he was subjecting himself by his double
existence, he determined to end his life
as Druce and caused coffin to be buried
with his supposed remains.
Even after this his fears were not
uuieted. At last he determined to assume
madness. that, should he ever be accused
OF any crime he might have the plea OF
insanity to fall back upon.
Taking the name of Harmer and con-
ducting himself in the most extravagant
manner. he caused himself to be placed
under the care of DR.. Forbes Winslow,
and succeeded entirely in convincing that
gentleman of his madness. But after
about a year of Incarceration, he was per-
mitted to leave
"As to opening the grave, I have re-
ceived a letter from the cemetery COM
pany. saying it will not be opened with
out my sons written authority. AS he is
in Australia it must be delayed, but am
aDSOlulGly COitiiuStlL VI SeASSS''s
Mr. Senior. the Town Clerk of Rich
mond. solicitor to the woman who claims
to be Harmer's widow, wrote TO the
papers, pointing out various discrepan-
cies in Mrs. Druce's dates, also in Mrs.
Harmer's name He denied that her
husband was ever called Druee.
Reliable Investigations showed that the
Fifth Duke of Portland was indeed ec-
centric in his habits and mode of living.
He was never seen at court and never
mingled in society Even his solicitors
were not allowed an interview with him.
His personal attire was most extraor-
dinary He never started out whether
the weather was wet or fine, without an
old umbrella. No matter how the wealth
err a loose coat was always slung over
his arm. Whether the ground was dry
or muddy he invariably had his trousers
tied round a few inches from the bot
tom. with a string, like navy at
work. He had a special carriage built
1t was closed in from observation and
hung round with heavy curtains. His
great hobby was building.
William John Cavendish Scott Bentinck,
Fifth Duke of Portland, was born Septem-
ber Is. 1900, being the second son of VIII
lam Henry the Fourth Duke. He sue
eeeded to the title and vast estates on
March q, 1854. and for twenty-six years
lived the life of a recluse. For more
than q quarter of a century all he cared
for was the carrying out of his worder-
full works at Welbeck Abbey. He used
to dine alone, no one approaching him
but his valet There We're drawn for him
every day two quarts of beer and two of
ale. but he never drank them. He was
free from vice, and his usual
manner of life was said to
have been caused solely by an overmas-
tering desire to carry into effect his rare
skill His s'eccentrieity''
found employment for thousands Of hands
and his works at Welbeck remain great
monument to his memory. The late Duke
had refined taste in architecture An arch
way was one time built for him by an
architect which, when completed, was an
eyesore Instead Of manifesting his dis
pleasure to the architect, he simply had
the arehway pulled down one evening,
and when the architect came the next
day he did not even mention his work,
and not word was said about its dis
appearance One the death Of the Duke.
Welbeclk went INTO mourning ana the
multitude of people who looked for bread