The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-13
Coffin Full Of Lead,

After many years OF legal set-oacks,
Mrs. Anna Maria Druce has secured the
permission OF the court 20 have ois-nter-
red the coffin OF her fsther-in-lSw,
Thomas c Druce. .Instead OF his body
she expects % md there a roll or lead,
and this viii prove her claim 70 oRe CT
the greatest estates in England. Her son,
now sailor IA AUSTRALIA. Viii then De
made the Duke OF Portland and the young
person who Is now enjoying the PsrGui
sites Which go Win that ti,ie VIII be re-
egated TO al almost Insignificant military
position.
1t is alleged by AIRS. Druce that her
tather-in-law led regular Jekyil and
Mr. Hyde existence. posing al different
times as bruce. furniture merchant. dsr-
mer. doctor. and his Grace the ffih Duke
/ OF Portland The woman claims thar
when ne tired OF playing the part OF the
FURNITURE merchant ne caused a funeral
10 be held and piece OF lead apnropri-
ately encased. to be lowered INTO the
ground. This was the last Of Druce. the
tradesman of Baker street. but the Duke
OF Portland survived by =. ysars and was
many times recognized as T. g. bruce
/ BY the associates OF the furniture man.
He was enabled 20 keep these various
/ personages separated BY means Of under
ground passages. extending great as
iance from the country home o. the Duke
and from the store on Baker street. The
existence Of these Is admitted. and the
I photograph Of the humble merchant also
does duty for that OF the peer. II IS also
admitted that az various times he was
mysferiously missing from each OF the es-
adjustments maintained by him. Some
times he would be away for a month At
a time
Mrs. bruce believes that the vault does
not contain old Mr.. Drucss bones. be-
cause she has witnesses 10 call who VIII
swear that old Mr. bruce was seen alive
after the date OF his alleged burial-only.
when thus seen. after he had connlved
81 the performance Of his death ana bu-
rial he was no longer Mr.. T. g. Druce.
Basing her belief upon the AFFIDAVIT
OF a witness who declares that on 1.-THE
night before his supposed death 7. &.
bruce gave instructions for a quantity
OF lead 10 be cut OF the roof OF his house
at Hendon. Mrs. bruce surmises that Z
was with lead that the coffin which par
ported to contain T. g. DrUce's body was
readily filled She has certainly done ev-
erything 10 bring her allegations 20 the
test-the simple test OF looking into the
suspected coffin. says London Sketch. But
the other SIDE embracing T. &. Druce's
eldest son (Herbert Druce) and the exec
utors OF the Wilt is as the wife OF the
only son OF T. e. Druce born iu wediock
that Mrs. bruce IS claiminS-have fought
her stubbornly inch by inch. As long ago
as March 2 last Mrs. Druce'S lawyers
Messrs Macarthur & Co. persuaded the
Chancellor of the London diocese. Dr..
Tristrsm. 10 decide that a decree should
issue for the opening OF the vault. con-
ditional upon due notice being given 10
Herbert bruce as the one who Witnessed
the now disputed death and took a part
in the now suspected funeral But Her
bert DTuces solicitors Messrs Fresh
field, a very eminent firm. argued that
Dr. Tristram had no right 20 issue such
a decree. and induced Court OF Queen
Bench 10 quash il. Thsreupon MIS-
Druce starting her probate action. ap-
piled for leave to open the v1Hlt 10 OBJ
tain evidence I'm support OF her suit. An
other Court Of Queens Bench sud DIT
Tristram might permit the opening 81 the
grave. if he chose. So Or. Tristrsm re-
heard the case and sent Mrs Druce 20
the probate court to see whether The
judge who would eventually hear the
probate suit thought II desirable that per-
mission 10 open the vault should De
granted The probate judge decided that
II was desirable. and now Mrs. DruCe'
antagonists are waiting the reassembling
OF the courts after the long vacation. in
order 10 appeal against this decision
These determined efforts to keep the
vault unopened. made. as they obviously
are. not without the expenditure OF con-
siderable sums in legal expenses. are hav-
ing upon the on-looking public an effect
which cannot be mistaken.