The San Francisco call., 1906-07-09
DISCOVERY OF A
SECRET PASSAGE
MAY MAKE A DUKE

LONDON, June 25.-Workmen who
are engaged In improving the famous
Harcourt House, Cavendish Square, off
the face of the earth, to make way for
business premises, have discovered that
what was supposed to be a ducal coal
cellar is in reality a subterranean tun-
mel 1t is nothing unusual to find un-
derground passages in historic houses,
whose occupants in the turbulent days
of old occasionally found themselves
under the necessity of seeking safety in
sudden fight. but peculiar interest at
taches to the Harcourt House discov-
cry, for the reason that it lends sup
port to the claim of the Druce family
to the Dukedom of Portland and the
large estates and enormous revenues
thereto appertaining.
Their claim is based on the allegation
that the fifth Duke of Portland and It.
c. Druce, the proprietor and founder of
the Baker street bazaar, were one and
the same person. 1t is asserted that
habit of passing between the bazaar
and Harcourt House by subterranean
passage. AT one end of 1t he was his
Grace the Duke of Portland; at the
other. plain Mr.. Druce the shrewd and
close -mouthed shopkeeper.
The subterranean passage which the
workmen have found is 60 feet In length
and ends in wall. Only subsequent
investigation can determine whether
this wall is it's natural termination, or
whether, If broken through, the tun-
mel will be found to extend to Baker
street. But meanwhile the discovery
is regarded by the claimants. to the
Dukedom as strengthening their case,
and has caused a rise in the shares of
li,11 aod RI
prosecute the claim
Mr.. Druce came from Australia, his
native land, some three years ago, and
since then has been engaged in gather
ing the sinews of war and collecting
evidence to support his claim. Strange
parallels of habits ana eccentricities in
the fifth Duke of Portland and the
Druce shopkeeper. he alleges, have been
discovered
Both were of the same height and
build. Both loved to burrow in under
ground passages, Welbeck Abbey, the
ducal seat being literally honey
combed with subterranean works. Both
had strong antipathies to wine and to-
bacco. Their portraits show remark
able resemblances. The story of the
life of each alleged separate person
ality fits into the gaps in the history
of the other. The fifth Duke of Port
land Is found to appear in public life
when the Baker street bazaar Druce is
missing. When the shopkeeper reap
pears the Duke vanishes.
The greatest mystery in the dukedom
claim, however, centers not in the re-
Gently discovered tunnel, but in the
vault in Highgate Cemetery in which
t G. Druce is said to have been buried
According to the claimants contention
the alleged burial of Druce in 1864 was
an imposture, the coffin that was in
TERED containing no human body. 1t is
further asserted that Druce was seen
and recognized by several persons, some
of whom are still alive, after his sup
posed burial The death of the fifth
Duke of Portland did not occur until
1879
Harcourt House was at one time the
town residence of the Dukes of Port.
land, and was built in 1922. One night
the fourth Duke of Portland and the
Earl of Harcourt played cards there
The stakes were high and luck went
against the Duke. At last the man
sion was the stake and 1t became the
property of the Earl
But when the transfer came to be
made 1t was found that there were legal
difiiculties in the way of alternating
the house from the estate OF which it
formed a part. The difficulty was got
over by the Duke taking a ninety nine
year lease from the Earl of Harcourt
on favorable terms. The card playing
Dukes heir was the eccentric individ-
ual who is alleged to have led the
strange dual life of peer and shop
keeper,