Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-30

scented a 1aundIceds appearance together
with sort OF pockmarking, and pecu-
Notwithstanding, the statement that
the duke posed as IA woman hater the
story Is told that both he and his
younger brother: Eord George Bentinck.
at one. time paid considerable atten-
tons to the same young lady. This
Annie May who eventually became, the
second wife of bruce. Upon this CO.
incidence the claimant lays much stress.
of the fts Earl Ta Of nerkeIey Fop een
erations the Portlands and the Berke-
leys were on terms Of the most init
mate relations. marrying and Internal
rying. The affection Of the two broth
been. indirectly the cause Of Lord
Georges untin1ely death
For, some reason Lord George was
intensely indignant. over his brother
attachment to this girl. Assuming that
the duke and bruce we're the same per,
son. it is regarded as probable that Lord
George may have known Of his broth
er's marriage to Elizabeth Crickmer and
objected to his conduct when he vas not
in 81 position to make Annie May MS
lawful wife.
Words between the two brothers are
stated to have ended in an exchange
Of blows. The younger brother is re,
ported to have been the aggressor ana
with a stick. calling him opprobrious
names and among other things haunting
him with being leper.
In self-defense. 1t is urged. the duke
then. at last struck back. hitting LORD
George in the chest. Lord George feii'
expiring in a few minutes.
Such Is the outline of a story which
is vehemently affirmed and as Vehe.
mently denied. In the same year that
T or, Gaoroe died Annie gave birth 10
Mock Funeral Story.
REGARDING the alleged sham burial OF
bruce in 1884 there are several Wit
nesses ready to come forward and swear
that they saw bruce alive after that
date. that they spoke to him and even
had business dealings with him. Mrs,
Hamilton, one Of the witnesses in the
ca Sc now before the courts, knew Druce
we'll. and she afiirms that she saw him
and conversed with him after che sup
posed burial. -,
Some facts within her experience were
produced by her before Sir Francis Jeune
in the former bruce proceedings. and as
a result of her evidence Sir Francis
Jeune stated that a prima facie case for
opening the bruce grave In Highgate
cemetery had been made out. In an al
f1davit Mrs. Hamilton has stated:
Before December. 1864 "Druce' became
filled with desire to sink his identity
as "Druce." and said to my father: Il
must die, and suggested mock burial
for himself. My father besought him
ingly tr '--.
When the sham burial hook place my
father was present. On his return my
father said to me:
It's gone off better than expected.
though I don't know how they took the
f7y until, Certificate tried to
prevent Portland. but he would do IT..
There will be terrible expose some day.
and If ever they get the comm up they
will. of course. be hoored; but. anyhow,
prevented him putting the corpse OF an.
other person in the coffin. 1t Is better TO
put lead in or anything than the corpse
of another person..
The fact that the Formally invariably
observed of producing a doctors GER
tificate to certify the cause Of death was
not observed in the case Of bruce Is re-
garded as most significant, ~.
The opening of the vault at Highgate
has been SO prominent an issue In the
bruce case that. it has come to be re-
garded as the only issue. 1t was Mrs.
Anna bruce. the former claimant. who
carried on the long fight in an attempt
to secure the exllumation, .her opponents
being the owners Of the. grave. =.
Present Perjury Charge. ~
w uSIi FlStofy SSSln|u within HSI AOoSi
her case collapsed through an unfortu-
nate mistake She understood that the
home secretary gave an undertaking to
have the grave. opened on condition that
she withdraw from the whole proceedings
Sh Withdrew. and it was then discovered
that no such Undertaking had been given
by the home secretary. .lsf
Even then her cause might have been
revived. but 1t was suddenly dispersed
to. the winds, by the discovery of Druce's
previous marriage to elizabeth sCrtckner.
During Mrs. Druce's search for evil
dence she unearthed fact which showed
beyond disproof that remarkable con-
nection existed between the Bentlncks and
the Druces. She. found that Thomas
Charles Druce had transferred enormous
tracts of land to member of the Ben
timex family for the sum of 10 shillings.
With regard to the present prosecution
of Herbert ~pruce by George Hollauby
bruce for perjury, It must be explained
that the defendant Is the owner. Of the
self he refuses to allow It to be sope ned.
The prosecution bases its case upon the
sworn statements made by Herbert bruce
during former proceedings brought for the
Herbert. bruce then affirmed that he
lived with his father, the late Thomas
Charles bruce. all his life; that he was
sleeping In an, adjoining room when his
father died; that he saw him dead when
his body was still warm: that he at
tended the funeral and saw. the coffin laid
in the catacombs. at Highgate cemetery,
whence 1t was afterward removed to the
vault where'it now lies. George Hollamby
bruce contends that these statements
were false and constitute perjury.
Dickens and bruce.
Herbert Drace o.. is a son Of Thomas
Charles bruce by Annie May. and was
born in 1876. His father left a Will by
which he succeeded to a considerable for
tune, and. among other property. the
Baker street bazaar. ~.
The prosecution points out the inter.
est of Herbert bruce in opposing the
claimant by dwelling upon the fact that
if it were proved that the duke and bruce
were the same individual. the will Of
bruce would be spurious and Of no value
and both the title and property would
fall to the direct descendant from the
dukes first marriage, George Hollanby
bruce 1t is further explained that had
Thomas Charles bruce died interstate uH-
have succeeded to the property.
The most surprising new evidence Of
feyed by George Hollannby bruce comes
from two witnesses whose names have
not hitherto appeared In the case. One
of them Is Miss Mary Robinson. who
came from America, when still a girl, at
the Invitation Of Charles Dickens the
novelist. in order to act as amanuensis
to Thomas Charles bruce. Her evidence
is supported by extracts from volumi-
nous diary which she kept for some years