Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-30
Remarkable English Suit
Settled by Opening
Grave.
IMPEACHES CALDWELL
Story of a Roll Of Lead Being
Placed in the Coffin is
Exploded.

London, Dec. 30-The body Of
Thomas Charles Druce in Highgate
cemetery was exhumed this morning.
just 43 years to a day after its burial
The coffin was found TO contain the
remains of an aged, bearded man, thus
exploding the romantic tale told by
Robert c. Caldwell, and others, who
swore at the recent trial in the perjury
case that it contained a roll of lead.
The plate on the coffin bore the name
of Thomas Charles Druce."
Seems to Prove Case.
According to an official statement
given out by representatives of the
home office and others who were Off
cially present, the exhumation not only
definitely disposes of the lead myth,
but seems effectually, to prove the body
buried in 1864 was actually that of T.
&c. Druce
The three-ton monument, which
marks the resting place of the Druce
family, was removed by score of
workmen, who were protected from
public observation by a shed which
had been erected around the burial
plot Within the shed electric lights
were installed, so that operations might
proceed without interruption.
All of those in attendance at the
opening of the grave and the coffin
were sworn to secrecy.
Big Estate the Prize.
| Herbert Druce, the defendant i'm the
now famous case. is charged with COM
mitting perjury by swearing that his
| father, Thomas Charles Druce of the
Baker street bazar, died Dec. 2S, 1864,
and that he saw the dead body placed
etery. His nephew, George Hollamby
Druce, declared that this must be un-
true, because T. C. Druce was in fact
the fifth duke of Portland, who lived
until 1879. That being so, George HoI-
lamby Druce claims that he himself,
being the senior descendant in the
male line, is now the rightful heir of
the Portland dukedom, and to certain
rich estates, the income of which is
|placed at $1,500,0O9 year, now being
held by Lord Howard de Walden. The
lopening of the grave, however, will
not give conclusive proof of the claim
of George Hollamby Druce.
May Clear Caldwell.
/ The fifth duke of Portland and a
man known as Thomas c. Druce, have
been declared to be one and the same
person by dozen witnesses, and par
ticularly by Caldwell, who testified at
length and in detail to this effect dur
ing the present trial. Caldwell left
! London for New York the middle of
December. Upon his arrival he was
arrested at the request of the British
authorities on a charge of perjury. He
is now i'll at his home on Staten island.
Should he be brought to trial, the evi-
ldence obtained from opening the coffin
would do much TO convict him.
Opposed Opening Grave.
Herbert Druce opposed the opening
lof the grave, on the ground that he did
not wish to desecrate his fathers re-
mains on the whim of person who
chose to make claim to an estate he
is not interested in, and who has. put
forward claim. he declares, he knows
to be untrue. He was obliged, finally
however, by the popular demand, to
put aside sentiment and consent to the
exhmnation for the purpose, as his ad
visers say, of once and for all putting
an end to the story for which Caldwell
alone seems responsible, that there
+ was lead in the coffin.