Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-09
MYSTERY OF
DUKE STZRS
ENGLAND
DOUBLE ROLE ENACTED BY
NOBLEMAN
SUIT FOR BIG ESTATE BEGUN BY
HIS SON
Young Woman Is Accused Of Stealing
Valuable Records Since Previous
Session-Undererou Pas
sage Discovered
Ry Associated Press.

Ey Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. S-Hundreds of per-
sons vainly fought for admittance TO the
Marylebone police court today when the
hearing of the famous Druce mystery
case was resumed.
Herbert Druce, son of the late Thomas
Charles Druce, is in the present pro-
ceedings charged with perjury py MS
nephew, George Hollanby Druce, In con-
nection with the Druce claim to the es-
tates of the Duke of Portland, which
claim dates back to 1888.
This claim, which has been vigorously
contested by the present Duke OF Fort
land. centers about the old question
whether Thomas Charles Druce. at one
time the owner Of the famous Baker
street bazaar, who is said to have died
forty-three years ago, was not the same
person as the eccentric fifth Duke OIL
Portland, who died in 1879.
Interest today was heightened by the
alleged theft since the previous session
of the diary of Miss Robinson, daughter
of q southern tobacco planter, VINO was
employed as an amanuensis In the BAKER
street bazaar and who says she ire
uuently went to Wellbrook abbey, the
Portland seat. where she saw the late
e. T. Druce, father of the late George
Druce, who in turn was father of George
Hollanby Druce, the claimant to the es-
tates as the Duke of Portland, whose
identity with T. C. Druce she claimed to
be able to establish.
Duke in Double Role
oil "
testified that he knew the late Duke OF
portland both as the duke and as I. G.
Druce, at Wellbrook abbey, and at the
baker street bazaar and that he treated
the duke at these places for disease
of the nose.
one of the strangest features of the
case is that about the middle of June,
1905. workmen who were tearing down
Harcourt house on Cavendish square,
London, previously one of the residences
of the Duke of Portland, discovered an
underground passage leading from the
house to the Baker street house in winch
the famous bzaar had previously been
conducted by Thomas Charles Druce.
The claimant declares the duke Wnile
living his double life used the under-
Ground passage referred to for the pur-
nose Of getting from Harcourt house TO
the place of business Of Druce.
The suit of the claimant is peihS ~ iSSSso
bv a limited liability company. The ol-
rectors are the claimant himself. anu
George and John Crickmere.
Duke and Druce the Same
A Mrs. Margaret Hamilton has testified
she knew the fifth duke both as MT.
Druce and as the Duke of Portland ana
that she was aware of the fact that ne
had married Elizabeth Crickmere grailo-
mother of the present claimant.
George Druce says he was born IN lotl'
went to Australia in 1865, returning to
England four years later. About TINS
time. he adds facts which came into ms
nossession showed that the Duke of Port
land owned the bazaar referred to in the
case and he decided to claim the estates
and fortnue and for that purpose formed
the limited liability company.
The original action was brought 10
eject Lord Howard de Walden from the
london property. which his father IN
berited from the fifth Duke of Portland.
through the supposed failure of the direct
line. :. .L..
THE coptention has been that If TINS
euit was successful the establishing OF
the claimants title to the other estates
be1d NV the Duke of Portland would fol-
low as a natural consequence within a
comnaratively short time. OF the limited
1iabiIitv company 10000 ordinary shares
were issued at So each and 10000 deferred
shares were issued sat % cents each.