The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-09
DUKE OF PORTLAND
LIVED DUAL LIFE
Claimant OF Dacal Estate Alleges
T. C.. Druce and Duke
Were One.
NoBLEMAN AND sH0PKEEPER
Buried One oi the Roles and
Survived as Duke, the
Plaintiff Claims.
MoBLEMAN AND sH0PKEEPER

LONDON. November s.--Hundreds
OF people vainly fought for admittance
to the Marylehone Police Court to.
Druce mystery case was resumed. Her
bert Druce. son OF the late Thomas
Charles Druce. is charged with per-
jury by his nephew. George Hollamby
Druce. The charge is incidental to the
Druce claim to the estates OF the Duke
of Portland. and dates back to 1S93,,
AT every step the case has been vis-e
orously contested BY the present Duke
OF Portland.
In brief, this remarkable case centres
about the old question whether
Thomas Charles Druce. at one Zine
the owner of the famous Baker Street
Bazaar, who was said to have died
forty-three years ago. was or was not
the same person as the eccentric fifth
Duke of Portland, who died in 1879.
Interest in the proceedings to-day
was heightened by the alleged theft
since the previous session of the diary
of Miss Robinson, the daughter OF a
Southern tobacco planter, who was
employed as an amanuensis In the
Baker Street Bazaar, and who SAYS
she frequently went to Welbeck Ab-.
hey, the Portland seat, where, she saw,
the late T. ,C. Druce, father of the late
George Druce, who, In turn. was father
of George Hollamby Druce, the claim.
ant TO the estates as the Duke of Port,
land, whose identity with ,r. c. .Drpce
she claimed to be able to establish
ms RI C1p ~ Rn XitnCsn
Robert Caldwell. OF Richmond, Staten
Island. N. ". testified that lie knew the
late Duke of Portland, both as tho
duke and as I. c. Druce. ut Welbeck
Abbey and at the Baker Street Bazaar.
Mr.. Caldwell added that he treated tho
duke at both places for disease of
the nose.
Mr.. CALDWELL swore that in connec-
tion with the duke he arranged the
death and mock funeral of "Druce," so
that his dual personality could finally
be buried. The Witness further testi-
fed that he saw the.duke on the morn-
Ing OF the funeral at the Baker Street
Bazaar. ~ day or two later lie asked
the Duke@of Portland IL the so-called
"Drpce" had loft "a Will. The duke
thanked Caldwell for reminding him
offsuch en- important point, and said
ne must nave ono lnauc.
Cross-eXanlintd by Mr.. Avery. Cald-
Well admitted lie had been described ms
tine great, American affdarit-maker."
but ne added that II was not justified.
Find UNDERGROUND Passage.
OnH Of the strangest features of
the case ishthat about the middle Of
June, 1906, workman, who were tear
Ing down Harcourt House on Caven-
alsh Square, London, previously one
OF tho residencts OF the Dukes OF
Portland. discovered an underground
passage leading, from the house to the
Baker Street structure, In which the
famous bazaar had previously been,
and Which was conducted by Thomas
Charles pruce. The claimant declares
that the duke while living his double
life used the underground passage re-.
ferredl to for the purpose OF settinG
from Harcourt House to the place OF
business Of "Druce."
a Mrs. Margaret Hamilton has tes,
titled that she knew the fifth Duke
hothl Hs Mr., Druce md as the Duke Of
Portland and that she was aware of
the fact that he had married E,liz-
abeth Crickmer the grandnlother OF
the present claimant, The original ac-
Lord Howard De alden. from the
h%erited % from Tie % Attn Duke lux tsaHgs 81 Port IT.
land through the supposed failure OF
The Income from the Duke OF Port
lands estate Is Estimated at not less
| than 81 500, 600 a. year,