Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-30
DISPoSES OF CALDWELL MYTH
official Statement Says That
Plate on Coffin Bore Name of
Thomas Charles Druoe."
was Great Scene i'm High Gate Gene.
tcry--No One Admitted and
Constablcs Evcrywhcrc.

London. Dec. So.-Thc body q,
Ihamas Charles Druce. I'm High cta,o
cemetery was exhumed this noyntr,,
11'' 90 years 10 day after its burial.
rue c'"Ih was found 90 contain the
remains or human body. thus ex
piodinE Tho romantic tale hv Roho-,
q. caldwell and others who sv,or.
""ilng the recent hearing OF the BRUCE
perjury case that st contained roll u
lead
TIC onicial statement given out by
representatives of the home office ana
others who were officially present AZ
the eNhumauoh. not only definitely
dlsposos Of the lead myth. but seems
effectively TO prove that the body
buried ion 1864 was actually that OF
7. G.. bruce. The authorized state
mont follows
OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
'Ihe coffin was opened and found
20 contain the body of AN aged. beard
ed man; the plate on the coffin bore
the name. Thomas Charles bruce o."
The scene at High Gate cemetery
this morning when the vault was open
ed was remarkable. Constables seems
ed 20 spring from everywhere. every
bush and every tree apparently hid
an officer Of the law. All the en-
frances 10 the cemetery were sur
rounded by cOrdons " police. only
those persons who had passes frons
Inc nome office we're admitted TO the
grounds. George Hollamby bruce.
who claims he Is the rightful heir tu
the Portland dukedom and to It's vast
estate. tried twice to get into the Gem
etety but was met with a stern re-
fusal.
OPENING THE VAULT.
The operations began at daybreak
With the renewal OF the topmost cot
inns In the vault, containing the bod
lss 81 the wife and son OF L. &. Druce
II was nearly 1880 before the coffin
the contents Of which have aroused the
curiosity OF the whole world was
brought up reaAhf FOR opening and in
sEecuOn. The top was quickly un-
screwed and the inner casing OF lead
cut open. There was no need for the
dictum Of the eminent surgeon. Angus
tuS Pepper, who was appointed by the
home ofriee TO carry ont the exhuma-
ton, TO assure all present that human
remains lay In the coffin.
The bruce vault has thus given up
avs secret aIter ~ years Of legal pro-
cecdings which have cost all told. a
considerable fortune. A large pam
or this money was obtained from ser
want girls and other workers who were
induced 10 buy shares In a company
formed 20 prosecute the claims OF
George Hollamby Druce against the
estate OF the Duke Of Portland
The charge Of perjury against Her
bert Druce Is effectively disposed OF.
HERBERT DRUcE.
Herbert Dluce. the defendant in the
now famous case, is charged with oom-
hitting perjury by swearing that his
father, Thomas Charles Druce OF the
Baker Street bazaar, died Dec. Is.
1864, and that he saw the dead body
placed IN a coffin ana buried In High
Gate cemetery. His nephew, George
bruce. declares that this
must be untrue, because T. C. bruce
was in fact the NTH Duke Of Portland.
who lived until 1879. That being SO.
George Hollanby Druce claims that he
himself, being the senior descendant In
he male line, Is now the rightful heir
)t the Portland dukedom and 70 certain
rich estates the income OF which a.
placed a. 81. 800. 900 a year. now held nv
Lord Howard de Walden. The opening
1t the grave, however, Will not give
conclusive proof Of the claim OF GeorR.
Iiollanby bruce.
ne MIN duke of Portland and
man known as Thomas c. Dr1ice nav
been declared % be one and the same
person BY about a dozen witnesses. M
PARTICULARLY by Robert Z. Caldweu ~
New York who testified az length ana
N detail 90 this effect during the pres-
ent trial caldwell left London for
New York the middle OF DecenbeT
pom his arrival he waS arrested a. m.
request OF the British authorities on a
'harse OF perjury. He Is now IN At his
home on staten Island. should ne ~
brought 10 trial the evidence obtained
rom opening the coffin would 40 rnuch
10 convict on clear him
Herbert Druce opposed the openin~
n the grave On tho ground that 10 Az
rot wish 20 dekecrate his father's r.
mains on the within Of q person wbo
hose 10 make "a claim 20 an estate n.
+ not Interested Co.,. and who has nnt
onward claim. he declares he knew
o be untrue lie was Obliged nnaIlv
However. by the popular demand. 10 pi;
.side sentiment and consent 10 the e.
lumailon for the purpose, as his al
isers say, of once and for All puttinv
n end 90 the story for which Caidweii
hone seems responsible. that there was
=.