The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-28
IDRUCE MYSTERY IS
BEING REVIEWED
Testimony Tending to
Prove Dukes Strange
Dual Life.
OLD WOMAN TELLS
OF KNOWING DUKE.
Miss Mary Robinson's Tcsti-
srnony Is Corroborated in Many
Points by Mrs. Margaret
Hamilton, Who Narratcs
Many Interesting
Incidents.

LONDON November 27.--The heaf-
Ing OF the Druce case. involving claims
to the Portland estates was resumed
in court to-day, having been adjourned
from November 21st. The examination
OF Miss Mary Robinson. who was an
amenuensis for the latc8T. C. Druce
who is alleged to have bcen the sixth
Duke of Portland. was concluded. Mrs
Robinson was shown letters purport-
ing to have been written by the Duke
OF Portland to r.. G. Druce. She admits
that the handwriting was not the same.
and she failed to recognize the hand
writing in letters signed t. c. Driice
tn Herbert Drucc. defendant In the
perjury action growing out OF this
case as tho handwriting of her ems
ploycr.
As corroboratfon of Miss Robinson's
statement that she met Charles Dick
EMS In kensington Garden shortly be-
fore his death. aud her allegation that
atthat time the novelist told her that
pruce and the Duke of Portland were
onctand the same person, L. Athcrlcy-
Tones. counsel for the prosecution, read
an extract from the "reminiscences of
Sir Wcymis Reed. stating that he had
seen Mr.. Dickens walking In Kensins
ton Gardens with a young girl before
&c died.
An Old woman's story.
Mrs. Margaret Hamilton. seventy
years old. was then called as Wit
ness. She swore that Druce and the
Duke OF Portland were the same per-
son. and identified portraits OF the
Duke and Drucc. She said that the
Duke. whom she described as an old
friend of her fathers. always had a
-alsc beard in his pocket. The Duke
the witness continued, had at one time
Int pd f..t har 4, faf fhot.
refused his consent. Mrs. Hamilton
then said that on one occasion she had
asked the Duke why he wore false
nnrd. He explained that 1t was neces-
sary to have beard when he appeared
as Druce.
In 1861. the witness went on. the
Duke of Portland said to her: ..Madge,
Il am going to die,
To this the witness replied: You
don't look like 1t.
Mrs. Hamilton then declared that
her father had explained to her that
the Duke OF Portland was gong to
cease to be II. G. pruce, and she said
she was Informed there was going to
lie funeral. In 1856 she again saw
lIcr father and the Duke OF Portland
together in London, and on this occa-
sion she chaffingly said to the duke:
II thought you were dead and buried.
noyed him.
Duke Said He Would Die.
Continuing. Mrs. Hamilton testified
that she last saw the Duke of Port
land in 1876. The duke then said that
going to die. Mrs. Hamilton said to
him: II hope you will repent of all
your sins. ar 4 to this the duke an
swered: THANK you, Madge.''
The witness testified that the man
she saw in 1876 was also r. C. Druce,
OF the Baker Street Bazaar. The duke,
the witness averred, suffered from an
affection OF the skin. and at one time
had Jumps on his nose.
In the course OF her testimony. Mrs.
Hamilton said that the fourth Duke of
Portland was her godfather. She had
been at Welbeck Abbey with her IA
tller as the guest of the fifth duke.
whom she knew we'll in his dual char
acter. Mrs. Hamilton. said among oth-
err things. that when the duke spoke
OF dying in 1864 she asked her father
If she could not get the corpse from
the hospital. but her father replied
that that would never do, as bricks
must be put in the coffin. The dukes
comment onStlls remark was that any
thing would do to put In the coffin.
Tho witness said also that in 1856 the
duke had showed her bundle of hand
kerchiefs, with coronets worked in the
corners. which he said his wife had
embroidered. In spite OF the fact that
he had made her promise that she
never would use the coronets. The
duke cut the coronets from the hand
kerchiefs and threw them In the fire
One of the pieces OF linen, however
did not ignite and this Mrs. Hamilton
kept for years until she was finally
told by her solicitor that there will
be no more Druce case"
Then the case was adjourned to No
vcnlbcr 29th.
Mrs. Hamilton was under cross-ex-
animation in regard to discrepancies
between the evidence shc gave to-day
and that given before another court.
rnIrAIn@nr nrgIaoHooAi