The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-12-21
ARREST DRUCE WITNESS

CONTINUED from Page One.)
the exception, however, that no arrest
was made I'm the previous instance. II
appears that he had been abroad and re-
turned to the United States in 1870
Soon after his arrival here he entered
the employ OF A. T. Stewart. the mer-
chant prince. as a secretary and became
one Of Mr.. Stewards confidential advs-
ers. After the death OF Mr.. Stewart.
Caldwell made an af1cavit declaring that
he was In possession Of startling facts
concerning the Stewart estate. One of
these was that the stolen body OF A. r..
Stewart was carried from 81. Mark s
church yard back to the cellar of the
Stewart mansion at Thirty fourth street
and Fifth avenue. where IL was buried.
The body. was not found when the
house was torn down.
= The Druce case has many points very
similar to the famous Tichborne case,
one OF the most celebrated in the Eng
lish courts. There were two trials in
tho Tichborne case, one In 1871, an ac-
tion Of ejectment OF an imposter for the
recovery OF the Tichborne estate in
Hampshire and Dorsetshire. England.
valued at 100000 yearly. and In the fol-
lowing year another In which the defeat
ed imposter was charged with perjury.
THE TICHBORNE CASE.
The heir to the estates. Roger Charles
Tichborne, had sailed for tour of South
America in 1858. is ship was lost and no
word ever came from anyone on board.
After several years the estate was placed
in the hands OF executors and the mother
of the missing, believing that he had
escaped death, advertised for him in
English and Australian papers. In re-
sponse a man whose real name was Ar
thur Orton, but who had been employed
as "A butcher at Wagga Wagga, Australia
under the name of Thomas Castro, pre-
seted himself as the missing heir. He
told OF having been picked UP at sea after
the ship was wrecked and being landed al
Australia So impressed was the mother
with Castro's story that she accepted him
as her son. He was repudiated by the rest
of the family. however, and the prolonged
litigation which ultimately resulted in the
conviction of Castro on a charge OF per-
jury followed. Many years later after his
release from prison. Castro made a com
plete confession In which he acknowledged
that he was an imposter.
o FGREAT VALUE.
In the Druce case. which involves the
identity OF the Duke OF Portland as the
so-called rIce. the estate at stake Is of fai
greater value than in the Tichborne case
The income alone from the Duke of Port.
lands fortune Is fully 81, 10000 a year. The
claimants in this case, the family oi
Thomas C. Druce. contend that the fiftf
Duke OF Portland led a dual life and was
one and the same with Thomas Charles
Druce, the keeper of n bazaar In London
1t was claimed that George II. Druce, q
grandson OF Thomas c.. the storekeeper
therefore is the real Duke of Portland.
TO OPEN VAULT DEC. 27.
|, London. Dec. 2l.-The charge against
Robert c. Caldwell is conspiracy and will
ful and corrupt perjury in the evidence
he gave while testifying I'm the present
Druce case Papers giving full details or
the subject are prepared by the homo
office and will be forwarded through the
foreign office as soon as possible. The ar
rest OF the American who was the prin
cipal witness for the prosecution anC
without whose testimony the case proba
bly, would never have been brought, Will
add immensely to the already widespread
interest in the sensational suit.
The opening of the vault containing thu
body OF Thomas C. Druce. has been pro
visionally fixed for Dec q.