Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-09
DID DUKE LEAD
DOUBLE
LIFE?
STRANGE MYSTERY
PUZZLES ENGLlSHMEN
Claimant for Ancestral Estates
Seeks to Show His Grace of
Portland and London Shop
keeper Were One,
LIB, Morning journal special Leased wIre.l

tBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire.l
London, Nov. S.-Hundreds of peo-
pie vainly fought for admittance to
the Marylebone police court today
when the hearing of the famous Druee
mystery case was resumed Herbert
Druce son of the late Thomas Charles
pruce. is in the present proceedings
charged with perjury by his nephew
George Hollamby Druce, in connection
with the Druce claim to the estates
of the Duke of Portland. which claim
dates back to 1898. This claim, when
has been vigorously contested py the
present Duke of Portland, cehters
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 torty-
three wears ago was not the same per-
son as the eccentric fifth Duke OF
Portland. who died in 1873.
Interest was heightened today. by
the alleged theft since the previous
session, of the diary OF MISS hopinsVh'
daughter of a southern tobacco pant
er. who was employed as an amanuen-
sis in the Baker street bazaar, ana
who saws she frequently went To Well
brook Abbey, the Portland seat, where
she saw the late r. c. Drucc, tathef
oi the late George Druce. who IN turn
was father of George Hollamby Druee,
the claimant to the estates as the
Duke of Portland. whose identity with
r. &. Druce she claimed to be able TO
establish. 49,,
Robert Caldwell of staten Island
n " testified that he knew the lale
Duke of Portland both as the duke
and as T. G. Druce, at WeuDrek Ap-
hey and at the Baker street bazaar
and that he treated the duke at poth
places for disease of the nose. Cald-
well swore that he arranged with the
duk, the death and mock funeral or
Druc, so that his dual personality
could finally besburied. He declared
that at the dukes request he EN-
ployed a carpenter 10 make comm,
purchased two hundred pounds OF
lead and put II in the coffin himself
The funeral occurred the iollowihg
Mir. Caldwell added he saw the duke
on the morning Of the funeral at the
Raker street bazaar. He identifled
two photographs as pictures OF the
Duke of Portland i'm the character OF
Drure. Asked 20 account for the
heard shawn In one of the photos wit
ness replied that he had seen the duke
wear "A false beard After the funeral
witness said he asked the duke II
Druce had left a will" The duke
then thanked him for reminding hlm
of such an important point ana sara
he must have one made.
Caldwell told OF his Introduction 10
the duke in 1864 by the famous physl-
clan, Sir Morrell Mckenzie. to his MS
Intimacy with the duke, and his cure
az the dukes nasal trouble. Tie tesu-
fed that he received presents from the
duke aggregating about $4,000 be-
sides S25,000 for curing the hasai
trouble. ,a
Caldwell was still on the stand
whom The case went over for a week
one of the strangest features. OF me
case is that about the middle OF ne,
1906. Morkmcn who were tea ,,iis tis
down Harcourt house on Caven ilsh
sotInre. London. previously one o. ths
residences OF the Duke OF POrt' tlN
discovered an underground pas ~.
leading from the house to the Baker
str,,t structure in which the famous
hazaar had previously been ana Whi'u
was conducted by Thomas Charle,
Druce. The claimant declares tnal
tho duke while living his double li'
used the underground passage r.
ferred to for the purpose OF se,t'is
from Harcourt house TO the pace %
business Of "Druce.' 49,
pressed by limited liability eompal'
formed for the purpose. lhe uiIo.
tors are the claimant himself ant
George and John Crickmer.
4 Mrs. Margaret Hamilton has tes
titled that she knew the hltn uuN'
both rs Mr.. Druce and as the Duke
Portland. and that he was unaMai
of the fact that he had married Eliz
abeth Criclmer. grandmother OF IN
present claimant
George Druce says he was born !
1S4I and went to Australia ~ iooa
returning to England four years ntei
About this time, he adds, iacts Nhlcl
came into his possession shoWeu tna
The Duke OF Portland owned the pa
zaar referred 10 in the case and n
decided to claim The estates ana 10
that purpose formed the limited liapil
ity company. ....
The original action in the case wa
brought to eject LORD Howard -
Walden from the Londot proper
which his father Inherited from IN
fifth Duke of Portland through IN
supposed failure Of the direct line.
The contention has been ihat II I'M
suit was successful the establishing q
the claimants title 10 the other estate
held by the Duke of Portland woui
follow as natural consequence Mllh'
comparatively short time.
The income from the Duke OF foi
lands estates is estimated a. not ie'
than s1500.O0O year. and & vas @
this basis that the shares of the Ns
billty company we're placed upon tf
market Ten thousand OrdinaI
shares were issued at IS each and 20
900 deferred shares were issued at
cents each.
small Fire in Ocean Vessel.
New York. Nov. s.-The Old ID