The National tribune., 1907-11-21

| The suit which Is now going on in
| England for the possession of the es-
tates and title of the Duke of Portland
IS full of sensational incident. The
| Duekdom of Portland has existed since
| i716. the time of George l.. and is one
If the richest in the Kingdom. The
| Dukes OIL Portland are in direct de-
| scent from William Bentincls. first Earl
| )t Portland who was gentleman of the
| bed chamber to William. Prince of
| orange. when he became King of Eng
!and, and who distinguished himself at
| he battle of the Boyne in 1890. The
| first Duke of Portland, who was his
| 'on, does not appear to have impressed
himself upon history, and neither does
his son, the second Duke, but the third
Duke was a man of marked ability,
and filled many high offices in the
Kingdom with great distinction. He
was Prime Minister at the time of our
Revolutionary War, Secretary of State
under the great Pitt. and twice First
Lord of the Treasury. The fifth Duke
of Portland, who is the subject of tha
present controversy, was one of Eng
ands richest peers and perry eccen-
ric man. He was supposed not to
have been married. and upon his death
in 1879 his rich estate was divided
among relatives, w. J. Cavendish- Ben
jinct. the present Duke of Portland,
coming into possession of che title and
Il portion of the property Fourteen
ears ago one George Druce attracted
attention to himself by claiming to be
the grandson of the late Duke and as
such the rightful heir to his huge es-
tates, backing up his claim by a most
remarkable story. He asserted that
ne fifth Duke of Portland, taking ad-
vantage of his well-known reputation
for eccentricity, or on account of it.
had led a double life for years, part of
the time calling himself Thomas Charles
9ruce, the keeper of a shop in Baker
street. London. at other times assuming
his rightful title and residing at Wei
beck Abbey. AS plain Mr.. Druce it is
affirmed he married Elizabeth Crick-
mer, the grandmother of the present
claimant. In the legal proceedings
which are now going on in London,
and which are naturally creating the
greatest excitement among the nobili-
~. Robert Caldwell, an Irishman by
birth, but for many years resident
of Staten Island, n. Y, gave some very
sensational testimony. He swore on the
witness stand that he had known the
fifth Duke Of Portland well, having
treated him for a certain disease of the
nose; that he knew him both as Mr..
had rendered him professional service
both in his shop at Baker street and
at Welbecl Abbey. He testified that
he had assisted the Duke to prepare for
a mock funeral of himself as Druce, |
and had procured for him a coffin and
200 pounds Of lead, which he put into |
the coffin himself; that he attended the |
funeral, which took place the next day, !
having seen and talked with the Duke |
on the same morning. Caldwell said |
he had received S25,000 from the Duke |
for curing him of his nasal trouble. |
Another dramatic feature of the case
is the story that in June, 1905. while !
some wqrkInen were tearing down Har-
court House. London, one of the resi- |
dences of the Dukes of Portland, an
passage was discovered |
leading to the Baker street baZar which
had been conducted by Thomas Charles
Druce, now claimed to have been no
other than the fifth Duke of Portland. !
The knowledge that this Baker street |
property was owned by the eccentric |
Duke of Portland was what decided |
George Druce to lay claim to the es-
tateS. Another important witness for
the claimant is also an American, a
Southern tobacco planter, who says she /
Thomas Charles Druce in the Baker
quently went to Welbeck Abbey when
rs Mr. Druce, her employer. The in
come from the Duke of Portland's es-
ates is supposed to be no less than
81, ,500.0 900 n year. which the present
Duke and the other heirs do not intend