Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-11-28
DUKE ADMITTED He WAS BRUCE
One Witness on the Stand Who Was
Told by Charles Dickens That the
Duke of Portland Followed Double
Llfe-How and When bruce oiled"
Related by Witness.
(Dy Associate.i rressl

The bruce case. involving claims 10
tina Portland estates, was resumed in
court today. having been adjourned
from November 81 The examination
OF Miss Mary Robinson. who was an
amanuensis for the late r. c. Drucc.
who is alleged 70 have been the fifth
Duke Of Portland. was concluded.
Miss Robinson was shown letters
nnrportlng to have been written by
The Duke of Portland 10 r. c. bruce.
She admitted that the handwriting
was the same and she failed to re.
cognize the handwriting In letters
signed t. C. Duce 10 Herbert Drucc.
defendant. In the perjury action grow
Ing ont of this case. as the i,andwrit.
Ing OF her employer.
AS confederation of Miss Robinson's
statement that she met Charles Dick.
ems in Kens.ngton' gardens shortly be.
fore his death. and her allegation that
MT the timc the novelist told her that
prucc and the Duke of Portland were
one and the same person, l.. Atherly-
Jones, Counsel for the prosecution.
read an extract from the renlinisc.
onces Of Sir Wemis Reid, stating TINT
he had seen Mr.. Dickens walking in
kensington gardens with a young girl
n week before he dided.
Were the Same, Ayers Witness.
Mrs. Margaret Hamilton seventy
years old, was called as witness.
She swore that Druce and the Duke
of Portland were the same person.
and identified portraits OF the duke
az Drnce. She said that the duke.
whom she described rs an old friend
Of her fathers, always had false
beard in his pocket. the duke. the Wit
ness continued, had all the time in
tended to marry her hut her father
refused his consent,
Mrs. Hamilton then said that on
one occasion she had asked the duke
Why he wore false hoard. He ex-
planned that Ii was necessary TO have
n beard when he appeared as bruce.
I'm 1864" the witness wont on. "thc
Duke of Portland said to her: "Madgc.
am going to die
TO this the witness replied: You
don't look like IT.
Mrs. Hamilton declared that her
father had explained to her that the
Duke of Portland was going to cease
to be r. G. bruce, and she said she
was informed there was going TO be
a funeral, IN 1866 she again saw her
father and the Duke of Portland to-
gethcr In London. and on this occas.
ion She chaffinsly said to the duke:
Il thought you We're dead and bur.
led
She called him bruce and this an
noyedih him.
Continuing. Airs. Hamilton testified
that she last snw Tho Duke of Port
land in 1876. The duke then said that
hb felt very i'll ana thought he was
going TO die.
Mrs. Hamilton said to him: Il hope
you will repent of all YOUR sins and
to this tho duke answered: THANK
YOU, Madgc."
The witness testified that thc man
she saw in 1876 was also T. G. Drucc.
Of the Baker street liazalr The duke.
The witness ayerred. suffered from I'M
auec;ion of the skin. aud al one time
had Jumps on his nose.
Duke Was Her Godfather.
In the course Of hor testimony Mrs.
Hamilton said That Tho fourth Duke
OF Portland was her Godfather She
had been at Wolbcck Abbey with her
$3.50 ', 'l't EntSt rl lin nItn uuic.
whom she knew well in his dual char
actor
Mrs Hamilton snid. among other
things. that wbcr the Duke spoke Of
diving in 1861 SHE asked her father il
she could not get tho corpse from the
hospital. hut her father replied tina,
that would never ho. ns bricks must
be mt in the coffin. The dukes com.
ment on this remark vas that any.
thing would do 10 put in the coffin.
The witness said also that in 1866
Tho duke had showed her q bundle of
handkcrch!efs with onrnets worked
IN the corner. which, he said his wife
! had embroidered in spite Of the fact
that he mode her premise that she
never would uses tho coroneis. The
duke cut The coroncts from tho hand.
kerchiefs and threw them into Tho
fire,
Onc NJ The pieces OF linen, however.
did not Ignite, aud this Mrs. Hamilton
kept for years, until she was finally