The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-09
LAYS CLAIM TO
DUCAL ESTATES
George Hollanby Druce Trylgn
to Gust His Grace OF
Portland.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS CASE
SENSATIONAL TESTIMONY OF A
PHYSICIAN.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS CASE

London, Nov. S.-Hundreds of people
vainly fought for admittance to the
MaryIebone police court today when
the hearing of the famous bruce mys-
terry case was resumed. Herbert bruce
son of the late Thomas Charles Druce,
is. in the present proceedings. charged
with perjury by his nephew, George
Honanby bruce. in connection with
the Druce claim TO the estates or the
duke of Portland which claim dates
back to 1893 This claim. which mas
been vigorously contested by the pres
ent duke of Portland, centers about the
old question whether Thomas Charles
bruce. at one time the owner OF the
famous Baker street bazaar, who is SAID
TO have died forty-three years ago, was
not the same person as the eccentric
fifth duke of Portland, who died In
1879.
Alleged Theft of Diary.
Interest today was heightened by the
alleged theft since the previous session
of the diary of Miss Robinson, daugh-
ter of a southern tobacco planter, who
was employed as an amanuensis in the
Baker street bazaar, and who says she
frequently went to Wellbrok abbey. the
Portland seat, where she saw the late
T. c. bruce, father of the late George
bruce. who in turn was rather OF
George Hollanby bruce. the claimant
to the estates as the duke of Portland,
whose identity with T. G. bruce she
claimed to be able to establish.
Robert Caldwell of Staten Island, n.
Y. testified that he knew the late duke
of Portland. both as the duke and as
T. c. bruce, at Wellbrok abbey and at
the Baker street bazaar, and that he
treated the duke at both places for a
disease of the nose. Caldwell swore
that he arranged with the duke the
death and mock funeral of bruce. so
that his dual personality could finally
be buried.
Funeral Really Occurred.
He declared that at the dukes re-
quest he employed carpenter to make
a coffin, purchased 200 pounds of lead
and put 1t i'm the coffin himself. The
funeral occurred the following day.
Mr. Caldwell added he saw the duke
on the morning of the funeral at the
Baker street bazaar. He identified two
photographs as pictures of the duke of
Portland i'm the character of T. c.
bruce. Asked to account for the beard
shown in one of the photographs, wit
ness replied he had seen the duke wear
a false beard. After the funeral wit
ness said he asked the duke If ''Druce"
had left viii. The duke then thanked
him for reminding him of such an i'm
portant point, and said he must have
one made.
Caldwell told of his introduction TO
the duke in 1864 by the famous physi-
clan, Sir Morell Mckenzie; to his in
timacy with the duke, and his cure of
the dukes nasal trouble. He testified
that he received presents from the
duke aggregating about $4,000 besides
$4,000 for curing the nasal trouble.
Witness Had Past.
Witness said he remained in England
six years after the funeral. went to
America i'm 1871, saw the bruce case
mentioned in the New York papers in
February of that year. and communi-
Gated with Druce's lawyer.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Avery, Cald-
we'll admitted he had been described as
the great American affidavit-maker.
but. he added, that il was not justified.
Mr.. Avery questioned Caldwell close
~ on the subject of his alleged offer to
sell a New York newspaper a story
about the forged will and the robbery
of A. T. Stewart, the dry goods mer-
chant of New York City.
The witness admitted that he had
correspondent with Albert Hilton, son
of the late Judge Hilton, about the
matter and he also admitted that he |
had suggested that Judge Hilton had |
forged Mr. Stewards will and dug up
the body"
Pressed to explain why. IL not TO ex-
tort money. he had written to Albert |
Hilton, the witness said he desired to |
return him some letters which had |
passed between Mr.. Hilton and Mrs. |
Stewart, which were securely locked I'D |
in a safe, specially built TO hold them. /
and which cost $500.
Caldwell refused to say where the
safe was kept, but asserted that he |
had a key and that another man had |
a key to the. room in which the safe 4
was kept.
Continuing, the witness asserted that \
he had pledged himself not 10 divulge /
the contents of the letters during Judge |
Hilton's life, but said he had offered to /
sell the story to a New York news 1
paper. Caldwell added that he be- 4
lieved the letters to be genuine.
Counsel then read letters which pur- J
ported to have passed between Judge !
Hilton and Mrs. Stewart, In which |
Mrs Stewart said that an accusation |
Continued on Page 2.