The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-12-01

London, Nov S0.-The famous bruce
ease continues to be the leading topic in
London. and day after day the police
court at Marylcbone is crowded by an
arisJocrauc audience that listens intcntiy
and wonderiugly 20 the extraordinary evil
dence presented Before the magistrate
The dram0tis persOnae in the. latest
phase Of the claim to the title and es-
tates Of the present Duke of Portland
are
THOMAS CHARLES DRUCE. sworn 20 have died
ca December q 1854. by
HERBERT DRUCE uhe defendant. his nephew.
Who said he him in his curin.
GEORGE HULLANBY DBUCE plaintiff. who is
preceding against his uncle. the last-nancd for
perjury. lnasnuch as ne AYERS Thomas Charles
DUIce did not die tl 1879. thu. rhe f,ncal WAS
a mock one, and that DECEASED MS in reality me
FIFTH duke ot Portland.
ROBERT CALDWELL native OF County aIouag-
han. ireland. who enigatod TO Americ, in ISL.
ard who states that be himself plt the lead in
the coffin foT the alleged MOCK burial
Facts in Strange Case.
The essential facts in this romantic case
were first published in ISIS. The claimant
was then Mrs Anna bruce. For several
years Mrs Druce, who believed herself
TO be the widow Of the eldest legitimate
son of Thomas Charles bruce. Of the
Baker street bazaar, made unavailing
efforts TO compel the consistory court 90
grant her an order TO open the grave Of
her husbands father in Highgate Gene
terry. In this grave. she alleged. was bur
led, not the body of Thomas bruce. but Il
quantity of lead. bruce. she said was
really the fifth duke Of Portland who d..
not die until 1872. Unfortunately for Mrs
Druce. the facts as 60 the death of
Thomas bruce were sworn TO by doctors
and Eousekeeper. and the courts re-
fused 10 grant the order.
The Druce case was beginning to lose
interest, when new claimant appeared
in the person OF George Hollanby bruce
an Australian carpenter. He claimed TO
have "a better right than Mrs Anna bruce
20 take an interest I'm the Portland claim
inasmuch as he was the son OF the elcest
son of Thomas Charles BRUCE by q hrst
marriage with EHzabethh Crickmcr al
Bury ST. Edmunds. on October - 1916
Runaway Match with HeireSS.
According 70 the Hollanby bruce claim.
this marriage was a. runaway match be-
tween r. G. Druce. described as a linen
draper. and a schoolgirl heiress with Il
fortune Of el5,o0o. The draper" is said
10 have appeared from nowhere. a hand
some young man, without friends or reIa-
tves For three years ne lived with his
wife. spending money freely. In 1920, his
wife's fortune having disappeared. he
deserted her and her children
For fifteen years the bruce family at
Bury St Edmunds heard no more of their
father. In 1885 he seems to have suddenly
repcnted of his desertiOn. and. discover
ing that the ship on which the father Of
the present claimant was serving his ap-
premiership was lying in the Thames, he
went down TO Grayesend and sent for
his siXteen-year-old son.
Now for the first time the Druce fam
lily learned that the missing father was
the proprietor of a bazaar in Baker street
The boy was taken there. educated at
naval academy, and again sent TO sea
His sister, the aunt of the claimant. WIS
also sent there. and lived for many years
with her father. who now appears as the
owner Of a residence at Brighton, q hunt
ing box at Leicestershire and q country
seat at Hendon.
The question that the courts are now
asked 20 decide is: Was this man bruce.
the owner of the bazaar grandfather of
George Hollanby bruce. really the fifth
duke of Portland
Lord Howard de Walden comes into the
case by reason Of the will left by the
fourth duke, VINO provided that in the
event of the nth duke and his brother
dying without heirs the life interest in
the estate should go to the survivor of
four sisters and then to the descendants
Of that survivor. Lord Henry Bentinck
dying without an heir. the life interest
went 10 Lady Howard de Walden, and so
TO her son
Immense Property Involved.
The present charge is regarded by
George Hollanby bruce and those acting
on his behalf as a preliminary 20 a strug-
gle for the London estate OF the present
Lord Howard de Walden
In his will the fourth duke of Portland
directed. that this property should de-
scend 10 his son, the fifth duke. and to
his sons heir.
railing THE hfth duke having an heir.
the property was 20 descend in the female
line. On the assumption that the fifth
duke did not marry, the estate Went to
the Dowager Lady Howard dc Walden.
But now George Holianby bruce is
seeking 20 establish that the fifth duke
did marry IN the name Of r. G bruce.
who was this George Hollanbys grand
father on these grounds he will seek
to establish his title to this London es-
tate.
This property alone is worth an almost
fabulous 70, Mne. 1t lies in the region Of