The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-01-02
find BEARDED man
IN DRUCE COFFIN
OPENING OF GRAVE ENDS NOTED
ENGLISH MYSTERY.
LEAD MYTH IS EXPLODED
Persons Who sWore to That Tale May
Be Prosecuted = Claimant
Says He Hasn't
Given Up.

l1l y
London. Dec. 31.-The body OF
Thomas Charles Druce, in Highgate
cemetery, was exhumed Monday, just
4S years to day after its burial. The
coffin was found to contain the re.
mains Of human body, thus explod-
ing the romantic tale told by Robert
G. Caldwell and others, who swore
during the recent hearing of the
bruce perjury case that It contained
roll of lead.
The official statement given out by
representatives Of the home office and
others who we're officially present at
the exhumation, not only definitely
disposes of the lead myth, but seems
effectively to prove that the body
buried In 1864 was actually that Of T.
c. bruce. The authorized statement
follows:
THE coffin was opened and found
to contain the body of an aged, beard.
ed man; the plate on the coffin bore
the name Thomas Charles Druce'"
Every Vantage Point Guarded.
L The scene at Highgate cemetery
when the vault was opened was re-
markable. Constables seemed to
spring from everywhere; every bush
and every tree apparently hid an Of
ficer Of the law. All the entrances
&c the cemetery were surrounded by
cordons of police. Only those per-
sons who had passes from the home
Office We're admitted to the grounds.
George Hollamby bruce, who claims
he is the rightfu! heir to the Portland
dukedom and to its vast estate, tried
twice to get into the cemetery, but
was met with a stern refusal
The operations began at daybreak
with the removal of the topmost cot.
fms in the vault, containing the bod
les Of the wife and son of T. C.
bruce. 1t was very late before the
aroused the curiosity of the whole
world, was brought up ready for open
ing and inspection.
Dire Consequences to Follow.
Those persons who have sworn to
the placing of lead instead of a hui
man body in the coffin have been dis
credited, and they probably will have
to take the consequences of their
acts.
So far as the general public is con,
cerned, the entire long-drawn-out
Druce.duke OF Portland controversy is
at an end, and the case of the claim
ant, George Hollamby bruce, has
fallen to the ground.
Claimant Doesn't Give Up.
Despite the finding of the body,
George II. bruce says that he is deter
mined to continue to push his claim
for the estates and title OF the, Port
land dukedom In an interview Mon
day night he said:
1T is foolish to deny that / am bit
terly disappointed, but / have not
admit that the man known as Thomas
Charles bruce was buried in High Gate
cemetery, but this does not dispose of
my case. / will not admit that the
body exhumed is the body of my
grandfather, who l still firmly believe
was the duke of Portland"
George H. bruce also expressed dis
satisfaction that further exarnina-
ton OF the grave was not made for
the purpose of ascertaining whether
or not coffin containing lead was
also Inferred there. Experts who were
in attendance at the disinterment in
his interests reported to him, he says,
that the face in the coffin which was
opened bore similarity to that shown
in the photographs of Thomas Charles
bruce.