The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-03


London, December 30.-The body OF
Thomas Charles Druce, in Highgate
cemetery, was eXhumed this morning
just 43 years TO day after its burial.
The coffin was found to contain the
remains of a human body, thus ex-
plOding the romantic tale told by
Robert c. Caldwell and others, during
the recent hearing Of the Druce per
jury case, that it contained a roll OF
lead.
The official statement grven out BY
the home Office and others officially pre-
sent at the exhumation seems effec-
lively to prove that the body buried
in 1864 was actually that Of T. G.
Druce The authorized statement fol-
lows:
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."
The scene at Highgate cemetery this
morning when the vault was opened
was remarkable. All the entrances to
the cemetery were surrounded by COR
dons of police. Only those persons
who had passes from the home office
were admitted to the grounds. George
Hollamby Druce, who claims he is the
rightfuI heir to the Portland dukedom
and to its vast estate, tried unsucceSS-
fully twice to get into the cemetery.
The operations began at daybreak
with the removal Of the topmost cOf-
fins in the vault, containing the bod
les of the wife and a son of T. c..
Druce. 1t was nearly half past eleven
before the coffin was brought out ready
for opening and inspection. The top
was quickly unscrewed and the inner
casing of lead cut open. There was
no need for the dictum of the eminent
surgeon, Augustus J. Pepper, to as
sure all present that human remains
lay in the coffin.
The Druce vault has given up it's
secret after ten years of legal pro-
ceedings which have cost a considera-
BILE fortune. A large part Of this
money was obtained from servant girls
and other workers who were induced
to buy shares in a company formed to
prosecute the claims Of George Holl-
andy Druce against the estate of the
Duke Of Portland.
The charge Of perjury against Her
bert Druce is effectively disposed Of
and those persons who have sworn to
the placing of lead instead of human
body in the coffin have been discredit-
ed.
New York, N Y. December 30
Robert c. caldwell. whose testimony
as witness in the Druce case led to
the re-Opening Of the grave Of T. C.
Druce today. is now at the home OF
his daughter at New Brighton. Staten
Island. He is under $4,000 bond 70
answer to a charge Of perjury prefer
red by the British authorities in con-
nectiOn with the story he told in the
London court Caldwell was arrested
when he arrived here from Europe
December 81
Caldwells story Of the alleged dual
personality Of the Duke of Portland
was the real sensation Of one Of the
most remarkable legal cases which
ever engaged the attention of the
British courts.
The re-Opening Of the DTuce grave
was undertaken as a final effort OF the
government to prove their charge that
Caldwell's testimony was 'Wilful and
corrupt perjury" Caldwell's story was
to the effect that the Duke of Port
land and T G.. Druce, a London store
keeper, were one and the same He
had known the Duke of Portland un-
der both names. he said. and at the
request of the Duke had arranged a
pretended death and mock funeral of
Druce so that the dual personality
could be buried. He swOre that a
coffin buried in Highgate cemetery and
which was supposed TO hold the body
of T. c. Druce in reality contained
only 200 pounds of lead II was this
coffin which was exhumed today.
Efforts to reach Caldwell at his
home on Staten Island today were una
vailing. His daughter declared that he
was so i'll that his physician would per-
NIT no one to see him. His daughter
was informed that the grave of T c.
Druce had been found to contain the
bones of a human being but she de-