Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-01-18

Object of Criminal Case on Trial is
to Have Druce's Grave Opened.
On looking up the published matter
on the Druce-POrtland claim case,
which is being tried at London, l was
surprised to find how on first sight so
many complicated facts were combin-
ed in the bruce case as to bear their
most probable explanation only in one
way, writes a London correspondent
of the New York Post. Gradually
saw built up before my eyes one OF the
most extraordinary and romantic faml-
~ tangles revolving around man who
from his position and eccentric1tleS
must be regarded as a historic freak
hardly less remarkable than the Mar
quis of Casanova or the Due de Lau-
Zun. I am inclined to regret that the
course of evidence in the present trial
tends to destroy the probability that
this ingenious Pigment can be maintain
ed But of that anon. For the pres
ent it is interesting to consider the
curious history of the fifth Duke OF
Portland as presented by one who
his title and estates.
The great wealth of the family,
drawn mostly from ever increasing
London rents, has always given them
| important political influence, but in the
time of the fifth duke his younger
brother Lord George Bentinck, was
regarded as the leader of the country
gentlemen of England and the cham
pion Of the prOtectiOnists against Sir
Robert Peel and the free traders.
1t was therefore natural that his
elder brother, the duke, as I shall call
him henceforward, should be a great
magnate, whose movements would nat
urally be followed by hundreds of
those who were dependent on him or
looked up to him in some way. Never
theleSs it is a matter of record that
the life of the duke was eccentric to a
degree and his private habits so skill
fully concealed that no evidence has
yet been successfully brought forward
by his acknowledged heirs which has
upset the almost absurd allegations of
the present claimant
then was, a younger son of sixteen,
instead of being at Elton or Harrow,
Oxford or Cambridge, mysteriously
disappeared for four years until 1920.
The only record of this sprig of nobil-
fly during the period is an honorary
military appointment in 1918, which he
seems to have fulfilled by one public
appearance about year later. This
seems to have led to his return to Soci-
ETY., where he shortly became conspic-
uOus. first, owing to his succession
through the death of his elder brother
as Marquis of Titchfield to the rever
sion of the dukedom; second, by some
remarkable exploits on the turf. For
the next fifteen years he ran a very
successful racing partnership with
two brothers, Lord George Bentinck
being one. The three brothers owned
stud of horses in common, racing un-
der the name of ''Mr. Bowes," which
before it was closed in 1885 is reported
to have yielded them all an immense
amount of profit.
The year 1885 was marked by the
second disappearance of our hero, and,
public man as he must have been after
his racing successes, scarcely anything
was known of him for nearly twenty
years. Two important recorded events
took place. The first was his quarrel
with his brother, Lord George Ben
timex, in 1913 over a lady identified
as Annie May Berkeley, reputed to
be the daughter of the fifth Earl Of
Berkeley by a disputed marriage. This
quarrel reached the point of blows,
one of which, as the story runs, was
the cause of the death of Lord George
in the height of his political campaign
against Sir Robert Peel. The second
was his succession in 1854 to the duke
dom. From this time onward follows
the most romantic portion of the dukes
career. For ten years his daily move
ments were deliberately concealed. Ev-
identity he was leading one If not two
double lives with the most persevering
devotion to intrigue. No pleasures
could possibly have been sufficient re-
ward for the pains he took to conceal
his movements.
Under these circumstances it was
natural that every kind of rumor and
report should surround him. But some
of his immediate dependents may be
looked upon as reliable witnesses neg
atively to his movements. The fact is
that none of them, however intimately
associated with him, can prove any
regular residence or existence for him
as duke. His Wallets account is one
mysterious record of appearances and
disappearances. Whether in London or
at Welbeck he was mysteriously con.
cealed for days I'm his private apart
ments, communicating with his serv-
ants only by note. Every day an alb
surd performance was carried on be.
tween Welbeck and his London house.
His carriage left in the evening tightly
closed, was placed on a railway truck
either at WOrksop or London and was
conveyed through to the other end by
train and horses without iDSnpcfiOn a9