The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-14
WITNESS INFAMOUS
DRUCE CASE DEAD.
Robert Caldwell, KnowA as Great
American Affidavit Maker" Ex-
pires in Asylum.


well, who figured as the principal
witness In the famous Druce will case
and who gained the title OF THE
Great American AFFIDAVIT maker"
through his connection with that case
ana other fabrications which made
MIN famous throughout the world. Is
dead after an illness OF more than two
years. He died in the city insane asy-
lum on Wards Island, where ne was
committed In 1909. shortly after his
spectacular entry into the Druce case.
lie was pronounced at that time TO
De suffering from an underlined men
tai and physical disease which made
MIN complete wreck without hope
OF recovery.
Caldwell is the second of the prin-
cipal figures In the famous English
case To die within two weeks. Mrs.
Anna Marie bruce. the original
claimant Of, the estate OF the duke
OF Portland. passed away In London
on Jan. l.
Caldwell will go down I'm history as
one OF the most remarkable figures
In one OF the greatest legal fights ever
waged In the English courts, but his
claims To notoriety do not rest entire
~ upon his connection with the bruce
case. Caldwell was born in Ireland In
1884, OF parentage which he declined
10 discuss. He went 10 London when
, was 10 years old, and, according TO
his own story. was for a time in the
service OF the duke OF Portland an
eccentric nobleman. He came TO New
York in 1871, and obtained employ
ment with A. T. Stewart. the great
dry goods merchant. He first came
into the public eye when he made VI
dayits setting forth that the body OF
Mr. Stewart had been stolen by
Caouls and also charging that Mr..
Stewards will had been forged for the
benefit OF certain persons.
According to the alienists who have
been studying Caldwells mental &C.
centricities at Wards island for the
last two years, he was affected with
twist OF the brain which made him
vertically second Baron Munchausen
differing only from that celebrated
character in that he believed all the
notions OF his brain. strange and i'm.
possible though they were. He was
queer in many respects, but painfully
punctilious and truthful in the ordi-
nary matters OF life
Caldwells last appearance in public
was in December. 1907. He had just
been completely discredited at The last
renewal OF the bruce litigation in Eng
land. While the British authorities
were arguing among themselves as TO
what steps 10 take against him Cald-
we'll slipped away from London and
arrived unexpectedly In New York city
on Dec. %.
He was arrested Immediately on
warrant sworn out by the British con
SUI, charging him with wilful perjury
In the Druce case, but on account OF
his broken physical condition the au-
thorities here declined to allow his
extradltion, and after various vicissi-
tudes, ne was committed to the Wards
Island asylum.
The story Of the last bruce trial is
SILL fresh In the public mind. George
HollamDy bruce, a grandson OF Thorn
as Charles bruce, formerly owner of
bazaar In Baker-st., London. started
the ball rolling. He claimed that his
father realty was the duke of Port
land, an eccentric nobleman who mas
cueraded In dual role after the
JekyllHyde manner. He began an
action to GUST Lcrd Howard de Wal.
den from the Portland estates which
&c Walden had inherited through the
supposed failure OF The direct line.
He failed To prove his case
Tho duke died in 1864, when Cald-
we'll was in London, and this fact, il
appears, was responsible for the APP
pe.dance OF Caldwell in the suit as
witness.
In this action. Herncrt Druce, al
relative of the claimant. testified that
he was present at the funeral of Mr..
Druce and that he saw the body in
the coffin. George Hollamby bruce
thereupon caused the arrest of his
kinsman for perjury and II was at the
trial of this case in London, in No
yember, 1907. that Caldwell re-entered
the arena with as remarkable story
as was ever told on the witness stand.
Caldwell testified that he knew
both the duke and bruce, and that
they were one and the same person
He supplemented this startling state
ment with another, to the effect that
when bruce was supposed to have
died his coffin was filed with lead and
buried after mock funeral, in which
the duke himself participated
He maintained that the duke, under
the name OF bruce, had married and
had several children, and that the
claimant was a grandson. The state
ment as TO the coffin filed with lead
was disproved on Dec. 80, 1907, when
II was exhumed and the body iden-
titled.