Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-13
DIES MENTAL Wreck
Passing Of Robert Caldwell,
Noted as Affidavit Maker.
PLACED IN ASYLUM IN 1909
Principal Witness in J bruce Will
Contest in England.
ALSO IN A. T. STEWART CASE
Alleged That Body of the Famous
Merchant Had Been Stolen
by Ghouls.
PLACED IN ASYLUM IN 1909
ALSO IN A. T. STEWART CASE

NEW YORK. January 13.-Robert CaId.
we'll. 1.-The great American ahidavit max.
err" who figured as the principal witness
In the famous bruce will case In Eng.
land. 10 dead here after an illness Of
more than two years He died In the city
| insane Asylum on Wards Island, to which
IN undsnned mental and physical dis
complete wreck without hope Of recovery.
Ranks a. Remarkable Figure.
Caldwell will rank in history rs the
most remarkabls figure in one Of the
English courts. Born In Ireland In 1884.
Of parentage which he. declined to dis
cuss. he went to London. when nineteen
years old. and. according to his own
story. was for . time In the service OF
the Duke Of Portland, an eccentric noble
man. He came to New York in 1871 and
obtained employment with A. T. Stewart,
the great dry goods merchant. His. con-
nection with Mr.. Stewart brought him
more publicity in after life, when he made
affidavits setting forth that the body OF
Mr.. stewart had been stolen by ghouia
and also charging that Mr.. Stewards will
had been forged for the benefit Of certain
devisess.
Second Baron Munchausen.
According to the alienists who have
been studying Caldwelrs mental eccen-
tricities at Wards Island for the past two
years, he was affected with . twist"
Of the brain. which made him veritably
a second Baron Muuchausen. differing
only from that celebrated character in
that he believed all the actions OF his
brain, strange and impossible though
they were. He was queer in many re-
spects. but painfully punctiltous ana
truthful in the ordinary matters of lite.
Caldwells last appearance in public
was In December. 1907. He had just
been completely disoredited at the last
renewal OF the bruce litigation In Eng
land. While the British authorities were
arguing among themselves as to what
steps TO take against him, Caldwell slip
ped away from London and arrived UNI
expectedly In New York city December
g. He was immediately arrested on .
warrant sworn out by the British con-
sui. charging him with wiliful perjury In
the bruce case. but on account ct his
broken physical condition the authors
ties here declined TO allow his extradi-
ton. and after various vicissitudes ne
was committed to the Wards Island
asylum.
Story of psuee Trial.
The story Of the last Druce trial is still
fresh In the public mind.
It was early IN 1907 that George Hol-
lamby bruce. grandson OF Thomas
Charles bruce. formerly owner OF
bazaar In Baker street. London. began
an action to eject Lord Howard De Wal
den from the London property which his
father had inherited from the NTH Duke
OF Portland through the supposed failure
OF q direct lire. The duke died In 1854.
when Caldwell was In London, ana tnis
fact, 1t appears. was Responsible TOT the
appearance Of Caldwell In the suit as
In this action Herbert Drace. a relative
Of the claimant, testified that he was
present at the funeral OF Mr.. Druce, ana
that he saw the body IN the comm. Heot tss
arrest Of his kinsman for psr3ury. ana
II was ct the trial Of this case IN London,
in November, 1907, that CaIdweu re-
entered the arena with as remafk3oie
story az was ever told on the Witness
stand.
Substance Of Caldwells Evidence.
Caldwell testified that he knew both
the duke and bruce. and that they were
one and the same person. He supple
mented this startling statement with an
other, to the effect that whom Dfuce was
supposed to have died his CONN was
filled with lead and buried after . mock
funeral, in which the duke himself par
ticipated. He maintained that the duke.
under the name Of bruce, HAD married
and had several children. and that the
claimant svas grandson. The statement
O. to to the comm filled with lead was
disproved December 90 1907, when It
-. N Nj the hnAv 3Aonfff3Ad