Evening journal., 1913-08-08
GOSSIP OF THECOURTS


Not since the famous Druce drama.
which came to an end some years ago,
has the public been 30 interested in the
financial affairs of British noble fam
lily as during the last few weeks. in re
gard TO the 100000 pounds viii Of the
late Sir John Murray Scott. The effect
Of the will which was allowed TO stand
by the court. was to make over the
greater part Of the property and estate
to Lady Sackville. the chief figure in the
dispute
Il is a curious fact that some time
ago Lord Sackvine figured in case
which. had II gone against him, would
have deprived him OF his title and the
Sackville estates. which have q rent roll
of 1000 pounds year LORD Sackville is
a nephew of the late Baron Sackvilie
the diplomat. who died in 1905, and who,
during the time he was attached to the
British Embassy M Madrid, became ae-
qunmted with a noted spanish dnucel
known as pcpta, by whom he had sev-
eral children One of these children.
Ernst Henri Saclville West, brought an
action ina which he sought 10 prove that
he wa- the legitimate son of the late
Lord Sackville, and. therefore, entitled
TO the estate and property ils petit
tion. however, was dismissed in 1910 by
Lord Mersey thcn Sir jonn Bigham) ON.
the ground that there had been no mar
rage between the second Lord Sackville
aud pepti
with regard to the Druce case. It will
be recalled that Mrs. Anna Maria Druce
fought for years to establish ner claim
to the properties of the Duke of Port
| land, estimated As being worth eighth
I 10 ten millions sterling. Ultimately, an
other claimant. George Hollamby Druce.
who c0ntended that he was grandson
| of the ffth Duke of Portland, appeared
ON the scene
My readers will remember that IL
was alleged by both the Druce claim
ants that the fifth Duke of Portland,
who was man of eccentric habits,
from 1885 TO 1854, for reasons of his
own, masQueraded as Thomas Charles
Druce, and then wishing to resume
his life as duke, arranged for the
burial of the supposed Mr.. Druce in
/ Highgate Cemetery.
Mrs. Druce spent many years in
trying to get the authorities to open
the grave, alleging that they would
/ find no body In the coffin in which
| Mr. Druce was supposed to be buried,
/ but without success. When c. IL.
| Druce appeared en- the scene, how
ever. he obtained the necessary per
mission, only to find T. C. Druce's
remains in the coffin. Seeing that
the Duke of Portland died fifteen
years after the burial Of Druce, it
could not possibl. have been the
duke. and thus ended the most re-
markable claims ever brought before
the courts.
An extraordinary case was the
claim made i'm 1905, by Mrs Sarah
Eliza Coils. Of Brixton. who petit
toned for the return Of 100000
pounds. alleged to have been lent
to the English government in 1890 by
one of her ancestors. The admins
tration at the time was in want Of
money for war purposes, and Edward
Coils, who made the loan. received
I'm return script for 100000 pounds
IT. was said that up to 1915 the in
terest on this amount had been reg
ularly paid. but in. that year some
! documents relating to the loan were
stolen. and I'm consequence no in
terest had been paid since. Up to the
present. however, Mrs. Coils has no
I succeeded in substantiating her claim
Some time ago no less than 1000,
GOO pounds was claimed by two
Counts Muennich. descendants of thu
Russian field marshal, Count Muen
mich. from the Prussian government
: It was said that King Frederick th'
Great of Prussia had made q pres
ent Of an estate to their ancestor II
1741 for the latt'ers good offices II
p bringing about a favorable treat
, with Russia but the estate never wa
+ taken possession of by the family
p Hence the claim of the field marshal
q descendants.
r Extraordinary too, was the cas-
which our own courts were calle
d upon TO decide. in 1904 when
n woman made the claim that she wa
the mother Of Miss Mary Kingston
who inherited oil fields valued
10 100000 900 from her father. Accor'
n ing 10 the story told in court Mil
Il KingstOn's mother had elOped soc
"a after her daughters birth and n
n woman who brought the case INF
the courts claimed TO be this mothl
s. and TO he entitled to the huge fortui
left by her husband. She failed
suhstantiate her claim.
n There are periodical tights Whit
ID go on for mythical millions suppos'
to he held in chsncery. Three yea
ago. for instance. there was . nc
: claimant IN England for the Dral
millions. which are variously es
mated by imaginative people az fro
25.000. 900 pounds to 81 5000 pounC
As n matter Of fact. the vast sur
spoken of as dormant in chsncery.
IN awaiting claimants In the bank
England. are purely imaginary. a
are only too often the invention
10 swindlers who form syndicates TO G
ai tain money from credulous people
~ the prosecution of fictitious claims.
O.
,s MIR Chamberlain seveuty-seven
M birthday. celebrated in every impo
~ ant center of population i'm the Unit
IA Kingdom. testifes TO popularl
n, that (among different set of
ed mirersl compelled Mr.. Gladstone.
.. 1882. to discuss his admission II
the Cabinet with the Queen. The d
n fculties to be overcome at Co
=. were Mr.. Chamberlain langus
80 about "ransoms to be paid by p
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