The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-06-12
THE REMARKABLE
BRUCE SWINDLE

~ ~ 49,
One of the most remarkable mystery
cases in the annals OF crime In the
British empire, was Of recent occur
renee. In fact, It was only a few years
ago that 1t was finally settled with the
e~xterLnent or the coffin OF England's
great ma Of mystery, thereby subs
stantiating the fact that a mans body
had really been buried and not q 200
pound roll OF sheet lead.
The chief figure in this crime was the
eccentric Duke OF Portland who was
credited with being worth a fabulous
sum Of money. In spite or this great
wealth n his title, he was rarely seen
In public on account, 1t was said, OF a
skin disease which at times made him
look perfectly hideous.
Welbeck Abbey was his English coun-
try estate. and he also had a magnifi-
cent town house in London. Under
meath both OF these houses, IL was
claimed that he had dug q number OF
subterranean passages which he used
for various purposes of concealment.
Not very far from tho dukes town
house In London. lived Il. C. Druce, a
prosperous merchant, bruce was re-
ported dead in 1854 and his remains
were followed by mourning friends TO
their last resting place In Highgate
cemetery. 1t was not until is years la
~ 1890 NAA0. ~AEG VI - vi LAAAAu AAGAs @ EA0
he was q bachelor his vast estates went
to a number OF relatives.
He had not been long dead before d
rurnor was whispered about that Il. G..
Druce and the Duke or Portland were
the same person, and the reason given
Tor his Jekyn and Hyde existence was
his aversion to his ~aristocratic sur
roundings. 1t was said that when he
wanted to get away from these, he
would disguise himself as bruce, and
become an ordinary London shop
keeper, and that a bruce he had mar
ried twice, raising two successive faHns
lilies, but as the Duke OF Portland he
was bachelor.
Finally. IL is ciaimed, that he found
the double life was becoming distaste-
ful, SO he decided to get rid Of bruce,
and In 1854 he arranged that he should
die and be buried. Then II was that
the claim was made thai the sheet lead
was buried and not bruce, who was at
the Duke OF Portland's mansion when
the funeral was taking place.
The story gained much credence In
the fact that when IT became circu-
lated about every one claimed that they
noticed O strong resemblance between
the two ~personages, either to their PEI
culiar mannerisms, and they were both
afflicted with b Same sort of skin dis
ease.
Now there was q new feature to be
brought into the episode. The Druce
family decided to make q claim for a
part OF the Duke OF Portland's estate,
and George Hollamby bruce, in far or
Australia, hearing OF this, Journeyed to
England, and as the son Of Druce's
child by his first marriage, he not only
laid claim to the entire fortune but to
the title of Duke Of Portland as well.
"A son or the second marriage was Her
bert bruce, and he stamped the 'mys-
terry OF the burial as ridiculous, as he
clamed that he had seen his fathers
dead body In the coffin. The Australian
Druc had no moneyrtp fight his claim
to the fortune and title, so a company
was formed to provide him with 81.
F~orty-fye thousand dollars was raised
by selling IS shares largely to servants
and working men, and when the trial
occurred George was able to produce
about q dozen witnesses to prove his
claim. Among these vas an American,
Rober G. Caldwell, by NAME, who lived
on Staten Island, and who claimed thar
p duke had taken him into his con-
fldenee 2 related to him the circun-
stances OF the mock funeral. There
We're several other American witnesses.
Finally. In December, 1907, the bruce
coffin was opened and the remains OF q
dead man were found in II. which
caused he Australian ~pretender,s case
TO go to pieces. Himself, as well "a
8everal OF his witnesses were Indicted
for perjury, and the hundreds Of Door
people who had subscribed the defense
money. lost all they had put I'm the ven-
lure, For close to 40 years England was
eccentric Duke Of Portland.
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