DRUCE CASE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 16, 14 October 1907, Page 7

DRUCE CASE.

WHAT;;WA§fipDIS Tp ftOPflN?

chaeqe. qf perjuey. BY TELEGEAriI— PRESS ASSOCUTIQfc-COrYttIGHT. (Rep, Oct. 13, 4.37 p : m.) " J '.."''"" Londpn, October 12.'' Oeprge Hollamby Druco, claimant to the Dukedom of Portland, has obtained a s,unir inona against Herbert Druce, charging with perjury in swearing that ho saw Thomaa Charles, Druco, his fatlior, desd in a coftin iri'i)eqem|)erj 1864. " ' \''" Counsel ;f or. claimant: said •'. that i a of witnesses had deposed that they saw Druce alive many years later.

The summons, is returnable in a fortnight.

The claim of George Hollamby Druce to the Bpp.dQni of (carrying with;it about. ,180,000 aei-cs) is based on th> allegation' that claifnant •■is the grandson of tUe "late" fiftli Duke of Portland, and therefore nearer in succession to the present sixth Duke, who is a cousin of tho late ?uke. It is alleged that iTliomasr; Charles ,;-D.fuco,' the '■ graiidfatlipr.' pf claimant was also tho late Duke;" anil tliat'thp. supposed burial of T. C. Druce in'lßCi Vaa a bogy's"- affair. The cpmpany which is prosecuting G... H, Druce's claim met in London, in Juftti;" and' Hie ,, secretary ; (Mr;" i Fearnley)'"sai(J the; ; spla ; ;questiori of fact in "tile r pr6c?ejlijigs would be determined by the truth, or otherwise,' of the allegation made that Thomas Charles 1 Druce,'of , the Baker:. Street : Bazaar, was .the Mine, person'" , W'thVJate; fifth:-Duke of Portland;- Tho solicitor and counsel at present ■advising Mr. "G. II;" Driice werq satisfied that, uppiv-ths which he ;rip.\v had available for presentation'to the Court, liecouTd establish a ■sHffipieiply i/ §tr.ong prim.4 facie cjsa on: the question'of fact before referred to, and throw tlje omjs pf.dispvpof upon-.fiis'opponents. Qn]y rbceh'tly tljp' directors, had'been put into pp'sV •s,essiqi\ ',gf:evi4?i!pe from' America"' p.f a" "person whb'-wo'uld. bb-able to ti\ai, the alleged hurjal of Drucp wns, : iii fact, a mock : 'burialy'ari(l ; that the coffin described' as, ooiitoining his remains did. not .contain human remainsat all, but small strips' of lead;screwed'dowi held i\i : .ppsitipn with ,Tlie person who f (lrhislietl this.ovidencb was further able to "depose,'and was willing so to depose, 'that the late fifth Duke of Portland,..wias. ■ .well, known to him both" as duke and. as" Druce,' and that'it was-at the r ,ynstaijpe, of ,'ihe latg-'.fifth; Duke.-of Portland "'that lie"assisted , ili' J conducting the. mock burial of Druce. ■"Mi , ". ?hp!uas' K. V. Cohurn (barrister, and solicitor *pf 'the' Supremo Coiirt of' yiotoriii), who' went to England from Australia with Mr: Druee fpr, v :thp; assisting-,-him" to .prepare hig pa'se,t'said t(ia.fthibyk'had thß'statfe,, i'ment by.'the' fifth \ duko, that he was. T.; G, P.ruce, given to jijs owii private, secretory, and written dovmin. , he.r diary'at the time. Cpiild they imagine more positive evidence'than ttet? The lady, who had come from jNew Zealand'to ■ givp..<jyidence, had Been.promised, nothing by them whatever';' all "slie', had been paid was a suffiient suni to keep her in England and wh.PV'cSime Zea(esluvisatipn of'ithe cofHn iju.pppWiljV'Hi'"ctju.tfl.iii?) "tlia' *re';ri,ains!of.2!.' C.' Dri(c.e,h'e' sa'id that'rff/theyiwerp.BUcqesg' ful in' gett.inK.' the grave opetiedi and sh'bwjiig that, the coffin cpntiined nobody, it could npf fail to , have' anV enormous effect pn the jujy in "considering thc'-jjtl.is.stioh'of'rthe'.'identity'jof' the' fifth' Dukp,."pf:. Portland! and;" T. : - O...priice:. But it would-only bg corroborative ."eyidenoej after all, and their case was sufficiently strong without it. If they" did 'not go on with tho exhumation pfoceediDgsStlioOreaulfc (iwould'.> be: that the action in. the ordinary course would come on for trial tins year'. They had-tljeir evidence in suc.h'a form that it could be preis.?nj..p;c(:fQ:the;.i?ourt; the -next' day: if. necessary f -v