DRUCE CASE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 87, 6 January 1908, Page 7

DRUCE CASE.

, ... : „■: i ' V CALDWELL FIRM ON THE LEAD- y H ■ laden coffin. BT TELEGRAPH—I'tIESS ASSOCIATION—COrYMOIIT. (Rec. Jan. 5, 4.35 p.m.) London, January 4. • Robert'Caldwell; the' American witness-in the Druco case, who is now boinfe detained in New York pending extradition proceedings on a charge of perjury, is,still very ill, and has signed n deathrhed statement. In 'it ho reiterates that the Druco : vault at Highgate icemeteryi contains a coffin 'filled with lead. Caldwell now'seems to he working on .the same idea as was adopted by Mr. T. K. Co-, burn, the Victorian solicitor, who went Home to prepare the case for the claimant, G. ,H. Druce. ' After the exhumation, .Mr.'- Coburn expressed dissatisfaction with the donditions : ns ordered, by Chancellor Tristram, • Chancellor ,of the Diocese of London. Mr. Coburn states that the claimant requested that the'floor 'of. tho .vault bo opened, believing that' such an operation would reveal : a coffin containing lead.' It is understood that this request was ■ rejected. '' • 1 ,■: ... In connection with tho, cabled accounts ot the disguises, said to have ,beon worn by tho fifth Duke of Portland when ho was posing as Thomas ' Charles Druce, of Baker , Street, some interesting reminiscences are furnished :bjr'Mr. Janics C. Brown,.' hairdresser 'and' wig--maker, of Swanston Street, Melbourne. : Mr. Brown, about ,'1863 ; or 1864, was apprenticed to, "Brewster's," of -18 New Bond Street, London.. Brewster's was a well-known liftir'dressing and wigmaking 1 establishment,. and a considerable - portiojQ•. of its businesi).. was the making of, court wigs and hairdressing for the aristocracy..*, /' ' ■ , "Many: a' wig I. hqve made for, the 'Dukp of I,'ortland," Mr: Brown ,to a rpporter. /'Ho-.used toi.ordor half n! ,dozeri ; 'at a time, J and wo used to .make them of different lengths, so that:'ho 'could chqpse ono- according to . the , length of his hair at, the time. The difference; between the'.wig and tho hair showing beneath it would not then be' notice; 'able. I do hot'remember quite clearly, ii'liat tho wigs were Jike, but. I think they were'of dark, -curly hair. , "The 'governor|r-that was Mr. MB c kcyi who was owner of Brewster's business at thijt time —nsad oftpn to talk about the Duke's eccentric ways. V i suppose Mr. Mackey , must be dead by now. Brewster's : was' an old-established place, and passed thrpugh many, hands under the same ni)me..' The 'governor'.. told : mo tliat the Duko had at Welbeck Abbey a big iron box full of Wigs. ;' "The Duke of Portland was always regarded as a very peculiar and mystoi;iouj! personage, and, though I have never seen him, I have often hoard others talk of the Bentinck skin disease, which was apparent in him. iWc never made wigs for any Mr. Druce, nor did ■wo'ever make false boards for tho Duke of Portland; but, no doubt, if ho did get .falso beards made, he would take care to ; 'havo them made at a different place, I have been loakjng at the photographs in 'Tho Australasian,' and it seems to me that the heard in the photograph of Druco is a false one. "It was part of my duty to deliver the wigs at Welheck Abbey, and I know ' the place well, with its big iron gates, backed by a wooden gate. I, in common with others, was aware of tho underground charpbers and passages at .the abbey'. . The curious personality and habits of tjio Duko were eoinnion talk amongst friends of mine."