H. DRUCE ACQUITTED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 89, 8 January 1908, Page 7

H. DRUCE ACQUITTED.

. PERJURY CHARGE FAILS. CLAIMANT'S COUNSEL WITHDRAWS. BODY IDENTIFIED. nr ! Ticr.EaEArH—rnEss association—copteigiit, London, January 6. The hearing was resumed, before Mr. Plowden,' Magistrate, of tho caso against Herbert Druce, who is charged with having committed perjury in swearing that in 1864 ho saw the body of T. C. Druce, his father, dead and lying in a coffin. Evidence was given to the effect that T. C. Druco's grave, recently re-opened, had ; apparently remained untoilched sinco, it was made. A. crowbar had been driven 16in. in tho clay under tho brick floor. Dr. Popper, tho well-known surgeon, who had charge of'the exhumatio nof tho body, at Highgato Cemetery, described the clay as undisturbed virgin soil. Therowas ample evidence, he said, that the cause of death was in accordance with the death certificate. Ths face bore a striking likenoss to Drueo's graph, It had a heavy busy beard. He ridiculed the .idea that tho beard had been grown after death." ' . Thakerah, a partner in the bazaar formerly tho property of tho lato T. C. Druco, positively identified the body as that of Druco. \ ■ Mr. Atherley Jones,, K.C., counsel for Georgo Hollamby. Druco, the claimant to' the Portland estates, said that after this evidence he could ; only with draw from the caso. •. ,V ; •' Tho ohargo of perjury was dismissed. . ACCUSED VINDICATED. ■| . INCLUDING SCENES, " IMPRESSIVE REMARKS BY MR. PLOWDEN. (Rco, Jan. 7, 10.59 p.m.) London, January 7. Mr. Plowden asked Mr. Atherley Jones what impression Dr. Pepper's very remarkablo ovidenco had produced on his mind. COUNSEL'S ADMISSIONS! Mr. Atherley Jones said it was to press the caso further. Ho complained that undeserved obloquy had been cast upon tho prosecution, considering that, oxcept with regard to ono witness, their large body of tividenco : was unshakon 'by • a stronuous and prolonged cross-examination. After the oxhumation it was impossible to dony that it had been clearly demonstrated 1 that Thomas Charles Druce diod.in London, that he was buried at Highgato,' and that the body exhumed was tho same' body as that buried. There was also; strong evidonco to show that tho body' was Druce's. While Herbort Druce was right in refusing to open the grave under menaco of prosecution, ho had shown wise judgment in yielding to the moral pressure of public opinion.

"A BUBBLE WRECKED." Mr. Plowden said, that after the silent but important voico from. tho grave, it ■woiild be- impossible to continue tlie prosecution without sorious injury to justice. But apart from this now dramatic feature, Mr. Athodey' Jones must have felt the foundations of his case slipping away after the collapse of his most'importpt witness'and hislong - fruitless cross-examination of Nrirso; Bailey (who testified that T. C. 'Druco died iu her presence). At last tho bubble which had floated so long and mischievously out 'of reach bad been effectively wrecked. "HUMAN CREDULITY." ■ "No one," continued Mr. Plowden, "can now doubt that Druce died amid his family and was buried at Highgato. His existence stands out as clear, distinct, and undeniable as that of any human being who ever lived. How tho myth concerning tho confusion fii him with the Duko of Portland arose it is idle to speculate. Tho caso is a fresh instance of how lovo of the marvellous is deeply ingrained in human nature, and a striking proof of the truly ..unfathomable depths of'-bumnn credulity.". : The Court, concluded the Magistrate, thanked. Mr. Herbort Druce in consenting, in the-interests of justice, to tho distasteful stop of opening tho grave of his father. Mr. Druce loft the Court with a character for truthfulness absolutely and conclusively vindicated. PRESS OPINIONS. "A WICKED FABRICATION." (Rec. Jan. 7, 11.20 p.m.) London, January 7. "The Times" says:—"The Druce prosecution has come to a fit and ignominious end. One of the greatest delusions of modern times, has been exploded, and has come for ever' to bo but a popular legend regarding tho identity -of Thomas Charles Druce and the late fifth Duke of Portland." Tho "Telegraph" says that it is difficult to adequately charactcriso the prosecution, which has befn rebutted by such impressive testimony. Tho paper expresses the hope 1 that justice will put some portinent questions to tlioso bolstering up the monstrous, wicked fabrication of tho mock funeral. COMPANY NEEDS MORE MONEY. WILL IT GO ONP (Rec. Jan. 7, 10.10 p.m.) London, January.7. A meeting of the shareholders in tho Druce-Portland Company (which acquired tho rights of the claimant G. H. Druce) has been convened to bo held in three weeks' timo. Claimant's solicitor, Mr. T. K. Coburn, states that tho mooting will bo informed that the proceedings have already cost nearly £7000, and that further funds will be required for the civil litigation.