CONFESSION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 114, 6 February 1908, Page 8

CONFESSION.

s v / "MISS"' ROBINSON AND,THE DRUCE ' ''CASE. > " PERJURY ADMITTED. - REPORTED DISMISSAL OF CIVIL SUIT BY DRUCE .-- : '\V '•' I'j. ! i -. y : ■ ; ,1 ■!.: rBLSQKArn—rEESS iSSOCIATIOS— COMBICm ,\. ■ London, February ~4." i. .. ; "Miss" . l ßobinson-:has-.made a sion'Jhat.-sbe committed porjury'initlio rc- >•- cont.perjury.cbargo against Herbort Druco.i: .'The : i"Da]ly Mail" .reports'thatV' Judgo G. 'A* :Bonncr, .Master of;.the Supremo Court';' ■ in.Chambers,dismissed-a civiLactionvbrbught .! h.T. GeorgG/ Hollamby-Druce.-against.' Lord . ■ Howard; de •; Waldon • claiming estates < whjcli . he (Lord. obtained froni 'the' Por-tland-estate. , 1 , . i Mr.- Arnold Statbam,. who- appeared- •for ; Druco, .gave notico of - ■'> . v ; ' '• • ■ REMANDED. < / . *• (Reo. Feb. 5, 11.30 p.nii) * ,. 1 ; - LontJon, February-5. •: ' vWhpn tho prosecution of " Miss " Robiii- - son,., for. perjury; ivas .resumed at thc,;Bow Street .Court,'Sir,CliariM';.Matthews; informed - the .Magistrate, .SirA. -Rutzen, -'that tho prisoner-had imade, a; full confession:. of-,her ■ 1 guilt, .vtlms .•cojifnjmiig-.all - r t}ie -material circumstanceb.giveiiv.in- his "opening-!statewont i (reprinted below). : ' ■ • « Xo details were dn ulgcd. Accused v vas remanded for a week. , . , , ACCUSED'S, STORY -Miss thevNewJZcaland witness whoj-residpd for. 6ome time- in "Christchurch,' , and; who. stated that;*, after her- arrival Vin"Lon-rlon.;:to.-jrive evidence-on/btfhalf 'of (the-'claim-ant,. George-Hollamby Druce, a bag'contain- :. ingher diaryywas shatched-'from' her hand as " she ; was ifanduigv'in-VSi-Iphdon'-.-.streeti!:.Ske-, ~ . said, she .had;, previously mado copies of -portions of the diary; these' the-Magistrate l (Mr.' I'loivden), when hearing the charge'of petjury, against Herbert, Druce- ifsincp acquitted) de-' ■ clined ->to. admit -as r ovi'de'rice. Tho' mail};'im.portance: to claimant .ofvMifij 'Robinson's'oral ;V,. ; testimony' given in; court was that it sought . to -- show - that some yeare'vaftei' the' alleged burial of T.. C.:Druce in -1864, -Miss .Robinson ■ knew; .'both: as'-Dfiice. : .and '.isKtlieUate, ../ . -fifth Duke of Portland. .She stated, that the novelist, " Charles- Dickens, "introduced/ hereto v Druce, and. from : Dickens -'she first jlear'ned ■of , the: dual personality;-; Publication, prior to 'Ker ; giving evidence,', of; alleged'^extracts. from ithe diary, of Miss Robinson' incensed' the. • Dickons'.family:■ . Sir Charles Mathews, who is appearing for lie ..prosecution in the charge, of - "perjury Bgainst' "Miss" Robinson,' stated in' court that, accused's \ husband asa ; shepherds at Worksop (near : Welbeck., Abbey, .'-seat' of . the, Duke of Portland) in 1870. Both sailed for ■ Hew Zealand in 187-f, where i they : were- residing' at:-Waimate, in 'After .-'her has- •> band's death, :in 188t, -'accused', kept .boarding- • houses,>, including< .one.-'at New. Brighton and - . - one at : Palsgrave, -Street, Christchurch, until : .1908.; Sho had beon paid £3 17s;-; weekly sinco her arrival, in England: _' ; Sir. Charles Mathews '" stated : that -he had; a'.'witness.from Ne'w-'Zea-land- who 1 had - known 'accused, since 1878. Sir A. Eiitzen, the Magistrate; .considered,, and - ' dismissed, • an- unsupported, statement that 7 accused is--of unsound mind.. ■, Since then "Miss"- Robinson has -notified., her ,isolicitor, Mr. -Kimber,, that/she .does not, wish to see him again, .as ,she "gets: far . more t sympathy and good advice in prison than . from him.