CHARGE OP PERJURY. " MISS ROBINSON " BEFORE THE COURT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 44, 21 February 1908, Page 7

CHARGE OP PERJURY. " MISS ROBINSON " BEFORE THE COURT.

HER ANTECEDENTS. A FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH. By Telegraph.— Press Ai>soc!at ion. —Copyright. LONDON, 20th February. The prosecution of "Miss Robinson" on a charge of perjury in connection with her evidence in the recent Druce caso was resumed at tho Bow-street Court yesterday. Sir Charles Mathews, X..C, leading counsel for the prosecution, submitted further evidence confirming particulars already reported regarding "Miss Robinson's" antecedents. He put in documents showing that she had received £500 from two insurance companies in settlement of losses (stated at £2300) through the burning of a residence at New Brighton, New Zealand. Correspondence and cablegrams were also produced showing that the Druce Company accepted her overtures to appear as a witness, and paid her pas-sage-money to London, promising her remuneration in the event of success. A mass of publications had been seized at "Miss Robinson's" lodgings relating to the Duke of Portland, Welteck Abbey, and Mr. Charles Dickens, and a history of the Druce case, in which certain passages were marked. There were also copies of letters purporting to be written by the Duke of Portland to "Miss Robinson," indicating that she was his "much-beloved mistress." Detective-Inspector Drew stated that he had found a draft of "Miss Robinson's" evidence, in which it was stated that tho Duke of Portland gave her £5000 in notes in 1876, and also other money. She had since confessed that the Portland letters to her were concoctions, and that her evidence given in the witness-box was false. She, however, claimed to have received another letter, purporting to be from Charles Dickens, which was written to warn her to be "tight-fisted and hard aa a grindstone," in order to savo a resurrection of trouble. The case was^ adjourned till Monday. _