The Druce Burial Mystery.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 7294, 19 August 1898, Page 4

The Druce Burial Mystery.

scene, was", witnessed, .in HigHgate.!Cemetery some .weeks ego ,-in ; I connection with the Druce burial mystery.Shortly.before.the cemetery offices closed for the day; Mrs Druce, who until recently was almost a. daily visitor to ; the grave which has formed the subject of so much litigation,' went to the cemetery , and peremptorily ordered-somegravediggers who* were working ab-a-spot about'a hundred yards away from the Druce family vault to The men took 'no notice of ithfe'order, wtiereupon'Mrs.Druce; whobj^ r a gentleman, f^aldJl t6 : be-a' mining expert, .yery "iejMited.jbne of£the; workmenifetche'dl Mr-T.\' A. Bois> the superintendent, and Mr Foster, ] 'the "head vgardener, J a'nd r Mrs Druce : informed- these gentlemen- that a resident:'.] of -Highgate.had been.to seejier,- and .for

the sum of LlOTiad offered to prove. ; to her that from the spot at which the workmen were: ,then engaged -the.vcemeteiy company were"tunnelling in■ order-to get at the Drucewaulb withjithe Jntention ofsecretly removing--the coffin of Charles Thomas Druce before; she.could complete her case,in the Law.Courts.. r The officials of' the cemetery assured her ■ that she [was and that they -had no in the matter beyond complying, with the law. 'Mrs Dtuce ibe - satisfied, and: pointed out _ that in confirmation of the. statement made to her, there .was a large .heap jof loose soil quite close to the Druce grave. Mr iFoster explained ;to her that ; the workmen iwere merely preparing a number of " commoii" graves, tand. that.it was for the "purpose of easyremoval that the surplus soil was depoßited-in the- road- near the. Druce grave. Still she refused. to be pacified "; but the 'mining expert, on being., told that it would' be necessary to bore a hole 70fb deep, and then tunnel for a hun- ! dred yards before" reaching the Druce I grave from the spot at which- the men were digging, .expressed.-., his opinion; that it was an impossible feat. The discussion, which was at times'very, heated, lasted over two hours. ' Eventually Mrs Druce I was persuaded to leave the spot.