THE DRUCE CASE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13457, 2 December 1907, Page 3

THE DRUCE CASE.

MRS. HAMILTON'S EVIDENCE. MORE. ABOUT THE DUKE'S NOSE. Press Association-By Telegraph-Copynyui LONDON, November 29. In the Druce c;u;e Hamilton deposed that, she recognised the Duke through the Baker Street Bazaar window in 1884 by litems of a photograph on a card her father had given her. She adhered to this in .cross-examination, though it wae> suggested that such photo»raphs were: not ; produced until 1850. °Mr Avory asked Mrs. Hamilton : '• Has it not struck you a.s a curious coincidence that the gentleman whom you call your father and your foster father both died in ,the sama year." Mrs. Hamilton promptly replied - "No, it never occurred so to me." Mr Avory referred to certain omissions in her testimony bsfore the Queen's Bench where she stated that tslie lived in Gower Street up till 1868, and did not inform Bargrave Deane that she was living with her husband at Liverpool from 1858 to 1871. "I often visited.. London and stayed with my father iu Go\ycr Street," &he said, " and I was never asked about Liverpool." Mr Avory: " We were not aware of it. at that lime, but wet found it out." Mr Avory quoted the evidence given in the Queen's Bench division showing that Mrs. Hamilton did not mentii.m three lumps on the Duke's face, and suggtrcted that her present testimony was based on Caldwell's evidence. When confronted with the discrepancies thus revealed, Mrs 1 . Hamilton blamed the lit enographers. - She confessed that she had confused the date, and 'she declared that the questions put to her on the previous occasion had misled her. Replying to further questions by Mr Avory regarding the handwriting of the Duke, the witness .stated that he was able to write almost any hand he liked. The Duke " told her in reply to a, question she asked him that the mock funeral cc*4 £IOOO. Witness supposed that the official? were bribed or they would never have taken the coffin without a certificate. Mrs. Hamilton, replying to Mr Plowden, the Magistrate, said that between 1866 and 1876 her father spoke to her about Caldwell- She knew the Duke's nose looked nice up to 1364, tliough iij closely examined one might sw a little mark. Afterwards she saw the lump had. disappeared. The Duke used to refer to' an outside correspondent, though her father was not aware why he wanted a woman secretary. A SUBSIDIARY ACTION. LONDON, November 30. The New Druoe Portland Coy., through ill' Prichard, one' of the directors, applied to Mr Justicei Joyce for an injunction restraining Mr Blakiston and Captain- 'Halls, co-directors, froiit parting with moneys in their possessien. Mi- Pritchard's counsel stated that Hollamby Druce's claim must fail because Charles Edgar' Druce, the grandson of the elder brother of claimant's father, was still aiive in Australia. Claimant might come to terms with his cousin, but that would not affect the applicants who were shareholders and mostly artisans and domestics. The application was adjourned.