The Star. MONDAY, JULY 31, 1899. CLAIMANTS TO FORTUNES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6551, 31 July 1899, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, JULY 31, 1899. CLAIMANTS TO FORTUNES.

"LORD HAMILTON'S" FOLLY. [From Oxtr Correspondent.} LONDON, June 16. The sole effect of Mrs Anna Maria Druce's attempt to -wrest from the present holder of the Portland title and estates his lands and dignities, seems to be a mushroom growth of claimants to other earldoms, dukedoms and fortunes. Mr William Richard Bickell, who is now on his way from New South Wales with a view to proving his claims to the rights, tolls and titles of certain lands and tenements in Northamptonshire, Lincoln and elsewhere in England, which are now in the possession of tho jfloomy-faced diike of Westminster ; and Mr Malton Bradford, a solicitor of Milford Haven, South Wales, has just come forward with a claim, to the Earldom of Buchan. His claim is founded on the contention that when the late earl went through the form of marriage with tho mother of the present earl, he com--1 mitfced bigamy, having, in 1842, married a lady in Scotland, and, according to Scotch law, who was alive at the time of tho second marriage. This union resulted iin the birth of a boy, who, pays Mr Milton Bradford, was none other than, himself. Both Bradford and Bickell will, metliinks, find the rows they have started to hoe uncommonly long ones. Meanwhile, one claim to a dukedom has vanished for the time 4>eing into the limbo of a Vienna -orison. The South African, Gunnf who recently alleged that he was Lord Charles Archibald Hamilton, and made affidavits to the effect that he left England in 1886 ia consequence of a duel, caused his death to be announced in the newspapers ««d >v~as h, party to- a dummy . funeral, recently presented himself at the British Embassy in Vienna, and was promptly arrested by tho police. What Gunn purposed doing in the Aus>trian capi--1 tal is not quite clear. If he desired to continue his imposture Vienna was a particularly bad place to visit, for the Countess Festetics, the sister of the man Gunn claimed to be, is residing there, and,.morp.over, the late duke was well-known botJi to our Ambassador, Sir H. Rumhold, oal his secretary in Milba^ke, C.B. Gunn ' could therefore hardly have chosen a worse :, place in which to masquerade as "Lord Hamilton."