DRUCE CASE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 5

DRUCE CASE.

MISS ROBINSON'S FURTHER EVIDENCE.

"NOT A LITTLE CHICKEN." MONEY RECEIVED. BI TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COITRIGIIT. (Rec. Nov. 22, 10.10 p.m.) London, November 19. At tho further hearing of tho chargo of ■perjury against Herhort Druoe, brought by George Hollamby Druce, claimant to the Dukedom of Portland, tho Now Zealand witness, Miss Robinson, was closoly cross-ex-amined by Mr. Avory, K.C., regarding the dates she associated with meeting tho novelist, Charles Dickens. Sho stated that sho was much deceived if Mr. Avory was correct' iu his statements. Witness said that she did not think that the Lion Hotel, Worksop, whoro sho stayed for a few days with her' mother, was kept by a man named Pearco. Sho went to lodgings that wero kept by Mrs. Poarce, a lone woman. Her mother took tho lodgings. "I gave my namo as Madamo Tussaud," said Miss Robinson. Mr. Avory asked: "Were you a girl of seventoon?" Miss Robinson replied: "I was not like a littlo chicken.". Witness was further questioned in tho direction of tosting her local knowledge of Welbeck. Answering a final question, she admitted that £250 had been cabled to her at Christchurch, New Zealand, last January, to enable her to come to England. Tho hearing was adjourned till Wednesday if possible, otherwise till Friday. A CHRISTCHURCH SCION. POTENTIAL CLAIMS. (BY TELEGRAPH—PIiESS j ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, November 22. There is another possiblo claimant to the Portland estates. Recent cables stated that a Mr. Calkin, a merchant of Now Jersey, United States, claims to he a. descendant of tho first Duko's eldest son, who settled in America at tho beginning of last contury. Residing in Christchurch is Percy C. Calkin, who, when shown by a friend tho newspaper report, said that the New Jersoy merchant was William Calkin, his undo. Mr. P. Calkiu does not know in what position he stands, but is taking steps to ascertain if his family has any right to rank with other claimants. Ho has written to ■ his father, Samuel Richard Calkin, Cameron Street, Whangarei, asking what stops should be taken to have tho family represented in the investigations. ' Mr. Samuel Calkin, the oldest living member of the. family, is 64 years old, aaa came to Now Zealand many years ago whaling. He settled in tho Auckland district, going to Whangarei, where he resided for somo years. He has a family of fivo sons and three daughters. Ho took part in the . last American war, for which ho has a pension. .Mr. Calkin was a teacher in New Zealand for fourteen years. AH tho members of the family are musical. Samuel has ' beon a teacher of' the violin, but is now tho proprietor of tho Coffee Palace, Whangarei. Ho is older than William Calkin, of Now Jersey. Percy has no knowledge of his father's father, and cannot say whother it is through him that William l Calkin claims, '. but ono of his father's brothers was "the'late John Baptist Calkin, a well-known composer of sacred music. /