THE DRUCE CASE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 55, 28 November 1907, Page 7

THE DRUCE CASE.

THE NEW ZEALAND WITNESS. 'HER LIFE IN CHRISTCHURCH. (BT TELEGKAFII—riiIiSS ASSOCIATION.) Gh'rlstchuroh, November 27. 1 During tho course of tho mystorious Druce caso ail important, witness, who had been specially brought from New Zealand to give evidence, was mentioned as having come from Christchurch,. whero she resided for some time. This was a lady who, in tho cable message, is called Miss Robinson, but who was known hero as Mrs. A. Robinson. Tho lady also, whilst hero, had a daughter of some twenty summers living with her. From inquiries made, it appears that, in May, 1903, she whs keeping a boarding-house in Montreal Street, Christchurch. .In September of that year, Mrs. Robinson moved to James Street, Now Brighton, and in February, 1.906, a firo took place in the house whereby it was totally destroyed. Tho furniture of tho house was described as being of a kind not able to bo bought here, being evidently very old, and tliore wert also a number of curios. Among-those latter was an antique candelabrum, which, Mrs. Robinson stated, was obtained from a cathedral in Spain. There was also a very valuable and oxtensive collection of old Derby china. With regard to the chndclabrum, china, and curios,' two conflicting statements are attributed to Mrs. Robinson. Ono of those was that >they wero given to her by her son, who was an engineer on board a foreign-going steamer, and who had a taste for picking up curios, etc., at the various foreign ports , visited by him. Another version told by Sirs. Robinson was that her husband,had been butler m the service of a nobleman's family, and that when they left to take a public-houso the curios', china, and old furniture' were presented to them. This was' shortly before Mrs. Robinson and her daughter left for Now Zealand. It is interesting to noto that at the time of tho firo, when, as has been stated, everything in tho house was totally destroyed, there was no reference to tho valuable diary which Mrs. Robinson testifiad in tho Conrt at Plomo she had lost. After the fire, Mrs. Robinson and her daughter lived in lodgings for some little time. In April, 1906, they took a house in Falscgrave Street." Hero they resided till February, 1907, when they left for England, in order that Mrs. Robinson's evidence in tho sensational case involving tho Dukedom of Portland might bo taken.