ALLEGED PERJURY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 19

ALLEGED PERJURY.

CONFESSION BY MRS ROBINSON..

LONDON, February 24. ' Sir Charles Mathews, at the Bow Street Police Court, read Mrs Robinson's voluntary confession, which gravely reflects on persons not at present before the court. She details how she was tempted to give evidence by a. promise of £4000 if she did as she was told.

February 25. Mrs Robinson' 6 confession alleged thai in 1906 a man calling himself Druce, whom Hollamby Druce afterwards de< clared to be his brother William, visited her at Christchurch, and offered hei . £4000. She wa6 first to write an attractive book on all she knew about the Duk« of Portland. He tried to induce her to say that the Druce of the Bazaar was identical with the Duke. The object of the book was to raise money for the legal, expenses. The visitor urged her to say; that 6he came from America. She received some pamphlets, which sha believed came from Hollamby Druce, concocted her diary, received £250, and came to England. Mr Kimber, the solicitor, met her on landing and inquired after the diary,.] He urged her to stick to her tale and to stick to her guns. Rhnber also en-j deavoured to compel her to make state-, ments based on the diary. She never 1 came to England to swear falsely, only to raise money by her diary.

Mr Coburn. the other solicitor, wanted her to swear about the lead coffin, but she refused. The loss of the diary was true, and though she had no letters from tlw Duke she had two of Charles Dickens's, which were also lost.

Mr Kimber, at Holloway, tried to dis« suade her from making a confession, say* ing she would get seven years. The case stands adjourned for a week. February 26. . Mr Kimber, on being interviewed, indignantly and specifically contradicted Mrs» Robinson's statements.