THE DRUCE CASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 29

THE DRUCE CASE.

CHARGES OF PERJURE \ LONDON, March o. Mrs Robinson has again been remanded "* on the charge of perjury preferred against her in connection with the Druce case. Sir Oharles ! .M.a thews hopes to call fh« New Zealand witeeeses- on the 16th inst., . when the ( case for the prosecution will ba closed. ' , Mrs Robinson -has stated that Mr Kir- .• ber demanded from the shipping company compensation for. the loss „of her letters," but .the proceedings jvere^ futilejlas the letters were never lost. KimberLgave her a cheque to- pay, the company's legal -ex.penses, but she * declared, that she ™ ' ignorant 1 of the claim,' and Kimber had «' acted in order fo.. make' a sensation." JMarch^. Unless the medical report on.- the-con« dition of Robert Caldwell . (who isr.wanted on a., .perjury charge arising 'out of > th« "Druse-Portland claims) is forthcoming before March 18, Mr Fox, attorney to ;the ' \ British Consul in New York, will test the validity of Judge Clark's order in sending Caldwell to an asylum. ■ March 7. Margaret Hamilton has been arrested oft a charge of perjury in connection with the Druce case and has been remanded. Mrs Hamilton, aged 77, a sprightly an v agile witness, deposed that her father wal Robert Alexander Stewart, and her godfather the fourth Duke of Portland. -Hi* eon (Scott Portland, alias Druce) was her father's great friend. He called her his little cousin and wanted to marry her, only her father refused his permission. When shown a photograph of Druce wearing a beard, the. witness exclaimed, "That's dear old Scott." Mrs Hamilton continued that Druoa always carried a beard in his pocket, and that he told her that he wae always Druca when wearing the beard. When ehe asked why ho kept the Baker Street Bazaar, ha replied : " It's a very good thing, and makes lots of money." • Witness said sha visited Welbeck in 1849, and saw Druca there. When she addressed him\as Druca he told her that he was always Scott Portland to her. He spoke about his sons George arid Herbert, and told her thatf was in Australia, iand that he meant to leave him £1000. Her father said that was not much, and Druce replied that ifc - was quite enough for him. She and her, %__ father met Druce in London in.- 1864. Ho said: "Madge, I am, going to- die," and she replied : " You don't look like it." Her father said he was going to cease to btf Druoe, and was going to have a mock funeral. Druce suggested getting a corps* from a hospital or a workhouse, and hei £a*her suggested the use of bricks o* . . lead. Her father attended the funeral. She last saw Druce in 1876, when he re« marked, " I am about to die." She said"l hope you have repented of your sins. ■ Cross-examined, Mrs Hamilton admitted that her baptism certificate f described hetf daughter as Roberta Isabella Atkinson, a* she benefits under • the will of Mrs Atkin« son's mother. She left her grandmother when 14, and came to London alone to seek her father. Looking 'through a win* dow of the Baker street bazaar^ehe recognised Druce, whom ehe had! never seeri before, by a photograph. He came ou* and provided - for her until her father returned from the Continent. . Mrs Hamilton deposed that she reoog< nised Druce through a bazaar window in 1844 by - means of a photograph on a card her father had given her. She adhered to this in cross,-oxa.minalion, though it wa< suggested that such photos were not pro* duced until 1850. j