THE DRUCE MYSTERY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 29 November 1907, Page 3

THE DRUCE MYSTERY.

MISS ROBINSON'S EVIDENCE. ■ London, November 27. Ifiss Robinson, the New Zealand lady who is giving evidence for claimant U. H. Druce in the Portland estate cane, produced letters which she had received from the late T. C. Druce and the Duke of Portland, who she alleges were the mow person. Cross - examined with leference to the letters, she admitted that the handwritings were different. i THE '•RESURRECTED - ' DUKE. | Received Nov. 28, 5.18 p.m. London, Novcmlwr 2S.

Replying to Mr. Plowden, Miss Robineon stated that Charles Dickens tirst picknamed the Duke of Portland '■Resurrection," because he represented two men in one body. The workmen at Welbeck used the same name owing to the Duke's unexpected appearance from the tunnels.

INTERESTING STORIES.

[ ANOTHER WITNESS. ,' • Received 28th, 10 p.m. London, Noveml er 28. Miss Robinson deposed that during a decade the Duke of Portland paid ner l£loo a year in notes and cash. She never received any money beyond her ■alary, except one' £5 note. She had never been inside Welbeck. Though the Duke had invited her, she was a little afraid to go. Magistrate Plowden suggested the ease of the "spider and the fly," and .witness agreed.

Mite Robinson admitted posting ' a letter for Druce addressed to Pere Lachai*e, cemetery, Pans. When asked to Mate the corpse the letter was for, she replied it might hive neen addressed to Hie manager of the cemetery. Mrs Hamilton, aged 77, a sprightly nd agile witness, deposed that her talker was Robert Lennox Stewart, and Jer godfather the fourth Duke of Portland. His son, Scott Portland, alias Bruce, was her father's great friend, •nd called her his little cousin. He Iwanted to marry her, only her father refused. When shown a photograph of ■Mice wearing a beard, witness exUaimed: That's dear old Scott!"

I DEUCE'S DUAL PERSOXALITV.

LL ■ THE MOCK FUNERAL. t. " Beceived 28th, 11.45 pan. t London, November 24. Mrs Hamilton continued that Druce always carried a beard in big pocket. He told her mat «5 was alwav., Druee' Jrheni wearing a beard. When she asked why he kept the Baker-street bazaar He replied: '-it's a very good thing and' Bakes lots of money/»«X it T saW » he "alted Welbeck in '£? . W DTUCe tlera - VVhen she Mdwased him as Druce, he told her--1 "» always Scott Portland to you." sr5L? 0k V bOUt N* ""o G*°rge and aajert, and told her that George was . fS!^^ Bnd J le meant t0 lea ™ •*» Sat H T father tha t £ u,er . met a™" « i-on-1 m!?*f£tf it -7r don,t **&*■s \ M be Brace and was going to have a ; ?•**■««■ Druce suited getting j •eoipae from a hospital or workhouse, I JWher father suggested the use of : H - attended!

i "MISS BOBIXSOXS" CAREER..

4,. Per Press Association. *• n. - Unriatdnircb, Wednesday, j During the course «f the mysterious fcuce «se, an important witness-who ipmaliy b " ra ß at fr <»» X«w <M«Jand to give evidence—was mentioned - TWswasa i£ £fc "*I C " ble ""**&' * called .wuTL ? obulson - The lady also, »Wrt here, had a daughter of some grenty summers living with her. Mrs Bohnaon is described as a lady of from « to 60, exceedingly excitable in manMr, and who by some people was conMwred rather eccentric. From inquiries ■ade, it appears that in May, Vm, *he Was keeping a boardinghouse in Mon taawtreet, Christchurcii. In September at that year Mrs. Robinson moved to fames-street, .New Brighton, ana in February, HXMi, a lire took place iu the Bouse, whereby it was totally destroyed Jhe furniture of the house was describe! as being of a kind not able to be bought iere, being evidently very old, and tuere •f« re ■J* » number of curios. Anion.. these latter was an. antique candcu° tautt, which Mrs. Robinson stated wa» obtained from a cathedral in Mere was also a very valuable anu extCBaTTB collection of old Derby china. With regard to the candelabrum. China, and curios, two conflicting =taie■«ta are attributed to Mrs. Robinson. One 01 these was that they were given to her by her sun, who was an engineer pa board a foreign-going steamer, and jrho had a taste for picking up curio.-, etc, at the various foreign ports visited by him. Another version told by Mrs. Robin•011 was that her husband had been Butler in the service of a nobleman's tamfly, and that when they left to take » publichouse the curios, china, and old Jumiture were presented to them. This jraa shortly before Mrs. Robinson and vet daughter left for Kew Zealand. It is interesting to note that at the tma of the fire, when, as has been •tated, everything in the house was totally destroyed, there was no reference to the valuable diary which Mrs Botanaon testified in the Court at Home Hat she had lost. ' After the fire, Mrs. Robinson and her .jUngfcter lived in lodgings for some little time. In April, ltwo, they took » nouie in lalsegrave-street. Here they resided till February, 1907, when thev left for England, in order that Mri Bobinson'a evidence in the sensational ease involving the Dukedom of Portland might be taken.