THE DRUCE CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 53, 21 February 1908, Page 2

THE DRUCE CASE.

•••MI.SB" IiOBI.\SON\S AXTECEDKXTS. THE CONTEXT'S (IF IJldt RoO.US. Received I'Vb. :>U, 10.4, i p.m. 1-xjnikm, Kcliniarv 20. 11l the prosecution of Mistress' RobinSIIII for jici-jiirv. Sir Cliarle. Matthews, nt How street. milniiitteil further evidence continuing the cables of "J[iss'' liobinson's antecedents. Ducunients showed that she received .CSOO from two insurance companies in .settlement of hisses htilted at through the burning of ii residence at Xew Brighto'i, Christchnl'flt. - Correspondence mid a cablegram produced showed iliat the Drin-e Company accepted her overtures us ii witness,- paid her passage-money to Liudou, ami promised her reimmerutioii in the event of siicces*.

A mass of publications was seized at Robinson's lodf>injrri. relating to (lie Duke ot 'Portland, YWthivk, Dickens, and a history ol I In* Dim ;' ease vvitli passages marked, also copies of letter* purporting to be from the Duke of Portland to ".Miss" Robinson, indicating that she was his much-beloved mistress.

Inspector Drew stated lie had found a draft of "Hiss" Robinson's evidence, stilting that tli-' Duke of Portland gave her £500(1 in note* in 1870, and also oilier money. She had since confessed that the Duke of Portland's letters to her were concoctions, and that her evidence given in the box was false. She claimed to have received another letter purporting to Vie from Dickens, written to warn her to be tight-fisted and hard as a grindstone, in order to save resurrection of trouble. The case stand* adjourned till Monday.