THE DRUCE MYTH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9034, 27 February 1908, Page 5

THE DRUCE MYTH.

CABLE NEWS.

United PresslAssociation -Hy Electric Telegraph Copyright.

MRS ROBINSON'S CONFESSION

Received February 26, 8.5 a.m. LONDON, February 25. The confession of Mrs Robinson, the witness in the Druce case, who is charged with perjury, alleges that in 1906 a man calling himself Druce, whom George Hollamby Druce (the claimant to the Portland Estate) afterwards declared to be his brother William, visited her in Christchurch, New Zealand, and offered her £4,000, in the first case, to write an attractive book about all sho knew of the Duke of Portland. He also tried to induce her to say that T. C. Druce, of the Bazaar, was identical with the Duke. The object of the book was to raise money for legal expenses. The visitor, the confession continues, urged her to say that she ~.ame from America. She had received pamphlets, which she believed came from George Hollamby Druce, and concocted her diary. She received £250, and came to England. Mr Kimber (solicitor for G. H. Druce) met her on landing, and enquired regarding her diary. He urged her to stick to her tale, to "stick to her guns." Mr Kimber endeavoured to compel her to make statements based on the diary. She never came to England to swear falsely.butonly to raise money on the diary. Mr Coburn, the Australian solicitor who acted as G. H. Druce's adviser, wanted her to swear about a lead coffin, but she refused. Her story as to the loss of the diary was true. She had no letters written by the Duke, but had had two from Charles Dickens, which she had lost. While she had been in Holloway Gaol Mr Kimber had tried to dissuade her from making a confession, saying she would get seven years' imprisonment.

The further hearing of the case was adjourned for a week.