THE DRUCE CASE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9064, 13 April 1908, Page 5

THE DRUCE CASE.

MRS ROBINSON SENTENCED. Received April 12, 4.10 p.m. LONDON, April 11. Mary Robinson, who confessed to having sworn falsely during the hearing of a charge of perjury brought against Herbert Druce, son of the late T. C. Druce, by George Hollamby Druce, claimant to the Portland estates, has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment. THE JUDGE'S SUMMING UP. Received April 12, 4.12 p.m. LONDON, April 11. Mr Avory declared that the offence was the worst possible, and instituted solely from sordid motives. Mr Marshall Hall, fur the defence, pleaded that prisoner had been cruelly and wickedly duped, and was a mere puppet in the hands of the master mind guiding the conspiracy. Her crime was indefensible, and he asked for leniency only in view of the special circumstances of the case. Mr Justice Walton said that he did not wish to make any imputation against any particular individual in relation to the prisoner, but he was satisfied that she had been tempted to commit perjury. He emphasised the very serious mischief arising from the promotion of companies for adopting and maintaining shadowy claims to property and willingness of the public of infinite credulity to contribute money to such schemes. He commented on the institution of criminal proceedings to support a monstrous claim. He added that Mrs Robinson was only acting doubtless on pressure, and yielded to temptation. Her age was the only mitigating circumstance weighing with him. Otherwise he would have imposed the maximum sentence of seven years. He then sentenced prisoner to four years imprisonment. d