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Show ECCENTRIC HAN riF Art Caldwell, the Affidavit-Maker, Affidavit-Maker, Had a Twist of the Brain New York. Jan. 13. Robert Caldwell, Cald-well, the "great American affidavit-maker," affidavit-maker," who figured as the principal witness In the famous Druce will case, Is dead here aftor an illness of nore than two yoars. He died in the city asylum for the Insane, to which he was admitted In 1909, suffering from an undefined mentaL and physical disease which many months ago left him a complete wreck without hopo of recovery. Caldwell will rank In history as the most remarkable figures in one of the greatest legal fighLs over waged in the English courts. Born in Ireland, In 1834, of parentage which he declined de-clined to discuss, he went to London Lon-don when 19 years old, and, according to his own story, was for a time in the service of the Duke of Portland, an eccentric nobleman. He came to New York in 1871 and obtained employment with A. T. Stewart, Stew-art, the great drygoods merchant. His connection with Mr. Stewart brought him more publicity In after life, when he made affidavits setting forth that the body of Mr. Stewart had been, stolon by ghouls nnd also charging that Mr Stewart's will had been forged for the benefit of certain cer-tain devisees. According to the alienists who havo been studying Caldwell's mental eccentricities, ec-centricities, at Ward's island, for the past two years, he was affected with a "twist" of the brain, which made him veritably a second Baron Munch-hauscn, Munch-hauscn, differing only from that celebrated cele-brated character in that he believed all the fictions of his brain, strange and impossible though -they were. He fwas queer In many respects, but painfully pain-fully punctilious as to the truth in the ordinary matters of life. Caldwell's last appearnnce In public pub-lic was In December, 1907. He had just been completely discredited at the last renewal of the Druce litigation litiga-tion In England, While the British authorities were arguing among themselves them-selves as to what steps to take against him, Caldwell slipped aawy from London and arrived unexpectedly In New -York City, tin Deceinbe'rTfirHe" was arrested Immediately on a warrant war-rant sworn out by (he British consul con-sul charging him with wilful perjury In the Druce case, but on account of his broken physical condition the authorities authori-ties declined to allow his extradition extradi-tion and, after various vicissitudes, he was committed to the W.ird's island asylum. The story of the last Druce trial is still fresh in the public mind It was early in 1907 that George Holl amby Druce. a grandson of Thomas Charles -Druce, formerly owner of a bazaar In Banker street, London, began be-gan an action to oust Lord Howard do Walden from the property which his father had Inherited from the fifth Duke of Portland, through the supposed sup-posed failure of a direct line. The duke died in ISC-l when Caldwell was in London, and this fact, it appears, was responsible for the appearance of Caldwell in the suit as witness. In this action, Herbert Druce, a relative rel-ative of the claimant, testified that ho was present at the funeral of Mrs. Druce and that he saw tho body in the coffin. George Ilollamby Druce thereupon caused the arrest of his kinsman for perjury and It was at the trial of this case in Londan in November, No-vember, 1907, that Caldwell re-entered the arena with as remarkable a story a was ever told on the witness stand Caldwell testified that he knew both the duke and Druce, and that they were one and the same person. per-son. He supplemented this sUirtllng statement with another to tho effect that when Druce was supposed to have died, his coffin was filled wtib lead and buried after a mock funeral. In which the duke himself participated participat-ed He maintained that the duke, under the name of Druce, had married and had several children and that the clnlmant was n grandson. The Statement In regard to the coffin ha v. Ing been filled with lead was disproved dis-proved in 190S, when It was exhumed and the body identified |