The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-10-20
A ROMANTIC CASE.

8saIs asss ii ------
A very romantic case is now pend
ing in London, and the facts are sufii-
GENTLY important to justify special
reference to the proceedings. The
ihackneyed expression that "truth is
stranger than fiction receives q singu-
lar exemplitication in the case refer
red to. Indeed there are few mod
ern romances in which. the details are
SO ingeniously introduced as in the
trial OF the suitin question. The facts
are. briefly these Roger Tichborne,
son Of Sir J. Il. 5. Tichborne, Baronet,
now deceased, was born in France in
1927. He was educated by the
Jesuits at Omer; he afterwards re-
ceived military education, procured
o commission, entered the British
army and served in various regiments
for some time. Being of rowing
and generally worthless disposition,
he threw up his comission in 1853
and departed for South America -
He was heard Of at Valparaiso, at San
tiago and other points and, it is
claimed that he wrote several letters
home and sent pictures, curiosities, etc.
In April 1854, he was heard of on the
ship blanche bound from Rio de Ja-
neiro to New York, the worthy
Roger being drunk at the time. The
Blanche went down at sea and was
never seen more. One of her boats
was afterwards picked up empty, but
no survivor was discovered. Sir
Roger Tichborne was considered n
dead man; the will made before he
left Europe was proved, and his faith.
er having died, the title and estates
passed TO Sir Alfred Tichborne, the
second son. In 1866 Sir Alfred died,
and shortly after his death son was
born. who, it is said, is the rightful
heir. In 1858 sailor appeared in
London and told the Ticbborne family
that he bad heard boats crew
from a ship supposed TO be the
blanche, had been broughs into Mel
bourne. Australia. In 1866 the old
lady Tichbornc received a letter from
q person in New South Wales declar-
ing him TO be the missing Sir Roger,
and her son. He stated that he had
been picked up after the loss Of the
Blanche and had been living all the
time in Australia under an assumed
name. Assisted by the old lady this
person made his way TO Paris, met
her and was recognized by her as her
long lost son. She made deposi-
ton on the subject in the following
strong and decided language:
81 am as certain as ] am of my own
existence and distinctly and positive
ly swear that the plaintiff is my first
born son, the issue Of my marriage
with Sir James Francis Doughty
Tichborne (deceased.) His features,
disposition and voice are un,nistaka-
BILE, and must, in my judgement, be
recognized by impartial and unpreju-
diced persons who knew him before
he left England in the year 1853"
This person now sues for what he
claims are his estates and his titles as
against the child now in possession
lie evinces great familiarity with the
private affairs of the Thichborne fami.
ly, and offers the following singular
test
Roger, before he quilted the coun
try packed q number of documents in
in sealed parcel which he left with
Mr.. Gosford, the steward OF the Itch
borne estates, with instructions to
open it only in the event of his death,
and the claimant offers to state the
contents of that parcel in order to
prove his identity"
On the other hand it is alleged that
the claimant is an imposter; that he
is larger man than the missing Sir
Roger was in 1854, that he cannot
speak Freech at all, while Sir Roger
spoke it very fiuently, and finally, that
he is not Sir Roger, but butcher
named Arthur Orton, or Houghton.-
The case excites great interest and
diversity of opinion in London, so
much SO that the jurors were obtained
with great difficulty, and at last the
trial proceeded by consent with only
nine Jurors instead of twelve.