Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-20
Romantic story

[From the Manchester Examiner and Times, 7th 1
One of the most romantic chapters in the
chequered history Of the peerage is laid bare by
the judgment of the Edinburg sheriff of chan
Gerry in the case of the late earl of Aberdeen.
Fragmentary reports of the more prominent
facts have been published, but we now for the
first time get continuous narrative of most
extraordinary series of events. With the full
information before us, we are justified in affirm
ing that, while many men have gone through
more exciting adventures, none have led a more
truly romantic and, TO the last a more inexpli-
cable career than the late earl. This unfortu-
nate nobleman succeeded his father in 1864 be-
ing then % years of age. Within two years af-
ter-that is, in February, 1866-he sailed from
Liverpool to the United States on a visit confess
sedly of uncertain duration. few weeks after
his arrival he entered himself as common
sailor, under the assumed name of Geo.
ii. Osborne on board the X. Wylie of
Boston, sailing first to the Canary ISL
ands and thence to the West Indies; and
he continued to follow seafaring life, with one
brief exception, until he met with his death
by drowning in January, 1870, while serving
as first mate of the Hera, bound from Boston
to Australia and China. During all this time,
it is to be observed he wrote regularly to his
mother, the dowager countess of Aberdeen, in
forming her of the nature of his movements,
though at the same time suppresSing the names
of the ships he sailed in, and even of the places
he visited, where they would not be revealed by
the postmarks on his letters. When this singu.
lar correspondence-which from its very nature
admitted of no reply-ceased, his family natur-
ally became most anxious concerning him,
and eventually the Scotch chancery court com
missioned Mr.. Harry Smith, advocate, to pro-
coed to America to obtain the dispositions of
any witnesses who might be able to speak to
the late earps lite in that country. The legal
proceeding were formal in the sense Of being
unoppoSed, and took the shape of petition to
tba ri from fhn fbof
he might succeed to the title and estate, which
| he was entitled to do on proof of the death Of
| his brother without issue. This proof, as pre-
yiously stated, the sheriff deemed conclusive
| and judgment has been pronounced in favor OF
| the claimant, who, as matter Of fact, as.
| sumed possession last year.
Snch being the leading incidents of the story
| 1t becomes interesting to know by what means
| the identity of George H. Osborne with the late
| earl was established. These are classified un
| der three distinct heads-First, photographs;
/ second, handwriting: third, comparison oil
events. Six photographs taken in this country
| at different times were sent out TO America, and
/ all of them were identified by the American
| witnesses as portraits of the man they had
known under the name Of Osborne There ap
| pears TO have been no difficulty in tracing 0s
| borne's movements from the time he assumed
his incOgnttO to the date Of his death, and nu
/ merOus receipts, memoranda, private letters
/ and particularly log-book entries, were iounC
| which he was known to have written, and in al
| II was placed beyond doubt upon comparison
| that the handwriting was the same as that o.
| the late earl. The comparison Of events WA
equally conclusive. Thus, though the write
| did not mention the name Of his vessel, he told
| his mother in one letter that a parrot fel
overheard; that a shark was captured
and that once when painting the yard
he let the bucket of pBiDt fall ami spattered TN
captain all over with paint. All these incident
are shown to have occurred on the voyage 0
the R. Wylie, several of whose crew, with thu
captain, have been examined, and all OF whom
at once recognized in the portraits OF the ear
the seaman Osborne. Numerous other incident
are given, too trifiing, perhaps, TO be repeated
put all tending to prove that Osborne and tn
late earl must have been one and the same per