The Portland daily press., 1871-12-07
IHE PRESS.
THURSDAY MORNING, DEC. 2, 1871.
The TichbOrne Trial
FURTHER DISPOSITIONS IN BEHALF OF THE

FURTHER DISPOSITIONS IN BEHALF OF THE
CLAIMANT.
Among the witnesses who testified in he
half of the clarmant in the Tichborne case
on Nov. 20, were three whose evidence was
of unusual weight.
Heseltine Sharpn, architect, of York. said
used to practice in Ripon, and am brother
OF Mr. Sharpin, late the Mayor and now the
Borough Magistrate for Scarborough. In
1853 embarked in steamer, the Crossus.
Tor sydney, but stayed in Melbourne, where
we arrived on the 10th or 11th of April. 1854
AT Melbourne remained about month. and
then went on to Sydney, but re-
turned to Melbourne July. 1 first
landed at Sandridge Pier, origin
ally Liardet's Landing-place. 1 had been to
Melbourne previously, in 1S4S-5O In July,
1854, was on board steamer called the
Comet, a small vessel which used to run from
Hobson's Bay to Melbourne. had been at
Williamstown that day. The Comet took
some men off vessels in the bay, a three
masted, rakish-looking vessel, low in the wa
ter, and to the best of my recollection, schoon-
er-rigged, with round stern. / was down
below when the Comet stopped, and L came
up to see what she was stopping for. 1 then
saw some men come on board from the other
vessel they were evidently sailors. They ap-
peared at the time to be common sailors.
Some went aft, and Others stood about the
chimney. went aft myself, and there no
ticed two OF the men l had seen come
down the paddle-box. One was well-dress
ed man, the other a young gentleman dressed
as sailor, but evidently not a sailor. He
had not the bearing OF sailor. 1 was talk
ing to another person, and this young gentle
man turned round and made an observation.
He had decidedly French accent; so much
so that took him for Frenchman. L also
saw him lift his eyebrows while talking, 7
perfectly remember this. 1t struck me that
he was interested in what 1 was saying. Last
August l was at the York races, and there
saw person whom l now know to be the
plaintiff He was sitting in the balcony of
the Grand Stand, and I looked at him
through my opera-gass. Everybody was
looking at him. l had not at the time any
belief that l had seen him before Since then
l have had an opportunity of conversing with
him, and have come to the conclusion that
he is the same person l saw on board the
Comet in 1854. Before our interview on Sat
urday saw some photographs of him in a
shop window at York. That would be about
the 9th or 10th of this month. then
thought he was the young man / saw in 1854;
and on Saturday bought in London another
photograph of the claimant.
William Davis said: / was in the Carabi-
neers from 1S49 to 1861, and went through
the Crimean and Indian mutiny campaigns.
l knew Mr.. Tichbome in the regiment, and
1 was in his company for four hours to four
hours and half day for twelve months. 1
have seen the plaintiff and told him that if he
would answer two questions put he must be
the man or the devil. One question was
about young donkey being put into his bed.
/ asked him if he could tell me the man who
fetched the young donkey out of his bed He
said William Davis, believe. That is me;
did fetch the donkey out. l asked him what
he gave me three days drill for. He said he
did not recollect, but afterward he said he had
given me three days drill for rubbing an old
rag over my horses leg to make it shine /
had done it to hide the dirt. 1t was the Ser
geant-Major who found it out and brought
me before Mr.. Tichborne 1t was Sergeant
Major Till. He was killed in the Indian mu-
tiny.
After the witness cross-examination, the
Lord ChiefJustice asked him-What did you
do with the donkey? When Mr.. Tichborne
went in he dropped the candle-I suppose in
his fright-and ran out, calling to me, "Sen-
try, sentry, Il was the sentry,l the devil is in
my bedp' l said to him, ~ don't want to
see the devil, SIR" But he says, "You must
fetch him out of my bed" l said, ''Sir, it is
death for soldier to desert his post until he
is properly relieved; you must get me reliev-
ed" did not want to go, for was no hero
then, and did not want to see the donkey,
or devil as he called it. He told me he would
be answerable for my post, and had to obey
him. When weit in poked up the can
afv1tiof esrrl the ea.--l fan and
pecting every moment that the devil would
take bold of me. He shouted to me, ''D-
you, you have let the candle OUT
The Lord ChiefJustice-What did you do
with the Donkey?
Witness-The donkey was tied down to the
bed; undid the fore legs first; there was
nightcap on the donkey; undid the fore
legs Of the donkey and he sat up, and Sir
Roger looked in and bolted again; l shouted
to him, SIT is young donkey, Sir;' and
when he came in second time the little dom
key was going about the room, and he said,
Cd you, don't you let him kick up row
there; let us carry him down." 1 said,
1'Take the fore part, it is the lightest:'' but
he said: .'No, 1 viii take the hind part.''
The Lord Chief-Justice-But what did YOU
do with the donkey? We carried it down
and put it into the barrack yard to run about
------ -