Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-08-01
An American Tichborne.

A very interesting case has recently
been developed in Oregon, which in some
respects is parallel to the English Itch
borne case. Both the motive and the
means are the same, although the ro-
nance of the English case is wanting, and
the American claimant has not wandered
so far as the butcher, Orton, nor has he
been the hero of so many adventures
Curiously, also, the result thus far has
been similar. The English claimant is
now on trial for perjury; the American
claimant has also been indicted upon the
same charge The facts are about as fol-
lows: In 1916, a man by the name of Jo-
seph Thomas married Elizabeth Caruth-
ers in Tennessee. Two years afterwards
Thomas abandoned his wife and two chill
dren. The wife then resumed her maiden
name, and in the course Of a few years
emigrated to the banks of the Willamette
River, near Portland, Oregon, where the
family took up some land. In course of
time they became wealthy, partly by the
increase in the value of the land and part
ly by trading The mother died in 1850,
and afterwards the children. They had
reported that the father was dead, and
that they had no relatives in Amer
lea. Meanwhile, the. relatives had
lost all track of the family, and did
not learn anything of the property until
several claimants appeared. All of these
claimants, however, were demurred out of
court, one after the other. In 1870 a des-
perate attempt was made 10 get possession
of the property by three men in Oregon,
W. G. Johnson Ia lawver), j. M. Moore,
and Green @. Davidson. These men went
to st. Louis, and found man in that city
named Joseph Thomas, or "Wrestling
joe" who was making living by selling
pies on the levee. They dressed him up
and had his photograph taken. They
then got deed from him for the proper
ty, which was acknowledged in st. Louis,
the parties affirming that they knew
Wrestling joe" and vouching for him.
They then took him to Portland, where
they filed the deed and instituted legal
proceedings to maintain their claim
They claimed the entire Carruthers prop
erty, and "Wrestling Joe' swore that he
was the father of Finice, the daughter of
Mrs. Carruthers, and that he had been re-
duced to beggary. The real heirs, how
ever, swore point-blank that wrestling
Joe" did not answer the description of
the real Thomas, either in age or
in any particular of physique Pub
lie opinion, as in tne Tichborne
case, arrayed itself for and against the
claimant and eminent lawyers were en-
ployed on both sides. The case, however,
eventually reached an unexpected de
nouement, as appears from letter fron
ex-Gov. Gibbs, of Oregon, recently receiv-
ed by r. Hinckley, Esq, of Belleville,
ILL.,, from which it appears that "Wrest-
ling Joe" has been proven to be one
Davidson, who broke Jail in st. Clair
County, ILL.,, in 1925; that he turned up in
Alabama in 1884, where he went by the
name of Nixon, and that he married and
raised family there. The Alabama wife
appeared in Portland, whereupon the old
man confessed his share in the fraud.
The tables are now turned, and 'sWrest-
ling Joe" and his fellow conspirators have
bsen indicted, and must stand their trial
for perjury And thus ends the Amerl-
can Tichborne case. Meanwhile, no one
seems to know whether the real Joseph
Thomas is alive or dead, so that the case
is still involved in mystery-Chscago
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