The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-07-24
An American TichbOrne.

A very intel Sting ! se has recently
been developedin 2regd whic fn soma
borne case. Both ythe motive ind the
nance of the 3 klish cd is wal lng, and
the American claimant has not wandered
so far as the butcher, Orion, 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, 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 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, ono after the other. In 1870, a des-
perate attempt was made TO get possession
Of the property by three men in Oregon,
W: Z; johnson "a lawyer, J. NJ. Moore,
and Green q. Davidson. These men went
to st. Louis, and found man in that city
nQmah
joe" who was making living by selling
pies on the ievee; They dressed him up
then got deed from him for the propcr.
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 decd and instituted legal
| proceedings to maintain their claim.
They claimed the entire Carruthcrs 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 pointblank that "Wrestling
Joe" did not answer the description OF
the real Thomas, either in age or
IN any particular of physique. Pub.
Tic opinion, as in the 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 a letter from
ex-Goy; Gibbs, Of Oregon, recently rcceiv
ed ed by a r.; Hisn!c a Esq, Of Belleyille
ling Joe" has been proven to be one
Davidson, who broke Jail in St. Clail
County, Ill, in 1895; 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 "Wrest
ling Joe' and his fellow-conspirator have
been indicted, and must stand their trial
for perjury. And thus ends the Ameri
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.-CAicagl
Tribune.