Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-02-04
The Cost OF the TichbOrne Trial.
From the New York Times


From the New York Times. -"
The last adjournment of the extraordi.
nary Tichborne trial gave the British public
an opportunity of calculating the cost of the
most marvellous legal sensation of the age
The interest in the claimants movements
has began to pail slightly upon English tax
payers-bence their very natural anxiety to
learn how much they will have to paw for
their whistle. Scores of letters have been
addressed to the leading newspapers On the
subject, and, from exhaustive articles in
the London and provincial press, it seems
that the most modest estimate Of the cost
to the Government of prosecuting the claim
ant for perjury is set down for half mil
lion pounds. This estimate is made upon
the supposition t at the trial now in pro-
greas will be the last trial of the Tichborne
case. .si
Down to the present day, the claimant
Baronet or butcher, or whatever he may be
has cost the British public, in judici al
salaries alone, e25, 000 The first trial, in
which the plaintiff, was beatan occu-
pied the Lord Chief Justice Bovill
one year; hence the Chief Justices
salary, $1,000, was lost to the other
litigants of the day, and expended on
the claimant alone. The present trial is
conducted before the Lord Chief Justice of
England, and two of the puisne Judges of
the Queens Bench. 1t has so far lasted
twelve months. Hence an expense If e18,-
600; $4,000 as salary Of the Chief Justice,
aud e5, 900 each for the puisne Judges.
This added to the previous $1,000, makes
up the 925, 900 we have named. Prior to
the last two trials there were the salaries of
Vice Chancellors and other officers of the
Chancery Court to be considered. These
have been roughly estimated at $1,000.
The most important part of the expense,
however, is found in the fact that the crown
has taken up the prosecution in the present
trial. The ablest advocates at the bar have
been engaged and the fees paid to them, if
| the statements made in the public print are
correct, are simply enormous. Mr.. Haw-
kins, the leading counsel, is said to have re-
ceived retaining fee of $1,000 pounds on
his brief, and also to be in receipt of
daily "refresher "-appropriafed term-of
$50. Mr.. Sergeant Parry is credited with
having been retained by a fee of G75O, and
refreshed daily with $50. The three junior
counsel are dismissed with retainers of G2OO.
and refreshers of $40 to each.
The next feature in the cost is the expen-
ses of witnesses. These witnesses, number
ing $50, have not only to be kept in court
from day to day, but many of them have
been brought from distant parts of the
world. Their expenses can scarcely be esti-
mated several of them have been known to
have received lump sums of 81 900 and less,
to induce them to leave their distant homes,
apart from their daily expenses while in
England. AS if all those items were not
sufficient, the claimants friend, Mr. Whal-
Icy turns up with the mysterious Luie, who
Greats profound sensation by testifying on
the claimants behalf, and profounder SEN
sation by proving to bea ticket-of-leave man,
To destroy Mr.. Luie's evidence, thousands
of pounds must have been expended on
commission to this country, and few thou
sands more in prosecuting detective in
inquiries throughout Great Britain. All
these expenses, we must remember, have
so that the disgust of the British public at
them, is no matter Of wonder The crown
agreed to pay the claimants witnesses.
This is very extraordinary proceeding, and
however merciful and generous it may be,
seems to us rather absurd It is analogous
to case of having our pocket picked on
Broadway, giving man in charge for the
crime, paying our own expenses, ana 1ur'
nishing the prisoner with money to defend
himself, and by such means, perhaps, put
ting ourselves out of court.
Ii in this tedious Tichberne affair there
were anything important to fight for, the
tax payers of England might not grudge
the expenditure. But really there is not.
This enormous waste OF time and money is
simply caused by the fact that man failed
to get an estate on the ground that he was
an heir, and has been charged on his own
showing with perjury. England fondly
hopes to see the end Of the Tichborne bust
ness before February, and if she does she
will receive our hearty congratulations, as
she at present has our sincere sympathies.
A few weeks ago there was a riot at