Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-03-12
The Tichb0rne Case.

The cable dispatches bring the crafty
ing intelligence that the tedious Itch
borne case has come to close, and that
the bogus Claimant, Arthur Orion, has
been sentenced to fourteen years penal
servitude for perjury and forgery, which
secures the world a long rest and proba-
bly settles the case forever. At the expira-
ton of his term OF imprisonment the
Claimant, If he survives, will probably
decide to make his living in some other
manner than by stealing an estate.
The circumstances surrounding the two
trials have been romantic In the highest
degree, and the pertinacity with which
for nearly four years this Arthur Orion,
the butcher, has maintained his identity
as the son Of Lady Tichborne, and the
sympathy he has aroused in England,
constitute his case one of the most re-
markatle In the whole history of impos-
lures. The legal features Of Il have been
no less remarkable, and entitle 1t TO be
known as a cause celsbre In the annals OF
the courts. The first suit which was
brought, and which involved the validity OF
his claim, lasted nearly year, and resulted
in disagreement Of the jury but left the
impression In the minds oftwo-thirds ofthe
people of England that the Claimant was
In reality Roger Tichborne. This sympa-
thy arose almost entirely from the fact
that he had been recognized by Lady
Tichborne, who Is q very old lady, and
some OF the servants, who had been cen
nected with the family over half cen
fury, as the long lost son and hcir-a fact
which Is not remarkable, considering that
the genuine Roger Tichborne had been
absent nearly quarter OF q century and
that orion bore strong resemblance to
the Tichborne family, being, in all proba
bility, an illegitimate son OF Sir Roger
Tichborne. He came from the same
neighborhood and was familiar with the
history and events of the family, and this
enabled him TO carry out the imposition
with the greater ease. The majority Of
the people Of England, therefore, sympa-
thized with him, looked upon the efforts
of the prosecution as the persecution OF
an innocent man and the rightful heir to
the estate, and their sympathy took a
material form. They subscribed literally
TO aid him 10 carry on his first suit and to
defend himself In the second. They hur-
rahed for him and toasted him. He made
triumphant tour Of England, and every
where the multitude thronged to see him
and console him. They bought Tichborne
bonds which were redeemable when the
"rightful heir" should come 10 his own,
and, as the heir has now come to his
rigbtful place, the bonds are only worth
their value as waste paper.
At the conclusion of the first trial the
Jury disagreed, and Arthur Orton was
then brought TO trial for perjury and for
gerry, growing out Of his testimony In the
II l.. INIT Ia nj
in the manufacture of documents. 1t Is
not at all improbable that he would have
been acquitted had il not been for an un.
foreseen circumstance. When the wit
ness Jean Luie was placed upon the
stand, he swore to an array of facts which
seemed absolutely conclusive in Orton's
favor. The prosecution, assisted by some
of the ablest barristers in England, spent
several days in trying to controvert his
statements. Although he was subjected
to a terribly severe cross-examInation, he
never crossed his tracks, but In reality
strengthened his direct examination.
The case seemed hopeless, and might
have been lost had IL not been for the
vanity of Jean Luie. He was the hero OF
| the day, and in an unlucky moment al
lowed himself TO be photographed. His
picture was speedily in almost every
shop.window in London, and he was
soon recognized as a ticketofleave
man, who, during all the time that
no claimed he was with Orion, was in
reality in the Penitentiary at Bristol. He
in turn was arrested for perjury, and
then he made voluntary confession that
the whole story which he had told on the
witness stand was manufactured for him
by one OF Orton's counsel, and that he
committed 1t to memory and swore to Its
truth In court for consideration. This
was the death-blow to the case, and not
only decided 1t so far as the court was
concerned, but turned the tide of popular
feeling against Orion.
The final disposition of the case is
relief, and the punishment which has
overtaken the impostor Is none too severe
for his offcnse. It will nevertheless al
ways remain mystery, stranger than the
mysteries of any fiction, how this man,
who was at best an illiterate, Ignorant
butcher, was able TO put together story
with such consummate skill as TO battle
the ingenuity and learning of the ablest
lawyers In England for nearly four years,
and to delude two-thirds of the people of
that country into the belief that his story
was true, and that he was prosecuted
martyr.--Chicd00 Tribune.