The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-01
Fourteen Years Penal Servitude
for WiIful Perjury. =.
THE HISTORY. OF THE CASE.
The Indictment and the Aus
traIian Will.
A Pen Picture of the Scene
in Court.
.lfCnAM TO The new YORK HERALD

LONDON, Feb. 49, 1874.
The trial OF the Tichborne claimant on charges of
perjury committed during the trial for che possess
sion Of the estate. which has been in progress up.
wards OF 1870 days Of court sitting, was brought to
close this morning, and resulted in the convic-
ton OF the accused.
The jury, after being out a. short time, brought
In a verdict OF guilty On all the charges.
THE sENTkNcE
The claimant was sentenced to fourteen years.
penal servitude. az;
CONDUCT OF THE CONVICT.
After the verdict was announced the claimant
expressed a desire to- address the Court, but the
Lord Chief Justice refused permission. He main.
tanned mis- usual composure' when the sentence
was pronounced. He shook hands with Dr. Ke-
pealy, his counsel.
.. CONVEYED FROM COURT.
TIE prisoner was then taken from the court
room by seldom used exit, placed in a private
carriage and rapidly driven to Newgate, much to
the Disappointment OF an immense though or.
derry crowd which gathered outside to see HIM
pass.
EXCITEMENT IN LONDON
There was great excitement on the rendition OF
the verdict, and "extras" announcing it were is.
sued by the city journals.
History Of the Tichborne Trial-Tho
Court, Judges, Prisoner and Counsel.
The claimant OF the Tichborne barOnetcy and
estates-''Sir Roger"-was placed on trial under
an indictment charging him with the commission
OF various perjuries in the Court OF Queens Bench
London, on Wednesday, the Esd OF April, 1873. The
trial has progressed at intervals the recesses
being OF very brief duration, since The presiding
Judges were the Right Hon. Lord Chief Justice
Cockburn and Justices Lush and Mellor. Judge
Archibald was one Of the counsel originally en-
gagged in the case, and, consequently, did not sit
on the bench at the trial. The Crown prosecuted.
The prisoner was ably defended, principally by DR..
Kenealy.
THE COURT OF QUEENS BENCH,
in its normal state devoted to the discussion of
Intricate and knotty points Of civil law, was set
aside for the trial. Like most OF the other London
law courts, it forms portion OF Westminster Hail.
the entrance to 1t being through the first door ON
the right after you have passed through the mas
sive portal which, abutting on Old Palace Yard,
offers the most direct means OF access to the House
ofCommons. strong Imprinted wooden barrier
and one or two policemen stood by to give irforma.
ton and keep order Ever since the commence.
ment OF the trial the court has been thrOuged
within five minutes after the doors have been
opened; there was not even standing room in the
galleries apportioned to the public, while the more
exclusive seats were sought after Just as much as
opera stalls on grand night. Let us take advan-
tage OF the opportunity offered us to make our way
through the entrance set apart for members OF the
Bar as by that means we shall more readily obtain
good view OF the scene and the actors engaged in
1t. The square box with three rows of desks and
benches rising one above the other Immediately on
our left Is
THE REPORTERS GALLERY,
and the gentlemen engaged there are not ordinary
professionals, but picked men, specially selected
for this trial. Besides those who took shorthand
notes there were others who merely looked on
and wrote the summaries OF what happened for the
London daily papers. That keen-looking, thin
faced man, for instance, who Is leaning forward
and listening so eagerly Is Mr.. Moy Thomas, an an
tiquary, a man of learning and research who has
taken a singular interest in the case and who
writes summary of each days proceedings for
the Datly Ne,os.
Immediately opposite the reporters gallery is
THE JURY BOX,
which contained twelve ordinary specimens of
British humanity. Thus they acted and looked from
day to day. Some OF them are leaning forward and
listening attentively; few are taking notes or
consulting those they have already taken; only
one or two looked bored and dlstraught. The
keenest physi0gnomist would be unable to CLEAN
any notion Of what was passing in these mems
minds through the expression in their faces only
occasionally, when the counsel for the defendant
is hammering away in cross-examination, without
apparently any useful result, one could detect a
kind OF universal shoulder-shrug Of "cut oono.n
This large raised dais with It's backing OF antique
black oak, on which the royal arms of England are
deliberately scuptured with its crimson. colored
Seats Its three mahogany desks and its heavy cur
tains on either side to exclude the wind from its
occupants, is the judicial bench, and on it sit
THE JUDGES,
three in number. The centre man of the three Is
Sir Alexander Cockburn, Lord Chief Justice OF
England. and one OF the cleverest men Of his day.
Under that preposterous white horsehair wig,
S,t,cn the oiack patch at the TOP Is somewhat
OF nis Judicial robe he Is q man OF middle
tSn,aS n OF spare build and wiry frame, and
capable OF enduring more than q fair amount both
Of mental aud bodily fatigue. His tnin, narrow
hair rather close cut and once red, is now thckiy
sprinkied with gray. His voice is sngulariy beau.
capable Of the most delicate moduIntion a1 he sat
~ member Of Parliament for Southampton and
na Ils eIeatest political success by speech
policy, which was regarded as one OF the finest
pieces OF oratory heard for many years in the
house OF commons This obtained him the an
polntment OF one Of the law advisers OF the Crown
and 1t was IN his position as ATTORNEY Generai,
that ne prosecuted and convicted William palmer
the notorious p0isoner, with the most consummate
ability. Although 1t was confidently believed thai
Palmer had made away with '
NEARLY HALF A DOZEN VICTIMS,
his skill in administering the poison me was, by
!rolesslon surge0n) was so great that 1t was
deemed almost ImpOssible To nrOve hin, s,,,,,..s
In getting up the case, Sir Alexander Cockburn
devoted days and nights to the study and chemis-
try OF poison, and before the trial sumbitted him
sell to an examination by some OF the cleverest
pharmaceutical authorities. WHO were ast0nished