Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-03-10
End Of the TichbOrnc Case-Re-
view of the Trial.

The trial of the claimant to the
TichboDe estate in England, on charges
of perjury committed during the trial
for the possession of the estate, has
been concluded with a verdict OF
guilty, and a sentence of fourteen
years of penal servitude. The trial
has been a long ole, having lasted one
hundred and eighty days. and its re-
suit effectually extinguishes the pre-
tensions of the claimant to the Itch
bone estate. The case will live as one
Of the most celebrated in law records,
and a popular interest will be long
attached to the man himself, who has
had the audacity to assume title that
did not belong to him in order to get
possession of vast property. Whether
lie be William Orion, the butcher, or
some other person, it has been, it
appears. well settled that he is not a
Tichbone. The following is resume
ofthe extraordinary case:
Roger Tichbone, oldest son of Sir
James Tichbone, after being educated
i'll France and at StOnyhurst, and
serving for a while in the army as an
officer of carabineers, set sail for South
America, in 1851, after which he was
never seen again in England. His
travels and his life ended, or were sup
posed to have ended, when the ship
Bella, on which he set sail at Rio de
Janeir0 for New York, fOundered at
sea. His IhOther refused to believe
him dead, And advertised for him for
several years. At last she was re-
warded by hearing from Australia
that her sen was alive and well and
she got letters purporting to be from
him, i'll which he stated that he had
been picked up at sea and carried to
Melbourne. In 1856 the would-be Sir
Roger, in the person of the claimant,
reached England. Rogers father was
dead the claimant was recognized by
Lady TiChbOne as her son. In year
or two she died, before the case came
to trial; meanwhile almost every
other member of the family denied his
identity. The suit instituted by him
for the possession of the title and
estates commenced on the 10th of May.
1871, and continued, with little inter-
ruptiOn, until July Z, when an adj
tournament for some months was had.
The case was resumed in November
and the claimants case was completed
on January ID, 1872. Sir John Duke
Coleridge, then AttcTncy-Gen Oh
that day began his opening address for
the defense, occupying five weeks in
its delivery. On March 4th,T the jury,
having just listened to the testimony
of Lord Below, to the effect that he
had tattooed the real Sir Roger when
he was at school. and the claimant
being unable to show any tattoo marks,
were induced to state to the court that
they had heard enough testimony.
Two days afterwards the claimants
case was withdrawn from before the
court. Lord Chief Justice Boville,
who had presided at the first trial,
therefore issued q warrant for the
arrest of the claimant on the charge of
perjury. and his bal was fixed at
ESQ, 900, but he was soon baiIed oL.t by
his enthusiastic partisans. On April
D, 1873, he was put on trial before
Lord Chief Justice Cockburn, Mr..
Hawkins conducting the prosecution,
and DIR. Kenealy the defense. The
testimony for the prosecution was
closed on the 2d of December last.
The defense was then opened and
concluded on the 18th of Januay.
The summing up for the prosecution
was finished on January %, and on the
ensuing day Chief Justice COckburn
began the charge to the jury, which
has proved almost as tedious as the
speeches Of counsel. The verdict of
guilty was an unexpecten one, for
there were two men on the jury who
were regarded with great suspicion.
The two trials of the case have cost
the government alone fully 81, $50, 600,
the counsel receiving enormous fees,
and witnesses being brought from
Australia and this country at great
expense. Altogether the case has
been q marvellous one.