Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-03-26
THE TICHBORNE CASE.
Condensed History Of the Affair which Il
Created 40 Great a Sensation la En-


est at this time:
In March, 1853, Roger Charles Doughty
Tichborne, born January s, 1929, sailed
for Valparaiso, Chill. In March, 1854,
he embarked at Rio Janeiro for New
York, in the. Bella, which was subse-
quently lost at sea, all her passengers
and crew having been drowned. Roger
Tichborne, who would have been Sir
Roger Tichborne had he lived, was re-
garded as dead by all his family and
friends with the exception of his mother,
the Dowager Lady Tichborne. Sir
James, Rogers father, died, and was
succeeded by his second son, Alfred, in
the title and the estates. In the year
1866 Lady Tichborne inserted an adver-
tisement in nm Australian paper. which
met the eye of Mr.. William Gibbs, an
attorney of Wagga-Wagga, who fixed
upon q man named Thomas Castro, with
whom he was acquainted, as the missing
Roger Castro was O stock keeper BY
ecuretion, and when Gibbs called his
l1ntloh to the Tichborne inquiry he
declared himself to be the lost Roger.
His story was that after the wreck of
the Bella he had been picked up-being
the only survivor-by q passing vessel,
the Osprey, bound for Australia, which
had conveyed him to Melbourne. He
had remained thenceforth in Australia,
employing himself, under the name Of
Thomas Castro, as q keeper of stock, as
before related.
Lady Tichborne, in Europe, was i'm
mediately informed of the important
discovery that had been made, letters
passed between her and Castro, and in
September, 1866, the latter sailed for
Europe, accompanied by his wife and
by an old negro, Andrew Boyle, q for
mer servant of the Tichbornes and q
resident of Sydney, whose acquaintance
he had made, and who recognized in
him the missing Roger.
Lady Tichb0rne received Castro ioy-
fully and recognized HIM as her son {;
but none of the other Tichbornes iden-
ti6edhim. Roger, when he disappeared,
was slight, effeminate looking person,
while Castro was very Falstaff in
physique. When Castro made his
appearance in England Sir Alfred Tich-
borne, Rogers brother, was dead.
Little time was lost by Castro, fortified
by Lady Tichborne's recognition and
advocacy, in preparing to lay proof
before the courts of his identity with
Roger Tichborne. Commissions were
sent to Australia and Chill to take evi-
dence in all that concerned the wander
ings and fate of Roger and the Austria
ian life of Castro, who, the Tichborne
side maintained, was an imposter and q
man named Arthur Orton, a butcher of
High street, Wrapping, who had once
spent several years in South America
and had afterwards gone to Australia,
where he had lived until his return to
England falsely to assume the name of
Roger Hchborne.
A suit in Chancery for the recovery
of the Tichborne estates was the pre-
liminary to the first great trial in which
Castro, now the claimant. figured,
This cause was the ejectment action in
the Court of Common Pleas, the late
Lord Chief Justice Bowl presiding, of
Tichborne vs.. Lushington. the latter
representing the Tichborne family. In
the course of the trial, which c0mmenc-
ed in 1870, and lasted for about nine
months, running far into 1871, inter-
rupted by occasional adjournments of
the Court, hundreds of witnesses were
heard on either side, about half of whom
averred that he was Roger Tichborne
and the other half that he was not. He
himself was subjected to long and
arduous examination. The claimant
proved himself to be deficient in edu-
cational requirements which Roger
Tichborne had possessed. Although
showing an extraordinary knowledge of
numerous episodes in Roger Itch
borne's life, he also displayed ina more
marked degree a gross ignorance OF
many persons, places, and events with
which Tichborne was undoubtedly
familiar.
The close of this case was as remark
able as has been its continuance. The
jury had been restive for some time,
and finally, before the Judge had deliv-
cred his charge, they announced in
court that they had made up their
minds, and that they did not need to
hear any more on the subject. As this
was equivalent to verdict against the
claimant, had the case gone to the jury,
his legal advisers consented to q non
suit, and the Lord Chief Justice imme-
diately committed him for trial on the
charge of willful and corrupt perjury:
He was imprisoned for five weeks, and
at the expiration of that time he was
released on bail. Lord Rivers, Messrs.
Onslow and Whalley, members of Par.
lament, and one other, going his sure.
ties. He was himself also required td
give bail in $4,000. The claimant
roccol >~oo~,v of 41,o fo11o,us~,. ~oo.>41,~
in visiting various towns in England,
accompanied by Messrs. Onslow and
Whalley, and making public addresses,
to hear which an admittance fee was
charged. This money was intended tc
assist in defraying the expenses of his
coming trial, even as the "Tichborne
bonds" so called, had been sold previ
ous to the first trial. Crowds attended
at these meetings, and much enthusiasm
was manifested by the populace in hi
cause.
The trial for peri jury which has just
closed with theconviction of the defend
ant, began on April %, 1873. The issue
was between the Queen and " Thoma.
Castro, alias Roger Charles Doughty
Tichborne, Baronet." The indictment
comprised twenty-six counts, in each o.
which the defendant was charged will
q specific act of perjury. Among th'
charges were those that he had falsely
sworn that he was the son of Sir Jamel
and Lady Tichborne that he had Sc
duced his cousin Miss Doughty, ant
that he was not the son of Georg'
Orton, the butcher. There were mum
Der of charges less grave but the sub
stantial issues raised were whether tn
defendant had sworn falsely or not il
affirming that he was Roger Tichborne
and in denying his identity with Arthu
Orion. The time of the Court wa
taken mp until the Goth of May in read
ing documents, and on that day the ex
animation of the mass of witnesses TO
the prosecution was commenced. o.
the fifty-sixth day. of the trial-the 1Ot]
of July-Mr. Hawkins, counsel for til
prosecution, announced that the cas-
for the, prosecution was closed. TIL
number of witnesses against the de
fendant numbered PIP, among who1
were the Tichborne family and friend
and connections. French as well as Eng
; lish Chilian, Australian, Mapping
and other Orton witness, etc.
An adjournment of the Court unit
: July 21st then issued in order to Civ
DR.. Kenealy, the defendants counse
7 time to prepare his opening speecl
which he began on the 22nd Of July an
ended on August 21. The examinatio
: of the defendants 256 witnesses con
menced on August 22nd and lasted II
, days, closing on October 9th, I'll
, classes from which these Witnesses we,