The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-03-28

EeiOn2s Cell for Fourteen Xeafs-A
Brief History of the Case.
The trial of the Tr.hborfe claimant on
the charges of perjury committed during
the trial for possession of the estate, which
has been In progress upward of $50 days,
was brought to close in London ON Sat-
urday, the 28th ult., and resulted in the
conviction of the accused. The jury, after
being out short time, brought in Ver-
dict of guilty on all the charges, and the
claimant was sentenced to fourteen years
penal servltude. There was great ex-
element over the verdict, and 8 extras
announcing it were issued by the papers.
After the verdict was announced the
claimant expressed desire to address the
court, but the Lord Chief-Justice refused
permission. He maintained his usual COM
posure when sentence was pronounced,
and shook hands with DIR. Kenealy. his
counsel. and was then taken from the
courtroom by a seldom-used exit, placed
in private carriage, and rapidly driven to
Newgate, much to the disappointment of
an immense though orderly crowd, which
gathered outside to see him pass.
With the verdict above recorded ends
one Of the most memorable Iitigations in
the English courts. That both sides have
fought with all their strength to win, the
length of the contest is sufficient evidence.
The final result, the imprisonment of the
butcher-baronet for a term of years, will
not be surprising news to either the people
OF England or this country. Bets have
been offered of five to one, all along since
the charge of perjury was entered, that the
prosecution would gain the day, and
the sporting men of London Invariably
judge correctly as to the end of lawsuits
as they do to the result of horse-races.
The history of the case may be summed
up as follows: Roger Tiehborne, eldest
son of Sir James Tichborne, after being
educated in France and at Stonyhurst and
serving for awhile in the army as an offic-
er of caTbineers, set sail for South Ameri-
ca in 1851. after which he was never seen
again in England. His travels and his
life ended, or were supposed to have end
ed, when the ship Bella, on which he set
sail at Rio de Janeiro for New ! York, foun-
dered atIsea. His mother refused to be-
lieve him dead, and advertised for him for
several years. AT last she was rewarded
by hearing from Australia that her son was
alive and well, and she gotletters purport-
inc to be from him in which he stated that
he had been picked up at sea and carried
to Melbourne. In 1866 the would-be Sir
Roger, in the person of the claimant,
reached England. Rogers father was
dead; the claimant was recognized by
Lady Tichborne as her son. In a 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 adjourn
ment for some months was had. The
case was resumed in November, and
the claimants case was completed on
January 10, 1872. Sir John Duke Cole
ridge, then Attorney General, on that day
began his opening address for the de-
tense, occupying five weeks in its delivery.
On March 1. the jury, having just listened
to the testimony of Lord Below, to the
effect that he had tattooed the real Sir Roger
when at school, and the claimant being
unable to show any tattoo marks, were in
duced to state to the court that they had
heard enough testimony. Two days af-
terwards the claimants case was with
drawn from before the court. Lord Chief
Justice Boville, who had presided at the
frst trial, thereupon issued warrant for
the arrest of the claimant on the charge OF
perjury, and his bail was fixed at 50,000,
but he was soon bailed out by his enthu-
siastic partisans. On April %, 1873, he
dlaA DClOIC Lulu Si4tS1 = NoelSS
Cockburn, DR. Hawkins conducting the
prosecution, and DIR. Kenealy the defense.
The testimony for the prosecution was
closed on the ID of December last. The
defense was then opened, and concluded
on the 14th of January. The summing
up for the prosecution was finished on
january I'd, and on the ensuing day Chief
Justice Cockburn began the charge to the
jury, Which has proved almost as tedious
as the speeches of the counsel. The YER
dict of guilty was an unexpected ore, 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 s., 800, 900, the counsel receiv-
ing enormous Iees, and witnesses being
brought from Australia and this country
at great expense - Philadelphia Press.
80 AND did you hear him call her my
dear or anything like that?o asked the
LAWYER. ssNo. sir! of course not; why,
she washis wife," answered the lady wit