Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-03-26
THE TlCllBORNE CASE.

\ Condensed History "fthc Affair wI.ich I,n-
l'rrMicd y" Great II Sensation in Eng
land.
The following sketch of tho Tich-
bnrnessclse, the claimant OF which has
just been sentenced to fourteen years
transportation, will be read with inter
est Mt this time:
1nMarcl, 1853, Roger Charles Doughty
Tichbornc, born January 5, 1920, sailed
for Valparaiso, Chill. In March, 1854,
he embarked 1T Rio Janciro for New
York, III the: Bella, which WAS suisse
quently lost ut 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
1865 Lady Tichborne inserted an adver-
tiscmcnt in nh Australian paper, which
met the eye of a Mr.. William Gibbs, an
attorney of Waggn-Wagga, who fixed
upon II man named Thomas Castro, with
whom he was acquainted, as the missing
NoScr.> Castro was q stock keeper by
occupation, and when Gibbs called his
attention. 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 s,rvivor-by u passing vessel,
the Osprey, bound for Australia, which
had conveyed him to Melbourne. He
had remained thcnccforth in Australia,
employing himself, under the name of
Thomas Castro, rs 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 IN old negro, Andrew Boyle, for
mer servant Of the Tichbornes and a
resident Of Sydney, whose acquaintance
he had made, and who recognized in
him the missing Roger.
Lady Tichbornc received Castro JOY
fully and recognized him as her son
but none of the other Tichborncs iden-
tifedhim. Roger, when he disappeared,
was slight, effeminate looking person,
while Castro was a very Falstaff in
physique. When Castro made his
appearance in England Sir Alfred Itch
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 will,
Roger Tichborne. Commissions were
sent to Australia and Chilli to take evi-
dence in all that concerned the wander.
ings and fate of Roger and the Austria.
liam life of Castro, who, the Tichborne
side maintained, was an imposter and a
man named Arthur Orion, a butcher OF
High street, Mapping, who had once
spent several years in South America
and had afterwards gone to Australia
where he had lived until his return tt
England falsely to assume the name Of
Roger Tichborne.
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 il
the Court of Common Pleas, the lat,
Lord Chief Justice Bowl presiding, O.
Tichborne VS.. Washington. the latte
representing the Tichborne family. II
the course of the trial, which commenc
ed in 1870, and lasted for about nin'
months, running far into 1871, inter
r1pted by occasional adjonrnments O
the Court, hundreds of witnesses wer,
heard on either side, about half of whom
avcrred that lie was Roger Tichborn
and the other half that he was not. H
himself was subjected to long an.
:.rduous examination. The claiman
proved himself to be deficient in eil,,
cational requirements which Roge
Tichborne had possessed. Although
showing an extraordinary knowledge o
numerous episodes in Roger Itch
borne's life, he also displayed ina NOR
marked degree a gross ignorance Q
many persons, places, and events wit
which Tichborne was undoubtedly
familiar.
The close Of this case was as remark
able as has been it's continuance. Til
Jury had been FESTIVE for some time
and finally, before the Judge had deliv
cred his charge, they announced i
court that they had made up thei
minds, and that they did not need t
hear any more on the subject. As thi
was equivalent to a verdict against tn
claimant, had the case gone to the jury
his legal advisers consented to q non
s,,it, and the Lord Chief Justice imme
diately committed him for trial on til
charge of willfnl and corrupt perjury:
He was imprisoned for five weeks, an
at the expiration of that time he wa
released on bail. Lord Rivers, Messrs
Onslow and Whalley, members of PA
; Lament, and one other, going his sure
ties. He was himself also required t
give bail in $4,000. The claimal
: passed many Of the following montl
in visiting various towns in England
accompanied by Messrs. Onslow an
Whalley, and making public addresse
4 to hear which all admittance fec W;
charged. This money was intended
y assist in defraying the expenses Of h
S coming trial, even as tho "Tichbor,
s bonds," so called, had been sold prev
a Gus to the first trial. Crowds attendt
+ at these meetings, and much enthusiasts
: was manifested by the populace i'll Ii
cause.
Il The trial for perjury which has j,'
y closed with the conviction Of the dcfcn
:, ant, began on April %, 1873. The iss1
was between the Queen and I" Thorn
4 Castro, alias Roger Charles Dough
L 'richborne, Baronet." The indictme
g comprised twcnty-six counts, in each
$ which the defendant was charged wi
e specific act of perjury. Among t.
e charges were those that he had false
It sworn that he was the son of Sir Jam
NJ and Lady Tichborne that he had s
" ducel his cousin Miss Doughty, n
that he was not the son of Geor
81 Orto II, the butcher. There were hui
II Der of charges less grave but the 81
stantial issues raised were whether t
defendant ll:.l sworn falsely or not
affirming that he was Roger Tichborl
and in denying his identity with Arth
r Orion. The time of the Court "
'd taken up until the Goth of May in res
e, ing documents, and OH that day the (
le animation of the mass Of witnesses
N the prosecution WAS commenced.
III the tifty-sixth day of the trial-thc II
ut of July-Mr. Hawkins, counsel for
y prosecution, announced that tho c;
for the. prosecution was closed. I
SO number of witnesses against the
'd PENDANT numbered 212, among VIII
- were the Tichbornc family and fric1
er and connections. French us we'll as III
H. fish /; Gillian, Australian, Wappi
and other Orion witness, etc.
An adjournment Of the Court Ill
ly July Dist then issued in order to E
nd DIR. Kenealy, the defendants coun
ay time to prepare his opening spec