The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1881-12-16
History Of the Tichborne Trial.

The Tichborne case reads like
highly-colored work of fiction and may
be briefly given as follows: Roger
Charles Tichborne was born January 5, |
1929, and was, after his father, heir to |
the title and large estates of his uncle, |
Sir Edward. Roger was educated in |
France and at the Roman Catholic Col
lege Of Stonyhurst, and when 20 years |
of age, entered the army. In the year
1852, Roger wooed the daughter OF Sir
Edward, his cousin Kate, but her
parents were opposed to the match, and
the young man resigned his commission
in the army and went to sen. On June
10, 1853, he arrived at Valparaiso, and
on April 20, 1854, sailed from Rio de
Janeiro for New York in the ship Bella,
a vessel that was lost. LII March of the
year 1853, Sir Edward died, and was
succeeded by his brother James, the
father of Roger and Sir James died
June Ii. 1862. and, as it was believed
Roger had been lost at sea, was sue
ceeded by Alfred his second son, and
brother Of Roger. Alfred died in
February, 1866, and was succeeded by
posthumous son, born in May, 1866.
Lady Tichborne, in the meantime, was
not on good terms with the rest OF the
family, and in her peculiar and pro-
nounced way manifested her feeling. In
1868 she began to advertise in the Eng
lish and Australian newspapers for
Roger, who, it will be remembered, had
been absent, i. q, dead, nearly twelve
years Id the year following butcher
Of Wagga Wagga, Australia, supposed
to be Arthur Orton, bnt called himself
Thomas Castro, announced that he was
Roger Charles Tichborne, and that he
had been saved from the wreck Of the
ship Bella. This person after some cor
responlence with Lady Tichborne, set
sail for England, reaching London on
Christmas. 1866, and in the month OF
January, Of the next year met Lady
| Iichborne 1T Paris, and was accepted
| by her as her son, and furnished with
! funds. Lady 1ichborne was almost the
| only member of the family who recog-
nized him, oil the others repudiating him
/ as an impostor. For some months he
went about England collecting evidence,
securing witnesses, and obtaining such
information in reference to the real
Roger as would be valuable In March
Az first action was commenced by the
!. claimant filing bill in chancery,
the real issue of which was to enable
him to prove himself to be the veritable
Roger, and the rightful owner Of the
title and estates. The case did not come
to trial for nearly four years, because Of
commissions being sent to south
America and Australia; and in the in
teryal Lady Tichborne died. The trial
began May II, 1871, and, with two
adiournments, it continued lob days, till
March 6, 1872, when the jury interposed,
declaring themselves satisfied that the
claimant was not Roger Tichborne,
and ne was non-suited. He was at once
ordered into custody to be tried for per
iury. but was later released on bail. The
perjury trial was commenced April 3d.
l974. when he was found guilty and SEN
fenced to fourteen years OF penal seryl
tude he was sent to Millbank, and latel
transferred to Dartmoor prison: The
estates Of the Tichborne were valued a
g24. 900 year. The first trial was be
fore the Court Of Common Pleas, ant
the perjury trial was before the court 0
ana Queens Bench. 1t was settle'
hevond reasonable doubt that TIN
!, oclaimant was Arthur Orton, who emf
! grated from London, his native place, 7
, Australia. and because Of evil-doinI
, changed his name to Castro. There are
! however, many in England who believe
J and still claim, that Orton Is koge
J Charles Tichborne.