Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-27
TIE NEW 41cHBoRNR CLAIMANT.

story nothing which a reasonably intelii-
gent person who had carefully studied the
reports OF the two Tichborne trials could
not have put together. The first real point
of interest in the affair occurs in the state
ment that Tichborne did not embark on
the Bella. The San Diego claimant says
that he assuming himself to be Tichborne)
did not take passage on that vessel at all.
! This statement derives additional interest
from the peculiar bitterness with which he
speaks throughout of the French valet,
| Jules Barraud. For it must be remembered
that this Jules Berraud testified on the
trial that he had seen his master, Roger
| Tiehborne, on board the Bella, and that he
had seen the Bella sail with him on board.
The objection which Ferris tries to raise
in relation to the passport will not stand
examination. He says it is absurd to sup
pose that there could have been any diff
Guilty about a passport; that TichboFne,
with bis letters and documents, could easily
have procured one; and that therefore it
could not have been necessary that he
should be Struggled on board the Bella.
But according to jules Berraud the real
difficulty was not at all what Ferris seems
to suppose. The Frenchmsn said that
acting on instructions from his master he
made inquiries about passport and found
that it would take three days to get it.
There was no other difficulty in the case
than that of the delay, and it was to avoid
this delay, which would have made Itch.
borne mss his passage in the Bella, that
he determined to go without one.
The statements OF Jules Berraud and
of Captain Oates in fact harmonic thor
oughly, and the effect of their testimony
was to produce the conviction that Itch.
borne did actually leave Rio Janeiro in the
Bella. Ferris has doubtless sufficiently
mastered the details Of the trial to
perceive that one of the first necessities OF
his case is to impeach TIE veracity of the
French servant, and to this conviction
those who regard him as an impostor will
be very apt to attribute the role of Me-
phistopbeles which he has assigned to
Berraud all through his story. Any one
undertaking to personate Roger Itch
borne is in fact compelled to explain away
the whole of the very circumstantial and
clear account of the sailing of the lost
heir in the Bella. 1t is not enough to
assume that he never went to Rio Janeiro.
Such an assumption can only involve the
claimant in great difficulties unless it is
supported by new theory of the total
depravity of Berraud. As to the objection
of Ferris that Tichborne could not have
travelled the distance necessary to bring
him to Rio in time to sail in the, Bella,
he apparently overlooks the fact that it
was shown on the trial that Tichborne &C.
tually did ride some sev4ty miles in ope
day in order to make the connection.
The Berraud theory, however, is entirely
indispensable to the Ferris hypothesis
If Berraud was a truthful and honest man,
then it must be accepted as fact that
Roger Tichborne sailed on the Bella.
That fact was certainly regarded as fully
established on the trial, and the evidence
for it is as strong as anything of the kind
could well be. 1t is only then by over.
throwing the credibility of Barrauds mar
ratiye that any opening can be made for
/ = new claim, r,por 4La +;4Ja ,,d aato+o,-,
aud it is scarcely necessary to point out
that Ferris has failed SO far to adduce
anything possessing evidential value in
this connection. His theory of malignant
eonspiracies against his life cannot be ac-
copied for moment. His stories of
subsequent encounters with Berraud are
not at all plausible. In fact the whole
account OF his assumption of the name CT
Ferris is strongly suggestive of labored
endeavor to explain away personal ante.
cedents which, like those of Arthur orion,
initiate fatally against the probability OF
his narrative. In this too he convicts him
self of curious duplicity, for while he
says that his assumption of the name OF
Ferris was almost forced upon him by
the friends and relations of the latter, he
has previously asserted that he passed
himself off as Ferris to Baron Humboldt,
long before he arrived in New York.
These stories are not consistent, and
damage the value Of the narrative even
as work of fiction.
There is indeed cnly one point in the
whole affair which seems to deserve atten.
ton, and that is the statement that Ferris
gave his children Tichborne family names,
and that he did this as far back as 1867.
OF course even if this were true it would
not amount to proof OF his identity with
Roger Tiohborne. It might only show
that he had cherished the idea of this
PRESERVATION for several years. It would
however decidedly lift the affair out Of the
region of mere vulgar imposture, and
would justify serious examination of the
claim. The probability that any one should
have undertaken to personate Roger Itch.
borne before theifact of his disappearance
had become generally known, and long be.
fore the Orion imposture, is exceedingly
slight, and the new claimant is entitled to
whatever support this circumstance of the
naming of his children may give him. OF
course it would be necessary to verify his
alleged certificates of birth and baptism.
for such documents have frequently been
forged. This however is the one point in
the affair which does not admit of com.
paratively easy analysis. The tests of
Identification which have been proposed
may throw further light on the business,
though after the amazing blunders in this
line which were made in tine Orion case,
it is evident that not much weight can be
placed upon such fancied recognitions. So
far the case is obscure, and the probabilities
against the commences of the claim are
very great.
-------> >-----
C4oCTAWS AND CHrcKAeAws