Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-18
Tates aud Skttthes.
The rIehborne Claimant.
The STORY OF A CELEBRATED CASE Re
TOLD.

| had A short notice of 1.-THE claimant" TO the
effect that he is now discharged on ticket
of leave from the Dartmoor Prison, where
he has lain since 1873 for perjury commit
/ ted in support of his claim to be Sir Roger
Tichborpe. and the rightful heir of the
| Tichborne estate The pretense of Ar
thur Orton. the Mapping butcher, 10 be
| Sir Roger Tichborpe is one of the most
curious events in the annals of impOsture,
and the trial-at-law By which he sought to
| have his claim recognized and established
was one of the most wonderful that ever
occupied the courts was in England at
the time and like all other persons was
| intensely interested in the case not doubt
| ing from the first that it was an impudent
imposture. The most curious thing about
il was that though all the facts and cir
cunstanees showed conclusivelv that the
claimant was fraud. there were great
many educated people who thoroughly
believed in him.
At the time of the trial the whole of the
affair was pretty well known in this coun-
try. but almost a generation has grown
up thai knows little of it except by name.
while the story has lost little OF its inter-
est.
| Rir Roger Tichborne was French born,
and all his earlier years were spent IN
France. and his earlier education was in
Paris. French was his mother tongue,
and he spoke English with a French ac-
cent, He was wayward in his disposition,
and at "A years of age left home on long
voyage TO South America and a protracted
tour in that country. This voyage was
undertaken because an engagement with
charming young lady. his cousin, was
not favored by her family. After remain
ing in South America some time he en-
barked on board the ship Bella for Aus
trala, and nothing was ever heard after
wards OF the ship, passengers or crew,
except that a few days alter she left port
some floating wreckage was found bear
ing the ships name.
Lady Tichborne, the mother, was
French, and peculiar, having what was
called in court nlduUdtS tete-unbalanc-
ed mind She would not believe that her
son was dead, and in the papers offered a
reward of a thousand pounds for reliable
news OF him. This advertisement in the
London Illustrated News reached Austria
liza, where Arthur Orion, a London butch
err. then was keeping a meat shop. Lady
Tichborne was notified that her son was
found, and after much delay, the claimant
went to London, where he arrived in an
afternoon. Keeping himself close in his
inn until dark, he then mut1ied himself up
and went down to the lower part of Lon
don, called Mapping. where the Orton
family had lived and where the Orion
butcher shop was, He found the family
gone from the old place. but made careful
inquiry of the members of it and of their
present location, Immediately opening
communication with them. He did not
go to see Lady Tichborne, who was then
in London.
In short time an influential "claim-
anti party was organized, by which funds
were furnished with which to prosecute the
claim to the title and estates. In due time
Orion presented himself in court under
the title of Sir Roger Tichborne, claiming
the estates of the family, which, with the
title we're then in the possession of mi
nor brother of the real Sir Roger. Sir
Roger Tichborne (dead) was of slight
build, delicate health, narrow shoulders,
| fiat chest, light frame, weighing 1875
pounds, while the claimant was tremen-
dous Engllshman, weighing % stone-322
pounds-and a seat in the court room
was expressly prepared for him. because
lHeTe was UOtlo lutI COulu COuIdiu HIS
immense bulk.
He had been induced with some difficult
ty to consent to meet the lady to whom
Sir Roger had wished to engage himself.
She went to see him with another lady,
but he could not recognize her. She spoke
to him in French. He said THAT isn't in
the contract" and turned away without
another word. When asked about him
the lady said THAT beast Sir Roger?
Bahr The claimant didn't know one
word of French, not one word, though Sir
Roger had been absent only twelve years,
Sir Rogers reading was mostly of French
books, being more familiar with that Ian
guage than with the English, yet the
claimant did not know one word of Sir
Rogers mother tongue. But this did not
in the least shake the faith in him of the
claimant party.
Sir Roger had been to college; Latin
book was put in the claimants hands
when he was on the witness stand. and
he was asked what language it was in; he
said "Greek - He was asked the mean
| ing of the word mathematics and of the
word metaphysics; he could not tell, he
did not know. He was very big, burlv.
fat man. with big foot. 1t was important
to show that Sir Roger had also a large
/ foot A shoemaker was brought into court
to establish that point. He said he was
Sir Rogers shoemaker, and produced Sir
Rogers last on which all his boots
and shoes were made. This last was
/ padded with leather to enlarge and length
en- it. The shoemaker had done this him
self expressly for Sir Roger. This
seemed to establish the point that Sir
Rogers foot was as large as that of the
claimant. The last was passed to the
court and counsel, and then to the jury.
one of whom arose and said: My Lord
(to the iudge) this padding is put on with
peculiar French nails which were never
made until three years ago. am last
and shoe manufacturer and am agent for
the sale of these nails to the trade -
That little speech put the last out of
court. The faith of the claimant party"
was not in the least shaken that the 500
pound claimant was really the 125 pound
Sir Roger. nor did his broad shoulders and
his mighty chest. like that of a gorilla,
resembling like bass drum when struck,
suggest doubt to 'his party that all
this was really the true Sir Roger. with
the narrow shoulders. the fiat chest. the