Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-10-29
THE TICHBoRNE CLAIMANT.

Arthur OrtOn, allaS 1QOIuaS SdslIO, WIN
for a while figured as the famous "Ticbborne
! Claimant" has been finally released from
Pentonvile prison. tie was sentenced in the
Court of Queens Bench, London, Feb. 2S,
| 1871, 10 fourteen years penal seryitude Tor
perjury. He was sent first to Millbank, was
subsequently, transferred TO Dartmoor and
then to the Portsea prison, from which,
few days ago, he was removed with great
privacy, to avoid public demonstration, to
Pentonville prison, London, pending the
expiration of his penal term. The deduc-
tion in his term Of service IS tor good con-
duct during his imprisonment. The release
OF the Claimant closes chapter III the
most celebrated conspiracy case in English
annals since it is the first instance IN
English legal records where an impostor
assumed Identity with known person.
Tie briefest possible recapitulation of the
story is this:
Roger Charles Iichborne, born January
), 1929. in Paris, was after his father, heir
TO the title and estates Of his uncle, Sir
Edward Doughty Tichborne. He was
brought I'D and educated in Franco till he
was sent 10 the +. c. College at Stonyhurst,
England, and in 1S49 entered the British
army. In 1852 be offered himself TO bis
cousin, Kate Doughty, daughter CT Sir Ed
ward. but her parants refusing to entertain
| the match he sold cut his army commission
and went to sea- He is known 10 have
landed at Valparaiso June -, 1858, and on
April 90, 1854, he sailed from Rio de Janeiro
for New York on the ship Bella, which was
lost with all on board atsea. Rogers father
succeeded to the Tichborne title and estates
and died June II. 1862. In the presumed
loss nj sea Of Roger his younger brother Al:
fred succeeded. He died Feb. %, 1866, and
was succeeded by posthumous son born in
May following and to whom the Ilchborne
title and estates will come at his majority.
But meanwhile, Rogers mother, ell her
life resident in Paris, obstinately refused to
believe that her son was lost, and in 1865
she began to advertise in the English and
Australian papers for "Roger Charles Itch
borne" whom she believed to be still alive
A year afterward butcher at Wagga Wag-
ca, Australia, known to he Arthur Orton,
but then calling himself Thomas Castro, as
serted that he was the missing man and that
he had been saved, the sole survivor, from
the wrecked Bella By the assistance Of an
attorney who professed TO believe in him he
opcued ii correspondence with Lady Ticii-
borne, who supplied him with monov 10
come aud see her. He visited her in Paris
in January, 1867, and this now old and weak
minded woman, who for years had been
ready to recognize anybody who should
claim to be the long absent Roger. asserted
her belief that the impostor was her son.
She died March -, 1865, leaving the field
clear for the claimant.
Meanwhile, in 1861 be began Ill action
for the recovery of the Ticnhornc property,
then worth G24 900 year. but ii may here
be stated that the long litigation following
so reduced this magnificent property that
the trustees were compelled 10 mortgage 1t
10 carry on their suits in court. Sending
commissions to South America and Austria
liza DELAYED the trial Of the first suit four
wears, anC; it was not begun till May, 1871,
when it lasted 103 days, till March &, 1872,
when the Jury interposcd, declaring them
selves satisfied that the claimant was not
Roger Charles Tichborne. This was simply
non -suiting him in his attempt TO get the
estates.
He was smmediately indicted as "Thomas
Castro, otherwise Arthur Orton," for per-
Jury. Meanwhile an extraordinary number
Of people believed in him aud in the justice
of his claim. He received contributions of
money from all over England. He raised
more money on the sale of bonds payable
from the proceeds of the Tichborne estates
when he should get possession OF that prop
eriy. The perjury trial last lSS days, from
Ap,il %, 1873. to February 2S. 1874. The
Jury were cut less than thirty minutes and
found that the defendant was not Roger
Charles Doughty Tichborne, as he claimed,
and that he was Arthur Orton. His sum-
mary sentence to penal servitude speedily
followed.
,>o1 infC fn
and reveal the astounding imposture were
| these: He was five years younger than the
man he assumed to be. He was shown to
| have been born June l, 1884, the son OF
George Orton, London butcher, and to
have been christened Arthur. His whole
career from his birth was carefully traced.
It was shown that while he claimed TO
be Roger Tichborne in Australia he did
not dare 10 use Rogers balances to his
credit at two Australian bankers. On his
| return to London he first sought out his
Orton relatives. He was grossly llllterate
| while Roger was we'll educated He knew
no French, which Roger spoke better than
he did English, speaking English even with
| \ decided French accent. Roger was thin,
with straight hair, and his ears adhered to
the side of his head Orton was an inch
taller, his hair inclined to curl, he was gross
" fat and preposterously paunchy, and bis
ears had large free pendant lobes. No trace
of certain tattoo marks known to be on
Roger could be found on the claimant IL
is almost impossible to conceive OF greater
mental and physical discrepancies IN TWO
different persons.
Nevertheless, thousands of people in Eng
land and elsewhere firmly believed in the
claims of the imposter and believe IN MIN
| even now. One of his admirers is said to
have lately settled an annuity of elOO upon
| him. He has received offers to go on the
stage and publicly exhibit himself, and IN
| ducements have been held out to him to
come to this country for that purpose. HIS
i own desire is said to be to open public
i house, where his notoriety, he fancies, would
be the means of bringing him much money
Ia all probability when the first excitement
| of his release is over he will subside to his