The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-10-29
A ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE,

|
The Tichbornc Claimant, Again.
The cable announces the release of
the Tichborne claimant from penal servi-
tude, and thus a new phase of the mt ost
celebrated case that has occupied the
English criminal and civil courts during
the past century is entered upon. A
slight retrospect will enable every one
to recall the general outline Of the case.
Roger Tichborne, heir to tho Tichborno
estates and title, when 26 years of age,
set sail from Rio In tho Bella, which
| foundered at sea. An odl Young 1pan
backward in education and somewhat
eccentric in character, he had been edu-
Gated in France, and in 1845 entered
Stonyhurst College. In l849 a commits
sion was purchased for him in the Sixth
Dragons. In 1853 he ssld out and left
England with n purpose Of making =
protractcd tour abroad. After the foun-
der'ns Of the Bella and tho supposed
death Of all on board, year or two
elapsed, and no sign having como from
Roger lichborne, the family were forced
to the conclusion that he too had perish
ed. His mother, however, refused to
believe that her son was dead, and ad-
vert'sed again and again for news Of him.
In answer to these appeals a communi-
cation was received in 1865 from tho
man now known as the Tichborne claim
ant, declaring his identy with the long
missing heir to the Tichbo estates and
title. Cnbitt, the man through whom
the correspondence was carried on, held
ami interview with him, and so intimate
was the knowledge shown by tic claim
ant Of the history of the Tichborne
family that Cubitt was convinced that
he was the righful heir. Boyle, per-
sonal attendant Of the undoubtsd Itch
borne, instantly recognized tho claim
ant as his old master. In July, 1866,
the claimant, accompanied by his wife
and child, set sail for England, where
he arrived OH the 25th Of December.
Three days later he was seen and recon-
nized by number Of old residents of
the Ilchborne estate, and, few days
after, he went to Paris where the dowa-
gcr Lady Tichbornc was residing.
without the slightest hesitation he was
recognized by that lady rs hor son, and
was declared to be such by tho British
Embassy.
Returning to England the claimant
took up his residence ut Essex Lodge,
Croydon, where his mother, who went
to reside with him, made him an ample
allowance up|to the day Of her death on
the 18th Of March following. The rest
Of the family then refusing to acknowl.
edge him RS the heir, and treating him as
rank impostor, several wealthy friends
advanced the necessary funds to enable
him to enter suit for tho recovery Of
the Tichbornc estates, worth some 1926
600 year. The case ca1ne on for trial
in the latter end Of the year 1871, and
the result was that the plaintiff was or
dered into custody for perjury. Dozens
Of persons who had known the undoubt.
ed Roger Tichborne swore at the trial
that the present claimant was none 9TH
er than he: but, on the other hand, a
powerful array Of witnesses denied his
identity and were equally positive that
the claimant was none other than Ar
thur Orton, the son Of Mapping butch
er, who was known to have emigrated
to Australia about the time that tho
claimant stated that he had sailed to
that country. The plaintiff was relcas-
ell from NewGate prison, on very heavy
bail, after short time, and in the fol-
lowing year was put on trial on 4 dual
charge of forgery and perjury. This
trial lasted 100 days and ended in the
claimants conviction, which was follow
cd by sentence of fourteen years Pc
nal servitude, seven years for perjury
and seven years for forgery. The claim
ant has now served out his full term, less
the three months in each twelve which
is granted to all convicts whose conduct
is good while in confinement. The
whole expense Of tho prosecution was
paid by the Government, and it is un-
dcrstood that the whole affair cost the
country no less than $l,5OO,OOO. The
machinery of the Home office and the
detective department Mt Scotland Yard
was pushed to it's fullest extent to con.
vict the accused. The theory of the
prosecution was that the claimant was
not Sir Roger Tichborne, but that he was
Arthur O,ton. Sevcnty-five witnesses
were called who had known Arthur Or
ton. The entire seventy-fve swore
that Orton had light hair, sixty swore
that he had large hands, ffty-two swore
that he had large feet fifty-one swore
that he had high check bones, twenty
eight sworc that he had marks Of small
pox, and seven sworc that he had lisht
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