The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-22
THh T1oHBoRNE CLAIMANT.
He StiTI Counts His Friends by Thousands
Brief History OF the Case. ..

He StiH Counts His Friends by ThousSntls-
Brief History OF the Case.
LONDON, Oct 2l.-The Tiehb9ffie claimant
WREN released from prison yesterday, weighed
a52 pounds. When he began his term of penal
sefvitude in 1874 he weighed 1854 pounds. He
still counts his adhefehts by tens Of thousands.
They include many rich dukes and several
members of Parliament. He has already begun
an agitation intended to reopen his case, and to
force new trial to prove whether he is Arthur
Orion, or Thomas Castro, or Sir Roger
Charles T1chb6rne. He has issued a nn,Tni-
festo, Which he signs Roger Charles Tichborne,
and III which he charges the govern
nefit officials with perjury, forgery and bribery
with suBorning and e6ercihg witnesses. and
with packing jurfes. It is not improbable that
the claimant viii be returned to Parliament by
some constituency to ada to the miseries Of the
coming session.
Roger Charles Tichborne, child born Jan. 5,
1929, of an ancient English Catholic family, was
after his father heir to the title and
estates of his, uncle, Sir Edward Dough
Valparaiso June 10, 1853, and having
crossed the continent eastward April 20, 1854, he
sailed from Rio for New York on the Bella,
which was lost at sea. His father succeeded to
Che baronetcy March q, 1858 and died June II.
1862 It then passed to the second son,
Alfred Roger being presumed 10 be
lost, who died February %, 1866 and
was succeeded by his posthumous son, Sir
Henry richborne, born May 2S in that year In
1865 Sir James's widow hoping Roger might
yet be alive had advertised for him in the
English and Australian papers. In 1865
her advertisement was answered by one
Thomas Castro butcher at Wagga Wagga.
Australia, who pretended TO be her son, and
who asserted that he had beeh saved from the
wreck Of the Bella. After some correspondence
with Lady Tichborne, Castro sailed for Eng
land, where he arrived Dec Is, 1866.
In january 1867 he Joined her at Paris
and was by her accepted as her son
thought most of the other members of the
family fepudlated him. In March he fled a bill
against the trustees of the estate, and. having
been occupied in the interim IN obtaining wit
nesses and testimony brought the
action for the recovery Of the estates valued
at $24, 900 a year, to trial May il,
1863 Lady Tichbolne died March IL, 1871, still
believing Castro to be her son. The trial lasted
at one session 103 days, and, with adjeurnments,
till March 6, 1872 when the jurors declared them
selves convinced that the claimant was not
Sir Roger, and he was non suited. The prinei
pal points against him were his ignorance of
spoke Admiralty and of incidents hap
pening during his sej6urns in France;
the dissimilarity of the handwriting of
the two men; their marked physical
differences the claimants neglect while in Aus
tFalia to avail himself Of the large balances at Sir
Rogers credit, though he was pressed for
money, and his own action in seeking out i'm
metfiately ON his return to England the Ortons.
family Of rather humble life to whom he pre-
scented himself and sent his photograph as
Arthur Orion.
Then the claimant was put upon his own trial
for perjury as Thomas Castro, Otherwise Ar
thur Orion" and after six months. in which
there were actually lsS days sittings.
the jury, after being out found him
guilty of perjury. The solicitor general oceu-
pied thirty-one days in opening the case, the
counsel for the defense forty seven days to sum
ming up and the judge eighteen days in giving
the charge, The Judges charge alone occupied
$50 solid columns in the London Times. Half
million dollars was contributed by the English
people in the shape of bonds to enable the claim
ant to prosecute the case, and the case cost all
parties 81, $50, 000. Half the low and unlettered
was convicted Fed 28, 1874, and sentenced by
Sir Alexander Cockburn to fourteen years penal
servitude