The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-12-13
The Tichborne Claimant.
rhe story of Celebrated Case Retold.

A few days ago the New York Tribune
had short notice of "the claimant to the
effect that he is now discharged on ticket of
leave from Dartmoor Prison, where he has
lain since 1873 for perjury committed in sup
port of his claim to be Sir Roger Tchborne,
and the rightful heir of The Tichborne es-
tate. This pretense of Arthur Orion, the
Mapping butcher, to be Sir Roger Tichborne
is one of the most curious events in the an
nails of imposture, and the trial-at-law by
which he sought to have his claim recog-
nized and established was one of the most
wonderful that ever occupied the courts. 1
was in England at the time AMI like all 9TH
er persons was intensely interested in the
an impudent imposture. The most curious
thing about i was thai though all The facts facts
and circumstances showed conclusively that
the claimant was a fraud, there were a great
many educated people who thoroughly be-
lieved in him.
At the time of the trial the whole of the
affair was pretty well known in this country,
but almost a generation has grown up that
knows little of il except by name, while the
story has lost little of its interest.
Sir 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 French accent He
was hayward in his disposition, and at
| twenty-four years of age left home on long
voyage to South America and a protracted
tour in that country. This voyage was I'M
dertaken because an engagement with a
charming young lady, his cousin, was not
favored by her family. After remaining in
South America some time he embarked on
board the ship Bella for Australia, and moth
| ing was ever heard afterwards of the ship,
passengers or crew, except that a few days
after she left port some floating wreckage
was found bearing the ships name.
| Lady Tiehborne, the mother, was French,
and peculiar, having what was called in
court a mduuGis tete-unbalanced mind.
She would not believe that her son was dead,
and in the papers offered reward of a
| thousand pounds for reliable news of him.
This advertisement in the London Illustra-
ted News reached Australia, where Arthur
Orion, o London butcher, then was keeping
a meat shop Lady Tichborne was notified
that her son was found, and after much de-
lay the claimant went to London, where he
arrived in an afternoon. Keeping himself
close in his inn until dark, he then muff1ed
himself up and went down to the low part
/ 0e oil vhar fHa0 Nv
ton family had lived, and where the Orion
butcher shop was. He found the family
gone from the old place, but made careful
| inquiry about the members of it and of their
present location, Immediately opening COM
muncation with them. He did not go to
see Lady Tichborne, who was then in Lon
don.
In short time an influential "Caimant''
party was organized, by which funds were fur
nished with which 10 prosecute the claim to
thetitle and estates. In due time Orion pre-
sented himself in court under the title of
Sir Roger Tichbourne, claiming the estates
of the family, which with the title were then
| in minor brother of the real Sir Roger.
Sir Roger Tichborne dead was of sleight
build, delicate health, narrow shoulders, fat
chest, light frame, weighing one hundred
and twenty-five pounds. while the Claimant
was tremendous Englishman, weighing
| twenty Jnre0 SLOne-olz pOundS-and seat
in the court room was expressly prepared
for him, because there was none that could
contain his immense bulk.
He had been induced with some difficulty
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 con-
tract" and turned away without another
word. When asked about him the lady said !:
''That beast Sir Roger? Bahr' The claim
ant 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 language 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 be was
asked what language it was in; he said I:
"Greekl" He was asked the meaning of
the word mathematics and of the word met
aphysics; he could not tell, he did not know.
He was very big, burly, fat man, with a
| big foot. 1t was important to show that Sir
Roger had also large foot A shoemaker