New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-01
THE TICIIBORNE CLAIMANT.
PORTRAIT BY ONE WHO KNEW HIM
From The Saturday Review.

~ ~ 'i yN' pu' ~ - 90elli' ciSi S'4iN
and let me b. frank wished to see you. not
because l believe In you, but because think
thAl you are one OF the most extraordinary
men who have ever lived. Stn must not fog
g't the courtesy lue to a host Am | 70 al
dress you as Sir Roger Tlchborne or as Arth3
Drton. or am to assume that YOU are neitherr
IL was with these words that | introduced my
SELF a year or 50 ago TO me Claimant ~
e\d"nhy hkci TINS hun'heS' shook my hann
warmly laughed very Sood -naturedly, Dut WIN
q rather sad expression. and mOtioned me 10
seat. "Ah. he sand, II have brought ms 90
myself by the great mistake OF my Ire; Dut
tell me. did you believe in me before signed
that confession I'm The Pcope'? ! replied
frankly that did not. and thinking hat this
would be a good opportunity Of getting him 70
talk about himself. / said. "Wll YOU let me
tell you what seemed to me the points most
conclusive against YOU IN the trial. lie said,
"Cortanly ] shall bc most interested 10 hear
"Wel. the first was tn utter oblit'raton from
your memory Of all that it had been proved
Roger Tichborne had learned from ms tutor
and at Stonyhurst: tho second was your going
off 20 Wapping on the first night Of your arrival
in London, and the third was your denial that
You had over been at Iloyd's rooms when it
was proved cOnclusvely that you had searched
tn books there" His replies were very perth
nent and ingenious He said. "Will You believe
me when say that these things arr as strange
to me, to whom they actually happened. as they
can be to you? ! could never understand how
It was that | so completely lost my memory
which IS ordinarily a very good one 1t
perhaps due 10 my having delirium tremens
two or three times GOr in those days ! was
| had in the bush. But as for the visit to Wap-
ping II was perfectly natural and nothing was
50 unfairly represented in all my trial The
facts we're these: | landed at about o'clock
I'm the afternoon OF Christmas Day and drove
straight 10 Fords Hotel in Manchester Square
where had some dinner about D and having
nothing 10 d. that evening tfOr my mother,
whom I expected to lpeet. had not arrived.
thought I couldn't DO better than keep prom
ise had made to Orton that ! would call
his people ana tell them how he was doing
I ebo IaL no inc % .
this later on when business began. 50 took
four-Whcelcr and went on. and that was tho
reason went TO Wrapping on the nisht OF my
arrival As for visiting Lloyds ! can only say
that | nave absolutely no recollection Of hay
ing been there and at the present moment Do
not even know where Iloyi's Is
He talked I'm "A low tone without emphasis
and with 4 curious half-inliff,rouce Alternating
9Th ~ r.r.atr frrtivrlv ohsrr,aut attention to
IN. IMPRESSION he was making IIis voice WAS
! soft ana care-sirg his accent a singular mkt
ure e affected refinement and natural vulgarity,
some of his words being minced and drawied
IN an oyrrD.u. attempt u mimic the fine gen.
tlcmau and some Ike" 'Dusc" and putt" Hor
"putJ batraylng less cultivated associations
The twof0ld life which he had ci thus
plainly Indicated His features were very
striking and produced quite a different impres-
sion from that given 10y ,he public portraits
His massive face. and head with It's long and
abundant white hair. gave him an almost noble
were anything but Ilehelan. What spoiled his
head We're the .4ls the lobes - winch Were
most remarkable 3 Ing long. habbily Ieudul2rt-
and nat. His eyes were large - proWiih H.
not shifty. but not always easily and slraighu-
/ meeting you, they had a curious askA1ce LOOK
sometimes which. con niuei with t"lfDInS DC
/ dOwu-puled thick black eyelashes. Va no. al
I such moments captivating Taken as = "hoIe
aud seen IL r'pns'. there was nothing nv
features 70 Indicate the quAIte2 "hlCn ave
made his name Infamous. lie talked Win lie
utmost freedom - his life and his experience
In his youth. he said he had no pr't'uS.On 10
any virtue and had been perfect roue ne
would drink two bottles of brandy At s!ttrs