TICIIBORNE TRIAL, a celebrated conspiracy case in the legal records of England, in which an impostor, who assumed the identity of an heir to claim his estate, was found guilty and sentenced to fourteen years' penal servitude. Roger Charles Tiehborne was born in 1829, and after his education in France and at the Roman Catholic college of Stonyhurst, he entered the English army in 1849. In 1852 he offered to marry his cousin Kate, the daughter of his uncle, sir Edward Tichborne; but failing to obtain the consent of her parents, resigned his commission, sailed for Valpariso, and in 1854 left Rio de Janeiro on board the ship Bella which was lost at sea. Sir Edward Tichborne died in 1853, and was succeeded by his brother James. The latter died in 1862, and as his eldest son Roger was supposed to be lost on the Bella, he was succeeded by his second son Alfred, who lived only till 1866. A posthumous son was born three months after the death of Alfred, and was accepted as the heir to the Tichborne estates. In 1865 Lady Tichborne, widow of Sir James, advertisedin English and Australian newspapers for her son Roger, whom she believed to be living. In 1867 a butcher of Wagga Wagga, Australia, where he was known as Thomas Castro, sailed for Paris, and was accepted by lady Tichborne as her son Roger; although nearly every other member of the family considered him an impostor. He found, however, many adherents, and traveled about England to secure witnesses and obtain information concerning incidents in the life of Romer Tichborne, In 1867 he filed a bill in chancery to restrain the trustees of the estates from setting up certain outstanding terms as an answer to any action he might bring to recover the property. The trial was delayed for nearly four years by various
causes, especially by sending commissions to Australia and South America. Lady Tich borne died in 1868, but there were so many persons who believed in the claimant that he was able to borrow large sums of money to pay the expenses of the trial, which was commenced in 1871. It continued for 103 days when the jury declared themselves satis fied that the claimant was not Roger Charles Tichborne, and he was nonsuited. He was then imprisoned to be tried for perjury, but was released on bail. His trial for per jury was be,gun in the court of queen's bench in 1873, and lasted 188 days, till Feb. 28, 1874, when he was found guilty and sentenced to fourteen years' penal servitude. The career of the claimant was traced from the time he left England to the time of the trial, and it was clearly shown that his real name was Arthur Orton, a native of London, who emigrated to Australia where he assumed the name of Thomas Castro. He was entirely ignorant of incidents in the life of Roger Tichborne during his residence in France, and knew no French, which Roger spoke more fluently than English. His hand writing was entirely different, and he was very illiterate, while Roger had been well educated. It was also proved that he did not resemble Roger in his physical appear ance. In consequence of the trials the trustees were obliged to mortgage the Tichborne estate See Charge of the Lord Chief Justice in the Case of the Queen v. Castro (Lon don, 1875).