TICH'BORNE TRIAL. A celebrated trial in which an impostor attempted to obtain posses sion of the Tichborne estates in Hampshire and Dorsetshire, England, by assuming to be the heir, Roger Charles Tichborne. The ease was remarkable for the great public interest it aroused, for the length and thoroughness of the trial, and for the success of the impostor in de ceiving a great number of intelligent persons. Roger Charles Tiehborne was born in 1829, and after some education in France, and at the Roman Catholic College at Stonyhurst, England, entered the British Army. His French accent and his eccentricities made him unpopular and he re signed and went to Brazil. He sailed from Rio de Janeiro in 1854 in the ship Bella, which was lost at sea with all on board. His father, Sir James Tichborne, died in 1862, and as Roger was supposed to be dead, a younger son, Alfred, suc ceeded to the estates. Lady Tiehborne refused to believe that her son, Roger Charles, was dead, and advertised extensively for information regarding his whereabouts. In 1365 a coarse, ignorant butcher named Arthur Orton, who resided at W'agga Wagga, Queensland, Australia, under the name of Thomas Castro, conceited the idea of representing himself to be Roger Charles Tich borne and claiming the estates. His first step was to write a letter to Lady Tiehborne claiming to be her son. The letter was illiterate and con tained statements as to his identification which were wholly false and inapplicable ,,to the true heir. He subsequently came to England, went over the Tiehborne estates, gained all the infor mation he could as to the former life and habits of Roger Charles, and succeeded in convincing the family solicitor and several others of his identity. In January, 1866, he called on Lady
Tichborne in Paris and was received as her son. This was most remarkable, as there was no simi larity in the appearance of Orton and Roger Charles, and Orton had no knowledge of the French language, in which the true heir was proficient. After this recognition he had great success in gaining adherents to his cause. The Tichborne family, however, repudiated him, and at a large expense investigated his life, discover Mg his true name and past life. Be succeeded in raising large sums of money by issuing bonds, payable upon his obtaining possession of the property. These were known as the 'Tiehborne bonds' and were widely distributed. He brought ejectment suits to recover the estates in 1871, and succeeded in inducing over 100 witnesses to swear that they recognized him or believed him to be Roger Charles. Despite his ignorance, he ex hibited remarkable shrewdness and cunning at the trial, which lasted 103 days and ended in his being nonsuited. In 1S73 he was tried for per jury, being defended by Edward KellenIly, and after a trial of 1S8 days he was convicted, and sentenced to fourteen years' penal servitude. He was released in 1884, and again attempted to stir up public sentiment in his favor, but was un successful. The cost of the two trials has been estimated at £200,000. He (lied in abject pov erty in IS9S. Consult: The Tichbornc Romance (Manchester, England, 1871) ; Charge of Lord Chief Justice of England in the Case of Queen vs. Thomas Castro (London, 1874).