THE TICHBORNE CLAIMANT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1205, 3 April 1885, Page 3

THE TICHBORN E CLAIMANT.

The following interesting particulars, which have indirect bearing upon the Tichborne Claimant, have beta gathered by one o? the staff of the South Australian Register in conversation with-a gentleman who some time since was visiting Singapore. He says : —"When in Singapore a few years ago 1 was present at a conoart given 'in the Town Hall At theend of the performance referred to 1 was walking oat with a friend of mine (wjio had been in Singapore for a considerable time), when 1 saw a man standing up preparing to leave. 1 exclaimed to mv friend, “Why, there is the C'ai nant.’ T:iia remark was called forth by t.ho p-nnliar resemblance of the man to the likeness of the Claim ing whose photograph 1 had only seen. My friend rop’ie 1: 1 That is Vlr George Orton, who is residing in Singapore, and is a timber merchant by trale.’ A short time, after this t happened to see a letter written by George Orton, the writing of which corresponded as far as formation of letters?an« pearanoe, etc, with those /as similes of the Claimant’s letters one time published in the ‘lllustrated London News.' Then again, later on. I was told by the me lioal man who atten led Orton that he had heard him soy when Tichborne w is referred to as resembling him. and when asked why he did not go Homo and give evidence at the trial., * If he is my brother he Ought ti bn hanged. If hot; what reason is there" for my going home f ’■ My story does not •step hero, 1 When in London some little time afterwards

1 was going rimed- MaoumeTussm I’s wax-' works [ hail oiy catalogue in'ny ban T7(>nt before 1 okin. at it my eya o night a figure in the corner, an I I at oncesai i to niysolf. ‘That must be the from h'S resemblance to the mm at’ Singapore,' t .then glanced at my catalogue, and fonn f that I was o >rrect in the opinion that 1 ha I formed.” Respecting the foregoing para graph, a marine engineer now resident in Fort Adelaide hue called at our port office, eaying he was mnch struck with the particulars contained in the paragraph, from his close acquaintance with the individual alluded to. He says he has been sailing for four years from Singapore as second and chief engineer under Captain George Orton, who is now in the timber trade at Smgipore. Orton was for years in command of a steamer called the Oh >w P.iya, belonging to Sinarpore, lint purchased by a China Comp my originally from the King of Siam. Our informant says he has often seen photographs of the Claimant, and has always been struck with the family likeness to his captain. He is also in possession of papers signed by CaptainOrton regarding his character as an engineer. Mrs Orton bad often told him that her husband’s father was a butcher at Wapping. Captain Orton was very corpulent and apparently about sixtyfire years old. He used to trade chiefly b"tween Singapore and Bangkok, and in 1876 had been at Singapore f>r twenty years. Six years ago Orton had a am being educated in Edinburgh, and oar informant says he called upon him there at that time and handed him a parcel sent by Mrs Orton.