THE TICHBORNE CLAIMANT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 135, 7 June 1872, Page 4

THE TICHBORNE CLAIMANT.

o The London correspondent of a Scotch paper says : — " The claim»nt won't be interviewed.' I need! scarcely say that he has been tried on. You would naturally have expected as much, but it may interest your readers to know the manner in which he received, or rather refused to receive, the approaches of the representative of a London newspaper, which will have * sensation,' if it can be bad for love or money. The gentleman in question attended at Newgate, and sent in his card. Instead of the invitation to step in, which the interviewing correspondent felt no doubt of receiving, the turnkey carried him out a message from Castro in these terms — ' Tell him I won't see him. I can't see all my friends ; and I'm not going to see strangers.'" The following letter from the claimant has recently appeared in the London newspapers : — . "S*r— -Will you be good enough to allow me to acknowledge, through the medium of your paper, the numerous letters addressed to me, and my solicitor, suggesting that I should appeal to the public for subscriptions for my defence, and to thank all those who have promised to subscribe for their kind feeling towards me in my present painful position. It is with the greatest reluctance that I adopt the suggestion, sure, however, as I am, that it is inspired only by a sense of justice; but as a victim of ' might against right,' what other cause am I to adopt ? True, it may be, that my friends who have already assisted will, to some extent help me further; but it will be unreasonable for me to hope that, after the assistance they have already afforded me, I can fairly look to them for the large sum necessary for my defence. If a few hundreds, or even a thousand, would suffice, I might not perhaps despair; but I am charged with being a perjurer, and am also, so it is said, to be charged with being a forger, which, I suppose means that I have used my own name of Roger Charles Doughty Tichborne. These foul and groundless charges will involve the whole question of my identity, to disprove which the Solicitor of the Government, advised by the Attorney-General (the leading counsel against me in the late trial), has retained the Attorney-General, Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., Sir Charles Honeyman, Q.C., Sergt. Parry, Mr. Bowen, and Mr. Archibald against me. lam not surprised at six counsel being engaged at the expense of the country ; my only wonder is that the Attorney-General, who will on the approaching trial have to represent the • Crown and justice,' did not employ all the English Bar to crush me, to gratify the personal feelings he has expressed. Fortunately for me, I have many friends who will never desert me, and who have obtained for me the best legal assistance. But how is it possible for me, utterly penniless, to avail myself of it, and to obtain justice, against the purse of the Government of England, the strings of which will, no doubt, be freely pulled for the purpose of proving me a perjurer and a forger — charges which, with others, have already been made against me by the Attorney-General, without proof ? However, here I am, and am likely to remain, unless I can find, not only four persons worth £1250 each to bail me out, but four persons who will allow all their affairs to be exposed to the public, for the purpose of showing that they can at any moment pay the sums for which they offer, themselves. When I have found four such friends, lam told that the advisers of the Government will then, in my case, raise an objection to the sufficiency of my own recognisance for £5000, unless I can prove that I am worth that amount. In fact, every effort will be used to keep me here. " Cruelly jpersecuted as I am, there is but one course that I can see, and that is, to adopt the suggestion so many have made to me, viz,, to 'appeal to the British public' for funds for my defence, and in so doing I appeal to every Brish soul who is inspired by arlove of justice and fair play, and -who is willing to defend the weak against the strong. That lam Sir Roger Charles Doughty Tichborne, I solemnly declare, and which fact I have already declared by 86 witnesses, and will prove again by more than 200; if necessary; and that I am not Arthur Orton I will prove -beyond ; the ; shadow of a doubt by witnesses who knew both Orton and myself. As to the tattoo marka, at least twenty- 1

four disinterested witnesses will prove that I, Roger Tichborne, was never tattooed ; but that Arthur Orton was there will be conclusive evidence forthcoming. But be all this as it may, true lovers of justice will, I feel satisfied, never allow me to be convicted without a fair trial, which it is impossible for me to have without counsel, solicitor, and witnesses on my behalf, and I therefore appeal to the public for subscriptions for my defence. Caged as I am, it is impossible for me to get a single ! witness without the assistance of my solicitor. Mr. William Warren Streeten, of 7, Old-square, Lincoln's-inn, barrister-at-law, has kindly consented to receive subscriptions, wHich I will thank all subscribers to pay to him, 'in trust for my defence, only,' otherwise the solicitors under my bankruptcy may claim it, as they did the paltry sum I had about me when I was conveyed here. — I am, sir, your obedient servant, R. C D. Tichbokne. "Newgate Gaol, 25th March."