Origin of the Tichborne Fraud.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 993, 1 November 1881, Page 4

Origin of the Tichborne Fraud.

[Yeio York Harald.} Mb. William Stapleford, of 156, Oxford-street, Manchester, who at the time of the Tichborne estate claim was said to have been wanted by the English authorities, is at present paying a visit to this country, and was seen at 143, East Twenty-fourth-street, New York, on Sunday. Mr. Stapleford was for many years a prominent solicitor and attorney in Sydney, New South Wales, and first made the acquaintance of Sir Roger Tichborne in 1854, when the young man was making a tour through South America. Tichborne and he soon became friends, and after less than a week’s acquaintance the former had told Stapleford all about his home at Tichborne and his family, and even confessing that an unfortunate attachment for his cousin Laura had been the cause of his leaving for South America. Besides the information he had learned from young Tichborne, not then a baronet, he had received a photograph of him as a parting gift, and they had arranged to correspond with one another before parting. In the summer of 1854, Roger, who had been travelling through the country, returned to Rio de Janeiro, and Stapleford received from him a letter in June to the effect that he was going to New York by the Bella. Soon after that he heard that the Bella had been lost at sea, and of course concluded his friend was drowned in her. In 1856 his partner at Sydney, William Gibbes, went to Europe, and Stapleford gave him the portrait of Sir Roger, asking him to see Lady Tichborne in Paris, and break to her the news of her son’s death, telling him at the same time what be knew about the young heir. In 1859, before Gibbes returned to Sydney, Stapleford came to New’ York on business for one of his clients, and while there received a letter from Gibbes, stating his intention of settling in London. This decided him to give up the business at Sydney, and accordingly he sold it in 1858 and went to Europe. When he arrived at London he could not find Gibbes, and consequently he started in business for himself at No. 125, Queen-street, London, E.C., where he remained till 1870. In that year he first heard of the discovery of Sir Roger Tichborne, and was very much pleased at the news. Having a suspicion of the matter, however, he went to see the claimant, whom he saw’ in 1871 in London. When he saw him at first he did not think he was the real Sir Roger, but afterwards changed his opinion, and in 1872 he was among the witnesses who identified him. In 1872 he again saw him while out on bail at Manchester, where Stapleford had gone meanwhile to live, and, at a Sigeon shooting at the Bellevue Garens, he accused him of fraud, and threatened to expose him. The claimant then informed him that he was not Sir Roger Tichborne, but Arthur Orton, of Wagga Wagga, and that he had been induced to personate Tichborne by Stapleford’s own partner, Gibbes, of ho had first conceived the fraud. Taking advantage of the information given him by Stapleford, Gibbes had, instead of returning the papers to Lady Tichborne, written to her that her son was alive and well at Wagga Wagga, intending to getmoney from her to send him home. After a great deal of correspondence, Lady • Tichborne had sent instructions for her son to go to Sydney, to be identified by an attorney named’ Cubbitt there, whom she had employed as her agent. As Gibbes was known to Cubbitt, he got Orton into the scheme, promising him a share of the spoils, and Orton went to Sydney and bought Cubbitt over, who, sending a favorable reply to Lady Tichborne, received a large sum of money from her, of which they all received a share. At this point Orton and Cubbitt formed the mad project that Orton should really go to England to personate the young baronet, and, although he acknowledged Gibbes was opposed to it as foolhardy, he did go there* and was identified by Lady Tichborne, and in 1870 he sent Gibbes and Cubbitt some more money, on receiving which they left Sydney. Orton promised Stapleford to give up the estate as soon as the trial was over, but, for fear of being imprisoned for perjury, he did not care to withdraw then. To save Gibbes and avoid being mixed up in the matter, Stapleford kept back his evidence, and when the fraud was discovered and Orton sentenced, he did not think it necessary to inculpate his partner, and has never, therefore, mentioned the matter to any oue since. Gibbes is, however, he believes, dead, and he feels no longer any hesitation in giving to the public a true history of the origin of the famous Tichborne claim.