HOME TOPICS. THE TICHBORNE CASE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 231, 4 July 1872, Page 5

HOME TOPICS. THE TICHBORNE CASE.

The Ticliborne claimant still haß his friends. In the House of Commons the other evening Mr G. I'nslow presented a petition signed by 891 inhabitants of the parish of Tichbourne and the adjoining parishes in Hampshire, professing their belief in the identity of the claimant, and humbly submitting that "if the public money were to be applied to the prosecution of the claimant, it should also be provided in his defence, because, as the petitioners were informed and believed, this was a case in which widely different opinions prevailed. The petitioners, therefore, earnestly entreated the House to refuse to apply the public money to the prosecution of the claimant." Mr A. Guest also presented a petition from 523 inhabitants of the town of Paole and its neighbourhood, wherein the petitioners stated that "immediately adjacent was the estate of Upton, formerly the property of Sir E. Doughty, and now claimed by Sir It. C. D. Ticlil>orne, recently consigned a prisoner to Newgate ; that tlie prisoner had been recognised by numerous persons who formerly knew him afc Poole, some of whom had sworn, while others were prepared to testify to his identity ; and they prayed that the House would take due and proper precautions that no advantage would be afforded to tbe prosecution in this case up every night till tbe trial was finished s It will be in the recollection of our reader ! that at the trial the claimant declined to answer certain questions put to him with regard to his life in Australia, and when he was asked by the judge whether his answering these questions might not involve him in a criminal charge, he answered ••yes." It is now atated that the charges to which the legal questions referred were for horse-steal-ing, and for a more serious offence, and ever since the commencement of the Tichborne case the Melbourne poli<e have been assMuously endeavoring to discover the whereabouts of Arthur Orton, and it is said that a warrant is now out, and is at present in London for the apprehension of that person on the 11 o c seiious charge. The warrant is stated to be signed by a Melbourne magistrate, but before it can be put in force in London it must b • backed by a magistrate for the country in which Arthur Orton lives. The serious offence alluded to is that of murder, committed in the bush near Melbourne. It is not the intention of the Australian police constables, who are, we are informed, : at present in London, and who have been here for some months past, to attempt to put that watrant in force until after the identity of Arthur Orton is proved to their satisi faction. MISCELLANEOUS. i Some facts of great interest arc recorded s in the scientific world, one being the introi duction into the iron trade of mechanical ; puddling, as invented by an American named i Oanks. Puddling is such a difficult portion of the manufacture, that it has ever been i the ai nof our ironmasters to solve the qnes- : tion mechanically, but although several have very nearly approached the solution, it j has broken down at a critical point. Mr ' Danlo, however, has succeeded in producing I a revolving chamber, which goes round the i heated iron, instead of, as formerly, the iron t being itself turned round the furnace. It is s said to increase the yield largely, to and pro- . duce much better iron. The Iron and Steel ; Institute have been carefully examining the invention, and it has been decided to introduce it large'y into England. It is seriously proposed to search for coal near London, i that is to say, in Sussex, a little to the north • of Battle. Mr Goodwin Austin deliberately ; asserts his conviction that, arguing byanalo- ' gy, the coal beds which are found in Belgium . and North France, extending to Calais, may i reasonably be found in the valley of the : Thames and under the Wealdon clay, and a trial is therefore about to be made to ascertain the truth of the theory.

The Lords have been busy with the Aberdeen peerage, and although there have been no difficulties in the present claimant making good his title, the whole story of George, Earl of Aberdeen alias George Osborne the first mate, is equal to any romance that ever was written, and proves again that truth is often stranger than fiction. The Phillips case, in which the lessee of the London re-freshment-rooms compelled the Great Western Company so stop their trains for a certain time, that passengers might feed on indigestible pork-pies, has been reversed in a higher court, and will probably now go to the Lords. It shows what the profits of a railway bar must be, when thousands are spent in an endeavor to keep its custom There is no other legal news of interest, save that J)t Lankester, ,the coroner and a rather well-known writer on health, is in the Bankruptcy Court.

SHOCKING: SCENE AT AN EXECUTION.—THE VICTIM CUT DOWN AND REPRIEVED.

The Fiji Gazette of June 1 says; — "The dreadful event of the early part of the week, through, we are bound to say, unforeseen circumstances which no living man could have foreseen, offers opportunity for an illustration of the horrors of capital punishment. It had been determined by the Government that Antonio Francs, convicted of the murder of Muir on board the ' Marion Itenny, ' should die. May 27, at 7 o'clock, was fixed upon as the day and hour for the execution ; but owing to the inability of the sheriff to attend the execution was deferred until next next day, May 28. At 6 a.m. on that day an inquiring crowd assembled, and as the wretched convict, attended by Mr Nettleton, Inspector Martin, and the executioner, appeared upon the scaffold, his immediate death seemed imminent. He was pinnioned, and had on his head a white cap. The executioner (Latham) had a black crape on his face, and he proceeded to manipulate the rope, which it was quite apparent was not adapted for the purpose, as he could not make the knot render— not when he tried with all bis might. Nevertheless he adjusted it loosely round the neck of the culprit, who kept his position with stoic indifference, and at a given signal drew the bolt, the sufferer falling at least six feet, and remaining suspended for the first minute or two quiescent. At the end of that time, there was a convulsive motion of one foot, then some horrid groans were heard, aud then in an unearthly noise Francs cried out, 'Oh God, kill me, shoot me, or cut me down ; I cannot die this way !' This was heard by those near — some actually fainting as the horrid sounds greeted their ear 3. Panic-stricken Sergeant Harding at ones complied with the request of the culprit, ascended the scaffold, cut him down, and jbe fejll with great force to the ground! He was then put on his feet, and advanced a couple of at^ps as the cap was removed from his face, saying. 'I wish" to die ; I have seen heaven ! For God's sake hang me ! But not that way ; I cannot die that way !' He was then carried into the goal, and laid down on a stretcher. He has since recovered, suffering little from the effect of the terrible wrench his neck had got. We understand that the King has now reprieved him, and that he will be kept to some close punishment for life. Previous to hie suspension he made a written confession, stating that he was prepared to die, and attributing his ein to drink."