The Tichborne Trial – BNA © Henley Advertiser – Saturday 14 February 1874
End of the Tichborne Trial BNA © Edinburgh Evening News – Monday 02 March 1874
RELEASE OF THE TICHBORNE CLAIMANT
The
Tichborne Claimant released from Prison ten minutes past nine yesterday morning.
The event was quite unexpected him, although had been brought from Portsmouth on Sunday night, his time not being until 23d instant. There little demonstration, and he was only met by East and a detective, with whom he drove to Scotland Yard, entered into the usual formalities, and then departed.
The Claimant was removed from Portsmouth Convict Prison to Pentonville by the last train Sunday night. During Sunday, the governor of the former prison received telegraphic instructions and acted with the utmost secrecy. It was only at the moment of his removal that the prisoner was ordered put on civilian clothing and was not until both the convict and warder were in the cab that final orders were given. No one outside the prison knew of the removal until yesterday morning.
The intimation that the Claimant would be released nine o’clock yesterday morning was given the Pentonville Prison authorities Mr Quartermain East, who consequently attended punctually to receive his old friend. Entering cab together they drove once the Convict Office Scotland Yard, where the Claimant received bis ticket-of leave. order to avoid the inconvenience of his to make occasional journeys to London to report himself, the Claimant is allowed the privilege notifying his whereabouts the authorities by letter during the term of his After the necessary formalities at Scotland Yard had been complied with, Quartermain East, with his charge, drove away in cab without either them being recognised.
It is understood that it is the intention of the Claimant to remain quiet for a few days, and therefore his friends desire to keep his present address a secret. So far can ascertained, the conditions of the which has been granted will not prevent the Claimant from appearing on public platforms if he should feel disposed. long he keeps within the law and reports himself by letter the specified intervals, will retain his liberty without let or hindrance. When Scotland Yard yesterday morning the Claimant appeared to be in very good health, but with his characteristic reserve spoke but little those with whom he was brought contact.
MANIFESTO BY THE CLAIMANT.
The Claimant intends to remain quietude under the auspices Quartermaine East during the next few days.
With the assistance of his friends he has prepared and is about to issue the following manifesto:
“To the electors of Great Britain and Ireland. ” Gentlemen,
“For the last ten years and eight months have had suffer unjustly sentence of penal servitude determined upon before I was tried, and positively written out before the verdict was given against me. The spleen and malice which concocted the conspiracy against me pursued even within the walls of Dartmoor prison. For the first four years iniquitous imprisonment I was treated with harshness and rigour, and friends who came a long distance to see me and than whom there are not , nobler or more honourable men in this country—had but the allotted twenty minutes every three months which to converse with roe, notwithstanding the immense public importance of case and had it not been for the great interest you took in me, for which can never be too grateful, there is no doubt I should not now the land of the living”.
“Your enormous petitions the Crown and Parliament had been spurned and derided ; your voices have been condemned, and the resolutions of your public meetings thrown aside. Members of Parliament who promised you redress have shamelessly broken their pledges while listening to you upon subjects which would promote their elevation the Treasury and judicial benches, and while engaging in internecine conflicts for party purposes and political power. They have despised your real wants, and trampled upon your desires and demands for justice. ”
Parliament has, the introduction year after year of bills to establish Court of Criminal Appeal, confessed the imperfection of these laws of which and many others have been victims, and has proved its hypocrisy by discussing and approving these measures, and then shelving them without adequate cause or excuse. ”
At public meetings which propose to address I will show how and by what instruments, and to what purposes. both sinister and otherwise, this has been accomplished. Not content with putting the country to enormous and unjustifiable expense in attempting to prove me what I am not. my enemies have not scrupled malign while defenceless in prison, and to slander and libel my friends, whose character and position, however, I am happy to say, are for above the attacks of such villainy. Law officers of the Crown, from the highest the lowest, did not hesitate during my trial to use forged letters, to pack the jury, bring false witnesses from abroad the most loathsome character, to fabricate documents, alter records, suppress valuable evidence favour, to pay and keep witnesses out of the way, put spies on my counsel papers, and to threaten my witnesses, the judges who tried me were from the outset prejudiced against me.
On every page of the Chief Judge’s summing up spleen and bias can be plainly observed, while I myself heard official of tne Crown say court
that unless the jury brought in verdict against they would not be paid. Since then several of the officers and Government witnesses have been by successive Governments prosecuted and convicted of various crimes.
The particulars of those cases and the circumstances under which Arthur Orton has been kept, and still kept, out of the way in Australia, will be fully gone into in the course of my addresses, and the way in which distinguished personages have tampered with the course of justice will be unsparingly exposed.
“In the fervent hope that by the discussion and advocacy of my case reforms will be enacted which will be of lasting benefit to the whole nation, as well as myself, allow me remain”. Yours sincerely,
(Signed) “R. C. D. TICHBORNE”
BNA © Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer – Tuesday 21 October 1884
Linda Taylor
