ORIGIN OF THE TICHBORNE FRAUD.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3214, 18 October 1881, Page 4

ORIGIN OF THE TICHBORNE FRAUD.

Mr William Stapleford, of 156 Oxfordstreet, Manchester, who at the time of the Tich borne estate claim was said to bave been wanted by the English authorities, is at present paying a visit to this country, and was seen at 143 Ea9t Twenty-Pour 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 Kober Tichborne in 1854, when the young ntan was making a tour through Soxith America. Tichborne and he soon became friends, and after le*si t.han a week j= acquaintance the former , had told Stapleford all about, his home at Tichborne, and his fnmilv, and even confessing that an unfortunate attachment for hi« cousin Tnnrn, hud i I iv i • i to ijM )u c n>, "V ' Stapleford m'P.vpd from him a letter in June to the effect that he was going to New York by the Bella. Soon after that h* heard the Bella had been lost at sea, and concluded that his friend was lost in her. Tn 1856 his partner in Sydney, Wi , liam ftibbes, went to Enrr.pe, and 'Stapleford gave him t>.? portrait, of Sir asking him to see Lady Ticliborne in Pans and break to her the news of her son's rWt'i tellins; him u-t the Fame time what'•" knpw about the young heir, fn 1859''Wo'v> Oibbos returned to Sydney, Stapleforcf camto New York on business for one of clien's. and while there receivpd a lettpfroiTi "ibhe-, stating hi* intention of ye- ; .. ii> nriHon. T'n's dpfv'pfl him tri «iv iin tl'e husinp=s at. Sydney, and accordiriffly he sold it in 185 J and w'?ntto Knropc When he arrived at London he could not find Gibbes, so he started in business for himself at No. 121 Queen-street, London, X 0. where he remained till 1870. In that year he first, heard of the discovery of Sir Eoger Tichborne, and was very rmi/'h pleased at the news. Having a suspicion of the matter, however he went to see tlip 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 changpd his opinion, and in 1872 he was anions the witnesses who identified him. In 1872 he again saw him while out, on bail at Manchester, where Htapleford had gone meanwhile to lire and, at a pigeon shooting at the Bellvue Gardens, he acc\ised him of fraud, and threatened to expose him. The claimant then informed him that he was not Sir Bogey Tichborne, but Arthur Orton, of Wagga Wagga, and that he had been induced to personate Tichborne by Stapleford's own partner, Gibhes, of Sydney, who had first conceived the fraud, Taking advantage of the information given him by Stapleford, Gibbee had, instead of returning the papers to Lady Tichborne, written to her that her son was alive and well at Wagga Wagga, intending to get money 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 fluent. As Gibbes was known to fr>bbif,t, he got Orton into the scheme, premising him a share of the spoils ard Orton went to Sydney and brought Cubbitt over, who, sending a favorable reply to T-ady Tiohborne, received a large sum of money from her of which they all received a chare. Atthis point,Orton and Cubbittformed the 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 Orfcon sentenced, he did not think it necessary to inculpate his partner, and has never therefore, mentioned the matter to any one since. Gibbes, is, however, be believes, dead, and bo therefore feels no longer any hesitation in giving to the public a true history of the origin of the famous Tichborne claim.—New York Herald.