SIR ROGER TICHBORNE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6147, 30 July 1881, Page 6

SIR ROGER TICHBORNE.

A romance in real life is being opened up by one claiming to be the veritable Tichborne, and the daily teem.-with accounts'of this'claimant, to whose story there is attached some belief. Of course, no one has forgotten,- the great trial of Arthur Orto» and its consequences; what the pro l sent story wilUturn out lies in the dim future: The. new . Sir- Roger lives in San Diego,' some. distance from this city, and during last month' called upon General Barnes, our Noi 1 lawyer, claiming to be the missing heir to the Echborne estates. He had three days'-interviews with the lawyer, and gave him a distinct and interesting narrative of his life from childhood upwards, saying that he had been the victim of hatred among his family, who wished him dead, in order to-claim the Tichbbrnc estate. He further says that on coming over to America he made a solemn vow that he would never reveal his name until the, year 1880. This vow he has kept up to this time. The narrative deals with detajla which would indeed seem to be convincing proofs of his truthfulness; even to the dress of bis childhood he has got it all made out. He passes under the name of Charles Ogden Ferris, which name he took from a companion .vho was his greatest friend, and with, whom he travelled. ' This friend was as like himself as a twin brother, and when he died in the mountains the present man took his name to hide his own identity. Sir Roger declares he will now_ go over to England, and establish his claim to the Ticliborne baronetcy. If the story is a true one it will cause a great sensation, as even here, where no one is interested in his claim, his story has made a profound imrpession, and is on every lip. ■

THE INDIGENT DEAD. "In the midst of life we are in death." That's true enough, and more's the pity that so many!poor folks while in "life" cannot Bave up money enough to help bury them decently, if not handsomely, when the reaper stands at the door. In our beautiful city- if you cannot bury yourself, und no friends come opportunely forward, you must make up your mind to becoming an " indigent" corpse. Tfce new contract for burying a pauper whom nobody owns, is in the hande of a young man named Kelly, yer j honor—quite a rare name too. Well, Kelly has undertaken to bury the indigent dead for 60 cents a head. Think of it, Christian men and women, 60 cents—that means in English, let me see, 30 pence or 2s 6d—bless me I'm always forgetting the English money —but that's it, 2s 6d all told for coffin, shroud, cartage to the hole wherein the body is dumped, &c. Some startling dis coveries came to_ light lately when a man ;uamed Fox died in the hospital, whence he was expressed to the store of the public undertaker., There the soulless clay lay for a week, in a rough box, while the worms held high carnival in the cavernous eyelids, beneath which once the windows of his soul appeared. The reason for keeping a pauper's body so long above ground is in order to hunt up relatives, so that the contracting undertaker may get up a decent funeral, the expenses of M hich come into his pocket. If no one turns up, and the body becomes too horrible to keep any longer, it goes in with the other bodies that come in subsequently —for a load must be made up. When taken into consideration that the poorest coffin costs 2 dollars 50 cents, it seems incredible how any man can bury the dead at 60 cents per head, and keep himself alive with the proceeds of the same.

TOMBSTONE WIPED OUT. Tombstone 13 one of the principal towns in Arizona—the land of gold and Aztecs—and over the wires came, like a shock, the news of its demolition by the fire fiend. A barrel of whiskey, standing near a cigar lighter, which is kept burning day and night in many of the stores, caught fire; and though a little self-possession at this point would have saved the town, the people grew dazed, and in no time the wooden shanties were ablaze, and, the wind springing up, the whole town was speedily laid low. A quarter of a million will not pay for the losses. The very next day the people were at work clearing the ground preparatory to rebuilding—such is American vim.

THE GLORIOUS FOURTH is again at hand. Monday will see it back upon us, with all its fire and thunder of bombs. For the last ten days the town has, as usual, been unbearable. Small boys go about sending off crackers under the nasal organs of terrified girls and women. My own boy, no better than the rest, pops off his squibs at sunrise outside the bedroom doors, causing the house to rise in alarm to theory of " Who's shooting ?" Again does red, white, and blue prevail; flags, streamers, and shields decorate the doors and windows, and the stores have no thought of displaying any colours but these three. A fiery holiday is a perfect nuisance, but this summer is so cold and bleak that after all it is not so bad as in bygone years. There will be the usual procession and exercises, winding up with a 6a! masque, where prizes will be given to the best dressed and best acted characters. But, even with the election, the Fourth, and other mild attractions, everybody is in the blues, the reason principally being the stagnant position of the

STOCK MARKET. A month ago there was a rush to get in at moderate prices; thea came one of those small spurts which made all hearts joyful, my own included. But, alas ! the spurt was nothing more than a sunshower; it came and went, and now the faces of the speculators are longer than a pump handle, except those who "shorted," and tliey ought to be hilarious. I was hoping to be half a milliontire by this time, but I am beginning to thinf; that the poor little bit of stock I have myself is the cause of the market breaking. You need not laugh, for I do veritab.y believe that lam the Jonah. You see, sone people have no more luck than a torn cat, aid they spoil everything they touch, and when I landed here there was a panic which has run more or less ever since. Where one pays 15 dollars a share for stock which instantly rises to 25 dollars one feels like patting on a few airs, but when, in the midst of those airs, it drops in two days to SJdollars, one feels exceedingly liketryingthe Bay or a dose of laudanum. Things are very dull, ind I candidly don't believe that the city will look up for years to come. An earthquake or tidal wave—anything for a change —would be hailed with a kind of ccstacy ; even a turn over by the tail of the comet would be something. But, as it is. well, we can only grin and bear; yes, we can hopeit costs nothing, and is comforting.

THE FRUIT SEASON. Never has there been anything like the show this year. Every kind of fruit, from a strawberry to a watermelon, is now to be had. Peaches and apricots are one month earlier than usual; so are melons and tomatoes. The market is a sight to see, but 8till, ( with all the quantity, it is very expensive this year, for which we must thank the canneries. They take everything at a clean sweep, leaving the housekeeper to mourn her lot. One thing I have never seen here is ripe jooseberries, and very few black currants'indeed, scarcely any, but everything else ia the most magnificent profusion. The same may be recorded of vegetables; there is nothing you can name that is not to be founl in our markets, and two crops oi ever/thing. Strawberries last from May to December, and are euormous in size; and with the fruit I think I'll take my leave, and say mrevoir.

■■■ -..-:•:■ July 3. ; ASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT. J4st as I had finished my letter, and was on aiy way to the mail, I observed the town in 5 state of general excitement. Groups of pecple surrounded the newspaper offices, and on the bulletin boards the legend, "Assassination of the President" burned out in horrible distinctness. . Some crazy wretch, who wanted a consulate and could not get one, thought that by making an end of the President, Arthur, the Vice-President, would come inland his end would be gained. It ie just possible that the President will not die; but his position is very critical, and the chances aro.all against his recovery. If this was a political movement the end would be a civil war of the most disastrous kind, but it is notso.\ : ~;-. Silver Pek.