THE TICHBORNE APPLICATION IN SYDNEY.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1414, 9 July 1884, Page 2

THE TICHBORNE APPLICATION IN SYDNEY.

[town and country journal.] In reference to the Lunatic Cresswell, alleged to be Arthur Orton, an application for release was made on Friday, the 6th instant, before Mr Jus tice Manning in his lunacy jurisdiction. Mr Barton, instructed by Mr R. B Smith, appeared for the applicants, Charles and Edmund Orton, who were in Court, as was also Jean Luie, the notorious witness who was convicted of perjury during the hearing of the great suit at Westminister. There were also present a number of witnesses in support of the application. Several affidavits had been sworn by several of these witnesses, who stated that they had recognised in the lunatic Cresswell the missing Arthur Orton. Among those who have sworn to Cresswell's identity is Mr Gordon Duncan, of Benalla, who has sworn that he recognises in Cresswell Arthur Orton by the scar of a deep wound which he himself inflicted with a big knife while playing with Orton at Wapping in the butcher's shop. He remembored the circumstances of the accident quite well. Orton had' his hand resting on the block, while his, head was turned another way, and Duncan in order to frighten. hint drew what he thought to be the back, of the knife across the back of Orton's hand ; but unfortunately it was the edge of the knife, the consequence being that he inflicted a very dpep wound between the finger and the thumb and fore finger, which lefyavery plain scar, and which he says he recognises on Creswell's hand. James Peebles, the second mate of the ship. Middleton, in which Arthur Orton left England for Hobart Town, is equally confident that Creeswell is Orton. '• He sayß that on the voyage Arthur Orton had charge of two Shetland ponies and several ferrets. Every <fay lie used, to change the cage of the ferrets for cleanliness. One day while doing so a large black ferret fastened on to his fingers, and Peebles says he pulled the animal off. The bite left a very peculiar scar which Peebles has recognised on Cresswell's finger, and Cresswell ia said to have recalled Peebles and the ferret incident without any difficulty. Captain W. J. Barry, of Otago, a Government lecturer on immigration, and author of a book entitled " Fifty Years* Experience in Australia," is another witness who is equally confident as to Cresswell's identity with Arthur Orton. Mr J. J. Wright, a wellknown residont of Qneanbeyan, on the New South Wales and Victorian border, and' an ex^niembar of ' Parliament, distinctly recollects having seen Arthur Orton at Queanbeyan, at the Commercial Bank, where he went to -cash a cheque for ' George Campbell of Dunstrom, for L 1 0; 'and saw him sign the name " Crpsswell " on the back of it. He jocularly asked Orton if ho was a member of the Cresswell family in England. He replied that "there were certain people in England i who would be glad to know what he knew." A. Dickson, Esq., a well known public man, who has occupied a position of justice of the peace for. 10 years iv Vic-

toria, and has acted as Commissioner in the International Exhibition of of Sydney and Melbourne, and is now resident in Paddington near says that he knew Arthur Orton at Wapping. They were companions and i played together, and he has recognised not only Cresswell as his old playmate Arthur Orton, but be has also recognised Charles and Edmund Orton as old acquaintances, all three of whom he identified as the sons of John and Mary Orton of Wapping. He swears that the alleged Cresswell ?s Arthur Orton. This with similar testimony, had been embodied in a formidable series of affidavits which were presented in support of the application of Charles and Edmund Orton. Charles and Edmund Orton were each called, and professed to have identified the Lunatic as their brother Arthur. Their expenses had been paid, they said, by a wealthy lady in England. Other witnesses were called, and the judge then ordered the production of the lunatic in Court on the following Friday.