The Tichborne case concerned the claim by an individual known as "the Claimant" (pictured) to be the missing heir to the Tichborne baronetcy and fortune. Roger Tichborne disappeared after a shipwreck in 1854; rumours later surfaced that he had survived and made his way to Australia. In 1866 a butcher called Thomas Castro from Wagga Wagga came forward claiming to be Tichborne; he travelled to England where, despite his unrefined manners and bearing, he was accepted by Lady Tichborne as her son. Although other family members were unconvinced, the Claimant gained considerable public support. By 1871 evidence suggested that Castro was actually Arthur Orton, a butcher's son from Wapping in London, who had gone to sea as a boy. A civil case ended with charges of perjury against him, and in 1874 a criminal court jury decided that he was Orton. He was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment. Released in 1884, he confessed in 1895 to being Orton, only to recant immediately. He died destitute in 1898.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tichborne_case> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1766: As part of wider food riots, citizens in Nottingham, England, looted large quantities of cheese; one man was killed during attempts to restore order. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_cheese_riot> 1879: Qing China signed the Treaty of Livadia with the Russian Empire, but the terms were so unfavorable that the Chinese government refused to ratify the treaty. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Livadia> 1913: The Shubert Theatre opened on Broadway with a production of Hamlet. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shubert_Theatre_%28Broadway%29> 1967: Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurgood_Marshall> 2005: Typhoon Longwang made landfall in China as the deadliest tropical cyclone in that year to impact the country. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Longwang> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: paroxysm: 1. (countable, medicine) A period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; a sudden attack of a disease symptom, such as a bout of coughing or a seizure. 2. (by extension) 3. (countable) Chiefly followed by of: a sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling; also, the most severe part of an activity or incident; the climax. 4. (countable, archaic) An outburst of a violent argument or disagreement. 5. (countable, chiefly geology) A violent occurrence of a natural phenomenon, such as an earthquake, thunderstorm, or volcanic eruption; specifically (volcanology), the most explosive event during a series of volcanic eruptions. 6. (uncountable, rare) Disastrous or sudden change. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/paroxysm> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free Feelin' good was easy, Lord, when Bobby sang the blues And buddy, that was good enough for me Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee. --Kris Kristofferson <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kris_Kristofferson> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
