Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931), Wednesday 21 February 1900, page 8


THE TICHBORNE-CRESS-WELL MYSTERY.

ROYAL COMMISSION . PROCEEDINGS.

The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the case of William Cresswell, an inmate of the Parramatta Asylum, resumed its sittings at Par liament House on Tuesday. Mr. J. C. L. Fitzpat trick was in the chair, and the other members pre sent were Messrs. W. H. Wilks, G. Anderson, B. D Measlier, and E. M. Clark, Ms.L.A.

The secretary read a number of letters, mostly replies from different people. Among them was one from the Rev. Father Dunne, of Albury. It read as follows: 'Newtown, Albury, February 17, 1900. The Secretary, Cressweii Royal Commis sion. Dear Sir, — I could not give you any infor mation about Cresswell. I attended a man in his last illness in the "Friendly Brothers" Home at Geelong in 1854 or I855, who would not give me any information as to his identity, nor did I press him to do so. The secretary of the society (Mr. Owen Flannery) told me afterwards that before the man died he told him he was Sir Roger Tich borne; but no memorandum or notice was taken of the matter at the time. Mr. Owen Fiannery is, I think, still living, and a letter addressed to him to Edi, via Wangaratta, Victoria, may find him; but I doubt if he can throw any light on the in quiry. — I am, yours, etc., P. Dunne." The first witness called was Henry William Watts, fruitgrower, who said that he was an at tendant at the Parramatta Asylum during the years 1869, '70, and 71, and knew Cresswell there. He and Cresswell were great friends, and when witness, resigned from the asylum for the purpose of going up country, Cresswell gave him a memor-- andum of the route he might take going to Wagga, and containing the names of friends of Cresswell's that witness was to call upon on the way. Wit ness produced that memorandum. One time at the asylum, Cresswell was feeding pigs, and wit ness heard him say, 'I'm like the Prodigal Son; but I'll never return.' Witness never heard Cresswell speak of the Tichborne case. Witness always believed that Cresswell was Tichborne. In reply to Mr. Wilks, witness admitted that he did not form the opinion that Cresswell was Tich borne, until he heard people speaking of the Tich borne case. He never heard Cresswell use a word of a foreign language. Walter Lee, a laborer, working in Tooth's Brew-ery, who startled the commission by saying at the outset that he remembered everything that hap-pened. him for the last sixty years, and was ap parently going to recount his experiences, gave evidence to show that in the month of May, 1854, while at the house of a Mr. Oman, in Adelaide, the captain of the ship Osprey and a gentlemanly, military looking young man called there, and ask ed if there was anyone there that wanted a ship. They subsequently called at the place again, look Ing for them, and witness asked the captain where he was going to, and the captain replied that he was going to Geelong. Witness shipped with him with the understanding that he was to get his discharge when he got to Geelong. At first they were driven back through stress of weather; but they subsequently reached Geelong. The young Snan referred to worked at the pumps and every thing else necessary. The captain and the young man were both given to drink. Witness was posi tive that the young man referred to was Sir Roger Tichborne. The witness then gave at great length parti culars of the voyage, and of the arrival of the Osprey at Geelong. He referred with some detail to the gold rush at Ballarat, and mentioned inci dentally particulars about his age, the members of his family, and a great deal of his sixty years' experience. He was particularly hard on Jean Louie, whom he denounced as an impostor, and said that he was no sailor at all. He met Louie one night in Sydney, near the Haymarket, and Louie asked him, 'Did the Osprey you were on steer with a beam?" With a beam, you muggul!" said witness. "What are you talking about?" In reply to Mr. Wilks, witness said he did not 're-cognise Cressweii as any of the men on board the Osprey. He never read anything for the last ten years but the "Town and Country Journal." Mr. John Dellnier Dodds Jackson, who was pre-. viously examined, deposed that Cresswell did not recognise him, and that Cressweii was not the man Souper, whom he (witness) bad previously declared to be Roger Tichborne. The commission then adjourned till Tuesday next, when it is expected all the evidence will be completed.