West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic. : 1898 - 1930), Tuesday 9 September 1913, page 4


A WOMAN'S GRIEVANCE. TICHBORNE CASE RECALLED. ALLEGED THREAT TO MURDER. The famous Tichborne case was re-called by a prosecution the hearing of which was commenced by Mr. Hopkins, at Bow street Police Court, yesterday (said the "Daily Telegraph" on June 25). A woman who claims to be a daughter of Sir Roger Tichborne was charged with sending to the Earl of Granard a letter threatening to murder Miss Denise Greville, who is to be mar-ried to Sir Joseph Tichborne at Bromp-ton Oratory this afternoon. After some evidence had been taken, prisoner was remanded until Friday, when the mag-istrate will consider the question of bail. Theresa Mary Agnes Doughty Tich-borne, 47, described as Independent, of Maryland, Farnham Common, Bucks. was charged on a warrant with feloni-ously and maliciously sending to and causing to be received by the Earl of Granard a letter threatening to kill and murder Denise Greville. Prisoner was wearing a tailor-made costume of dark blue cloth. Sir George Lewis appeared for the prosecution, and Mr Harry Wilson defended. Sir George Lewis said: Defendant is charged with sending a letter threaten-ing to murder Miss Denise Greville. At present I only propose to offer evidence of arrest, and then to ask for a re-mand. I hardly imagine that any ap-plication will be made for bail, but if necessary I can show that it is intended to carry out the threat to murder at the Oratory. The defendant represents herself to be the daughter of Arthur Orton. Prisoner: I nerve said so. I said Sir Roger Tichborne. Divisional Detective-Inspector ? son deposed that at half-past ten that morning he saw prisoner at her res-idence at Farnham Common, Bucks, and told her he was a police officer and held a warrant for her arrest. He read the warrant, in which the name of the ac-cused appeared as Alexander, and she replied:- "Alexander is my stage name. My correct name is Theresa Mary Doughty Tichborne. I am glad it has come to a crisis. I had no intention of doing any harm to Miss Greville, I only wanted to bring the case before the public." Prisoner was conveyed to Walton street Police station, and on being for-mally charged she made no further statement. Mr Wilson: Did she make no other statetment?--No. INTENDED NO HARM Has she, since the charge was taken, told you that she wished no harm whatever to Miss Greville?-She said so just now in the passage. Did she say she did not know the lady?-I don't remember her saying that: she may have done so. I suppose the warrant was granted on an information?-Yes. Mr John Lever, clerk to Messrs Witham and Co.. Gray's Inn square, W.C., family solicitors to Sir Joseph Tichborne, produced a letter dated June 14 last, which he said was ad-dressed to the Earl of Granard, by whom it was forwarded to Sir Joseph Tichborne. In witness's opinion, the letter was in the prisoner's hand writ-ing. He had seen her write The letter was read as follows:-"'I have just seen the announcement of the approaching marriage of my cousin, Joseph Tichborne. I have asked you many times to use your in-fluence, and make them give me some of the money they have stolen from us, and you just hide and do nothing. "It is nothing to you that I starve as long as you and your wife can give parties, and flaunt about with people who, if they knew the truth, would be ashamed to know you. "Well, you cannot hide any more, for I am making you an accessory be-fore the fact in telling you that I am going to shoot that girl rather than Joseph shall marry her and they shall live on my money. I am going to do it. Now hide, and pretend you think I don't mean it." Witness also produced the following letter, dated June 17, which he said was in the same handwriting: "Colonel Stratton Bates is advised not to allow any of the ladies of his family to attend the proposed wedding of Joseph Tichborne and Denise Gre-ville at Brompton Oratory on June 25. They will be safer elsewhere." Sir George Lewis: Have a consider-able number of letters been coming to different members of Sir Joseph Tichhorne's family ?--Certainly. They have made various allegations? Mr Wilson: I object. Mr Hopkins: That is enough for the purpose of to-day. We had better not go into that. Sir George Lewis: These are the first occasions upon which threats to mur-der have been made? Witness: Quite. Mr Wilson said that in view of the fact that he had only just been in-structed he asked to be allowed to re-serve his cross-examination until a future date Mr Hopkins: Certainly INTERVIEW DECLINED. Answering a question by Mr Wilson, witness said it was on May 31, 1912. that he saw the prisoner write. She then wrote a letter in his presence ad-dressed to one of the partners in his firm who had declined to see her. Prisoner: I think he is quite correct. I had forgotten that. Sir George Lewis asked that the prisoner should be remanded until Tuesday afternoon of next week. Mr Wilson said he had been in-structed to apply for bail. He agreed that upon the face of them the letters appeared to be serious, but his client assured him that she never had the slightest intention of harming Miss Greville. She did not even know the lady, and it would be her last thought to do her any harm. There was evi-gently some old grievance which need not be referred to at the moment. Mr Hopkins One of my duties is to see that the threat is not carried out. She warns her correspondent that he will be an accessory before the fact if certain steps are taken. She cannot complain if she is held in custody. I will remand her until Friday. That is only for the purpose of bail. I will be pleased to consider the question on Friday. Addressing Sir George Lewis, his worship said he supposed he would not oppose bail on Friday. Sir George Lewis: No, sir. Prisoner was then removed in cus-tody.