The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-06-19 00:00:00

THE EXTRAORDINARY MONEY
LENDING CASE.

At the Marlborough-street Police-court, London,
Samson Genese, Frederick Mordaunt, Alfred Beyfus,
and Albert Boss appeared to adjourned summonses
charging them with, on the Ist of July, 1881, and on
divers subsequent occasions, unlawfully conspiring
together to defraud William Henry Palmer of a
valuable reversionary interest in land situated at
Darling Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales. The
summonses came on first for hearing in September
last, and were adjourned sine die in consequence of
the complainant having suddenly left England for
Australia. Mr. Besley and Mr. Gill appeared for the
prosecatien ; Mr. Cock defended Boss; Mr. Kisch,
Mordaunt; Mr. G. Lewis, Beyfus; and Mr. Grain,
Genese. According to the opening statement of
Mr. Begley, it appeared that the complainant was
entitled at the death of his mother, who was about 52
years old to a patent slip wharf and other property at
Darling Harbour, Sydney, of the estimated value of
from £13,000 to £16,000. Early in 1881, being
desirous of raising the sum of £5OO for the purpose of
entering into business, ho applied, through an adver-
tisement, to a person named Chaplin, who introduced
him to a Mr. Engel. Engel advanced him on different
occasions two sums of .E4O. The complainant subse-
quently was introduced to the defendant Genese as a
person who would find him the money he required,
and received from him £5 or £lO in cash and a post-
dated cheque for £6O or £65, for which Mr. Palmer
gave a promissory note for £lOO. The com-
plainant was unable to obtain the amount he re-
quired, and was ultimately served with a notice
in bankruptcy, and was told that the defendant
Mordaunt was to be his trustee and Alfred Beyfus
the solicitor under the Bankruptcy. Mordaunt sub-
sequently told him that it had been ascertained
that the property was not worth half as much
as it had been represented to be, and it was pro-
posed by Genese that Mr. Paimer should make over
to them his reversion in consideration of all his debts
being discharged and a sum of £6OO being paid down.
He at first refused to do so, but eventually signed a
deed handing over hie property, which was put up for
sale by Messrs. Farber and Price, and sold. Mr.
Palmer now deposed that when he left England fcr
Australia Mr. Walter Beyfus was travelling in the
same vessel in the name of Baker. He (Mr. Palmer)
remained in Australia three months, and then volun-
tarily returned to this country. In cross-examination
by Mr. George Lewis, the complainant said that
Marks was formerly a clerk to a solicitor named
Jacob Nathaniel Jonas, and introduced him to his
present solicitor, Mr. Ralph Raphael, On his return
to England he had only been a few days in London when
he saw Marks and a person named Saville. He had also
seen Saville at Naples when returning. On arriving
at Plymouth he saw an officer from Scotland-yard,
who had come down on behalf of the Public Pro-
secutor. Mr. Newton pointed out the necessity of
keeping strictly to the matter under consideration,
and not importing irrelevant subjects into the ewe.
Mr. Lewis said the case for the complainant was that
it was a prosecution in the interests of the public and
of justice, whereas it was a case instigated and carried
on by Saville and Marks for their own purposes.
Mr. Newton again repeated that he could not allow
any irrelevant matter to be imported into the investi-
gation. During further cross - examination Mr.
Palmer said that he gave promissory notes for the
two slims of £4O which he received. He did not pay
back what he had borrowed because he had not got
the money. He did not suggest that there was any
informality in connection with the bankruptcy pro-
ceedings. He might have received three papers, but
he kr ew he received two: one of which he tore up.
Before the proceedings in bankruptcy be had known a
firm of solicitors named Valiance and Valiance, who
had represented him and his family. Some further
evidence having been given the proceedings were ad-
jeurned.