The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-01 00:00:00

TrOW ETIEBLE COMPANIES APE FLOATED.'

At the Guildhall, on Friday, Edwin Yelland, a pro-
moter of public companies, having offices at 26, New
Bridge-street, Blackfriars, and living at 25, Aldridge-road
Villas, Westbourne-park, was charged with obtaining
money by false Iretences. Mr. Lewis said that he ap-
peared to prosecute the prisoner on several charges of obtain-
ing money by false pretences. The first charge he would prove
was that of obtaining £lOO from Dr. Bartlett by fraud ;
the second of obtaining £2OO from Mr. Winscom ; the
third, obtaining £ICO from Mr. Donaldson, and a fourth,
obtaining £5O from another person. The prisoner was a
" getter up " of companies, and amongst them he brought
out the British Alliance Assurance Corporation (Limited).
At the outset he (Mr. Lewis) wished to state that that com-
pany had no connection with a very respectable company
called " The Alliance British and Foreign Life Assurance
Society," which was extremely respectable, and there wax
no doubt the prisoner intended to trade upon their repu-
tation by having the name as similar as the law
would allow him. An advertisement for two medical
officers was inserted in the Lancet, to which Mr.
Bartlett replied. He saw the prisoner Yelland, who stated
that the company was registered, that it was in full swing
and doing a large business, that they had agents all over
the country, and that Messrs. Valiance and Vallance were
the solicitors to the company. Their names gave a stand-
ing to the society it did not merit, and Mr. Bartlett
gave his hundred pounds to it with perfect confidence,
believing that the representations were true. But the
real fact was that those eminent solicitors had
never granted permission for their name to be used.
The next charge was that of Mr. Winscom, who was
appointed secretary to the company, at a salary of £5OO
a year, and by the representations of Yelland was
induced to part with £5O in cash, and three bills of £5O
each, the first of which had been paid, and the other
two had been passed into the hands of innocent holders
to recover. Having secured a secretary, Yelland next
advertised for a solicitor, who was to pay £lOO down, but
that person being cautious, paid only £5O, and was to
have paid the other £5O at a subsequent date. Yelland
then advertised for a chief clerk, and got him to
invest £5O in this company, under the pretence that
it was registered, and doing a good business. He

(Mr. Lewis) would be able to prove that there was
at that time no company, that no company was regis-
tered, that the London and Westminster Bank which
was represented to be their banker was not their banker,
and never had been, and that in point of fact they had not
one shilling to bank. There was an account opened there
with £5O by Yelland in his own name, but that was soon
drawn out. After these transactions had taken place the
company was registered, and the articles of association
contained a clause that within twenty-eight days after
the allotment of the shares the prisoner, for parliamentary
expenses, should be paid £3OO in cash and £6OO in fully-
paid-up £1 shares. The 103rd clause provided that
" The company shall have a managing director,
a secretary, a solicitor, and bankers. The first and pre-
sent managing director is Edwin Yelland, Esq., whose
salary shall be £5OO per annum, commencing from the
registration of the company, payable quarterly, with
a commission of 2 per cent. per annum, payable at the
same time and manner, on the gross income of the
company." So that the prisoner was to receive as his
share £l,OOO in cash, £6OO in paid-up shares, £5OO a year
salary, and 2 per cent. on the gross income of the company
for the part he had taken in g-ttirg ih company up. A
summons had been issuel, but the accused sent a medical
certificate, stating that he was unwell. Alderman Lusk
did not believe this, and sent a warrant officer for
him. Instead of beirg ill in bed as al egel, Yelland
was sitting in an arm-chair, after an excellent
repast. The learned counsel then prcceeded to call
evidence in support of his statement, and after the testi-
mony of Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Henry Valiance Lad been
taken, Mr. Lewis applied for a remand. Alderman Finnis
remanded the prisoner, and agreed to take bail—two
sureties in £560 each, and himself in £l,OOO. Bail not
being forthcoming when the van left, he was removed to
Newgate.

LAW AND POLICE. k

THE GREAT SPIRITUALIST CASE.—Vice•Chancellor Gif-
fard has had the case of Lyon v. Home before him. In
the present instance the application was on behalf of the
defendant to vary a certificate which had Leen prepared in
chambers, finding sums nmDunting in the aggregate to
£964 Gs. 9d. to be due from him on account of
sums received by way of dividends and othcr.i.
Mr. Home claimed to have 'this amount diminished by
the sum of £173 ls. 10d., representing the sums which
had been paid by Mrs. Lyon by way of brokerage,
on the various occasions of the sales and transfers of
stock which had been effected by her in pursuance of the
bountiful intentions which she at one time entertained for
the defendant ; and also the sums which had been paid by
Mrs. Lyon to Mr. Wilkinson by way of costs for the pre-
paration of Mrs. Lyon's will in favour of Mr. Home. Mr.
Druce, Q.C., for Mrs. Lyon, asked whether the defendant
would Le willing to pay the balance, consisting of
£791 4s. 11d. into court within six weeks, in which case
the discussion of the questions involved might be deferred
until Michaelmas term. This course having been assented
to, the Vice• Chancellor made an order for the payment
try the defendant of the balance within the time men-
tioned, and directed the rest of the summons to stand