The sun., 1912-07-07
DEFENDER Of EDALJ|
IS DEAD IN ENGLAND
Roger ID. IclvcrtOn and Conan
Doyle Nindicatcd Alleged
Cattle Manner.
| "a MOl'S CASE RECALLED
Sherlock Holmes DcductivC
Methods Employed in Clear
ing Up Mystery.
Spsciqi tubje Despatch to TmE SuS

LONDON. July 8.-Hon Roger Dawson
Yelvertop. a noted lawyer. is dead. He
Is the man who was chiefly responsible
for the establishment of the Court Of
Criminal Appeals in Great Britain. He
Edalji, the alleged cattle manner. who
was vindicated by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Mr.. Yelverton was a direct descendant
Of Henry Yelverton. nineteenth Baron
Grey de Ruthyn. and took the name Of
Yelverton under the will OF his maternal
grandfather Henry Yelverton. Earl OF
Sussex. He was educated at Rugby and
Oxford and after period in the south
eastern circuit as a barrister at law
he was for ten years a deputy judge OF
the West London county courts From
1890 to 1905 he was Chancellor and Chief
Justice of the Bahamas. He became
chairman OF the lea que Of Criminal Ap-
ealand in 1855 began an agitation which
resulted in the establishment Of the Court
Of Criminal Appeal Mr.. Edali was only
one of number Of innocent people whose
release he secured He was the author Of
book Of verses.
tIt CdSt dTOustNI ltteT~rt
throughout the world because Of the
brutality Of the crime alleged and the
prominence Of the men who came to the
assistance Of the young man. They were
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Henry Labou-
chere and Mr. Yelverton Edalji. young
Birmingham lawyer. was convicted in
1903 of having disembowelled a pony
belonging to a neiGhbor during the night
This cruelty was one Of a series that had
been visited upon the horses, cattle and
sheep Of farmers about Wyrley in Staf-
fordshire. and the lawyer. the son of an
Episcopal clergyman Of Parsee origin anu
known among his friends IA an earnest
student and ascetic. was pitched upon
by the police As the leader of the band
responsible for these depredations
: On the trial il was shown TO the salts
faction Of the jurors that Edalji not only
, had committed the crime for which h.
was arrested but also that he had written
anonymous letters TO himself his father
, and police officials. \ peculiar circum-
stance in this connection was that when
he was only i? years old Edall was the
victim of a series of anonymous letters
A former serving maid Of the family finally
was put under bonds for good behavior
as u result of an investigation. Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle pointed out when he took
up the case that the later letters alleged
TO have been written by Edalii bore all the
marks of the older series.
| The disemboweling Of the pony took
place Oh the night Of August H. 1903
The animal was found bleeding to death
, at O. O'Clock the next morning and III.
veterinaries agreed that IN. cutting haC
been done not more than six hours pre-.
viously. IL was known positively thai
Edalii entered his home az the vicarags
/ in Wyrley where he lived with his parent.
and sister. at $50 O'Clock that night anc
did not again 20 Ut. II further wa.
! own that he suffered SO fr m myopis
that he could see only a few feet aheac
| { him during the day and could not Sc.
! at all at night.
! The absurdity of the accusation in view
Of these facts was pointed out by the me,
who took up EdaJi's case. Prejudice
on the part Of the police easily was showi
and other blunders in drawing conclusion
were taken up. Labouchere, as a Nembe
OF Parliament. urged the Home Office I,
| take up the matter Of the conviction an,
sentence of Edalji TO seven years pena
servitude besides disbarment
! The Home Office refused to act and 81
! Conan Doyle published the results of hi
investigation in which he had used tn
Sherlock Holmes deductive meth ods L
great advantage. That led to the re
lease of Edalji without pardon after h
had served three years in prison.
Then Mr.. Helverton urged the namini
OF commission to review the whole ca s.
and got il. The result was that in May
1907. Edalji was granted a free pardol
and restoreed to the roll Of solicitors.