Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-07

The second set consisted of twelve peo-
pie who had, at various dates, seen
man frequenting the street in which Miss
Gilchrist lived and lettering in a suspi
cious manner before the house. All of
these, some with confidence but most
of them with reserve, were prepared to
| identify the prisoner with this unknown
man..
| What the police never could produce,
however, was the essential thing, and
that was the least connecting ling between
Slater and Miss Gichrist, or any eXpla
nation how a foreigner in Glasgow could
ever know of the existence, to say moth
ing of the wealth, of a retired old lady,
who had few acquantances and seldom
left her guarded fiat.
1t is notorious that nothing is more
tricky than evidence of identification. In
the Beck case there were, if ! remember
right, some ten witnesses who had seen
the real criminal under normal circum-
stances. and yet they were all prepared
to swear TO the wrong man In the case
of Oscar Slater, the first three witnesses
saw their man under conditions of eX
element, while the second group saw the
loiterer in the street under various lights,
and in a fashion which was always more
or less casual 1t is right therefore.
that in assigning due weight to this evil
dence, one should examine it with some
care We shall first take the three peo-
pie who actually saw the murderer.
There seems to have been some dis
crepancy between them from the first,
since. as has already been pointed out,
the description published from the data
of Adams and Lambie was modified after
Barrowman had given her information.
Adams and Lambie said:
"A man between % and 80 years of age.
feet or inches in height, slim built,
dark hair, clean shaven. dressed in light
gray overcoat and dark cloth cap"
After the collaboration with Barrow
man, the description became
Twenty eight or thirty years of age;
tall and thin, clean shaver, his nose
slightly turned to one side. Wore one
of the popular round tweed hats known as
Donegal hats, and a fawn- colored over
coat, which might have been water
proof; also dark trousers and brown
boots"
Apart from the additions in the second
description, there are. ii will be observed,
two actual discrepancies in the shape Of
the hat ard the color of the coat
As TO how far either OF these descrip-
here that the accused was 81 years of age;
that he was above the medium height:
that his nose vas not twisted but was
depressed at end. as if it had at some
time been broken, and finally that eight
witnesses were called upon to prove that
on the date of the murder. the accused
wore a short but noticeable mustache
have before me verbatim stenograph-
ic report # the proceedings in New York
and also in Edinburgh. furnished 10y the
kindness Of ShauEhuesSy a. Co, solicitors,
OF Glasgow, who are still contending for
the interests % their unfortunate client.
I will here compare tie terms of that
Identification in the two courts:
HELtS LAMBIE, NEW YORK, JAN
UARY 26, 1909.
O. do you see the man here you saw
there"
A. zone is very suspicious, if any
thing
2. Describe him "
A. 1.-The clothes lie had on that night
he hasn't got on today-but his face I
could not tell never saw mis- face"
tHaviug described 6 popularity OF walk,
she was asked.
O. rs that man in the room?"
: Yes. ne IS sir
q. Point MIN cut
A. 80 would like 30 say
After some pressur. and argument She
pointed lo slator Tbo tad Teen led past
her IN de corridor hC,Neen two officers.
when bo.h she ard Barowman had eX-
claimed. "1hat Is r''e nan or 81 could
nearly swear thst rs tre man.
J =. "Didut vou say sou did not see
tr4 MANS faof7'