Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-14
The Case Of Oscar Slate"
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

ton OF the crime, ne, at least. could
have had nothing to do with it,
There is one other piece of evidence
which may or may not have been of i'm
portance. 1t is that Of Miss Brown. tn.
schoolmistress
An unesIied Witness.
Ihis lady was in court, but seems 10
have been called by neither side for the
reason that her evidence was helpful 10
neither the prosecution nor the defense
She deposed that on the night Of the mur-
uer' about ten minutes past seven, she
saw two men running away from thu
scene one Of these men closely corres-
ponded to the original description Of the
murderer before it was modified bv Rar-
rowman This one was OF medium build
uatA mar and clean shaver. with three
quarter length gray oVercoat, dark tweed
cap and both hands in his pockets
Here we have the actual asss sain do
scrloed to the life, and had Miss Brown
declared that this man was the prisoner
she would have been formidable addi-
mon TO the witnesses for the prosecution
MISS Brown. however, identified Oscar
slater tafter the usual absurd fashion or
such ldentitcattOns) as the second man.
NhOin she describes as OF dark glossy
halr' navy blue overcoat with velvet COL
lar dark trousers. black boots. something
In his hand which seemed clunsier tina n
a walking stick"
one would imagine that this object in
ms hsnd would naturally be his hat since
She describes the man as bareheaded All
that can be said of this incident Is that
II the second man was Slater. then he
certainly was not the actual murderer
whose dress corresponds closely TO the
nrst, and in no particular TO the second
TO the Northern eve, all swarthy for
elgners bear resemblance and that
there was a swarthy man, whether for
eign OF not, concerned IN his affair would
seem TO De beyond question That there
Should have been two confederates, one
OF whom had planned the crime While the
other carried It out, is a perfectly feast
bic suppOsition
Miss Browns story does not necessarily
contradict that OF Barrowman, as one
would imagine that the second man would
join the murderer at some little dis
lance from the scene of the crime. How
ever, as there was no cross examination
upon the story, It is difficult TO know
what weight to attach to IT,
Let me say in conclusion that 1 have
had no desire in anything said in this
argument to hurt the feelings or usurp
the functions Of any one, whether the
police or the criminal court, who had to
do with the case. 1t is difficult to dis
cuss matters from a detached point Of
view without giving offense. / am well
aware that 1t is easier to theorize at a
distance than to work a case out in
practice, whether as a detective or as
counsel.
leave the matter now with the hope
that, even after many days, some sudz
den fash may be sent which will throw
light upon as brutal and callous q
crime as has ever been recorded in those
black annals in which the criminologist
f1nds the materials for his study
Meanwhile it is on the conscience of the
authorities and in the last resort on that
OF the community that this verdict, OBJ
tanned under circumst ances which l have
indicated, shall now be recOnsidered.
THE END.