Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-06
"The Case of Oscar Slater
BY SIR Arfhnr Cnhon DnrLe

light shone clearly upon him. He ran
on. knocking against the witness in his
haste, and disappeared round a corner
on hearing later Of the murder, she
connected this incident with it, The gen
eraI recollectlons Of the man were as
given in the description, and the gray
coat and cloth cap Of the first two wit
nesses were given up In favor Of the fawn
coat and round Donegal hat OF the young
girl Since she had seen no popularity
in his walk. and they had seen none in
his nose, there is really nothing the same
in the two descriptions save the clean
shaven," the slim build and the ap-
proximate age.
10 was on the evening Of Christmas
day that the police came at last upon
definite clew 1t was brought TO their
notice that German Jew Of the assumed
name Of oscar Slater had been endeav-
oring to dispose Of the pawn ticket Of a
crescent diamond brooch Of about the
same value as the missing one. Also,
that in a general way he bore a resem-
blance to the published description.
DELIBERATE POLICE.
SUll more hopeful did this clew appear
when upon raiding the lodgings in
which this man and his mistress lived,
It was found that they had left Glasgow
that very night by the 9 o'clock train.
with tickets lover this point there was
some clash Of evidence) either for Liv-
erpooI or London. Three days later the
Glasgow police learned that the couple
had actually sailed upon December 26
upon the Lnsitana for New York under
the name of Mr.. and Mrs otto Sando
It must be admitted that in all these
proceedings the Glasgow police showed
considerable elaboration. The original
information had been given at the central
police office shortly after o'clock. and
a detective was actually making inqui-
ries at Slaters fat al 80, yet no watch
was kept upon his movements, and he
was allowed to leave between and 8,
untraced and unquestioned.
Even stranger was the Liverpool de-
parture. He was known to have got
away in the southbound train upon the
Friday evening. \ great liner sails from
Liverpool upon the SATURDAY one would
have imagined that early on the Satur-
day morning steps would have been taken
to block this method OF ESCAPE How
ever, as a fact, it was not done. and
it proved it Is as well for the cause OF
Justice, since it had the effect thai two
judicial processes we're needed, an Amer
lean ana a Scottish, which enables an
interesting comparison to be made be-
tween the evidence of the principal wit
nesses
Oscar slater was at once arrested upon
arriving at New York. and his sever
trunks OF baggage were impounded anc
sealed. On the face Of it there was q
good case against him, for he had UNI
doubtedly pawned n diamond brooch, anc
he had subsequently fed under a false
name for America.
The Glasgow police had reason to thiul
they had got their man. TWO officers, &C
companied by the three witnesses to iden.
tify-Adams. Lambie and Barrowman-se
off at once to carry through the extra,
dition proceedings and bring the suspec
back to he tried for his offense.
THE IDENTIFICATION.
| In the New York court they FIRST Sc
eyes upon the prisoner and each of them
in terms which will be afterwards de
scribed expressed the opinion that h,
was at any rate exceedingly like thu
person they had seen in Glasgow, The
actual Identification of him was vitiatet
| by the fact that Adams and Barrowmai
had been shown his photograph before at
| tending the court, and also that he wa
! led past them an obvious prisoner whil'
N''A
Still. however much one may discoun
the actual identification, it can not b
denied that each witness saw a clos
resemblance between the man befor
them and the man whom they had seel
| in Glasgow SO far at every stage tn
case against the accused was becoming
more menacing.
Any doubt as to the extradtion wa
speedily set at rest by the prisoners an
| nouncement that he was prepared. with
out compulsion, to return to Scotland an,
to stand his trial, one may well refus
| to give any excessive credit for this sur
| render, since he may have been per
| suaded that things We're going agains
! him, but still the fact remains (and
was never, so far as l can trace, men
| toned at his subsequent triaD that h
gave himself up of his own free will I
justice. on February II Oscar Slater wa
back in Glasgow once more, and on Ma
3 his trial took place at the high cour
in Edinburgh
But already the very bottom of tn
case had dropped out. The starting lin
Of what had seemed an imposing chat
had suddenly broken. Ii will be remem
| bered that the original suspicion of Sla
ter was founded upon the fact that h
had pawned a crescent diamond brooch
The ticket was found upon him. and tn
| brooch recovered. II was not the on
which was missing from the room Of tn
| murdered woman, and it had belonge
for years to Slater, who had repeated
pawned il before. This was shown be
yond all cavil or dispute The case q
the police might we'll seem desperate afte
this, since if Slater We're indeed guilt
ii would mean that by pure chance the
had pursued the right man, The coinci
dence involved in such a suppositio
would seem to pass the limits of all prof.
ability.