Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-06
.ur Conan Doyle

"lNen IN the description, and the gray
scat and cloth cap of the first two wit
esses were 6iven 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.
1t was on the evening of Christmas
day that the police came at last upon
definite clew. 1t was brought to their
notice thai German Jew of the assumed
name of Oscar Slater had been endeav-
oring to dispose Of the pawn ticket of
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.
Still more hopeful did this clew appear
when, upon raidirg the lodgings in
which this man ard his mistress lived,
It was found that they had left Glasgow
that very night by the o'clock train,
with tickets lover this point there was
some clash OF eyidcnce) either for Liv-
erpool or London Three days later the
Glasgow police learned that the couple
mad actually sailed upon December &c
upon the Lustania for New York under
the name of Mr.. and Mrs. Otto Sando
II must De admitted that in all II ese
Proceedings the Glasgow police showed
considerable elaboration. The original
| Information had been given at the central
police office shortly after o'clock and
detective was actually making inqui-
ries al Sla ter's fat at 7:30, yet no watch
was kept upon his movements, and he
was allowed TO leave between and 9,
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. a great liner sails from
Liverpool upon the Saturday. One would
have imagined dat early on the Satur-
day morning steps would have been taken
to block this method of pc How
ever as a fact, ii was not done AM
| it proved ii is as well for the cause Of
justice. since il had the effect that two
| judicial processes were needed, an Amer
lean and 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 seven
trunks of baggage were impounded and
sealed. On the face of it there was a
good case against him, for he had IN
doubtedly pawned a diamond brooch, and
he had subsequently fed under a false
name for America
The Glasgow police had reason to think
| they had got their man. Two officers, ac
companied by the three witnesses to iden-
! tify-Adams, Lambie and Barrowman-set
off at once to carry through the extra
dition proceedings and bring the suspect
/ i, s.,1 &c. $50
THE IDENTIFICATION
In the New York court they first set
eyes upon the prisoner and each of them,
in terms which will be afterwards de-
| scribed, expressed the opinion that he
was at any rate exceedingly like the
! person they had seen in Glasgow. Their
! actual Identification of him was vitiated
| by the fact that Adams and Barrowman
had been shown his photograph before at
| tending the court, and also that he was
led past them an obvious prisoner while
they were waiting in the corridor.
| Still, however much one may discount
the actual identification, it can not be
denied that each witness saw a close
resemblance between the man before
them and the man whom they had seen
in Glasgow. So far at every stage the
case against the accused was becoming
more menacing.
Any doubt as to the eXtradition was
speedily set at rest by the prisoners an
nouncement that he was prepared, with
out compulsion, to return to Scotland and
to stand his trial. One may well refuse
| TO give any excessive credit for this sur
render. since he may have been per-
suaded that things were going against
him. but still the fact remains land it
was never, so far az | car trace, men
! toned at his subsequent triaD that he
| gave himself up of his own free will to
! justice. On February q Oscar Slater was
| back in Glasgow once more, and on May
! 3 his trial took place at the high court
! in Edinburgh.
But already the very bottom of the
case had dropped out. The starting link
of what had seemed an imposing chain
| had suddenly broken. 1t will be remem-
| bered that the original suspicion of Sla
ter was founded upon the fact that he
had pawned a crescent diamond brooch
! The ticket was found upon him, and the
brooch recovered. 1t was not the one
| which was missing from the room of the
| murdered woman, and it had belonged
| for years to Slater, who had repeatedly
! pawned ii before. This was shown be-
| yond all cavil or dispute The case of
! the pOllCe might well seem desperate dIteT
| this, since if Slater were indeed guilty
it would mean that by pure chance they
| had pursued the right man. The coinci-
dence involved in such a suppositon
would seem to pass the limits of all prob
ability.
Apart from this crushing fact. several
! of the other points OF the prosecution
! had already shown themselves to be
| worthless 1t had seemed first that Sla-
ter's departure had been sudden and un-
| premeditated-the fight of a guilty man.
1t was quickly proved that this was not
so. In the Bohemian clubs which he fire.
quented he was by profession a peddling
| jeweler and a man of disreputable,
! though not criminal, habits-it had for
weeks before the date of the crime been
known that he purported to go to some
business associates in America.
Continued In Next Issue.