Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-12
"The Case of Oscar Slater
BY Sir Arthur Canaan Doye
fNr Conan Doyle

a VIII, 1t would be difficult TO imagine
any paper which would account for such
an enterprise, while jewels, on the other
hand, were an obvious mark for whoever
knew Of their existence
Presuming that the assassin was indeed
AFTER the jewels, it is very instructive 10
note his knowledge of their location, and
also its limitations. Why did he go
stralght into the spare bed room where
the jewels were actually kept?
the same question may be asked with
equal force If we consider that he was
AFTER the papers. Why the spare bed
room?
THE CRIMINAL.
Any knowledge gathered from outside
10y watcher in the backyard, for ex-
ample) would go to the length of ascer-
talnlng which was the old lady's room
one would expect a robber who had
gained ms information thus to go straight
TO that chamber. But this man did not
40 So He went straight to the unlikely
room IN which both jewels and papers
actually were. Is not this remarkably
suggestive? Does it not pres suppose a
previous acquaintance with the inside Of
the fiat and the ways of it's owner?
But note the Limitations of the knowl-
edge If 1t were the jewels he was after.
ne knew what room they were in, but
not In what part of the room fuller
knowledge would have told him they were
kept in the wardrobe And vet he
searched a box.
If he was after papers, his information
was complete; but if he was indeed after
the jewels, then we can say that he had
the knowledge of one who Is conversant,
but not intimately conversant, with the
household arrangement.
To this we may add that he would seem
to have shown ignorance of the habits of
the inmates, or he would have surely
chosen Lambies afternoon or evening out
for his attempt, and not have done it at
time when the girl was bound to be
back within a very few minutes.
What men had ever visited the house?
The number must have been very limited
what friends? what tradesmen? what
plumbers? Who brought back the jewels
after they had been stored with the Jew
elers when the old lady went every year
to the country?
Lines Of inquiry.
One IS averse to throw out vague sus-
picions which may give pain to innocent
people, and vet 1t is clear that there are
lines of inquiry here that should be fol-
How did the murderer get in if Lam
bic is correct in the thinking that she
shut the doors?
| cannot get away from the conclusion
that he had duplicate keys. In that case
all becomes comprehensive for the old
lady-whose faculties were quite normal
would hear the lock go and would not be
alarmed. thinking that Lambie had re-
only know her danger when the murderer
rushed into the room and would hardly
have time to to rise, receive the first
blow, and fall. as she was found, beside
the chair, upon which she had been sit-'
ting. That is ineligible.
But If he had not the keys, consider the
difficulties. If the old lady had opened
the fiat door her body would have been
found in the passage. Therefore, the po-
lice were driven to the hypothesis that
the old lady heard the ring opened the
lower stair door from above Gas can be
done in all Scotch fats, opened the fiat
door, never looked over the lighted stair
to see who was coming up, but returned
to her chair and her magazine, leaving
the door open, and a free entrance to the
murderer.
This is possible, but Is 1t not in the
highest degree improbable?
Miss Gilchrist was nervous of robbery
and would not neglect obvious precau-
tons.
The ring came Immediately after the
maids departure. She could hardly have
thought that it was her returning, the
less so as the girl had the keys and would
not need to ring. If she went as far as
the hall door TO open It, she only had to
take another step to see who was ascend
ing the stair Would she not have taken
it if it were only to say:
What, have you forgotten your keys?'
That a nervous old lady should throw
open both doors, never look to see who
her visitor was. and return to her din
ing room is very hard to believe.
AN ANALYSIS.
And look at it from the murderers
point of view. He had planned out his
proceedings. 1t e notorious that it is
the easiest thing in the world to open
the lower door of a Scotch fiat. The
blade of a pen knife will do that.
If he was to depend upon ringing to
get at his victim, it was evidently bet
ter for him to ring at the upper door
as otherwise the chance would seem very
great that she would look down, see him
coming up the stair, and shut herself in.
On the other hand, If he were at the
upper door, and she answered 1t, he had
only to push his way in. Therefore, the
latter would be his course if he rang at
all.
And yet the police theory is that though
he rang, he rang from below.
It is not what he would do, and If he
did do it, ii would be most unlikely that
he would get in. How could he suppose
that the old lady would do so Incredible
a thing as leave her door open and return
to her calling? If she waited, she might
even up to the last instant have shut
the door In his face.
II one weighs all these reasons, one
can hardly fail, think, TO come to the
conclusion that the murderer had keys
and that the old lady never rose from
her chair until the last instant because
hearing the keys In the door, she took it
for granted that the maid had come back.
But II he had keys, how did he get
the mold, and how did he get them made?
There is a line Of inquiry there
The only conceivable alternatives are
that the murderer was actually concealed
in the fiat when Lambie came out, and
of that there is no evidence whatever