Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-13
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF OSCAR SLATER.

One of the most remarkable murder trials ever held in Scotland was that of Oscar Slater. He was accused Of having killed Miss Marion Giichrist. and the peculiarity about the trial and the conviction was that 1t was brought about entirely through personal im- pression. It was circumstantial evi- dence and nothing further.
 The means of identifying Slater with the murder was two-fold: First by three witnesses who testified that they saw the supposed murderer leave the scene of the crime. and. secondly, by twelve other witnesses who identified the prisoner as the person whom they had seen watching Miss Gilchrists house for weeks before the murder
 An element that gave the prosecu- tion much trouble was the contradict ory statements made by the twelve witnesses in regard to the prisoners dress and personal appearance.
 The crime was committed in a re- spectacle section of Glasgow. not in the dead of night, but at an hour when the streets were filled with people. The excitement of the crime and the trial is well within the memory of all read CTS, for 1t occurred as recently as 1908. It was in December of 1908 that an unmarried woman named Marion Gil- christ. who was s2 years of age, lived at Is Queens terrace. Glasgow. Though of independent means she kept but one servant. She led very retired life. The house was a flat. The woman had collection of jewels which she pur- l chased from time to time had cost her | S15, 900. As a rule these jewels were | kept among her clothes in a wardrobe. I She was extremely nervous about | burglars and was constantly in dread | of being robbed
 At o'clock on the evening of the | murder. the family servant. having fin- | ished her work, went outA She had | hardly left the fat when the family on the floor below heard noise above as if there was a struggle. One of the | number going to investigate met the \ servant returning and together they went to the fiat and as they were ap- 1 preaching 1t a man appeared from the | door of the bedroom, but as there was nothing to excite their suspicion in his conduct they let him leave without de- | taining him.
 When the servant entered the room she found her mistress murdered. She l ran downstairs to see if she could l overtake the murderer but he had
 vanished. The description the two
 could give the police was of the | vaguest character. W
 The news of the tragedy produced profound sensation in Glasgow as
 well as throughout the country. An | advertisement was inserted in the
 papers giving as much of a descrip- ton of the murderer as possible. The
 only missing jewels of the old lady
 was a diamond brooch. On December 25 a report was sent to the police that
 a man named Oscar Slater had tried
 to sell a pawn ticket of a brooch thai
 answered the description of the one
 missing.
 When they went to Skaters hous.
 they found that 1t had just been va
 cated, the man leaving with womtn
 It was discovered that they had taker
 a train for London. By accident thu
 police found a letter, upon the envelops
 of which was written If not delivered return to D R. Jacobs, ss Sd avenue New York city" This gave them tn,
 idea the pair would sail for America
 When London was reached 1t wa
 found they had purchased tickets fo
 Liverpool. and by the time the de tectives reached Liverpool they learnes that they had sailed on the Lusitanii for the United States.
 A request was cabled to the Unitei l States to apprehend Slater upon hi l arrival, and on January 2, 1909, si. New York detectives went out in l revenue cutter to meet the boat an : arrested Slater. who was remanded | the Tombs prison. without bail, unti | January 26, when the papers of ex
 tradition arrived from England, as wel
 as witnesses to identify the prisoner.
 The evidence against Slater at tn l preliminary trial as to his identity | l New York was sufficient that the aI ! thorities could grant extraditio papers, and he sailed for Scotland O : February 14 and on February z1 h v was lodged in the jail at Glasgow. Tn y following week Slater was removed Cation jail. Edinburgh, the trial talxin
 place almost Immediately.
 All the witnesses could testify to wa
 the description of the man they ha t 1 seen leaving the place or loiterin
 about 1t. and then the prosecution ha
 to fit these descriptions with the pris a oner. The trial continued for fou
 days. and at its conclusion 1t require
 the jury only one hour and ten min = utes to find the prisoner guilty. Tn
 sentence pronounced was death" bt
 the prisoner was respited at the king t command to penal servitude for If = On July 8. 1s10 Slater was remove
 from the Duke street prison at Peter
 head. there to undergo his commute d sentence.