SLATER APPEAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 161, 10 July 1928, Page 7

SLATER APPEAL.

GLASGOW MURDER

Miss Lambie Refuses To Attend

Court.

SHELTERED IN AMERICA

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.)

LONDON, July 9.

The hearing of Oscar Slater's appeal against his life sentence in connection with the murder of Miss Gilchrist, in Glasgow, in 1908, is to be resumed to-day.

It will proceed in the same Court where the death sentence was passed upon him 19 years ago, namely, the High Court at Edinburgh.

Miss Helen Lambie, formerly maid to Miss Gilchrist, will not be present. She has point blank refused the request of counsel for the defence to return to the stand for an examination on the new evidence. She says she is now an American citizen and outside the reach of a British subpoena.

Cablegrams and interviews alike have failed to induce the woman to change her mind.

After serving 18% years behind the walls of Peterhead Prison, Scotland, Oscar Slater in November last again became a free man. Sir Arthur (Jonan Doyle, who sent a message of sympathy to Slater on his release, and who has for a long time been interested in an attempt to have the case re-heard, sent a. document to every M.P., entitled the "Oscar Slater Case-". ''Although Slater has been released," the document stated, "this has by no means eased the scandal as regards his wrongful conviction." Reference was then made to the murder of Miss Gilchrist in her flat at Glasgow on December 21, 1908, with a number of comments as follows:— Identification.—lhe murderer was seen leaving the flat by two people—Helen Lambie and a neighbour, Mr. Adams. The latter was short-sighted, and from the lirst to last refused to identify anyone. Helen Lambie "identified Slat.»r as the man after niany quibbles and prevarications," and 'has now confessed that she did recognise the man, that he was not Slater, and that she had been persuaded by the police to make this false statement." She received i 4° reward. A little girl of fourteen, named Barrowman, "gave two contradictory statements on oath,' and "has now admitted that she was never sure of «. later, and that her statement was prompted by officials." She received £100 reward.

The Diamond Brooch.—The police got on Slater s track through a diamond brooch said to have been missing from Miss Gilchrist s flat Slater had pawned a similar brooch in Glasgow, and, said the document, the Police had followed up the brooch W%r aI Vi u Und> , as earI >' as Decem-S-l , the brooc h was Slater's own." ihe document concluded by saving that to obtain a new hearing for the case would r< e . * glorious chance of showing how, in Great Britain, even the humblest man mav in the long run, obtain full justice." Slater was convicted of the murder of Miss GilC )» riS tV after a trial 'asting four Inm ' f i f ath sentence was subsequentlv lommuted to one of penal servitude for