NAME CLEARED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 172, 23 July 1928, Page 7

NAME CLEARED.

THE SLATER CASE.

Compensation On Generous

Scale Suggested. UNIVERSAL SYMPATHY. (Australian and X.Z. Press Association.) LONDON, July 22. The dramatic clearance of Os;car Slater's name in the same Court in which, 19 years ago, he was sentenced to death for the murder of Miss Gilchrist, has few parallels in the history of British justice.

Slater was present in the public gallery when judgment was delivered. His sole thought when he realised what the judgment meant was almost to run from the Court.

He listened intently, not betraying any emotion, resting his head on his left arm. As the Lord Justice-General read the unanimous judgment of acquittal, he kept a piercing gaze ou the judge un falteringly.

It was not until the final paragraphs of the judgment were read that the decision was apparent. When it was finished Slater stood up suddenly. His face was a livid red in patches. It seemed as if he did not at first realise what it meant. Then he hurried out. brushing aside those persons who tried to congratulate him.

Compensation on a generous scale will be given to Slater, according to competent authorities. Sums varying from JC!.">.OOO to £20.000 are mentioned, but at present any figure is merely speculation.

The Home Secretary, Sir William Joynson-Hicks, and the Secretary for Scotland, Sir- John Gilmour, will hold consultations with the law officers aud other members of the Government before any recommendation is brought before Cabinet.

The newspapers insist that the compensation must be commensurate with the great agony suffered by Slater, although they unanimously admit that it is almost impossible adequately to compensate Slater. It is recalled that Adolphe Beck, who was wrongly sentenced to imprisonment for seven years in was awarded £5000 as "compensation.

Sir Arthur Conan Dovle, who has strongly supported Slater's ease, hopes the responsible officials who refused for years to do anything ia the matter will be sharply pulled up. The Leader (if the Labour party, Mr. Hani say MacDonald, says the whole case fills one with liorrnr. It is. lie says, clearlv the duty of the Government to give full compensation.

Slater lias consistently declared since his release that pecuniary benefit was not his objective, his sole aim. he avowed, being the clearing of his character of the fearful stigma oi murder. Ili.s one regret he stated in an interview was that his aged mother, who died of a broken heart at the "disgrace" of her son. had not been spared to see the day when the cruel wrong perpetrated on him would be righted.