CONAN DOYLE AND A MURDER TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2016, 25 March 1914, Page 7

CONAN DOYLE AND A MURDER TRIAL.

CASE OF OSCAR SLATER.

INVESTIGATION ORDERED

fly Telegraph-Press Ausoclatipn-DepyTiiriit

Loncipji, Marcii 23. Mr. M'Kinuon Wood, Secretary for Scotland, has ordered iin investi'sailon of Oscar Sinter's sentence, owing to fresh doubts as to liis identifier's'evidence '(which was the subject of a ■seachiug analysis by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1912), A STRANGE MYSTERY. In May, 1909, Oscar Slalor was coayietcd by an Kdinburgli jury of the brutal iu order of an old insiy, Miss Marion tii elinst, who had been Jiving, attended only l>y one servant girl, in a flat in West Pyince's Street, i» the city of Glasgow, bla.ter was eoavScied by a maiority of iime jurymen against m, of whojn nvo voted "Kst proven" ami one "Not guilty.' He was sontcncetl to death b'7 the .rudgß, Lard. Guthrie; but a petition Jn Ins favour was qalcklv sigiieil by ai.OOC) persons; sad tile day before that iise<( fcr the pjcijuMoii thp setiteiwo' was commuted and Slater was. sent to .penal servitude for life. Sir Arthur Ctoan Doyic put fonviml an claberate plea for tte rewHis-dJeration" of the whole case, with n view to a pardon— Ike only jiieaiis Ettovrn to British law for nltdoiftg «i« ettMts of si miscarriage of jnstke. Aliss Gilehrist hail lived Eor tliirtf years m the first/tor rooms of 15 Qncens Terra-rc. Siio was we}'! off, but sjie lived a vow quiet *nd Wtired life, rereiviiw few or no visitors, and being en- ■ tu'elr looked after by her <aio semiftt,' Helen Lmntae, agod tweirtr-c-ne. Tlio girt ftaa boon ia tlio sitnation seme three- : or four j-cars» ami appears to hav<j given sahsiaetion. Below 'Mm fiitchrist's rooms liml a family calM Adams. WaietJj ami ocanomicnlly as Miss Gil--climt livceii sko liad one hoeuliaritv, vei-j- dangerous Jot an old lady iiyiu. K alone; she bsngljt i«wclletj fo 4 *atlier l«r?o estent, and at th« -tiiuo of her tefli possessed about £M 0 worth put away iti her wartlike. The possession of so wucJi valunW-e (jmypwtv in the house had begun to mtths .her iiMvtuis; slie liad tto fwt door fitted with patent Jocks;' and she had arranged with the Adams iflUHly that if at any time she was a dnngor slio would knock loudly -<m the Boor, awl they would come te fter assistance.

On December 23. Laos, ot 1 e'c-lotk, Melon Lanabie went out, as usual for an evening paper. In tea mimrtcs she r»turned am[ found outside her mistress 1 toor you)).* Mi'. Adnms, ringing m vnm tor admission, Be tola her he had been, summoned by a violent mm on. the floor, bite appeared to. havo opened tile door with her key, and both wont in-sto .iito tlio kiJtclwa, tt«4 lie ei.iji.ug for a inouwßtiij the ball. -WJioe be ires ttao, a, ivelMressMl man «wm> out of one of Hie bedrooms, oppronehed the itnsuspftctl ng Mr. Adams "quife pleasantly," nnrt pawed out and down the stairs. At the sanlo tune the girl entered the dining'! rooto ct«| out -.'Oh! cme l,.ore*" iml both tother saw tho "horrible spectacle of the jmtrdered old lady, Iviiigmi the flow, te head battered in. IvV»n me poltto eaiise, the ttvo po.fs.ens who hml seen ««> "ffrfklfessqrt im" tflUl thei" nPVi' * f ar&il W!)S i"e the rooms,; and the strnngo fact ajsppared that nojie ■ oi the jeivollery, sscejit one d.iainoiMl kooeii.,.])ad been taken, but HiW a box eoirfaiume PMpers hsirt been torn OPCT-S ' lollow-mg up tho elite of the fiweeh tto pQ-hce found, a few days liter, that' a pnwii-licket .covcrttg a xtiwno.itd teooch ' mid beofi (iikred for saio b\- a c»rtaiii Gsoiir Slfltw,. <j Jew .of German "birth living Hi &fctsg»w; and their nttontien' \ras tltus.dirjicSed townril.? this mna.' Oiii Uccemba '-26 thty fdiiaul that he awl W« mrrfress. one Anfoirio, imd started lor Now y<Mfe. Slalcr was iirristwrt .| o-a the. jti-riral of the Lnsitoliia flieroj l his cstriwiihon was ajsli«i fat, .'on th.e evidttiice of ldontiflcatlon. supplied bv Aflaiiis,-Lambie riiwi another wJtmess H'lie' ; had folwwttl with the poltef .He at oneo' volttntcaesl to r-etara, and did S o. ' ' hit Ai'ttnr Ceiiaw Doyle toought. several fowhid-ablo criHcisiiis to bear' n.poij tho ovidpiuMs op. which Blatet- was c&nyietcd. fie pointed *at that tho man's amißWnl Jifc, Jn s various dotlbtfvii itraMs-iicti-ow. and this fact of his havinjr often gwte uwiet a false name ought to havft cottuted lor nothiuj* with a jury trvine Si a capital charge; oml-esjjetMilljf that Ins atoptren !?i a'falsa iia.nro on his vej-age to Rcw York was imtimilly as', eoixnted lor hy tho i-easwi ho give-that ho wished hrs kwfnl wifo in Lottton hot to trace htm, The evidence, of tion was Rxtrcßiolj weak and fioiiiwflic- ™:{> .tip tlirco chief witnesses swcariiiß that the man was cloaft ghnvoft, white Water at that time hatl ii black iaaMS' tatlw. As to the voyage, it was no flight j M mode aie cwicealmeil-i about it iiiui proved that it had been decided on' some tteys teforo the niMfer, and tliai; a let, tw Mivituig him to America had beea received from a fornwr partm&r swie tiiiie bofdrc. _ Again, if ho did fiat quite prove au aiibj, hjg servant, who was under uonpe to citut amt therefore not likely to perjtire herself in his favour, 'strafe "tk-a-t ho was at Iwino for dinaer Sooa aitey T —tho SHur-fkr having taken riace five or fen lmirates past that hour, j?o btoed- ■ shuns were found, and no wonpon, <?%-' cept a littte hainmer from a hA)f-ciWn ■ card of aiia.ll tools- Chief of ail, the breech ivhielj ho had pawltol-aiid tls.ft.'t several Clays before— trns net Miss Ci.il-ehrist-s; it was A.ntojne's. ,«ijm! Mm *taJen ' weocH Unci net been jeeovehsd to this day. Finally, the writer (if the pka hail ingenious suggestiums as, to Svhat sort of mail may have done the deed; net" tl.i.e brataa&er wlio was poytojf attevttoivs to ■ Iteeii lambic, l»t po«si% stmw liinn IvJ.K) hfl(! lie.iird him gossipini; nbont the girl's rkh old mfettess atsd her «te-n> of jewels, ■' '