Trial of Oscar Slater (Classic Reprint)

Book excerpt: Excerpt from Trial of Oscar Slater This report of the trial of Oscar Slater has been prepared from the official shorthand writers' notes taken in Court, the evidence of all the principal witnesses being printed verbatim. The Editor confesses to a certain diffidence in dealing with a case so recent in which the actors, with the regrettable exception of Mr. Ewing Speirs, the agent for the defence, are still in life. But notwithstanding the obvious restrictions imposed by these conditions, the endeavour has been made to give in the Introduction an accurate and fair account of this very remarkable case. The facts as disclosed upon the proof have been narrated in the order in which they occurred, from the evidence of the various witnesses at the trial, thus affording a consecutive view of the course of events, which it is hoped will enable the reader more easily to appreciate the purport of the evidence led. The Editor would here acknowledge the facilities which have been afforded to him by the learned Judge who presided at the trial, as well as by the counsel on both sides of the bar, and by the medical witnesses for the prosecution and defence. The Honourable Lord Guthrie has favoured the Editor by revising his charge to the jury; the Right Honourable Alexander Ure, Lord Advocate, and Mr. A. L. M'Clure, K.C., Sheriff of Argyll, have also done him the favour of revising their addresses. Professor Glaister, M.D., has kindly read the proof sheets of the medical evidence adduced by the Crown; Dr. Aitchison Robertson and Dr. Alexander Veitch those of their evidence for the defence. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.