The Sacco-Vanz? case in Massachusetts caused ?enewed interest in Slater’s case. The girl witness, who now is a woman of 54, swore in an affidavit recently that she had never meant to idenity Slater positively, but had been influenced by the prosecutor.
Slater was convicted in 1909 and sentenced to be hanged, but public opinion became so strongly aroused over the case with many doubting he had been proved guilty, that his sentence was commuted to life impris?ent two days before he was to be executed.
Frequem attempts have been made to abrain Slater’s release, but heretofore they have been trustless. Sir Ar? Conan Doyle wrote a book condemning his imprisonment.
Robbery was the supposed motive for the crime, but the evidence was regarded by many as so ?imsy that 20,000 persons in Glasgow signed a petition asking for commination of Slater’s sentence.
The release of Slater is a victory for Sir Arthur Conan doyle who was assisted by William A. Goodhart, Baltimore attorney.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.