There remains the so-called identification by twelve witnesses who had seen a man loitering in the street during the weeks before the crime had been committed. I have said a “so-called” identification, for the proceedings were farcical as a real test of recognition. The witnesses had seen portraits of the accused. They were well aware that he was a foreigner, and then they were asked to pick out his swarthy Jewish physiognomy from among nine Glasgow policemen to two railway officials. Naturally they did it without hesitation, since this man was more like the dark individual whom they had seen and described than the others could be.
Read their own descriptions, however, of the man they had seen, with the details of his clothing, and they will be found in many respects to differ from each other on one hand, and in many from Slater on the other. Here is a synopsis of their impressions:
Mrs. M’Haffie.—“Dark. Moustached, light overcoat, not waterproof, check trousers, spats. Black bowler hat. Nose normal.”
Miss M. M’Haffie.—“Seen at same time and same description. Was only prepared at first to say there was some resemblance, but ‘had been thinking it over, and concluded that he was the man.’”
Miss A. M. M’Haffie.—“Same as before. Had heard the man speak and noticed nothing in his accent. (Prisoner has a strong German accent.)”
Madge M’Haffie (belongs to the same family).—“Dark, moustached, nose normal. Check trousers, fawn overcoat and spats. Black bowler hat. ‘The prisoner was fairly like the man.’”
In connection with the identification of these four witnesses it is to be observed that neither check trousers, nor spats were found in the prisoner’s luggage. As the murderer was described as being dressed in dark trousers, there was no possible reason why these clothes, if Slater owned them, should have been destroyed.
Constable Brien.—“Claimed to know the prisoner by sight. Says he was the man he saw loitering. Light coat and a hat. It was a week before the crime, and he was loitering eighty yards from the scene of it. He picked him out among five constables as the man he had seen.”
Constable Walker.—“Had seen the loiterer across the street, never nearer, and after dark in December. Thought at first he was someone else whom he knew. Had heard that the man he had to identify was of foreign appearance. Picked him out from a number of detectives. The man seen had a moustache.”
Euphemia Cunningham.—“Very dark, sallow, heavy featured. Clean-shaven. Nose normal. Dark tweed coat. Green cap with peak.”