I am primarily indebted to the former Lord President, Lord Emslie, for his permission to examine the Slater papers and productions lodged at the Justiciary Office in Edinburgh, and to Mr A H Hutson of that office, who made their proper display to me his especial concern.
I am grateful, too, for willing help extended to me by the Faculty of Advocates, and also by Mr George H. Ballantyne, former Librarian of the Signet Library.
The late Lord Cameron was a good friend and a continual source of inspiration to me throughout the many years of research involved in the writing of this book.
Most helpful also were Mr Craigie Aitchison, son of the late Lord Justice-Clerk, Lord Craigie Aitchison, who so ably argued, and won, Slater’s case before the Court of Appeal; Mr Norman Crombie Macpherson, son of the late Norman Macpherson, of Messrs Norman Macpherson & Dunlop, SSC, Edinburgh, Slater’s agents in the matter of that appeal; and Mr Colin Shaughnessy, of Shaughnessy, Quigley & McColl, the successors of Messrs. Joseph Shaughnessy & Sons, the firm of Glasgow solicitors with whom Oscar Slater’s agent, the late Ewing Speirs, and subsequent to his untimely death, Alex Shaughnessy, were associated.
An especial debt of affection as well as gratitude is owed to Oscar Slater’s widow, the late Mrs Lina Leschziner, who became to me not only a valued informant, but a dear and sadly missed friend.
To the late William Ratcliffe, former Assistant Chief Constable of Glasgow, my gratitude for sundry cross-illuminations in relation to the official career of the late Lieutenant John Thomson Trench.
The United States State Department kindly supplied me with full details regarding the Oscar Slater extradition proceedings of 1909.
The late Dame Jean Conan Doyle was of considerable assistance in matters concerning her father’s dealings with Slater and his manifold problems in that context.
Mrs Margaret Land – the daughter of Maggie Galbraith Ferguson’s daughter, Margaret – threw a great deal of light upon the relationship between her aunt, Marion Gilchrist Ferguson, and old Miss Gilchrist.
On a less direct line, the late Jack House, when solicited, never failed to do his level best to provide help and guidelines, for which I was, and am, sincerely grateful. Mr Jonathan Goodman was, as ever, vigilant on my behalf.
Miss Irene Bell, of Edinburgh, and the late Andrew Melbourne, of Glasgow, were towers of strength, and the distinguished Scottish journalist and commentator, Mr John Linklater, proved a kind and helpful friend, most generously sharing with me important new information of his own discovering.
For many aids and favours I am in the debt of Mr David Byram-Wigfield, of Cappella Archive, Great Malvern.
Finally, there is Mr Lewis MacDonald, whose contribution has been not only enormous, but crucial. While eschewing the cliché, I must also employ it in saying, in all sincerity, that without him this book could not, certainly in its present form, have been written.
Richard Whittington-Egan