The trial of Oscar Slater (1909) and anti-Jewish prejudices in Edwardian Glasgow

This article examines the case of Oscar Slater within the context of Jewish history in the United Kingdom. It argues that Slater's conviction was the result of errors made by the police and judicial authorities and that these errors were made under public pressure. It is shown that the public, police and authorities were influenced by xenophobia and anti-Jewish feelings. The article illustrates that in Glasgow it was not the often assumed Jewish involvement in political violence, but the growing presence of Jewish immigrants and their alleged participation in crime, especially prostitution, which aroused already existing fears about the condition of society. It is also found that there was another side to public opinion, namely a preparedness to speak out against injustice no matter at whom the wrongdoing was directed. Finally, the article concludes that the case affected the local Jewish population and shaped their responses to local attitudes