The Australian Star - Friday, April 5, 1895

With reference to the London libel action reported by cable yesterday, in which the Marquis of Queensberry is the accused and Osoar Wilde the prosecutor, a telegram from London to an American paper says:—John Shelto Douglas, Marquis of Queensberry, was arraigned before Magistrate Newton in the Great Marlborough-street Police Court on March 2 on a charge of having libelled Mr. Oscar Wilde. Mr. Wilde's lawyer, in presenting the case, set forth that Mr. Wilde was a husband who was living upon most affectionate terms with his wife and two sons. For the last nine or ten months, he said, the Marquis of Queensberry had persecuted Mr. Wilde with the utmost cruelty.

The last act of persecution occurred on February 28, when the Marquis left Wilde, at a club of which both he and Mr. Wilde are members, an open card upon the back of which was written a vile epithet. The porter of the club, upon reading the words, enclosed the card in an envelope so that it might not be seen by other persons than Wilde.

The detective who arrested the Marquis at Dover testified that when he approached the Marquis and informed him of the complaint upon which he was arrested, his Lordship said, "This has been going on for two years."

Sir George Lewis, the Marquis of Queensberry's solicitor, in his address to the court, said that when the facts became fully known it would be found that the Marquis had been acting under the influence of great indignation, based upon abundant provocation. The Marquis was released on £1400 bail, and the case was adjourned for a week.

It has not been a secret that the reason for the Marquis of Queensberry's resentment was to be found in intimate relations existing between Mr. Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, who, until the death of Lord Drumlanrig, placed him, next in succession, was the younger son of the Marquis. Owing to the friendship existing between Wilde and Lord Alfred the latter became estranged from his father, who, feeling his position more acutely by reason of sundry reports concerning the nature of their relations—which are also common property—conceived a most violent antipathy to Mr. Wilde.

The Star - Monday, April 1, 1895

John Sholto Douglas, Marquis of Queensberry, was arraigned before Mr Newton, Magistrate, in the Great Marlborough Police Court, London, on the afternoon of March 2, on a charge of having libelled Oscar Wilde.

Mr Wilkes Lawyer, in presenting the case, set forth that his client was a husband who was living upon the most affectionate terms with his wife and two sons. For the last nine or ten months, he said, the Marquis of Queensberry had persecuted Mr Wilde with the utmost cruelty. The last act of persecution occurred on Feb. 28, when the Marquis left for Mr Wilde at a club of which both are members, an open card upon the back of which was written a vile epithet. The porter of the club upon reading the words enclosed the card in an envelope so that it might not be seen by any other person than Mr Wilde. The detective who arrested the Marquis at Dover on the morning of March 2 testified that when he approached the Marquis and informed him of the complaint upon which he was arrested his Lordship said — "This has been going on for two years." Sir George Lewis, the Marquis of Queensberry's solicitor, in his address to the Court said that when the facts became fully known it would be found that the Marquis had been acting under the influence of great indignation, based upon abundant provocation. It has not been a secret, says the despatch, that the reason for the Marquis of Queensberry's resentment was to be found in the intimate relations existing between Mr Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, who, until the death of Lord Drumlanrigg placed him next in succession, was the younger son of the Marquis. Owing to the friendship existing between Mr Wilde and Lord Alfred, the latter became estranged from his father, who, feeling his position more acutely by reason of sundry reports concerning the nature of the relations between Mr Wilde and his son, which are also common property, conceived a most violent antipathy to Mr Wilde.

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