The Daily Telegraph - Monday, May 27, 1895

LONDON, Friday Night.— The trial of Oscar Wilde was continued at the Central Criminal Court to-day. He is charged with offences under the 11th section of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

Wilde to-day gave evidence on his own behalf. He was allowed to be seated in the witness-box, and appeared to be very weak. He gave a general denial to the whole of the charges. He said he always understood Taylor to be a respectable man; and in referring to the station in life of the young men with whom he had associated, he said the reason of his friendship with them was that he personally liked praise, and to be lionised was delightful.

Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., M.P., in addressing the jury on behalf of Wilde, declared the witnesses to be blackmailers, whose evidence it was impossible to believe.

LONDON, Saturday Night.— The trial of Oscar Wilde concluded to-day.

The jury, after an absence of two hours, returned into court with a verdict of guilty on all the counts submitted to them.

Wilde and Alfred Taylor (his associate, who was found guilty on two charges on Tuesday) were then brought up for sentence.

In passing sentence, Mr. Justice Wills was deeply affected. He spoke with great emotion, and evidently experienced some difficulty in restraining his feelings. He said that the verdict was correct beyond the shadow of a doubt, and it was useless to address the prisoners at any length, as they were dead to all sense of shame. It was the worst case he had ever tried, and he must pass the severest sentence the law permitted. He regretted that this was totally inadequate for their offence. He then sentenced Wilde and Taylor each to two years' imprisonment, with hard labor.

Taylor left the dock with a firm step, but Wilde had a haggard look, and appeared to be dazed. He gazed in a despairing manner at the judge, and was apparently horror-stricken at the sentence. In a weak voice he muttered a request to be permitted to address the judge, but this was unheeded, and the warders immediately called upon him to leave the dock.

After sentence had been passed upon Wilde and Taylor, the jury asked whether it was intended to arrest Lord Alfred Douglas.

Mr. Justice Wills replied that he was not aware of what was intended to be done, but pointed out that Lord Alfred Douglas was not affected by the present trial.

The jury contended that if the letters addressed by Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas showed Wilde to be guilty, the guilt applied equally to Lord Alfred Douglas.

Mr. Justice Wills concurred in this remark, and added that any suspicion that might exist that Lord Alfred Douglas would be allowed to escape owing to his high family connections, was not only unfounded, but impossible.

LONDON, Sunday.— The Marquis of Queensberry and his son, Lord Douglas of Hawick, witnessed the end of the trial.

The Leader - Saturday, June 1, 1895

The trial of Oscar Wilde, the dramatic author, on charges of criminal indecency, was resumed before Mr. Justice Wills to-day.

Wilde, who was so weak that he could not stand, was accommodated with a seat in the witness box while giving evidence on his own behalf.

He denied absolutely all the charges, and said that he had always understood that Taylor, who had been previously charged with the same offence and convicted, was a respectable man. With reference to the low social grade of the persons with whom during the trial he had been proved to have associated, Wilde stated that the reason of his friendship was that personally he liked them, and considered to be "lionised" delightful.

Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., counsel for the prisoner, in addressing the jury, characterised the witnesses against his client as blackmailers, and urged that it was impossible to believe their evidence.

The jury, after deliberating in retirement for two hours, returned a verdict against Wilde of guilty on all the counts.

Mr. Justice Wills, in passing sentence on the two convicted men, Taylor and Wilde, spoke with great emotion, and said he found it difficult enough to restrain his feelings. The verdict of the jury was, his Honor said, correct beyond the shadow of a doubt. He felt that it would be useless to address the prisoners, as they must be dead to all sense of shame. The case was the worst that had ever been tried before him, and he must pass the severest sentence which the law permitted, though he regretted that this was totally inadequate.

Justice Wills then sentenced Wilde and Taylor each to two years' imprisonment, with hard labor.

Taylor bore the sentence well, and left the dock with a firm step, but Wilde seemed quite dazed and stunned. His face was frightfully haggard, and for a few moments he stared with despairing, horror-struck looks straight before him.

Then he muttered weakly a request that he might be permitted to address the judge. No attention was paid to the request, and the gaol warders immediately removed him to the cells.

LONDON, 26TH MAY.

After the removal of Wilde from the court Mr. Justice Wills was asked by the jury whether Lord Alfred Douglas was being arrested.

The judge replied that he was not aware of action being taken in that respect. So far as the present trial was concerned it did not affect Lord Alfred Douglas.

One of the jurymen remarked that if Wilde's letters produced at his trial showed him to be guilty of the offence charged against him, the same evidence applied equally to Lord Alfred Douglas.

Mr. Justice Wills concurred in this statement, but said that the suspicion that Lord Alfred Douglas was being allowed to escape trial on account of his family connections was unfounded and impossible.

The Marquis of Queensberry and his eldest son, Lord Douglas of Hawick, who recently fought in Piccadilly over a family quarrel arising out of the Wilde case, were present in court and witnessed the end of the trial.

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