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 South Australian Chronicle - Saturday, June 1, 1895

The case against Oscar Wilde was proceeded with to-day, when the accused was allowed to give evidence, and emphatically denied all the charges laid against him.

Wilde, who was very weak, was seated in the box while giving his evidence. He stated that he always understood that Taylor was a respectable man. Referring to his other associates, he said that he personally liked them and that their praise and the lionising which they bestowed upon him were to him delightful.

Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., who appears for Wilde, said that the witnesses who gave evidence against his client were a lot of blackmailers, and that it was impossible to believe their statements.

LONDON, May 25.

The case against Oscar Wilde was concluded to-day.

The jury having retired, were absent for two hours considering their verdict, and at the expiration of that time they returned into court, the foreman announcing that they had found the prisoner guilty on all the counts mentioned in the indictment.

Mr. Justice Wills, in passing sentence upon Wilde and Taylor, spoke in tones of great emotion, and evidently found it extremely difficult to restrain his feelings. He asserted that the verdict returned by the jury was correct beyond the shadow of a doubt, and declared that it was useless his attempting to address the prisoners, who were evidently dead to all sense of shame.

The case, continued Mr. Justice Wills, was the worst he had ever tried, and although he intended to pass the most severe sentence the law permitted he regretted that it was totally inadequate to the horrible crime of which the prisoners had been found guilty.

Wilde and Taylor were each sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labor.

Taylor left the court with a firm step, but Wilde, who looked worn and haggard, appeared to be completely dazed.

Oscar Wilde, after hearing the sentence passed upon him, gazed despairingly round the court as though struck with horror, and with a palpable effort weakly muttered a request that he might be permitted to address the Judge.

The request was unheeded, and Wilde was immediately escorted by the warders to the cells.

After Mr. Justice Wills had passed sentence upon Oscar Wilde and his accomplice, Taylor, the foreman of the jury enquired whether the police authorities had any intention of issuing a warrant for the arrest of Lord Alfred Douglas, whose name had been repeatedly mentioned during the trial.

Mr. Justice Wills replied that he was not aware of any such intention, and that he was of the opinion that Lord Douglas was not affected by the issue of the present trial.

The foreman of the jury stated that if the letters written by Wilde showed him to be guilty of the crime with which he was charged the same would apply with equal force to those written by Lord Alfred Douglas.

His Honor concurred with this view of the case, and declared that if any suspicion existed that Lord Douglas would be allowed to escape owing to his high connections the suspicion was both unfounded and impossible.

LONDON, May 26.

The Marquis of Queensberry and his eldest son Lord Douglas of Hawick witnessed the conclusion of the trial of the charges against Oscar Wilde, and were present when both prisoners were sentenced.

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