Compare Documents

Oscar Wilde has written a letter to the Press, which has been published this morning, in which he states that he was forced to abandon his charges against the Marquis of Queensberry in order to avoid putting Lord Alfred Douglas in the witness box.

The police, acting upon the instructions of the Public Prosecutor, have detained three of the most essential witnesses in the case.

In consequence of the disclosures in the recent libel action by Mr. Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry, and upon the representations made by Mr. Russell to the Public Prosecutor, that functionary has issued a warrant for the arrest of Oscar Wilde.

Oscar Wilde has been arrested, and will appear at Guildhall to answer the charges preferred at the instance of the Public Prosecutor.

Several hours after the termination of the trial of the Marquis of Queensberry, Oscar Wilde, who was accompanied by Lord Alfred Douglas and two other men, was observed having his luncheon in a private room at the Holborn Viaduct Hotel. Afterwards Wilde drove to his Bank, whence he withdrew a large sum of money. The detectives, who were closely following his movements, then lost sight of him.

Later in the evening the detectives recovered his trail, and effected his capture at an hotel in Sloane-street.

Lord Alfred Douglas was very greatly distressed at the news of his capture and at his inability to obtain bail for his friend.

The Marquis of Queensberry sent a message to Oscar Wilde at the conclusion of the trial for libel, in which he threatened that he would shoot him if he attempted to take Lord Alfred Douglas abroad.

Taylor, the man whose name was so frequently referred to in the libel trial, was arrested today, and, with Oscar Wilde, appeared at Bow-street to answer the criminal charges laid against them by the Public Prosecutor.

Several witnesses were called who proved up to the hilt the case for the Crown, the witnesses citing many occasions on which meetings had occurred at hotels and at Taylor's rooms, Taylor, it was said, having acted as an intermediary for Wilde.

Sir John Bridge eventually, at the request of the authorities, remanded the prisoners until Thursday, refusing to grant bail.

Wilde's name has been withdrawn from the playbills of the theatres of London and the United States, where his comedies of "The Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" are being played.

Parisian society, among whom Wilde had his own select coterie, is petrified at the facts that are now becoming public.

The criminal libel action brought by Mr. Oscar Wilde against the Marquis of Queensberry resulted, as already announced by cable, in a verdict of not guilty, Mr. Wilde's counsel having previously withdrawn from the case.

Mr. Oscar Wilde hurriedly left the court while his counsel was explaining that his literature and letters justified the plea that Mr. Wilde posed as an immoral person, and that he (counsel) therefore withdrew from the case in order to avoid the appalling evidence that would probably be submitted. This statement was received with loud cheers.

No warrant for the arrest of Mr. Wilde has been applied for, but Mr. Russell, solicitor for Lord Queensberry, has sent to the Public Prosecutor a statement regarding the witnesses and notes of the evidence taken in the case, with a view to preventing a possible miscarriage of justice.

Later.

Mr. Wilde has published a letter in which he states that he abandoned his case against the Marquis of Queensberry in order to avoid calling Lord Alfred Douglas as a witness.

A warrant has now been issued for the arrest of Mr. Oscar Wilde. The police have also detained three of the essential witnesses at the late trial.

Later.

Mr. Oscar Wilde was arrested this evening.

LONDON, April 6.

It has transpired that Lord Alfred Douglas and two men remained in conference with Mr. Wilde for several hours after the conclusion of the trial yesterday, and they had lunch together in a private room at the Holborn Viaduct Hotel. They then drove to the Bank of England, where Mr. Wilde withdrew a large sum of money. He was afterwards lost sight of until he was arrested in the evening at a hotel in Sloane-street.

Lord Alfred Douglas is reported to be much distressed at being unable to get Mr. Wilde released on bail.

It is stated that the Marquis of Queensberry sent Mr. Wilde a message after the conclusion of the trial stating that he would shoot him if he took Lord Alfred Douglas abroad.

Taylor, who figured prominently in the case, was arrested to-day. The two were brought up at the Bow-street Police Court to-day, when several witnesses proved the case up to the hilt.

Mr. Oscar Wilde's name has now been withdrawn from the playbills of the London and American theatres where his dramas, "An Ideal Husband" and "The Importance of Being Earnest," were being played.

LONDON, April 7.

The Paris newspapers publish comments on the Oscar Wilde case, and express themselves as being petrified at the disclosures that have been made.

Mr. Wilde, who was arrested on Friday evening, was brought up at the court on Saturday, and was remanded until Thursday next, bail being refused.

LONDON, April 8.

Since being remanded at Bow-street Police Court on Saturday with Oscar Wilde, the man Taylor has made some sensational statements to the police, which are likely to lead to the arrest of many more persons.

It is widely known that Taylor's lodgings ware regularly used by four of the witnesses examined in connection with the case on Saturday last, besides many other visitors.