Bristol Mercury - Wednesday, May 1, 1895

At the Old Bailey, London, yesterday, before Mr Justice Charles, the trial was resumed of Oscar Wilde, 40, author, and Alfred Taylor, 38, of no occupation, on an indictment charging them with certain misdemeanours.

Mr Gill, on behalf of the Crown, formally withdrew the counts of the indictment alleging conspiracy, and said he did this to avoid any difficulty in calling prisoners into the witness box.

Sir Eward Clarke asked that a verdict of not guilty on the conspiracy counts be at once returned, but his Lordship did not assent to this.

Sir Edward Clarke began his address for the defence of Wilde. He accused the public press of having imperilled the interests of justice.

Oscar Wilde was called and sworn. He described his academical and literary career. Sir Edward Clarke—In cross-examination in Wilde v. Queensberry you denied all the charges against you? Was that evidence absolutely and entirely true? Witness—Entirely true evidence. Is there any truth in any of the allegations of indecency brought against you in this case?—There is no truth whatever in any one of those allegations.

Mr Gill, in cross-examination, quoted from a sonnet of Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde replied that the love there spoken of was the love of David for Jonathan—the passion described by Plato as the beginning of wisdom, a deep spiritual affection as pure as it was perfect. In this century it was misunderstood, and a man was put in the pillory for it.

Counsel then called the attention of witness to the statements of Parker, Shelley, and Atkins, to which he gave a general denial.

At the close of his examination Wilde again took his place in the dock, and Alfred Taylor, his co-prisoner, entered the witness box. He said he was educated at Marlborough, and was formerly in the Militia. In 1883 he came into £45,000, and had since lived a life of pleasure. The allegation brought against him by Charles Parker was absolutely untrue.

Sir Edward Clarke again addressed the jury. He said the Crown rested their case upon the tainted evidence of a band of blackmailers, and had Mr Oscar Wilde been a guilty man he would have avoided the ordeal of the witness box. He trusted to letters of the witness Edward Shelley to erase impressions created by his evidence.

Mr Grain addressed the jury for Taylor, and Mr Gill then replied an the whole case. At the conclusion of his address at seven o'clock, the court adjourned until this morning, when Mr Justice Charles will commence him summing up.

The Morning Post - Tuesday, April 30, 1895

At the Central Criminal Court yesterday, before Mr. Justice Charles, the trial was resumed of Oscar Wilde, 40, author, and Alfred Taylor, 33, of no occupation, on an indictment charging them with certain misdemeanours.

Mr. C. F. Gill and Mr. H. Avory prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury; Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., Mr. Charles Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys defended Oscar Wilde; Mr. J. P. Grain and Mr. Paul Taylor defended Alfred Taylor; Mr. Leonard Kershaw watched the case on behalf of persons interested.

Further evidence was given in support of the case for the prosecution.—A transcript of the shorthand note taken of the proceedings at this Court at the trial of the Marquis of Queensberry was produced and sworn to be correct.—Two employees from the Savoy Hotel gave evidence relative to what happened at the hotel while Oscar Wilde stayed there.—Sergeant Harris said that, acting on instructions, he obtained access to the rooms occupied by the prisoner Taylor in Little College-street. The witness described liow the rooms were furnished, &c. On the morning of the 6th inst. he arrested Alfred Taylor in Denbigh-place. Taylor, when he heard the charge, said "Very well; I expected you last night. What are you going to do with me?" Taylor had in his possession a subpoena for his attendance at this Court as a witness at the trial of the Marquis of Queensberry.—By Mr. Grain: He did not remember that Taylor said that he had heard that a warrant was out for his arrest and was about to surrender himself.—Detective-inspector Richards, of the Criminal Investigation Department, of Scotland-yard, proved the arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel, Sloane-street, and to conveying him to Scotland-yard, where the warrant was read to him. He made no answer to the charge. Taylor was also taken to Bow-street. Oscar Wilde applied for bail.—Detective-inspector Brockwell, who held the warrant for the arrest of Wilde, spoke to finding a number of banknotes on the prisoner and certain memoranda.— Reference was made to a sympathetic letter found on Wylde, and written to him by a literary friend, which Sir Edward Clarke asked might be read to the Jury —Mr. Justice Charles did not think that the letter was relevant to the issue.—The transcript of the shorthand note taken of the denial of Oscar Wilde to the charges contained in the plea of justification filed by the Marquis of Queensberry, and of his cross examination by Mr. Carson, Q.C., was put in and read, a proceeding which occupied the Court a considerable time.—The case for the Crown was concluded, and the trial was adjourned.

Highlighted DifferencesNot significantly similar