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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.

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

Mr. C. F. Gill and Mr. Horace Avory prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury; Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., Mr. Charles Mathews, and Mr. Travers Humphreys represented Oscar Wilde; Mr. J. P. Grain defended Taylor.

The speeches for the defence and the reply for the Crown were concluded the previous day.

Mr. Justice Charles, in summing up, commented on the importance of the case to the accused and on the gravity of the charges. No unfavourable impression ought to be drawn from a work like "Dorian Gray," as, in his opinion, a writer ought not to be confounded with the persons he created; nor ought the result of the Queensberry case to weigh with them in the least. The case was an important one to the community. The testimony that had been adduced by some of the witnesses was obviously tainted evidence, and it required strong corroboration. It was a question for the Jury to decide if there existed independent and untainted corroboration. His Lordship dismissed from consideration the literary aspects of the case, being of opinion that Wilde was not responsible for the writings of others. If they were satisfied that the evidence supported the charges, they ought fearlessly to say so by their verdict. Wilde was a man of high intellectual gifts and education; Taylor belonged to a good class of persons, and they might think it unreasonable to suppose that they would have acted in the manner suggested. The Jury, however, could not disregard the evidence, and it was only upon the evidence that their verdict ought to be determined.

The Jury retired to consider their verdict, and, after an absence of three hours and three quarters, they returned into Court, when the foreman said that they were unable to agree to a verdict.

Sir E. Clarke asked that an acquittal be entered on the conspiracy counts, which the prosecution withdrew.

The Jury returned a formal verdict of not guilty in respect of these counts and two other counts.

Sir E. Clarke applied for bail for Wilde. He did not think that the Crown would oppose the application after what had occurred.

Mr. Clarke Hall applied for bail for Taylor.

Mr. Gill did not desire to say anything about the matter of bail.

His Lordship—I do not feel able to accede to the application.

Mr. Gill said that the case would certainly be tried again.

The Jury were discharged, and the case was ordered to stand over until the next Sessions.

The prisoners were removed in custody.