London Star - Thursday, April 4, 1895

Speaks of Perfumed Rooms and Cosy Tea Parties, of Trips to Paris, of Costly Presents and Dinners where the Wine was not Stinted.

If the Wilde-Queensberry case does no other good it will at least have encouraged a very large number of people in the healthy habit of early rising. Before the work of the day actually commenced this morning there were those who envied the Marquess his comfortable quarters in the dock. The crowd was mainly composed of people of no importance, and was exclusively male. A doubtless distinguished, but unrecognisable Mongolian visitor was permitted to sit on the bench at the judge's right hand, and on his left was an unusually large detachment of aldermen. Oscar slipped in quietly by a side door, and pending the arrival of his legal representatives sat admiring his fleshy hands. Presently Mr. Charles Mathews, his junior counsel, arrived, and the two put their heads together for an earnest whispered consultation. The jury meanwhile arrived themselves with the morning papers. There was a moment's sensation, and much craning of necks and goggling of inquisitive eyes when a whisper went round that

LORD ALFRED DOUGLAS WAS IN COURT.

Simultaneously the noble defendant, clad in a dark blue overcoat with velvet collar, in place of the rusty black garment of yesterday, was admitted to the dock, and sat there quietly till Mr. Justice Collins arrived, when he returned his old pose, with arms folded on the dock front.

Punctually at half-past ten Oscar was recalled to the witness-box. Bland and attentive, his hands limply crossed and drooping, or clasped round his brown suède gloves, he awaited the resumption of Mr. Carson's cross-examination. First the Irish Q. C. reverted to the prosecutor's acquaintance with Taylor of the missing letters. Taylor lived at 13, Little College-st., and Oscar had visited him there and at chambers in the Adelphi, besides having him at his own house at Tite-st. The Little-College-st. establishment did not strike him as too elaborate or luxurious. They were " pretty room, " displaying more taste then is common.

Mr. Carson: He never admitted any daylight into the rooms, did he?

Witness: Oh yes.

Were they not always lighted either with candles or gas? - No, I think not.

Then it would not be true to suggest that there were double curtains to the rooms and the daylight was never admitted? - Most untrue. I should think.

Were the rooms strongly perfumed? - I don't know how you mean, now. Perfume? Yes;

WE USED TO BURN PERFUME.

He was in the habit of burning perfume as I am in my rooms.

Did you see Wood there at tea? - Only on the one occasion.

Did you see Sidney Mavor, a friend of yours, there? - Yes.

How old is he? - I should think 25 or 26.

Is he still a friend of yours? - I have not seen him for, I should think, a year. I have not the remotest idea where he is now.

Do you know where he has gone? - I don't know at all.

Do you know he has disappeared within the last week? - No. Taylor wrote him a letter asking him to call at his rooms, but I have not seen him.

Oscar rather resented the suggestion that he had been trying to find Mavor. No one waited on them when they were at tea at Taylor's. He was quite sure he had never seen Taylor in a lady's costume, and it was not true that in 1892 and 1893 he was constantly communicating with Taylor by telegram.

Was he a literary man? - I have never seen any creative work of his. He had great taste and intelligence, and was brought up at a good English public school.

It was another case, Oscar added, of the young men enjoying a literary treat in his conversation.

THEY HAD DINED TOGETHER,

at the Florence, in Rupert-st. and at the Solferino, always in private rooms. On 7 March, 1893 he telegraphed to Taylor to meet him at the Savoy. That was for the purpose of discussing Wood's intention of blackmailing Oscar in regard to the letters stolen from Lord Alfred Douglas. There was another telegram inviting Taylor to join Oscar and "Fred" at a little dinner. "Fred was a young man to whom I was introduced by a gentleman whose name I do not wish to have introduced into the case."

What was his other name? - Atkins.

You were very familiar with him? - I don't know what you mean. I liked him.

Oscar denied that he had ever known that Taylor was being watched by the police, but he knew Taylor and a man named Parker were arrested in a raid made last year on a house in Fitzroy-sq. He knew Parker. He had met him at Chapel-st.

Was not Taylor notorious for introducing young men to older men? - I never heard that in my life.

How many young men did he introduce to you - young men with whom you afterwards became intimate? - You mean friendly. I should think about five.

Were they all about 20 years of age? - Twenty to 22. I liked the society of young men.

Lord Queensberry

BROKE INTO A BROAD GRIN

at this, and for a moment relaxed his fixed stare at the witness to gaze round the court as though inviting attention to this answer.

Oscar continued that he had given money or presents to all five of these young men, none of whom appeared to have any employment or means. He said he had no knowledge that Charles Parker was a gentleman's servant out of employ.

If he had been such, would you have been friendly with him? - I would be friendly with any human being that I liked.

How old is he? - I do not know. (Oscar became petulant.) I do not keep the census. He may have been 15, 20, 25. I never asked him.

Was he a literary man? - Oh, no !

Was he an educated man? - Culture was not his strong point. (Laughter.)

There was a little dinner at Kettner's in Soho, to which Oscar invited Taylor on his birthday, to bring any friends he liked. He brought Charlie Parker and his brother.

Did you know one was a gentleman's valet and the other a gentleman's groom? - I did not know nor should I have cared, sir.

What pleasure had you in the company of men like them? - The pleasure of being with those who are

YOUNG, BRIGHT, HAPPY, FAIR.

I don't like the sensible, and I don't like the old. I do-not-like-either. (Oscar became almost emphatic.)

It was a good dinner, they had whatever they wanted, Kettner's best fare and Kettner's best wine.

Did you give them an intellectual treat? - They seemed deeply interested.

You did not stint them? - What gentleman would stint his guests.

What gentleman would stint a valet? - I strongly object to the description.

Oscar denied that after dinner he said of Charlie Parker, "This is the boy for me," or that they went together to the Savoy Hotel, or that any kind of impropriety occurred. He denied that he gave the lad £2, or that he forced champagne or whisky and soda upon him. "At no time," he said, "did Parker come to the Savoy." They called one another "Charlie" and "Oscar." "I like those I like to call me 'Oscar,'" the prosecutor said. A week later there was another little dinner at Kettner's. It did not appear that it was anybody's birthday this time and "Charlie" came alone.

Did you ask Taylor what those young men were? - It was sufficient for me that they were friends of Taylor's Parker himself told me he was anxious

TO GO ON THE STAGE.

No, Taylor did not tell me he had met them in the St. James's Restaurant. Parker came to Tite-st. to tea five or six times, and also visited Oscar in his rooms at St. James's-place.

What was he doing there? - Visiting me. I liked his society.

Parker, like the others, received presents, and asked for money when he was hard up. Oscar gave him £3.

All at once? - Yes! - all-at-once.

What was he doing? - You ask me what a young man does when he comes to tea! He has his tea, he smokes cigarettes, and I hope he enjoys himself.

What was there in common between you and this young man? - Well, I will tell you. I delight in the society of those much younger than myself. I like those who may be called idle and careless. I recognise no social distinctions at all of any kind. The mere fact is that youth is so wonderful I would sooner talk to a young man for half an hour than even be cross-examined in court. (Laughter.) Yes, I would talk to street arab with pleasure.

Sir Edward Clarke so little liked the tone of the cross-examination that he handed up to the judge a letter of Parker's, to show that he was not so illiterate as Mr. Carson dryly reported that the jury would presently have an opportunity of seeing Parker himself.

Oscar denied that he had visited Parker at 60. Park-walk, Chelsea, st. half-past twelve at night. He knew where Park-walk was, but it was not near Tite-st. - It was "quite far away."

How far to walk? -

AH! I NEVER WALK.

How long to drive? - I have no idea.

Oscar did not know what had become of Parker. He had heard that he had enlisted as a private in the Army. He read of the arrest of Taylor and Parker in the newspapers in August of last year.

Did you read that they were in the company of several men in women's clothes? - Oscar "only knew what he had read in papers," but his impression was that the men in women's clothes - music hall singers--were arrested outside. He was very much distressed at the intelligence - "but the magistrate seems to have taken a different view, for he dismissed the case."

Mr. Carson read out a list of the accused in the Fitzroy-sq. raid, and asked, "Did you never hear of Preston in connection with the Cleveland-st. scandals?"

No, said Oscar, he had never heard of him, and he did not know that another man arrested at this time was a man of notoriously evil life. The crowd made no difference in his living for Taylor and Parker, and Taylor was at his house as recently as Tuesday last.

When did you first know Freddy Atkins? - In November, 1892.

What is he? - He was in the employ of a firm of bookmakers.

You did not come in contact with him through

MAKING BETS?

- Oh, no !

How old was he? - I should think about 19 or 20 - a young man.

Where were you introduced? - In the rooms of the gentleman whose name you handed up to me yesterday.

Tell me the address? - They were in rooms off Regent-st. - I think in Margaret-st. - I can't remember the number.

Was anyone else present? - Yes, I think there were several people there.

Two days afterwards there was a dinner at Kettner's, quite a small party, and they became friendly enough to call one another "Oscar" and "Freddie."

You say he was in the employ of a bookmaker? - Yes, and he apologised for neglecting his business.

Did he seem an idle kind of fellow? - Yes! Oh, yes! He seemed idle. With ambition to go to the music-hall stage.

Did you discuss literature with him? - No! oh, no! I would not allow that! The art of the music hall was as far a he had got.

Did you ask him to go to Paris with you? - No. Oscar had to enter into a long explanation to show that although he did take " Freddie " to Paris, the suggestion came from

THE MYSTERIOUS GENTLEMAN

whose name was handed up in writing yesterday. It was not an Oscar's secretary that he went--the suggestion was childish! They shared the same rooms at 23, Boulevard des Capucines - three rooms on suite, two of which were bedrooms. They lunched at the Café Julian.

After lunch did you suggest to him to have his hair curled? - No, I told him I thought it would be very unbecoming. He suggested it. Did he get his hair curled? - I don't think so. I should have been very angry if he had. (Laughter.)

Annoyed at your guest-getting his hair curled? - I should have thought it very silly.

They afterwards dined together, and Mr. Carson suggested that it was a good dinner with plenty of wine. Oscar was vexed and hurt. He hoped he should never stint a guest of wine, "but if you ask me whether I plied him with wine such a suggestion is monstrous. I won't have it!"

Mr. Carson said he had not made the "monstrous" suggestion. "Ah, but you have before, you have before! Yes"! Oscar reproached him. After dinner he gave the lad a guinea to go to the Moulin Rouge - "Moolong Rooje," as Mr. Carson called it. A laugh went round, and he apologised to the Court." I believe

I PRONOUNCED IT WRONG,"

he said: 'tis the "Moolang Ruge."

Mr. Wilde continued that any suggestion that impropriety occurred during the Paris trip would be an infamous lie. He denied that he asked Atkins to say nothing about the trip to Paris. At the time Freddy was living in Pimlico. He now lives at 25, Osnaburgh-st. He gave Freedy £3 15s. to pay for his first song. "He told me," said Oscar, "that the poets who write for the music-hall stage never take less."

Mr. Carson passed on to the case of another young man, Ernest Scarth, who was also about 20 years of age.

Did you know he, too, had been a valet?

- No.

Was he well educated? - Education depends on what you understand by it. He was a pleasant, nice, good fellow.

It was again Taylor who effected the introduction. He prefaced it by describing Scarth as having met Lord Douglas of Hawick on board ship coming from Australia. Oscar straightway invited both to dine with him. He denied indignantly that he had kissed Scarth or been guilty of improper conduct.

Why did you ask him to dinner? - Because I am very good-natured.

Did you give him any presents? - Oh, yes; I gave him a cigarette case. It is my custom to

PRESENT CIGARETTE CASES.

Returning to the case of Sindey Maher, Mr. Carson found that he was introduced to Oscar by the Nameless Gentleman at Margaret-st. Oscar gave him a cigarette case which cost £4 11s. 5d., and invited him to stay with him at the hotel in Albemarle-st. It was simply for companionship.

He did not stay all night for companionship, did he? - It was for the pleasure of his company during the evening, and we breakfasted together next morning. I like to have people staying with me. It amused and pleased him that I should ask him to be my guest - a very nice charming fellow.

Walter Granger, a lad of 18, servant in the rooms of Lord Alfred Douglas at High-st., Oxford, was the next subject of inquiry, and for the first time Oscar lost his head and made a tactical blunder. "Have you ever kissed this boy?" asked Mr. Carson, and the witness replied, "Oh no! certainly not. A peculiarly plain boy!"

Mr. Carson pounced on this expression instantly, and asked if it was only because the boy was ugly he was not kissed.

For the first time Oscar seemed at a loss and shuffled. He replied, "No, because it seems to me such an intense insult on your part. It seems ridiculous to imagine that any such thing could have occurred."

Mr. Carson repeated. "Then why did you mention his ugliness?"

"I should not like to kiss a boy, " Oscar replied. " Am I to be cross-examined as to the reason I should not like to kiss a boy?"

Mr. Carson, with irritating (**)ration, repeated, "Why mention his ugliness?"

Oscar became positively angry. " Because you sting me by insolent questions!" he said. Then added, "Calmly, I say you sting me, and try to unnerve me in every way, and I say things flippantly that I would not say seriously."

Then that was a flippant answer? - Oh, that, anything ! Yes. I should my certainly

A FLIPPANT ANSWER.

Mr. Carson was satisfied, and passed on to occurrences at the Savoy Hotel. Oscar had been under the treatment of a masseur named Midgen at the hotel, but he denied that he had taken boys there.

At half-past twelve the cross-examination came to a somewhat sudden termination, and Sir Edward Clarke rose to re-examine.

First sir Edward read three letters from Lord Queensberry to Lord Alfred Douglas and other members of his family which preceded the alleged libel. The first was a letter dated Sunday, 1 April, from Carter's Hotel, Albemarle-st. It began, " Alfred,--it is extremely painful to me to have to write to you in the terms I must." and said Lord Alfred must understand that no answers in writing would be received, or if received would be burnt unread. "After your previous hysterically impertinent one, I refuse to be annoyed with such, and must ask you, if you have anything to say to me to come here and say it in person." His lordship asked if he was to understand that his son, having

LEFT OXFORD IN DISGRACE,

and fallen away from his intention to enter the Civil Service or the Foreign Office, intended to take up any other serious line of life, as "I decline to supply you with funds to loaf and loll. You are preparing a wretched future for yourself, and it would be (***) and wrong of me to encourage you in this. Secondly, I come to the more painful part of this letter--your infamous intimacy with this man Wilde must cease, or I will disown you and stop all supplies.... I am not going to analyze this intimacy and I make no accusations; but, to my mind, to pose as a thing is as bad as to be the real thing. With my own eyes I saw you both in the most loathsome and disgusting relationship as expressed by your manner and expression. Never in my experience have I ever seen such a sight as that in your horrible features. . . . I hear, on good authority, that his wife is going to divorce him on grounds of unnatural crimes. Is this right, and if so do you know of it, going about as you do with him? If I thought the actual thing was true, and it becomes public property, I should be quite justified in

SHOOTING HIM AT SIGHT

- Your disgusted and so-called father, QUEENSBERRY."

In reply to this, Lord Alfred telegraphed:- "To Lord Queensberry, Carter's Hotel, Albemarle-street, - What a funny little man you are."

Lord Queensberry's retort was another letter beginning:- "To Lord Alfred Douglas, - You impertinent young jackanapes! I request you will not send me such messages through the telegraph. If you come to me with any of your impertinence, I shall give you the thrashing you richly deserve. The only excuse for you is that you must be crazy. I heard from a man who was at Oxford with you that this was your reputation there. It accounts a good deal for what has happened. If I catch you with that man again, I will make a public scandal in a way you little dream of. Unless it ceases, I shall carry out my threat and stop all supplies. So you know what to expect. - Queensberry."

The next letter was written by Lord Queensberry from Skindles to Mr. Alfred Montgomery, the

FATHER OF LORD QUEENSBERRY

divorced. Among much that was incoherent, Lord Queensberry said: "Your daughter is the person who is supporting my son to defy me. I have had a very quibbling, prevaricating message from her saying the boy denied having been to the Savoy for the last year. Why send it at all unless he denies ever having stayed at the Savoy at all with Oscar Wilde? As a fact he did do so, and there has been a hideous scandal. I was told they were warned off. This hideous scandal has been going on for years. I don't want to make out a case against my son, nothing of the kind, but I have made out a case against Oscar Wilde. If I were quite certain of the actual thing I would shoot the fellow at sight. But I am only accusing him of posing, and for that I will chastise him and mark him. I don't believe Wilde will now dare to defy me. He plainly showed the white feather the other day, the damned cur and coward! He is no son of mine. His mother may support him, but she shall not do it in London and with this going on. The Rosebery-Gladstone-Royal insult which came to me through my other son came to me through her. I thought it was you, but it appears it was not. . . . I saw Drumlanrig here on the river last night, which much upset me.

ROSEBERY NOT ONLY INSULTED

me by lying to the Queen, which she knows, and makes her as bad as him, but Gladstone also has made a lifelong quarrel between my son and me."

The last letter was written from Scotland to Lord Alfred Douglas. If Lord Alfred really were his son, Lord Queensberry wrote, how right he had been to face any outcry or ignominy rather than run the risk of bringing any more such creatures into the world! When Lord Alfred was quite a baby Lord Queensberry had looked upon him in his cradle and wept the bitterest tears a man could shed at thinking he had brought such a creature into the world. In this Christian country it was a wise father who knew his own son. there was madness on the mother's side, and few families in this Christian country were without it if they could be looked into. "I make allowances; I think you are demented; and I am very sorry for you. No wonder you have

FALLEN A PREY

to that horrible brute. You must gang your ain gait."

Mr. Wilde first denied in emphatic terms that there was any truth in the story that his wife was seeking a divorce. He added that the letters which had just been read were brought to his knowledge before the libel proceedings were commenced, but, having regard to their character, Mr. Wilde thought it right to entirely disregard the wishes contained in them.

Sir Edward Clarke next spent a lot of time in reading, and then several long extracts from "Dorian Grey," as a set-off to what had been read yesterday.

In continued re-examination by Sir E. Clarke, Mr. Wilde said a lot of the young men whose names had been mentioned had been introduced to him by Alfred Taylor in October, 1892, who was introduced to him by a gentleman of position and repute--the one whose name had been written down and referred to. Taylor was then living at 13, College-st.

Did you know anything as to his means or occupation? I knew that he had

LOST A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY

by some shares. He was a well-educated young man who played the piano, and Wilde from time to time called upon him. Neither at the time when he was introduced to Taylor nor since had he had any reason to believe Taylor was an immoral person. He remembered some few months ago seeing in a newspaper--the Daily Chronicle--a report that a raid had been made on a house in Fitzroy-st. Alfred Parker and Charles Taylor were among the persons arrested there.

Did you gather what they were charged with?

Oh, yes, yes.

What was the charge? - So far as I could gather they were charged with being there for an unlawful purpose.

You were much distressed? - Yes.

He wrote you a letter? Yes, he said it was

A BENEFIT CONCERT

for which he had been given a ticket. Two men came in women's dress to take part in the concert, and the police immediately broke in and arrested everybody in the place.

Was any impression left on your mind that Taylor was at all to blame?

certainly not. I thought it was monstrous.

Sir Edward now turned to the case of Shelley, who, the prosecutor said, had been introduced to him by Mr. John Lane. afterwards he often went to Mathews and Lane's when Shelley was the only person in charge there. They had many literary conversations together. When "Lady Windermere's Fan" was produced Shelley had a ticket from Mr. Wilde.

He was a great admirer of your work? - Yes.

And you gratified his taste by giving him copies of your books. - Yes.

Did you ever write any inscription on the fly-leaf of any of those books (one fly-leaf had been torn out) that you would object to the whole world seeing?

"NEVER IN MY LIFE"

was the emphatic reply.

Oscar said he went to Paris to attend to the production there of "Lady Windermere's Fan," and when he came back Shelley called on him at Tite-st.

The case is proceeding.

Irish Daily Independent - Friday, April 5, 1895

London, Thursday Evening.

The Marquis of Queensberry again surrendered to his bail to-day at the Central Criminal Court, London, charged with publishing a defamatory libel concerning Mr Oscar Wilde. The doors were opened at half-past nine, and even at that comparatively early hour the Junior Bar not only monopolised the greater part of the sitting accommodation, but overflowed into the adjacent passages in such numbers as to seriously obstruct the view from many points. For some time the chief usher was occupied in finding seats for holders of cards of admission, and the Aldermanic Bench soon became as crowded as yesterday.

Lord Alfred Douglas, a pale, slim, fairhaired youth, sat in a remote corner close to the door through which the judge usually enters from the robing room. The Marquis was again attired in the semi-sporting costume which goes far to making him a distinctive personality.

Mr Wilde,with his flowing hair brushed back and falling neglected upon the heavy black velvet collar of his overcoat, sat chatting to his solicitor for some time before the reappearance of the jury.

Lord Queensbury took his place in the dock at half-past ten, and a few moments later Mr Justice Collins came in.

As Mr Wilde stepped into the witness box, holding a glass of water, the defendant wrote a note and passed it down to his counsel.

Mr Carson, Q C, at once resumed the cross-examination by putting to Mr Wilde questions about his relationship with the man Taylor. He used to go to the upper part of a house occupied by Taylor where there were tea parties. Taylor's rooms did not strike him as peculiar, except that they were more tasteful than usual.

Were they not luxurious for the upper part of a house, 13 Little College street ? They were pretty rooms.

Did you ever see the curtain otherwise than drawn? Yes.

Were you ever there at any time when light was let into the rooms, and when a double set of curtains were not drawn across? Yes, once, in March.

Were not those rooms always strongly perfumed? I would not say always; but Taylor burnt perfumes.

Did you meet Wood there? Yes.

And another person (named)? Yes ; but I have not seen him for a year, and have not the remotest idea where he is at present.

Have you been told he has disappeared within the last week ? No ; his mother was asked by Taylor where he was and was told he would be back home on Monday.

Did you see Taylor with a lady's costume on ? No.

Further cross-examined — He had not constantly sent telegrams to Taylor, but he had wired him respecting Woods' possession of the letters referred to yesterday. Do you know that Taylor and a man named Parker were arrested in a raid on a house in Fitzroy square last year ? Yes.

How many men did Taylor introduce you to? About five.

Did you give money to all ? Yes.

Was Parker a gentleman's servant out of employment ? I don't know.

If you had known it would you have been friendly with him ? I would be friendly with any human being I liked (laughter).

Was he a literary man ?

Witness (airily)—Culture was not his strong point (laughter).

What pleasure could you have is the company of grooms and coachmen ? The pleasure of being with those who were young, bright, and happy (laughter).

You invited Taylor to dinner and he brought a valet and a groom? That is your account of it, not mine.

It was at Kettner's restaurant, and was the wine Kettner's best ? Yes (laughter).

Did you give them an intellectual treat? They seemed deeply impressed (much laughter).

Did they have plenty of champagne? What gentleman would stint his guests?

Mr Carson—Yes, what gentleman would stint his valet ? (Great laughter.)

Plaintiff — I strongly object to that description.

The learned counsel asked if witness did not after that dinner drive one of the men to the Savoy, where he had a private room, give him iced champagne, and committed an act of criminality.

Witness absolutely denied the suggestion; also that he gave the man £2 and invited him to dinner the following night. The ambition of one of the men was to go on the stage. He never visited Parker at a house in Camera square. He had presented Parker with a cigarette case, and had given him about £4. Parker had never been in his bedroom at Chelsea, nor had he ever visited this man at 12 Park walk, Chelsea, at half-past 12 o'clock at night.

Asked why be associated with young men of a different class, witness replied, " I recognize no social distinctions and I would sooner talk to a young man half an-hour than be cross-examined in court" (laughter).

You knew Parker and Taylor were arrested in a raid? Yes. I read it in the newspapers.

Did you know that at the time they were arrested they were in company with several men in women’s clothes? My recollection is that two men in women's clothes drove up to the house and were arrested outside; but whether the men were at the concert inside in women's clothes I do not know.

Did you not think it a serious thing that your friend, Taylor, and your friend, Charles Parker should be arrested in a police raid? When I read it I was greatly distressed, but the magistrate took a different view because he dismissed the case.

They were charged with a felonious practice, were they not? I don’t know.

But the magistrate fined some who were there, did he not ? I do not know at all.

Did you not hear of one of these men in connection with the Cleveland street scandals ? Never.

Was not one of them a notorious personage? I never heard of him.

Did the arrest in Filzroy square make any difference to your friendship with Taylor? I was distressed to bear of it, and I wrote to him.

Was not this the same Taylor who lunched with yon on Tuesday last ? I did not invite him to lunch. He came to my house.

Further cross-examined—He was introduced to a young man named Freddy Atkins who was connected with bookmakers, and met him at dinner with a gentleman whose name was written down and passed to counsel yesterday. He called Atkins "Freddy," and "Freddy" addressed him as "Oscar." "Freddy" had an ambition for the music hall stage. He could not discuss literature. The art of the music hall was as far as he had got (laughter). He took "Freddy" to Paris, engaging three bedrooms at the hotel. He took "Freddy" out to lunch.

After lunch did you suggest that he should have his hair curled? (Laughter.) No.

Did he get his hair curled? I should have been very angry with him if he had (laughter).

Was there plenty of champagne? If you suggest that I plied the man with wine it is detestable and monstrous, and I won't have it (laughter).

Did you give Freddy a sovereign to go to the Moulin Rouge? Yes.

Counsel here put a specific question to witness as t0 what happened at the hotel after Freddy returned from the Moulin Rouge.

Witness met it with a flat negative.

If anyone came here and said they witnessed your conduct would it be a mistake? It would be an infamous lie. The gentleman whose name had been written came to Paris while Freddy was there. The gentleman and Freddy afterwards visited him in London, plaintiff being ill in bed at the time. The gentleman whose name had been written down also introduced him to two young men named Scarp and Mabor. To the latter he gave a cigarette case. They afterwards stayed at the same hotel in town, Mabor having met him at the railway station on his return from Scotland. No indecency took place. He had also dined with Mabor at Kettner's and at the Solferino. Taylor being present. He knew a youth named Granger at Lord Alfred Douglas' rooms in High street, Oxford.

Did you ever kiss or embrace Granger? No, he was ugly!

Mr Carson (sharply) — Why do you mention ugliness?

Witness — It is difficult to imagine such a thing under any circumstances.

I ask you why did you mention his ugliness? Because you stung me with an insolent question.

Further cross-examined — He brought Granger to Goring in June, 1893, he having taken a house there. He knew a masseur at the Savoy Hotel, but he denied that the masseur ever saw anything incriminating on entering his bedroom one morning for massage, He also repudiated certain suggestions with regard to his behaviour on visits to Paris.

Mr Carson having concluded his cross-examination, Sir Edward Clarke began his re-examination by putting in certain letters of Lord Qneensberry upon which questions were put to plaintiff. The first of the series was dated. Carters Hotel, W, April 1st, and was from Lord Queensberry to Lord Alfred Douglas. The writer began — "Alfred, it is exceedingly painful for me to have to address you in this style, but I decline to receive any letters from you. Any which may come in a disguised handwriting or in other people's will be put in the fire unread. Am I to understand that having left Oxford as you did, with discredit to yourself, the reasons of which were fully explained to me by your tutor, you now intend to lounge about town. I was put off with the assurance that you were going into the Civil Service or the Foreign Office. Then the assurance was given me that you were going to the Bar. It appears to me you intend to do nothing. You are too late now for any profession, and I utterly decline to supply you with sufficient funds to enable you to loaf. You are preparing a wretched future for yourself, and it would be cruel and wrong for me to encourage you in this. Do you seriously intend to make no attempt to help yourself? Secondly, your infamous intimacy with thin mau Wilde must cease or I will disown you and stop all money supplies and, if necessary, I will go personally and tell him s0. I am not going to try to analyze this intimacy and make no accusations, but to pose as a thing is as bad as to be it. With my own eyes from this window I saw you in disgusting and loathsome familiarity. It was proved by your manner and the expression of your countenances. It turned my blood cold. Never have I seen such a sight in human nature as I saw in your horrible faces. I hear now on good authority that his wife is petitioning for a divorce from him, on the grounds of —— and unnatural crimes. Is this true and do you know it ? If it is what is your position going about with him as a woman. The horror has crossed my mind that you may possibly be brought into this. Whether true or not, posing seems to me to be equivalent to a criminal relationship. If I thought the actual thing true I should be justified in shooting him on the spot. These English Christian cowards—men they call themselves—want waking up. I will stand this no longer. I will stop all money or insist on your leaving the country. Your disgusted so-called father, QUEENSBERRY."

Sir E Clarke. — Is there any foundation for the statements as to a petition for divorce?

Plaintiff—Not the slightest.

Sir E Clarke informed the jury that Lord Alfred Douglas replied to the latter by wiring "Queensbury. Carter's Hotel — What a funny little man you are!—ALFRED DOUGLAS." (Much laughter.) The answer of Lord Queensbury was dated — "Tuesday, April 3rd—You impertinent young jackanapes, I request you not to send me such messages by telegraph, and if you go on sending me impertinent messages I will give you the thrashing you so richly deserve. Your only excuse is that you must be crazy. I learn from an Oxford man that that was your reputation there. If I catch you with this man Wilde I will make a public scandal in a way you little dream of. It is already a suppressed one. I prefer an open one. Unless this acquaintance ceases I shall carry out mv threat and stop supplies. I will cut you down to a mere pittance, so you know what to expect. —QUEENSBERRY." The next letter, said the learned counsel, was from Lord Queensberry to Mr A Montgomery, the father of the lady who was formerly defendant’s wife. and who was the mother of Lord Alfred. The writer said:— "SIR.— I have changed my mind, and as I am not at all well, having been very much upset by what has happened during the last ten days, I do not see why I should dance attendance upon you, particularly as I do not know what it is you want to know, or whether it is only curiosity on your part. Your daughter is the person who is supporting my son in defying me. I received a quibbling and prevaricating message from her, saying the boy denied being at the Savoy Hotel this year. Why send such a telegram unless the boy denies staying there with Oscar Wilde. As a matter of fact, he did so, and there has been a —— scandal. I know that they were warned off, but the proprietor will not allow this. This hideous scandal has been going on for years. Your daughter must be mad, the way she is behaving. She evidently thinks I want to make out a case against my son. Nothing of the kind. I have made out a case against Oscar Wilde. I said to him : —I do not accuse you of being a ——, but you look like one. And you pose as one. If I were certain of the actual fact I would shoot the fellow at sight. I accuse him of posing. I will mark him if he does not stop. I don’t believe Wilde will now dare to defy me. He plainly showed the white feather. He is a damned cur and a coward of the Roseberry type. I am convinced that the Rosebery Gladstone Royal insult that came to me through my other son, that she worked that. I saw Drumlanrig on the river last night, and it rather upset me." Lord Drumlanrig, the learned counsel explained, was the defendant’s eldest son, who recently died. The letter continued—"It shall be known some day. Rosebery not only insulted me by lying to the Queen (which makes her as bad as him) and Gladstone, but also has made a life-long quarrel between my son and me." In a letter following from Scotland on 21st August, 1894, Lord Queensberry addressed Lord A Douglas as "an abortion and a reptile. You are no son of mine. and I never thought you were. On 29th August he addressed him as "You miserable creature," and went on—"If you are my son, it is only confirming to me how right I was to face horror and misery rather than bring others into the world. That was my reason for breaking off with your mother. So dissatisfied was I that when you were quite a baby I shed bitterest tears that I had brought such a creature into the world, that I had unintentionally committed such a crime. You must be demented. There is madness on your mother’s side. Few families in this Christian country are without it if you look into them. It all depends on yourself whether I make you any further allowances."

Replying to his counsel, plaintiff said he utterly disregarded Lord Queensberry’s requests that he should discontinue seeing Lord Alfred Douglas. He made some modification in one passage of "Dorian Grey" obediently to a suggestion of the late Mr Walter Pa[...]er.

On the Court reassembling after the adjournment, Mr Oscar Wilde apologised to his lordship for keeping the jury waiting some minutes.

Replying to Sir E Clarke, he said he helped the bookseller’s assistant Shelley because he was in difficulties, and was a young man interested in literary subjects. Taylor was educated at Marlborough. Nothing had come to plaintiff’s knowledge against the character of certain persons mentioned in cross-examination to-day. He had never been at Camera square or Park walk. He at first refrained from taking proceedings against Lord Queensberry owing to pressure brought upon him by the Queensberry family. On conclusion of the re-examination a letter was put in from Lord A Douglas to his father, accusing him of meanly depriving him of money. If necessary he should defend himself with a revolver "If he (Wilde) or I shoot you, we shall be acting in self-defence against a violent and dangerous rough. If you were dead nobody would miss you." After the reading of correspondence between Lord Queensberry and Mr Wilde's solicitors, the case for the plaintiff closed.

Mr Carson at once began his address to the jury for the defence. He said the Marquis of Queensberry withdrew nothing, and what he had done was premeditatively done. Taylor was the pivot of the whole case, and he (the proprietor of tho extraordinary den in Little College street) was absent. These various men would be called on the defendent’s behalf, and would prove for what purpose they were introduced by Taylor to Oscar Wilde, who had strange associates as a man of art, and who had so generous and democratic a soul that he could accommodate himself to the valet, the coachman, and the newspaper boy (laughter). From plaintiff’s writings and course of life the defendant was justified in assuming that Wilde was addicted to certain habits. The idea of "The Priest and the Acolyte" and of "Dorian Gray" was precisely the same idea as that disclosed in Wilde’s letters to Lord A Douglas. What would be the horror of any member of the jury finding that his own son, under the domination of a person like Mr Oscar Wilde, had written contributions to the "Chameleon" disclosing the results of that education in certain tendencies of mind? If they came to the conclusion that Mr Wilde’s book, "Dorian Grey," was of the description he had submitted to them, there could be no answer to the plea of justification, and Lord Queensberry was bound to have acted as he had in the interests of his own son. Wilde’s anxiety to get the letters from Wood was explained by the relations which had previously existed between them. He gave Wood £16 to get him of the America, and an additional £5 at a farewell luncheon. Wilde thought he had by this means got rid of Wood, but, observed the learned counsel, "he has not. Wood is here and will be examined." Mr Beerbohm Tree noted with the most perfect propriety in handing to Wilde a letter which had been addressed to the theatre. He was anxious this should be understood, because he was told Mr Tree had already cabled from America. Sir E Clarke agreed with him that there was not the slightest reflection upon Mr Beerbohm Tree.

Mr Justice Collins — He acted with the most perfect propriety.

Mr Carson resumed his address with a reference to plaintiff’s correspondence with Lord A Douglas: — "MY OWN DEAR BOY—Your red rose-leaved lips were made for the music of song, no less than for the madness of kissing. Your slim gilt soul walks between passion and poetry. Hyacinthus whom Apollo loved so madly was you in Greek days."

"Beautiful," exclaimed the learned counsel, "Abominable piece of disgusting immorality." His second letter, addressed from the Savoy Hotel, suggested the same thoughts. He (Mr Carson) was not there to suggest that anything took place between the young man and Wilde, but he was there to say that Wilde had conceived a vile, abominable passion for Lord Alfred Douglas, who was in a dangerous position, for he had become so dominated by Wilde that he even threatened to shoot his own father. Mr Carson was continuing his address at 4 30, when the court again adjourned.

Lord Queensberry was again admitted to bail.

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